Above Photo: Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett Burnett. (Magistrate’s Association) Matt Kennard and Mark Curtis report on the personal ties between two men with major roles – one past and the other pending — in the case of the WikiLeaks publisher. Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett, the judge who will soon decide Julian Assange’s fate, is a close personal friend of Sir Alan Duncan, who as foreign minister arranged Assange’s eviction from the Ecuadorian embassy. The two have known each other since their student days at Oxford in the 1970s, when Duncan called Burnett “the Judge.” Burnett and his wife attended […]
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Above photo: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Mr. Le Maire at a meeting of Group of 7 finance ministers in London in June. Hollie Adams. “Clear Differences Remain Between France and the U.S, French Minister Says,” is the headline to a remarkable piece appearing in the New York Times. The Minister, Bruno Le Maire, is brutally frank on the nature of the differences as the quotations below Illustrate. (Emphases in the quotations are jvw’s.) In fact, they amount to a Declaration of Independence of France and EU from the U.S. It is not surprising that the differences relate to China after the […]
Russian-made Iskander (SS-26 Stone) ballistic missile systems are “completely useless”, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said yesterday. The Armenian Prime Minister argued that the Iskander ballistic missiles are problematic and useless. This is how Pashinyan responded to former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who stated that he would have used Iskander on the fourth day of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Sargsyan also asked why these complexes did not affect the oil and gas facilities of Azerbaijan. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – For its part, the prime minister said that the Russian missiles are useless and do not fully explode. “Let […]
The Polish Minister of Defence, Mariusz Blaszczak announced that the 32nd Air Base, located in Lask, has been selected as the preferred location for the first operational Polish F-35A Lightning II fighter jets. The 32nd Air Base is a Polish Air Force base is one of the two bases where Poland’s F-16 fighters are stationed, the other being 31st Air Base. The goal is to have 16 fighters, operated by the 10th Tactical Squadron. What’s more, a detachment of the U.S. Air Force has been permanently based at Łask since November 2012. Additional units rotate to the base periodically to conduct […]
BELGRADE (Sputnik) – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has received a letter with threats and suspicious powder, the state HINA news agency reported, citing the ruling Croatian Democratic Union party. The letter allegedly ended with a warning: “One of the cures for traitors is Novichok.” The police have launched an investigation. The incident is not the first time when the prime minister reports receiving threats. On Saturday, before the information about the suspicious letter emerged, police arrested two men for threatening Plenkovic. It came on the heels of Monday’s shooting in the capital of Zagreb, when a 22-year-old man opened fire […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/0d/1080759460_0:31:3072:1759_1200x675_80_0_0_ed122d60d622c467ae7d5af1a8e48483.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Matthew Daniel. Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/sport/202010171080800738-cristiano-ronaldo-accuses-italian-sports-minister-lies-amid-spat-over-alleged-covid-19-breach/ After contracting the much-feared respiratory disease, Ronaldo joins a long and growing list of celebrities with Coronavirus, including Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Idris Elba and Olga Kurylenko. However, he is said to be asymptomatic. Cristiano Ronaldo and the Italian Sports Minister have locked horns over whether the Juventus superstar breeched Rome’s Covid-19 safety protocols after testing positive for the virus. Vincenzo Spadafora said recently that the 35-year-old Ronaldo may have broken Italy’s health rules by flying back into the county from Portugal after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier on this week. […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/19/1080575729_0:0:3072:1728_1200x675_80_0_0_cd212173afedd0f64861fb545169987a.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202010161080785739-japanese-prime-minister-to-make-his-first-foreign-visit-from-october-18-21-official-says/ TOKYO (Sputnik) – New Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will make his first foreign visit in this post from October 18-21, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Friday. The first two countries that will be visited by the new prime minister are Vietnam and Indonesia. The first official visit of previous Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was also made to these two countries. Last month, Japanese lawmakers elected Suga as the new prime minister after the former head of the cabinet, Abe, unexpectedly announced on August 28 his intention to resign due to […]
Moscow doesn’t believe the New START treaty with the US can be continued, as achieving common ground is impossible against the backdrop of ultimatums employed by Washington, the Russian Foreign Minister said on Wednesday. In his interview with three Russian radio stations, Sergey Lavrov was asked if he saw any prospect of the two countries agreeing to prolong the landmark deal until 2026. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, obliges Russia and the US to reduce the number of their strategic nuclear missile launchers by half, and it expires in February. “There is no such prospect. I personally […]
A glamorous photo of Finland’s 34-year-old Prime Minister Sanna Marin with a plunging neckline has sparked an uproar on social media. While many argued this conduct was unbecoming of someone in her position, others started posting similar photos in support of her. Finland’s Social Democrat Prime Minister Sanna Marin has found herself in the midst of a controversy after suggestively posing for the fashion magazine Trendi in a blazer with a plunging neckline, no shirt and no bra. The magazine’s Instagram page was quickly flooded with scathing criticism from social media users, with many suggesting that the image was highly unbecoming […]
Israel’s nationwide lockdown will be extended at least until Sunday as officials determine the next step toward reopening, despite warnings from the finance minister that the policy has pushed small firms to the brink of collapse. The country’s coronavirus cabinet met late into Tuesday night to discuss an exit plan from the lockdown, re-imposed in September amid a wave of new infections, but decided the measures would remain in force over the weekend. “The decision to ease restrictions and allow for a gradual exit from the lockdown will require a constant and certain decrease in morbidity rates, and reaching that will […]
ATHENS (Sputnik) – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he was “extremely surprised” by the latest actions of Turkey after successfully bringing the contradictions between Turkey and Greece onto the path of diplomacy. Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar on 6 October, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the opening of the Varosha embankment. This is a tourist quarter at the southeast coast of Cyprus, which has been closed to the public since 1974 after the occupation of part of Cyprus by Turkish troops and the partition […]
BERLIN (Sputnik) – Germany remains interested in maintaining good or “at least reasonable” relations with Russia, despite the incident with opposition figure Alexey Navalny, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told RIA Novosti in an interview. Germany, where Navalny was transported to after falling ill aboard a Russian domestic flight, claims to have evidence of his poisoning with a nerve agent from the Novichok group “What happened to Alexey Navalny does not change the geography and therefore does not change our principled interest in good or at least reasonable relations with Russia. We are a country that lives by trade and scientific exchange. […]
