Lukashenko refused to entertain the idea after he was asked, in an interview with British state broadcaster BBC, about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that the authorities in Minsk should begin discussions with their political opponents. Lukashenko explicitly named exiled opposition figure Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who is now based in Lithuania. …
Read More »Russia begins delivery of advanced S-400 missile systems to India – Moscow
“The deliveries of the S-400 equipment for India have started, and are proceeding according to schedule,” the head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), Dmitry Shugayev, told RIA Novosti. The value of the exports amounts to $5.4 billion. The deal could potentially make India liable for penalties owing …
Read More »Iran begins air drills, featuring both manned and unmanned aircraft, as it complains about ‘Zionist presence’ on borders
Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, the commander of Iran’s Army Air Force, was present on Thursday for the operational phase of the 10th Fadaeian-e Harim-e Velayat (Defenders of Velayat Sanctuary) air drills. According to Iranian media, the drill was carried out for the first time in a decentralized manner, with units …
Read More »Russian nuclear power plant begins emergency reactor shutdown after steam leak detected, officials say radiation levels ‘normal’
In a statement, an emergency services representative told RIA Novosti that “Unit Two at Rostov Nuclear Power Plant has been shut down and put on maintenance because of a steam leak.” FILE PHOTO: Official at the Rostov nuclear power plant works in the block control panel room of the second …
Read More »Red Planet, or Promised Land? Simulated Mars mission begins in Israel’s Negev Desert
The mission, which began on Monday at the Desert Mars Analog Ramon Station, or D-MARS, is a joint project of the Israel Space Agency and the Austrian Space Forum. Geologically, the Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert was found to be close to the conditions on Mars, even though temperatures …
Read More »Nord Stream 2 pipeline begins filling with gas in preparation for pumping supplies to EU, operators say, as energy crisis worsens
In a statement released on Monday, the operators said “the procedure for filling the first string of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has begun.” According to them, “the string will now be filled with gas gradually in order to achieve the volume and pressure required for further technical testing.” …
Read More »As Afghanistan finger-pointing begins, Biden blames Trump and US intelligence say ‘no one listened’ to their warnings
The Biden administration has been wrong on just about every aspect of the US’ final departure from Afghanistan. Just last month, Biden himself described the Afghan National Army – funded by the US to the tune of $88 billion – as capable of defeating the Taliban, and “as well-equipped as …
Read More »The countdown begins: Richest earthling Jeff Bezos set to make not-so-groundbreaking billionaire space flight
The former Amazon CEO will make an 11-minute excursion to the edge of Earth on board Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft. Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 with the aim of using some of his vast fortune to develop rocket technology for commercial purposes. It won’t be a solo trip, …
Read More »Twitter begins complying with new regulations in India
The media corporation announced the news in a court filing on Thursday following a lengthy legal battle with the Indian government over new IT rules. These require big tech companies including WhatsApp, Facebook, Google – and Twitter – to appoint executives from India for their units within the country. California-based …
Read More »Iran begins drill in Caspian Sea, exhibiting naval units, fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and drones (PHOTOS)
On Wednesday morning, the naval and airborne units of the Iranian armed forces began their Amaniyat-e Paydar (Sustainable Security) 1400 naval drill, which saw the participation of several units, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and naval drones. According to local media, the exercises test the interoperability of Iranian hardware and the …
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