Author: Steven Sahiounie

Iran’s top military commander says Tehran and Moscow have come to some “good agreements” concerning expansion of the two sides’ naval cooperation. Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the remarks after meeting with Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Vice-Admiral Vladimir Lvovich Kasatonov in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.“At this meeting, we talked about Iran-Russia maritime cooperation, and some good agreements came about,” Baqeri said. Detailing the issues that were discussed during the meeting, the Iranian general pointed to various aspects of the two sides’ maritime cooperation such as the issue of Iran’s participation…

A group of Russian and Chinese naval vessels have for the first time on record sailed through a strait separating the Sea of Japan from the Pacific, Japan has claimed. Yoshihiko Isozaki, Japan’s deputy chief cabinet secretary, said in a regular news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday that 10 vessels from China and Russia had a day earlier sailed through the Tsugaru Strait, which separates Japan’s main island from its northern island of Hokkaido. “The government is closely watching Chinese and Russian naval vessels’ activities around Japan like this one with high interest,” Isozaki told reporters at the presser. “We…

NATO’s offer to hold a Russia-NATO Council meeting remains relevant, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday, adding that Brussels expects Moscow’s response. “The offer to meet in the NATO-Russia Council is still on the table. It’s for Russia to respond in a positive way,” he said, noting with regret that the NATO-Russia relations are at their lowest point since the Cold War. “That’s actually not an argument against dialogue, that’s an argument in favor of a dialogue,” the official added.source : tass.com

Russia is not interested in the endless growth of energy prices, including gas, but this takes place beyond Moscow’s control, President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting with Cabinet members on Wednesday. “If there is a decline in consumption – and such situation eventually leads to reduced consumption, it will also affect our producing companies, including Gazprom,” Putin said. “That is why we are not interested in the endless increase of prices for energy resources, including gas. Nevertheless, developments are taking place, beyond our control,” Putin said. “These are largely artificial things made by our colleagues, including in Europe, but…

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist bombing that targeted a military bus in Damascus on Wednesday. “We strongly condemn that heinous terrorist act and express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wish recovery to the wounded”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It considered that “this bloody crime is a blatant defiance which aims to question the ability of the authority in Syria to ensure the security of the capital, stir a new wave of violence and hinder efforts to resolve the political crisis in Syria.” The Ministry affirmed the importance of unifying…

Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., the head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Lionel Messi scored twice in quick succession, including an exquisite Panenka-style penalty, to rescue Paris Saint-Germain as it rallied to beat Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League after being dominated for long spells on Tuesday. Messi equalized in the 67th minute, poking home from close range after goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi tipped his first shot onto the post. He then sent Gulacsi diving to the left before dinking the ball softly down the middle for his third goal since joining PSG from Barcelona. They have all come in the Champions League, with Kylian Mbappe setting up the first two and winning the penalty for Messi’s winner against Leipzig in…

Life has returned to normal for millions in Britain since coronavirus restrictions were lifted over the summer. But while the rules have vanished, the virus hasn’t. Many scientists are now calling on the government to reimpose social restrictions and speed up booster vaccinations as coronavirus infection rates, already Europe’s highest, rise still further. The U.K. recorded 43,738 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, slightly down from the 49,156 reported Monday, which was the largest number since mid-July. New infections have averaged more than 44,000 a day over the past week, a 16% increase on the week before. Last week, the Office for National Statistics estimated that one in…

Pyongyang has tested a novel submarine-launched missile system, North Korean state media said. The launch became North Korea’s first of its kind since 2019. It comes amid talks between the US, South Korea and Japan in Washington. North Korea’s Academy of Defense Science said Tuesday’s test went off without a hitch and proved the missile’s “advanced control guidance technologies,” according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The new missile “will greatly contribute to the advancement of the nation’s defense technology and the improvement of the navy’s underwater operation capabilities,” academy said. State media also released a series of photos purporting to show…

o third country can veto Ukraine’s wish to join NATO, the Pentagon chief has said. His statement comes after Moscow warned Kiev that joining the bloc would go beyond “red lines” and may prompt Russia to “take active measures.” Ukraine is free to decide its future and foreign policy, with no foreign entity having a say in its aspiration to join the NATO alliance, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday. “Ukraine… has a right to decide its own future foreign policy and we expect that they will be able to do that without any outside interference,” Austin said at a…