Former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin has revealed that his life was in danger in the mid-2000s, leading President Vladimir Putin to instruct the country’s secret services to keep him protected. Speaking to Moscow news agency TASS, the current chairman of Russia’s Accounts Chamber explained that someone was planning to murder him in 2005 or 2006. “I didn’t have [bodyguards] for most of the time when I was deputy prime minister, except for one year when, according to our secret services, someone was plotting to assassinate me,” Kudrin said. “On instructions from President Vladimir Putin, bodyguards remained by my side […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202010111080736706-israel-will-oppose-any-us-sale-of-f-35s-to-qatar-cabinet-minister-says/ On Thursday, Reuters learned from three anonymous sources that Qatar had “in recent weeks” filed a request to the United States for the purchase of the stealth multirole fighter jets. Any potential US deal with Qatar on the acquisition of F-35 military planes will be rejected by Israel, the country’s intelligence minister Eli Cohen said Sunday as quoted by Reuters. DETAILS TO FOLLOW Source link
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107513/48/1075134887_0:362:3336:2239_1200x675_80_0_0_6736ab3a6f0fdd61320bbcd65e494054.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Svetlana Ekimenko. Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/europe/202010101080732666-new-polish-education-minister-called-holocaust-memorial-anti-polish-scandal-and-slander/ The minister made headlines last year, when he was governor of Lublin region, after demanding a memorial for Jewish victims who had been killed by Poles during the Holocaust be removed. The new Polish Education and Science Minister Professor Przemysław Czarnek of the ruling Law and Justice party, who was appointed as a result of a recent Cabinet reshuffle, last year called for the removal of a memorial for Jews killed by Poles during the Holocaust, writes The Times of Israel. Created by artist Dorota Nieznalska, the memorial represented a pile of […]
Backed by the United Nations, Girls Takeover Day is meant to celebrate the power of girls and highlight the barriers they face. Sixteen-year-old girl, Aava Murto, has walked in the shoes of Finland’s prime minister as part of a UN day to raise awareness about gender inequality. The incumbent Social Democrat Prime Minister Sanna Marin ceremoniously stepped aside, allowing Aava Murto, a native of the small town of Vääsky in the south of Finland, to call the shots ahead of International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October. Prime Minister’s seat has for one day been occupied by 16-year-old Aava […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0a/07/1080691304_0:0:3484:1961_1200x675_80_0_0_d93bf413e0179b7ab3930045964595f5.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202010091080714764-four-kyrgyz-opposition-political-parties-propose-single-candidate-for-prime-minister/ BISHKEK (Sputnik) – Four Kyrgyz opposition political parties — Respublika (Republic), Ata Meken (Fatherland), Bir Bol (Unity) and Reforma (Reform) — nominated jointly one more candidate to the post of the country’s prime minister, Omurbek Babanov, according to opposition politician Tilek Toktogaziev, a member of Ata Meken. “A decision was made to nominate a single candidate from our parties: Omurbek Babanov to the post of the prime minister and Tilek Toktogaziev to the post of the first deputy prime minister”, Toktogaziev read out a memorandum, which was signed by the leaders of the four […]
A trade deal between India and the United States has been pending since last November. While the US wants more access to India’s dairy and meat market, India wants restoration of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) which the Trump administration withdrew last June. Inviting American businesses to invest in India, Federal Commerce and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said a target of $500 billion for US-India bilateral trade in five years is “eminently doable”. “The bilateral trade between US & India grew from $126 billion in 2017 to $145 billion in 2019. The target we have set of $500 billion […]
British coal drove the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century but the last deep mine, at Kellingley in Yorkshire, closed in 2015. But now plans are afoot to build a new pit in Cumbria, which could start producing coal as early as 2022. Climate change activists are urging government minister Robert Jenrick to block plans for Britain’s a new deep coal mine, the first to be built for 55 years. On Friday, 2 October, Cumbria County Council’s planning committee voted in favour of an application to build the mine, Woodhouse Colliery, on the site of a former sulphuric acid factory in Whitehaven […]
It was earlier reported that more than 15,000 positive COVID-19 tests had been “lost” in Britain’s tracking system since the NHS test and trace app was launched in September. The problem is currently under review. UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey on Monday said that the issue with “lost” COVID-19 tests won’t be repeated as a glitch in the system has now been found and fixed, she told Sky News. “The glitch has been found and fixed and I’m sure that the changes are brought in straight away to make sure this sort of problem doesn’t happen […]
Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz has said Turkey’s actions “pushes away from stability” in the region and argued “international pressure” must be used to “make sure they are pulling their hands from direct terrorism.” Speaking on a conference call put together by The Arab Council for Regional Integration, Gantz accused Turkey, a country Israel has a trade relationship with, of helping to destabilize the region and working against peace efforts, including Tel-Aviv’s September deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which was brokered by the US. Countries like Iran, Turkey, and Palestine have opposed the agreement. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan […]
Genaro Garcia Luna, who was Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security from 2006 to 2012, was arrested in Dallas, Texas, in December 2019. It has been alleged he was bribed by the Sinaloa Cartel to keep the Mexican Federal Police Force away from their operations. When Joaquin Guzman Loera – better known as El Chapo – went on trial in New York it was alleged he paid a US$6 million bribe to Enrique Peña Nieto, who was President of Mexico between 2012 and 2018. Peña Nieto had succeeded Felipe Calderón as President and Calderón’s Secretary of Public Secretary was Genaro Garcia Luna, who is facing trial […]
India has accumulated huge oil reserves during the pandemic, taking advantage of the depressed prices and lack of demand across the world. State-funded strategic crude oil reserves are meant to tackle emergency situations and allow the Modi government to tide over short-term supply disruptions. The Indian government revealed on Tuesday that it is scouting locations in the US and other countries to store crude oil to nullify the adverse impact on the economy if supply is disrupted for months. Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan emphasised that New Delhi has aimed to improve the crude and petroleum products storage capacity from the existing […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080429721_0:255:1201:930_1200x675_80_0_0_f093c46654ac37cb711b3bdedb4e09fe.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/science/202009291080607126-uae-to-launch-lunar-rover-in-2024-to-explore-moons-undiscovered-areas-prime-minister-says/ DUBAI (Sputnik) – Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on Tuesday said that the country would create its own-made lunar rover to study undiscovered areas of the Moon, with the mission set for 2024. “With God’s help, we have launched a new Emirati project to explore the Moon. It will be a space aircraft explorer that will land on the planet surface in 2024 in those areas that previous human mission has not been able to reach. We have named it ‘Rashid’ after the ruler, […]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $266 billion stimulus package on 12 May to help the economy and industries tide over the disruption caused by the COVID -19 pandemic. The country’s top bank, RBI, also pumped in liquidity worth $125 billion to maintain stability in the domestic financial markets. India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the country’s economy will continue to face “challenges of different nature” with no clear-cut end date for the pandemic and no sure-shot vaccine against the coronavirus in sight. In an interview with The Indian Express, Sitharaman said uncertainty is laying in the mind of big […]
