Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Iranian and Iraqi authorities have launched construction of a railroad between the Iranian border town of Shalamcheh and the Iraqi city of Basra, including for facilitating Muslim pilgrimage, the Iraqi government said on Saturday. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani and Iranian Vice President Mohammad Mokhber attended the laying of the foundation stone for the railroad station, the Iraqi prime minister’s office said in a statement obtained by Sputnik. “Prime Minister Al Sudani laid the foundation stone for the Iraq-Iran railroad project at the Shalamcheh border crossing. The project will connect Iraq with neighboring countries, allowing the transportation…

Change in the production method in the country both in the agricultural sector and other sectors is an inevitable necessity given climatic changes. The water shortage problem is one of the serious threats that jeopardizes the lives of creatures on the Earth to a great extent. Iran’s traditional agriculture is such that more than 90 percent of water loss in the country occurs in the agricultural sector. Hence, FAO held the first national conference on “Production Jump Plan in Iran’s Rainfed Fields” aimed at evaluating the achievements of the joint project to increase productivity and streamlining the potentials of rainfed agriculture. FAO Representative…

The contract for seven mines worth more than $6.5 billion was signed on Thursday in the presence of the deputy PM for economic affairs. Acting minister of petroleum and mines of the Taliban government Shahabuddin Delawar, speaking to the press at the contract-signing ceremony, said that there is complete transparency in the mining contracts, TOLO News reported. He also said that gold mines in Takhar province, with an area of 12km square kilometers will be handed over to the China-Afghanistan Company with Zarawar Afghanistan Private Company, and $310 million will be invested in it. According to Delawar, the second block mine of Mes…

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called last night on all relevant Israeli authorities to protect the rights of Palestinian prisoners, and to respect the relevant obligations of international humanitarian law. The committee said in a statement: “Under international humanitarian law, Palestinian detainees are protected persons and have the right to communicate with their families.” The ICRC comments came on the heels of hard-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir’s decision to reduce family visits for Palestinian prisoners to once every two months instead of once a month. This decision coincides with another retaliatory decision announced by…

Berlin’s support of a policy dictated by Washington is jeopardizing the country’s own economy, lawmaker Sevim Dagdelen says Western sanctions have failed to destabilize Russia and are now backfiring on the countries that imposed them, including Germany, Sevim Dagdelen, an MP from the Left Party (Die Linke) has warned. In an op-ed for the Berliner Zeitung published on Friday, the lawmaker claimed Russia’s economy has successfully weathered the restrictions and is steadily adjusting to the new economic realities. “In order to ruin Russia, it was hoped that the punitive measures that violate international law will have a long-lasting effect. But the reality…

The UN has reportedly suggested reconnecting a sanctioned Russian bank to the interbank system, but there are doubts the proposal will bear fruit A new UN plan aimed at reviving the Black Sea grain deal includes reconnecting Russian agricultural lender Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT interbank messaging system, Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency reported on Saturday, citing Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. According to the report, the plan also includes unblocking the assets of Russian fertilizer producers which were frozen in the EU. Both proposals were formulated with Turkish mediation and would “constitute a suitable basis for the revival of the deal,” Fidan…

Sources to NBC News reveal that the Biden administration is readying a large response team solely for the purpose of countering a GOP impeachment attempt. The White House has established a huge response team comprised of approximately two dozen lawyers, legislative aides, and communication experts to counter an expected Republican impeachment inquiry targeting President Joe Biden, NBC News reported, citing a White House insider familiar with the matter. This strategic initiative, developed over several months within the White House counsel’s office, is a response to Republican-led House investigations. Biden’s aides and supporters are preparing to mount a strong and robust defense against…

The country’s manufacturing sector is contracting as recession deepens, the outlet has said  Factories in Italy have started to lay off employees as the manufacturing sector in the country continues to contract, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Data based on the Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) compiled by S&P Global showed that the EU’s third-largest economy slid to 45.4 in August, well below the mark of 50, indicating a contraction. Italian industry and manufacturing, in particular, have been struggling in the past several months due to a lack of new orders as global demand weakened. “The manufacturing recession,…

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has eclipsed French conglomerate LVMH in terms of market capitalization Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has overtaken French conglomerate LVMH, the world’s biggest luxury retailer and owner of Louis Vuitton and Dior fashion brands, to become the EU’s most valuable company, trading data shows. The healthcare company’s shares surged 2.14% on Friday, bringing the company’s market capitalization to roughly $424.7 billion. LVMH, Europe’s biggest listed firm since February 2021, saw shares drop by 0.8% on Friday and 14.2% from their all-time high in April. The company was valued at $420.1 billion as of Friday’s close. “Novo…

Sanctions are prompting Russian nationals to stop investing in Western countries, data shows Russians topped the list of real estate buyers from Dubai’s major developer in a sign that demand for property in the UAE remains strong, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. Emaar Properties, the biggest real estate company in Dubai, which accounts for about 30% of all home sales ahead of construction, has revealed that Russian nationals represented the market’s largest segment. The company, however, did not specify the exact percentage. Data showed that Russians have sharply increased property purchases in Dubai after sanctions prompted them to stop investing in…