Author: Steven Sahiounie

Farid Dousti said the number of foreign participants will hit an all-time high while 1,170 domestic companies have submitted their application forms, out of which 560 exhibitors will be present due to lack of enough space at the Tehran International Permanent Fairground, Iran’s National Petrochemical Company (NPC) reported. Iran’s Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) will take part in IranPlast International Exhibition for the first time, he stated. More than 220 foreign visitors, including officials, businesspersons, and investors, have expressed their willingness to participate in this exhibition, he added, SHANA reported. India’s minister of chemicals and fertilizers and directors of Plast World exhibitions…

A meeting on the situation of border regions, the fight against smuggling narcotics and goods as well as combating terrorism was held in Islamabad on Wednesday in the presence of Pakistan’s Minister of Interior Sarfraz Bugti. Senior authorities from Pakistan’s ministries, commander of the Anti-Drug Headquarters and also officials in Pakistan’s intelligence forces attended the meeting. Pakistan will spare no efforts in fighting against terrorism, establishing security at borders and dealing with traffickers, the interior minister emphasized. Emphasizing the promotion of trade with neighbors and the reopening of the three new border crossings with Iran, Bugti added that fighting against…

Aleksandr Shulgin will become the first Russian businessman to be removed from the bloc’s individual sanctions list The European Union’s Court of Justice issued a landmark ruling on Wednesday, to lift sanctions that had been imposed by the bloc on a Russian businessman. Aleksandr Shulgin, the former head of Russian e-commerce firm Ozon, featured on a blacklist in April 2022 as part of sanctions targeting Moscow following the beginning of its military operation in Ukraine. It’s the first time that EU sanctions have been lifted by a court ruling in relation to a Russian businessman. Previously, such decisions have been made…

story apartment building collapsed Wednesday in the Egyptian capital, leaving at least four people dead, authorities said, as rescuers continued to search through the rubble.Cairo’s governate said in a statement that the building collapse occurred in the Hadaeq el-Qubbah neighborhood, roughly 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the city center. At least three others were injured, it said.It’s unclear what caused the collapse. Egypt’s public prosecutor was investigating the incident, Cairo’s governate said.In a separate statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity said it would give 60,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,941) to the families of the dead.Fatal building collapses are common in Egypt.…

Western allies initially agreed to make regular adjustments to the $60-a-barrel ceiling to keep Moscow’s revenues down   The Group of Seven (G7) leading economies and its allies have stopped carrying out regular reviews of the price cap on Russian oil, even though it is now trading well above the ceiling, Reuters reported on Wednesday citing sources familiar with the matter. The price limit on Russian seaborne crude of $60 per barrel was introduced by the EU, G7 countries, and Australia on December 5. It bans Western firms from providing insurance and other services to shipments of Russian crude,…

The central bank needs to pay off Eurobonds maturing later this month The Bank of Russia announced on Wednesday that it will increase the planned sale of foreign currency on the domestic market to 150 billion rubles ($1.5 billion), citing the need to repay government-issued Eurobonds. According to a press release, the almost tenfold increase in the central bank’s daily “mirroring operations” is linked to investments from the government’s wealth fund. It now plans to sell $218 million worth of foreign currency per day from September 14 to 22. Russia is due to make a $3 billion Eurobond payment on September 16,…

 Yerevan’s plans to hold joint Armenian-US military drills causes suspicion, especially in the current situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, adding that Moscow will analyze this information and monitor developments. “When it comes to the drills — of course, it causes concern, especially in the current situation. Therefore, we will deeply analyze this news and monitor the situation,” Peskov told reporters. Earlier in the day the Armenian Defense Ministry said that joint military exercises with US “Eagle Partner 2023” will be held in Armenia from September 11-20. “In the framework of preparation for participation in international peacekeeping missions the…

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismisses allegations that President Joe Biden is treated like a baby by his staff, calling the claims “ridiculous”. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre vehemently denied allegations that presidential staff in the administration of US President Joe Biden treated him like a baby. In response to recent reports, she declared such claims as being “ridiculous” during a press briefing on Tuesday. “No one treats the President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief, like a baby,” Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing when asked about the claims. “That’s a ridiculous claim.” These allegations surfaced following…

It’s a mistake to suggest that the conflict between Kiev and Moscow is only a bilateral struggle, Aleksey Danilov says The head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council has claimed a third world war is already underway, with the Moscow-Kiev conflict pulling in countries far beyond the region. Speaking at the Kiev Security Forum on Tuesday, Aleksey Danilov argued that NATO needs Ukraine as a member, as global turbulence is set to continue. “We’re going to strengthen the alliance,” he insisted. “If somebody thinks that World War III hasn’t started then it’s a huge mistake. It has already begun. It had…

“We gifted 14 of these Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. We accept that in the war zone, there can be material losses,” Grant Shapps said UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that a British Challenger 2 battle tank has been destroyed in Ukraine, in the first such incident in the model’s nearly 30 years of being in service. “I can confirm, that is correct. It may be the first loss as far as we are aware,” Shapps told Sky News, explaining that the tank was hit by the Russian artillery. “We gifted 14 of these Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. We…