As previous surveys have indicated, nearly four out of ten Danish Muslims would like to have the country’s laws at least partly based on Sharia law, and over 10 percent even said Denmark’s laws should be solely based on Sharia law. Source link
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has called on all countries targeted with sanctions to unite and take joint political and economic action to resist the measures. “Unilateral coercive measures imposed by some countries clearly violate international law. The humanitarian exemptions they repeatedly invoke do not exist on the ground. […] We call on all affected countries and those that reject such measures to close ranks against them and alleviate their impact on our peoples. This should happen through cooperation, coordination and concrete political, economic and commercial means,” Muallem said at the UN General Assembly. He said that […]
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – Sanctions and foreign interference in the internal affairs of Belarus will have the opposite effect, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said at the UN General Assembly, warning against attempts to bring chaos to Belarus. “We note with regret the increasing attempts by a series of countries to abuse the UN platform including the Security Council, to further their own narrow political interests. This includes some western nations focusing their attention on the situation Belarus,” Makei said. Makei stressed that in August, the people of Belarus made their choice during the presidential elections. “They chose a stable and […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/18/1080565599_0:0:3071:1729_1200x675_80_0_0_4c07f74fb2bf20a1c50d0e4f1b8989e1.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/europe/202009241080565636-france-may-impose-second-quarantine-over-rising-number-of-covid-19-cases-prime-minister-says/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – French Prime Minister Jean Castex warned citizens of the country that the government may impose a new quarantine over the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. On Thursday, Sante Publique, the French national health agency, said that the country had confirmed more than 16,000 new coronavirus cases within the past 24 hours marking the largest daily increase since the start of the outbreak. “If we do nothing, we may face the same situation as in March. The further deterioration of the situation may mean the second quarantine,” Castex said on late Thursday, […]
TORONTO (Sputnik) – Premier Jason Kenney of Alberta, Canada’s largest oil-producing province, said during a press conference on Thursday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proposal for a COVID-19 economic recovery was a “fantasy plan.” “It was a fantasy plan for a mythical country that only exists, apparently, in the minds of Ottawa liberals and likeminded Laurentian elites,” Kenney said. The Alberta Premier said Trudeau’s Throne Speech delivered on Wednesday did not reflect the harsh economic realities Canada is facing amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Kenney also said Trudeau completely ignored the ongoing economic crisis in western Canada and the growing sense […]
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, shown at a news conference last November, says he sees the possibility of closer relations with the U.S. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, shown at a news conference last November, says he sees the possibility of closer relations with the U.S. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images Taiwan is not pursuing formal diplomatic ties with the United States for now, but there is “a lot” of room to further strengthen relations, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an interview after unprecedented visits by […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/07/1080384900_0:0:3104:1746_1200x675_80_0_0_3d0a350105518da8c7a1619d73b6f230.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/world/202009221080532029-us-biggest-threat-to-international-security-cuban-foreign-minister-says/ UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez says the “irresponsible behaviour” of Washington threatens international peace and security by igniting conflicts and trade wars. “Multilateralism and international law are being threatened by the greatest power in the world. The US irresponsible behaviour is the biggest threat to international peace and security”, Rodriguez said at the high-level meeting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations. According to the Cuban foreign minister, the US is engaging in an arms race “of its own making”, and is not contributing to efforts aimed at […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1a/1080284224_0:137:3072:1865_1200x675_80_0_0_72f20b2cda794f91164201aeb8b994f9.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/russia/202009221080531572-russia-expects-to-reach-covid-19-vaccine-maximum-production-level-in-2021-trade-minister-says/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian companies plan to reach the maximum capacity of COVID-19 vaccine production by February 2021, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said. “We expect that in October there will be 500,000 vaccine doses, by the end of the year – 2 to 3 million doses. We plan to reach maximum capacity by February of next year,” Manturov told the Russian Izvestia newspaper. The trade minister stressed that the delivery of the Russian coronavirus vaccine to other countries stipulates organizing joint production ventures and collaboration with foreign healthcare systems, and […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080433096_0:81:3208:1885_1200x675_80_0_0_cabcb9f084098ade79129503ce3a8e15.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202009211080530063-india-has-no-plans-to-lower-chinas-trade-status-despite-border-tensions-minister-says/ NEW DELHI (Sputnik) – The Indian government has no plans to remove China’s most favored nation trade status despite the recent deadly clashes on the border between the two countries, the Indian minister of trade and commerce, Piyush Goyal, said on Monday. The minister had earlier been asked by Manoj Kotak, a member of the Indian parliament, whether New Delhi would withdraw Beijing’s status as a favored trading partner in light of the ongoing tensions. “No such proposal is under consideration at this time,” Goyal said in a written response to parliament. The World […]
On Sunday, Tehran called on Washington to “return to the international community and stop the rebellion” following the US’ claims about the reinstatement of all UN anti-Iran sanctions. Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh has lashed out at the US in light of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent move to declare “the return of virtually all previously terminated UN sanctions” against the Islamic Republic. “Today Iran is still fighting a war. America has waged a war against Iran with no blood”, Zanganeh was cited as saying by the Iranian news agency SHANA, in an apparent nod to the US’ anti-Iran sanctions. […]
LONDON (Sputnik) – UK Health Minister Matt Hancock urged people on Sunday to follow social distancing restrictions to avoid another national lockdown, as the United Kingdom is on the brink of a second wave of COVID-19. “If people break the rules, then we are more likely to end up with national measures,” Hancock told the BBC broadcaster. After stressing that “it is absolutely critical that at this moment that everybody stops, takes a step back and realizes we all got a part to do,” the health minister said that he does not want to see another national lockdown like the one […]
On Thursday UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the country continued to see a concerning rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, as he announced new coronavirus restrictions on entertainment venues in England’s north-east. Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock was forced to respond to a barrage of questions regarding the possibility of a second nation-wide lockdown in the country, reported Sky News. As the minister acknowledged on Friday that there had been a steady rise in new coronavirus cases registered across the country, with hospital admissions doubling every eight days, he claimed that a lockdown was a last resort. He […]
