More than 1.7 mln submissions filed for Putin’s Q&A session — spokesman

More than 1.7 mln submissions filed for Putin’s Q&A session — spokesman

According to Dmitry Peskov, artificial intelligence has been enlisted to process submissions this year More than 1.7 million appeals and questions have been filed to date for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s question-and-answer session scheduled for Thursday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Rossiya-24 television. “As of now, we have crossed over 1.7 million submissions, which…

Oreshnik test launch forces London to take a step back — Russian ambassador

Oreshnik test launch forces London to take a step back — Russian ambassador

According to Andrey Kelin, the UK’s official reaction to the launch of the Oreshnik missile was rather vague Russia’s use of the Oreshnik hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on the territory of Ukraine has forced London to take a more cautious approach regarding strikes with long-range weapons deep inside Russia, the country’s ambassador to the UK…

IMF says about $750 million sought to shore up Bangladesh’s economy

IMF says about $750 million sought to shore up Bangladesh’s economy

IMF staff on Wednesday said authorities have requested roughly $750 million for Bangladesh “to maintain macroeconomic stability and strengthen the country’s resilience to external shocks.” “The Bangladesh economy continues to grapple with persistent challenges and is facing emerging external financing needs,” the staff said in a statement.

Russia ready to discuss ‘normal’ relations with US, says foreign ministry

Russia ready to discuss ‘normal’ relations with US, says foreign ministry

Russia is ready to consider any proposals from the United States to bring mutual relations back to “normality,” Russian state agency TASS cited Russian deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Wednesday. Moscow has not yet received a response to its request asking Washington to approve Russia’s new ambassador to the United States, Ryabkov…

Corruption in China may have disrupted progress towards its 2027 military goals: Pentagon

Corruption in China may have disrupted progress towards its 2027 military goals: Pentagon

Corruption in China’s military may have disrupted its progress towards its 2027 military modernization goals, the Pentagon said in its annual report on Beijing’s military that was released on Wednesday. Since last year, China’s military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge and last month the defense ministry said a top-ranking military official had been suspended and…

Russian minister says Moscow can definitely work with Trump administration

Russian minister says Moscow can definitely work with Trump administration

Russia can definitely work with the administration of Donald Trump after he is sworn in as US president next month, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday. Ryabkov reiterated accusations by Moscow that “reckless” actions by the West had raised the risk of nuclear war and described the global security as depressing. Russia, he said, wanted…

German minister says occupation of Golan Heights breaches international law

German minister says occupation of Golan Heights breaches international law

The occupation of the Golan Heights is a violation of international law, Germany’s foreign minister said during a speech in the parliament on Wednesday, after the Israeli government decided at the weekend to double its population on the occupied strategic plateau. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also said she would make clear to Turkey on a…

Suspected US serial killer charged in seventh murder

Suspected US serial killer charged in seventh murder

A New York architect believed to be responsible for a series of murders on Long Island has been charged with a seventh homicide, that of a woman whose remains were found in 2000, prosecutors said Tuesday. Rex Heuermann had already been charged with the murders of six women whose bodies were found near Gilgo Beach between 1993…

Syrian mass graves expose ‘machinery of death’ under Assad, top prosecutor says

Syrian mass graves expose ‘machinery of death’ under Assad, top prosecutor says

An international war crimes prosecutor said on Tuesday that evidence emerging from mass grave sites in Syria has exposed a state-run “machinery of death” under toppled leader Bashar al-Assad in which he estimated more than 100,000 people were tortured and murdered since 2013. Speaking after visiting two mass grave sites in the towns of Qutayfah and Najha near Damascus,…

Saudi Arabia says GCC residents can perform Umrah year-round

Saudi Arabia says GCC residents can perform Umrah year-round

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) can now perform Umrah at any time of the year. Their Umrah can be organized in several different ways to ensure a seamless and smooth pilgrimage, the ministry said. Pilgrims can purchase an Umrah package on Saudi Arabia’s…

Zelenskyy huddles with European leaders as Trump looms

Zelenskyy huddles with European leaders as Trump looms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets Wednesday with NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels to discuss “next steps” on Russia’s war as Donald Trump prepares to take office in the United States. The gathering due in the evening was set to bring together German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish leader Donald Tusk, Italian premier Giorgia…

Russia’s Medvedev threatens punishment over attack on senior general Kirillov

Russia’s Medvedev threatens punishment over attack on senior general Kirillov

The Kyiv regime will pay dearly for the death of Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev warned on Tuesday. “Attempts to intimidate our nation, stop the Russian offensive or sow fear are doomed. Certain punishment awaits Banderite Nazis, including the top…

Iran’s Khamenei says ‘resistance’ not over after al-Assad’s ouster

Iran’s Khamenei says ‘resistance’ not over after al-Assad’s ouster

Iran’s supreme leader said Tuesday that Israel and the United States were “completely wrong” to imagine the Tehran-backed “axis of resistance” had collapsed with the ouster of Syria’s longtime strongman. “With the developments in Syria and the crimes the Zionist regime is committing and the crimes that America is committing, and the help that some others…

Ukraine says detained agents spotting F-16 jets for Russia

Ukraine says detained agents spotting F-16 jets for Russia

Ukraine’s SBU security service said on Tuesday it had uncovered 12 agents spying for Russia to identify the locations of F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems across Ukraine. It detained the alleged organizer and four key accomplices on suspicion of treason and sharing information about the location of Ukrainian military, according to a statement on…