BEIJING (Sputnik) – China is conducting clinical trials of 11 vaccines against the coronavirus disease, four of which are in phase 3, the country’s Science and Technology Minister Wang Zhigang said on Friday. “At the moment, 11 vaccines have entered the phase of clinical trials, four of them are already in phase 3,” Wang said while speaking at the Zhongguancun forum in Beijing. According to the minister, Chinese researchers focused on the development of five types of COVID-19 vaccine at once — a recombinant protein subunit vaccine, an inactivated vaccine, an adenoviral vector-based vaccine, a nucleic acid-based vaccine, and a live […]
As Sweden has long enjoyed the reputation of having some of Europe’s most liberal policies toward immigration, asylum and family integration, the share of residents with a foreign background now exceeds a quarter of the population. The Swedish Migration Committee has submitted a new report with proposals on the country’s future immigration policy, national broadcaster SVT reported. The committee’s 600-page report includes a mixed bag of 26 proposals and features the strengthening of some measures as well as the relaxing of others. For instance, it wants time-limited residence permits instead of permanent ones to be the basic option for those seeking […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202009161080470494-yoshihide-suga-elected-as-japans-new-prime-minister/ The new chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan, Yoshihide Suga, was confirmed on Wednesday as the country’s prime minister. The voting procedure was broadcast live on the website of the lower house of the National Diet, Japan’s parliament. 314 legislators voted for Suga; in total, 462 ballots were recognised as valid. The House of Representatives met in an extraordinary session on Wednesday to elect a new prime minister to form a government. Earlier, Yoshihide Suga served as chief cabinet secretary to outgoing premier Shinzo Abe. The need to elect a new […]
Last week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that a ban on social gatherings of more than six people will be re-imposed in England as of 14 September, after more than 3,000 confirmed coronavirus cases had been recorded there for the third day in a row. UK Policing Minister Kit Malthouse has called on Brits to report their neighbours to the police if they see them violating the government’s new “rule of six” COVID-19 restriction. “During lockdown we did see a surge in reports coming through to police. If people are concerned, if they do think there’s been a contravention, then […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Irina Acheeva. Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/uk/202009141080454597-former-uk-finance-minister-sajid-javid-unable-to-support-internal-market-bill/ Last week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced the Internal Market Bill in the British Parliament, which has jeopardised the Brexit negotiating process, as it proposes rolling back some of the commitments on state aid and customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland. Former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid has said in a statement that he is unable to support the Internal Market Bill introduced by the British prime minister. “Breaking international law is a step that should never be taken lightly. Having carefully studied the UK Internal Market Bill […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/09/1080405603_0:76:3064:1800_1200x675_80_0_0_f97e548769b3a6a553491898ac27db8f.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/russia/202009121080439810-russian-health-minister-says-countrys-regions-to-receive-covid-19-vaccine-by-monday/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The first small batches of the Russian vaccine against the coronavirus were sent to all regions on the country, and they are expected to arrive before Monday, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday. “The first batches of the vaccine to test the supply chain have already been sent .. to all regions … The first vaccine samples will be delivered by Monday,” Murashko told reporters during a working visit in the Leningrad region. The Sputnik V vaccine was developed by Russia’s Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian […]
MOSCOW (Sputnik), Valentina Shvartsman – Pakistan has warned fellow members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) about “spoilers” that seek to undermine the Afghan peace process from both within and outside the country, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in an exclusive interview with Sputnik. On Thursday, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem Wardak confirmed via Twitter that long-awaited negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government are set to begin in Qatar on 12 September. “We do recognize and we are cognizant of the fact that there are spoilers. And I warned my colleagues [on Thursday] that beware of those spoilers […]
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been implicated in several corruption cases. Last week, court had asked Sharif to surrender and appear before the court at the next hearing, on 10 September in an ongoing corruption case. Sharif has been in Britain for medical treatment since November 2019. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stands accused in several corruption cases. Last week, a court had asked Sharif to surrender and appear before the court in the next hearing of an ongoing corruption case, on 10 September. Sharif has remained in Britain for medical treatment since November 2019. An accountability court in […]
ATHENS (Sputnik) – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called an emergency cabinet meeting in the early hours of Wednesday following a devastating fire in the largest migrant camp on the island of Lesbos. In the night, a huge blaze destroyed the overcrowded Moria facility, which is home to 12,800 migrants. According to Greek media, it could have been arson. The fire broke out after reports emerged that 35 residents of the camp had been diagnosed with COVID-19. © AFP 2020 / MANOLIS LAGOUTARIS Migrants leave as a fire burns in the Moria camp on the island of Lesbos on September 9, […]
The Irish border has been a consistent issue with the United Kingdom government’s Brexit negotiations over its withdrawal from the European Union. In December of this year, Britain may leave the bloc with no deal in place and as a result is threatening to scupper its Withdrawal Agreement promises. A UK government minister admitted on Tuesday that its reinterpretation of the special Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland included in the Withdrawal Agreement will be in breach of international law. “Yes, this does break international law in a very specific and limited way. We’re taking the powers to disapply the EU law concept of […]
The US and NATO air forces have not only boosted their surveillance activities along Russia’s borders, but now also increasingly train for potential strikes on the country’s soil, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said. Speaking to Russian TV on Sunday, Shoigu noted a sharp increase in foreign surveillance and training flights testing the country’s borders and air defenses. Last month such activities increased by some 30 percent compared to last August. Moreover, the bloc’s aircraft have been actively training in conducting air strikes , routinely performing mock missile launches on targets within the country, Shoigu revealed. The most alarming is that if earlier […]
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been under increased pressure to stop the construction of the nearly complete joint pipeline project of numerous European energy companies and Russian Gazprom ever since Berlin claimed to have found traces of nerve agent from the Novichok group in the blood of a hospitalised Russian opposition figure. German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has said that the possibility of sanctions being imposed against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project will depend on how Moscow reacts to the situation with political activist Alexei Navalny, who had purportedly been poisoned with a Soviet-era military-grade nerve agent. She noted that […]
According to the Russian military, NATO has increased its aerial surveillance efforts near the Russian border by 30 percent compared to the previous year. Russia is not interested in an arms race, but is forced to combat capabilities in response to unfriendly actions by NATO, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Saturday. “All measures taken are aimed exclusively at strengthening the defense, are limited in scale and correspond to modern military dangers”, Shoigu told reporters. “We are not interested in the arms race. To reduce tensions, we intend to adhere to the maximum openness regarding military activity”, the minister said adding […]
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Friday he had been inoculated with the country’s coronavirus vaccine, according to the Defence Ministry. “When asked by his foreign colleagues, Sergei Shoigu said he had recently been inoculated with the Russian coronavirus vaccine”, the ministry said. The statement was released as Shoigu is taking part in a meeting of defence chiefs from the Commonwealth of the Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation on Friday. Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov earlier said he had been inoculated with the vaccine, adding that he had a slightly higher […]
The Turkish-Greek conflict over exclusive rights to sea areas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea escalated again this week, with the US approving non-lethal military exports to Cyprus, Greece announcing talks with France for Rafale fighter jets, and Athens slamming Ankara’s decision to extend seismic surveying activities off Greek-claimed waters. Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has attacked France’s interference in the Turkish-Greek dispute in the Mediterranean, accusing Paris of acting like ‘mafiosi’. “There are some ‘mafiosi’ here whose actions are hard to comprehend. For example, France: you’re not a guarantor country, there are no agreements between you [and regional nations], you’re not […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104761/75/1047617596_0:109:2048:1261_1200x675_80_0_0_3cfd787539c0c8f0d8cf4e4aac99e165.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/world/202009031080352622-venezuelan-foreign-minister-describes-us-sanctions-against-icc-as-confession-of-guilt/ MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza called the US sanctions against the International Criminal Court the “confession of guilt” of crimes against humanity. “The International Criminal Court judges crimes against humanity. The US commits them frequently. US ‘sanctions’ the Court’s Prosecutor and threatens all judges to avoid investigation on its atrocious crimes: an illegal practice that amounts to a confession of guilt”, Arreaza wrote on his Twitter page on late Wednesday. La Corte Penal Internacional juzga crímenes de lesa humanidad. EEUU los comete con frecuencia. EEUU “sanciona” a la Fiscal de […]
Known in the international arena for his sharp tongue, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has on various occasions expressed his distaste with the US foreign policy and has done so in articulate way. “Novice Bully” One of the most recent comments by Zarif, which he shared on his Twitter page, criticized the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whose “lawless bullying leaves US isolated again.” Zarif was referring to the Washington’s decision to initiate the process of reinstating all UN sanctions on Iran. Pompeo notified the United Nations of his government’s intent on 20 August. .@SecPompeo ‘s lawless bullying leaves […]
New Delhi (Sputnik): Nawaz Sharif is a former prime minister of Pakistan, who has allegedly been involved in several corruption cases. According to Sharif, the allegations against him are politically motivated. A High Court in Pakistan on Tuesday said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif “shall surrender and appear before the court” at the next hearing”, scheduled for 10 September as part of an ongoing corruption case. Last November, Sharif flew to the UK in an air ambulance for medical treatment, a month after he was released on bail while serving a seven-year prison sentence. The Islamabad High Court division bench comprising […]
Fumio Kishida, a Japanese MP who served as foreign minister in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s second and third cabinet, will run to replace his retiring former boss as the new head of the Japanese government. Last Friday, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister announced his plans to stand down due to health problems. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect Abe’s replacement as party leader. Whoever is selected is virtually assured to become the next prime minister of the country since the LDP holds a majority in the Japanese parliament. Kishida, 63, formally announced his decision to run for the leadership position […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202009011080333665-ex-japanese-foreign-minister-fumio-kishida-plans-to-run-for-ruling-party-leadership/ TOKYO (Sputnik) – Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday announced his intention to contest the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. “I would like to propose my candidature for the election of the party chair. I would like to do my best for the country, for the people,” Kishida said at a meeting of his faction, as quoted by the Kyodo news agency. The election will help determine a successor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who announced his resignation on Friday, citing health issues. On Sunday, Japanese media reported that the […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1f/1080323903_0:0:3168:1783_1200x675_80_0_0_2942101ef5c16c672968bb7be6043941.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/us/202008311080323936-trump-says-after-talks-with-abe-that-he-is-greatest-prime-minister-in-japans-history/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump said after phone talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that relations between the two countries are special and that Abe has done a great job. “Just had a wonderful conversation with my friend, Prime Minister @AbeShinzo of Japan, who will be leaving office soon. Shinzo will soon be recognized as the greatest Prime Minister in the history of Japan, whose relationship with the USA is the best it has ever been. Special man!” Trump wrote on Twitter. Just had a wonderful conversation with my friend, Prime […]
Protesters in Montreal pulled down and defaced a statue of John Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, as police stood by, echoing attacks on controversial historical figures in the US. The statue’s head was broken off as it slammed to the ground from its high pedestal Saturday in Montreal’s Dominion Square. Activists were shielded from view with umbrellas and sheets as they unbolted the statue, which was pulled from behind with a strap around its neck. Hundreds of protesters had marched to the site to call for defunding the police. They reportedly were organized by the Coalition for BIPOC Liberation, which bills […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107610/17/1076101741_0:128:2461:1512_1200x675_80_0_0_d30d5fc0fa9d78b36743338163c957dd.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/us/202008291080310728-us-president-trump-says-feels-badly-about-resignation-of-japanese-prime-minister-abe/ WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President Donald Trump has expressed regret over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision to leave his post due to deteriorating health condition. On Friday, Abe officially announced his decision to resign for health reasons. He has already informed the leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, of which he is the leader, and Natsuo Yamaguchi, the leader of the Komeito party, a part of the ruling coalition. “I want to pay my highest respect to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a very great friend of mine. We’ve had a great relationship and […]
Japan’s Nikkei led the losses among Asia’s major stock markets on Friday after the country’s longest serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, resigned over health issues. The Nikkei dropped 1.4 percent, while Tokyo Stock Price Index (Topix) ended the day almost 0.7 percent down. Other Asian markets, except for Taiwan and Australia, were trading up, with shares in both mainland China and Hong Kong gaining around 1.5 percent. South Korea’s Kospi was up 0.4 percent, and India’s Mumbai Sensex added around one percent. Also on rt.com Global economy faces most severe crisis since WWII – Japanese foreign minister European markets opened moderately […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/1d/1080007342_0:0:1254:705_1200x675_80_0_0_ac3ea6add4aed773b011555c95239bca.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/india/202008281080299012-french-defence-minister-to-join-indias-rajnath-singh-for-rafales-formal-induction-on-10-september/ India received the delivery of five Dassault-made Rafale fighter jets on 29 July. Amid a border standoff with China, India had urged France to expedite the delivery. India and France signed a $8.7 billion government-to-government deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets in 2016. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be joined by French Defence Minister Florence Parly on 10 September for the formal induction of Rafale fighter jets into the 17th Squadron at Ambala Air Station along the western border. The 17th Squadron, also known as the “Golden Arrows”, is the first Indian Air Force squadron […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/1a/1080278520_0:171:3111:1921_1200x675_80_0_0_bb53811cd062d0decd23b0f58f48e4db.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Daria Bedenko. Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/europe/202008261080278579-precious-liberty-french-interior-minister-supports-topless-sunbathing-rights/ French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin rose to protect topless sunbathers, after police in France’s Sainte-Marie-la-Mer last week asked three women to cover their breasts while enjoying the sun. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin rose up to protect what he characterized as the “fundamental liberty” of topless sunbathing, after several women complained about police officers preventing them from laying in the sun with their breasts exposed. The incident took place in Sainte-Marie-la-Mer, where police offcers asked three women to put their tops back on while they were sunbathing, drawing harsh criticism and accusations of “undermining the French way […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/19/1080272334_0:0:2241:1262_1200x675_80_0_0_0b4a0124d6d07a5005abc01696c842dc.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/africa/202008251080272371-sudans-prime-minister-says-discussed-with-pompeo-khartoums-removal-from-us-terrorism-list/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed on Tuesday bilateral relations and procedures to exclude Khartoum from the US’ list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSTL). Pompeo arrived in Khartoum earlier on Tuesday as part of his Middle East tour. The travel began on Sunday and will last through Friday. It follows the US-sponsored peace deal concluded by the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Mr Hamdok took to Twitter to reveal the details of the talks. Great meeting with @SecPompeo, we had direct & transparent […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106475/08/1064750847_318:0:2177:1046_1200x675_80_0_0_54bea1cab4fcfb8ee384e4dbab675bc5.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008241080257459-israeli-minister-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-knesset-members-quarantined—reports/ MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Minister Pinina Tamano-Shata has tested positive for the coronavirus, local media reported. Tamano-Shata tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, the Haaretz newspaper cited a Knesset spokesperson as saying. Some Knesset members, including Walid Taha and Ayelet Shaked, will now have to enter quarantine, having come into contact with Tamano-Shata. On Sunday, Israel registered over 500 new coronavirus cases with the total number of confirmed cases now standing at 102,380, according to Health Ministry data. The death toll stands at 834, with 15 new COVID-19 fatalities confirmed on Sunday. More […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008241080257465-explosion-in-arab-gas-pipeline-leads-to-blackout-in-syria-electricity-minister-says/ An explosion in the Arab gas pipeline between the Al-Dameer area and Adra in the Damascus countryside has led to a total blackout in Syria, the minister of electricity said, according to SANA news agency. DETAILS TO FOLLOW Source link
UAE Assistant Minister of Cultural and Public Diplomacy Omar Saif Ghobash has said that the Emirates prioritised their own interests and sovereign rights when they concluded the deal with Israel. He also pointed out that the UAE-Israel agreement was made during an era of digitalisation and globalisation, which makes this context different from the circumstances when Israel made peace with Jordan and Egypt. Sputnik: The minister of state for foreign affairs, Mr Anwar Gargash, has said that the peace treaty between the UAE and Israel represents a strategic turning point for the Arabs. What is the strategy in the long run […]
Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary resigned after attending a golf club dinner with 80 people, rousing public anger for having breached his own cabinet’s new rules to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin accepted the minister’s resignation on Friday. The previous day, Calleary had apologized “unreservedly” for being at a hotel dinner hosted by the Irish parliament’s golf society, which caused a public outcry. The event took place a day after the government significantly tightened nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus, amid a spike in infections. Also on rt.com Twice as many UK adults suffered […]
New Delhi (Sputnik): Family members of the girl have decided to fulfil her last wish that her letter reach Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The family has also urged authorities to take cognisance of the issues raised by her in the letter. A 16-year-old girl has allegedly shot herself dead in India’s Uttar Pradesh state after penning an emotional letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share her disenchantment with present-day life. The girl allegedly took the extreme step in the state’s Sambhal district last Friday, 14 August, but her 18-page letter was discovered by her family on Tuesday, 18 […]
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon based in the Hague has found one of the four members of the Iran-backed militia and political party Hezbollah guilty of the 2005 car bomb assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 21 others. The verdict was delayed by two weeks due to the catastrophic explosion on August 4 in Beirut that killed nearly 200 and injured more than 6,000. Only Salim Ayyash was found guilty of assassination by truck bomb. The other defendants, Hussein Oneissi, Assad Sabra, and Hassan Merhi were acquitted of a barrage of charges including conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack […]
A coronavirus test conducted on Alexander Novak, who has headed the Energy Ministry since 2012, returned positive, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told reporters. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin delivered the news while touring Russia’s Far East, where he held a series of meetings on boosting the region’s economy. “He [Novak] came here, in fact, and then flew back to Moscow without taking part [in the meetings],” the prime minister told reporters. The 48-year-old minister shows no Covid-19 symptoms, an official in the Energy Ministry later said. Novak is set to take part in an OPEC+ meeting held via video link on […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/russia/202008181080201729-russian-energy-minister-novak-tests-positive-for-covid-19/ Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who was himself diagnosed with COVID-19 in May and successfully completed treatment, was the one to deliver the news. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has tested positive for the coronavirus, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, Alexander Novak fell ill with the coronavirus. Let’s wish him a speedy recovery with all our hearts”, Mishustin said at a meeting of the government commission on social-economic development of the Far East in Blagoveshchensk. According to the Russian Energy Ministry, Novak is asymptomatic and is feeling well. He is […]
A protester who was killed in unclear circumstances during clashes with police in Belarus, might have been hit by a non-lethal round, the country’s interior minister claimed, urging the public to wait for investigation results. Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old demonstrator who was killed during protests in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk on Monday, might have come under fire from non-lethal weaponry, Interior Minister Yuri Karaev said on Sunday. “Maybe he was shot with non-lethal weapons. I don’t know yet, I’m not an investigator,” Karaev told local media before diverting attention to months-long protests and unrest in the United States. He […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/08/0b/1080133160_0:2:2355:1326_1200x675_80_0_0_7ed2f42adb77c69c47dde1e4855cc66e.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/russia/202008111080132766-foreign-minister-lavrov-urges-to-release-russian-journalists-detained-in-belarus/ Multiple journalists from various media outlets, including Sputnik Belarus correspondent Evgeny Oleinik, were detained by the police during the weekend amid mass protests in Minsk following the presidential election. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called on Minsk to release Russian journalists who were detained by Belarusian authorities amid the mass demonstrations. During a press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas, Lavrov stressed that Moscow would be striving to resolve the situation in the most humane way possible. © REUTERS / VASILY FEDOSENKO People attend a rally following the presidential election in Minsk, […]
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab gives a speech in Beirut in March. Diab announced his resignation days after a disastrous explosion rocked Beirut. Dalati Nohra/AP hide caption toggle caption Dalati Nohra/AP Former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab gives a speech in Beirut in March. Diab announced his resignation days after a disastrous explosion rocked Beirut. Dalati Nohra/AP Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his cabinet’s resignation Monday, responding to outrage over a catastrophic explosion in Beirut. “Today I announce the resignation of this government,” Diab said. “May God protect Lebanon.” Diab’s speech was published by the National News Agency in […]
Lebanon has witnessed mass protests, with demonstrators demanding the resignation of the government over the continuing economic crisis in the country and following a deadly explosion at Beirut’s port on 4 August, which has claimed the lives of over 150 people, leaving nearly 5,000 injured and 300,000 homeless. Lebanon’s Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm reportedly stepped down on Monday following mass protests that have engulfed the country’s capital in the wake of a devastating explosion on 4 August that left large parts of Beirut completely destroyed. Earlier, Information Minister Manal Abdel-Samad and Environment Minister Damianos Kattar had submitted their resignation in the […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo-itemprop.png Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008101080123292-lebanese-prime-minister-diab-formally-announces-resignation-of-government/ The announcement comes following the August 4 ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut’s port, which sparked large-scale protests and clashes in the Lebanese capital, and led to calls by protesters for the government to resign. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab formally announced the resignation of his government, shortly after Health Minister Hamad Hassan confirmed its intention to do so on Monday. DETAILS TO FOLLOW Source link
A member of the Australian cabinet has said a new government-backed initiative, which uses blockchain, can help grow the national economy and create new jobs. Disclosure The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. Source link
New Delhi (Sputnik): Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the legislature of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday to express solidarity with the people of India-administered Kashmir on the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, changing the temporary status of Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the legislature of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed that New Delhi has been “trapped” by its Kashmir policy and that the region would be free from “India’s reign of terror”. “As far as my analysis is concerned, India is entering a ‘blind alley’. The repression of Kashmiris by Modi government would result in the […]
Pakistan’s foreign minister has tweeted a new “political map” of disputed Kashmir as Pakistani territory, one year after its autonomy was revoked by India. New Delhi previously blasted the map as “political absurdity.” Wednesday marks a year since New Delhi revoked the decades-old autonomy of the part of Kashmir it controls. The mountainous state was split into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Indian officials argued that the reorganization would help fight terrorism and boost the region’s economy. Pakistan, which clams the whole territory of Kashmir as its own, insists the move was illegal under international law. Pakistani Foreign Minister […]
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China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday slammed the United States for “reckless provocation of confrontation” after the two countries ordered tit-for-tat closures of each other’s consulates. In a call with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, Wang warned that China-US relations could “fall into the abyss of confrontation,” AFP said. He also called for the international community to resist “any unilateral or hegemonic act,” according to a transcript published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. However, Wang also called for “rational communication” between Beijing and Washington. Source link
“From day one, any discussion of herd immunity or survival of the fittest or, you know, ‘Say farewell to the elderly,’ are the things that just did not sound right for us,” Jordan’s Prime Minister Omar Razzaz tells NPR. “So we went for a very different model in Jordan, based on social solidarity.” Jane Arraf/NPR hide caption toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR “From day one, any discussion of herd immunity or survival of the fittest or, you know, ‘Say farewell to the elderly,’ are the things that just did not sound right for us,” Jordan’s Prime Minister Omar Razzaz tells NPR. “So […]
In recent comments to the press, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu claimed Chinese aircraft flying close to the island’s areas of control is “virtually a daily occurrence.” However, he failed to mention the US is also sending planes near Chinese airspace close to Taiwan on a daily basis. “What it is doing now is unceasingly preparing to use force to resolve the Taiwan problem,” Wu told reporters on Tuesday about Chinese foreign policy, AP reported. He noted that not every encounter between Chinese and Taiwanese aircraft is reported in the media. “If international society does not give China a sufficiently clear […]
The Iranian Foreign Minister arrived in Moscow for face-to-face talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday. The talks focused on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015, as well as bilateral ties and matters of regional and international significance. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sat with Sputnik to discuss what steps Iran expects from Russia regarding the US arms embargo, as well as how to deal with the the United States. The top diplomat also touched upon the issue of how the US has become a “rogue state” and why […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107670/40/1076704057_0:227:2833:1821_1200x675_80_0_0_6bb880ec4961f977efd676072c5c6cb9.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/world/202007211079943016-russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-and-iranian-counterpart-zarif-hold-presser-in-moscow—video/ The meeting’s agenda includes such issues as bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international matters, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), among other things. Sputnik is live from Moscow where Russian Foreign Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif are holding a meeting to exchange their views on bilateral ties as well as international matters including the Iranian nuclear deal. The meeting comes days after the Iranian nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), marked its fifth anniversary on 14 July. The JCPOA has been in […]
DOHA (Sputnik) – Qatari Minister of State for Defenсe Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah has held negotiations with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, and Fathi Bashagha, the interior minister of Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), amid Cairo’s decision on the possible deployment of armed forces to Libya, the ministry said. “The Qatari government’s deputy prime minister and minister of state for defence affairs, Khalid Al Attiyah, met with Libyan [GNA] Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha in the Turkish capital of Ankara. They discussed the latest developments in Libya“, the Qatari Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter. Apart from that, Al Attiyah […]
A sixth minister has decided to quit the Thai government amid a major reshuffle taking place in the Southeast Asian country. Thailand’s Labour Minister and former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Chatumongol Sonakul has confirmed to Reuters that he has quit the cabinet. The minister has not given a reason for the move and declined to further comment on the matter, Reuters reported. Chatumongol Sonakul, 76, has become the sixth minister to quit the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha since last week. Earlier on 20 July, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Tewan Liptapanlop resigned from the cabinet, following Finance […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107897/61/1078976192_0:34:1770:1029_1200x675_80_0_0_8f99c422b7858e6f3b055fb27980d957.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/russia/202007171079909934-minister-sees-foreign-interest-in-russia-covid-19-response-experience-due-to-low-mortality/ YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik) – Many foreign nations are interested in Russia’s coronavirus response experience due to the low mortality rate in the country and the Russian Health Ministry gets in touch with health authorities of two or three countries weekly to share this experience, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Friday. “The Health Ministry’s methodological role is to secure the medical assistance format that meets the highest standards and regulations … Today, both multidisciplinary and cross-regional teams are acting, which allows us to update the system very quickly, to in fact create a maximally […]
Lloyd Russell-Moyle has come under fire in recent months for his comments accusing author JK Rowling of using her past as a victim of sexual assault as well as comments regarding Israel amid a campaign within Labour to root out antisemitism. Labour’s Shadow Minister for Air Quality and the Natural Environment resigned from his position on Thursday. Lloyd Russell-Moyle said that he spoke to Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and “with regret” asked to stand down from the shadow cabinet. He said that “owing to a campaign by the right-wing media my position has become untenable” due to a “torrent of […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/0f/1079894047_0:0:3003:1689_1200x675_80_0_0_4640e8b5f536dab952308422144a16e8.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/africa/202007151079894002-tunisian-prime-minister-resigns-reports-say-/ The country’s president will now have a week to nominate a replacement to the post of prime minister, who will be given two months to form a new government. Tunisian Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh has submitted his resignation to President Kais Saied, Reuters reported, citing sources. Fakhfakh presented his resignation after Tunisia’s moderate Islamist party Ennahda, the main party in the ruling coalition, decided to push for a vote of no confidence in the government. Earlier this week, Fakhfakh said that he would reshuffle the cabinet in a move that could see the removal of […]
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https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/0a/1079852246_0:0:3072:1729_1200x675_80_0_0_26e3f5dc717c7af4b7bc64f76f85770f.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/world/202007101079852275-greek-prime-minister-says-change-of-hagia-sophia-status-will-affect-relations-with-turkey/ ATHENS (Sputnik) – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis condemned on Friday the Turkish government’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia cathedral into a mosque, noting that this will affect Turkey’s relations with Greece and the global community in general. “Greece categorically condemns Turkey’s decision to convert Hagia Sophia to a mosque. This decision, taken 85 years after Hagia Sophia was declared a museum, is an affront to its ecumenical character”, Mitsotakis said in a statement. Ankara’s move offends everyone who recognizes Hagia Sophia as a world heritage site, the prime minister went on to say. […]
Earlier this week, Gerald Darmanin, the former budget minister, who was accused of raping Sophie Patterson-Spatz in 2009, was promoted to interior minister in a government reshuffle. Live from Paris on Friday as feminists have gathered in front of the capital’s city hall to protest against Monday’s nominations of Gerald Darmanin, who was accused of rape, as interior minister, and Eric Dupond-Moretti, who has defended high-profile rape suspects, as justice minister. Earlier this week, some two dozen feminist demonstrators gathered outside of the Interior Ministry, chanting “Darmanin, rapist” and “Darmanin, resign”. A preliminary inquiry into Gerald Darmanin began in 2017 when Patterson-Spatz came […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/07/0a/1079848395_0:0:3226:1814_1200x675_80_0_0_3032366f58b953f01065ea1ff8c27980.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202007101079848428-seoul-mayor-cancelled-meeting-with-s-korean-prime-minister-hours-before-death-reports-say/ TOKYO (Sputnik) – Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was found dead in the woods of Mount Bugak not far from his residence, cancelled a working lunch with South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on the day of his disappearance, saying that he was feeling unwell, the Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing officials. Park’s body was found late on Thursday after an hours-long search involving hundreds of police officers, dogs and drones. The 64-year-old’s daughter reported him missing four to five hours after he left home. She said he left her a “will-like” […]
Russia will not make immunization against Covid-19 compulsory, according to Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko. A homegrown vaccine is currently being trialled and could possibly be registered and mass-produced by September. According to the health ministry, vaccinations in Russia can only be given with a citizen’s expressed consent. “Today, interest in the vaccine is quite high, because people have realized the full significance of vaccination,” he said. “Over this period [of Covid-19], the number of supporters of vaccination has increased.” Also on rt.com Do not pass Moscow! Russia extends Covid-19 foreigner entry ban until August In May, it was suggested that […]
BEIJING (Sputnik) – Beijing-Washington relations are at the lowest level since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday during a China-US think tank media forum. “More alarmingly, China-US relations, one of the most consequential bilateral relationships in the world, is faced with the most severe challenge since the establishment of diplomatic ties,” Wang said, as quoted by the Foreign Ministry in a press release. The minister added that some politicians from the United States are trying to “portray China as an adversary, and even an enemy,” as they seek to limit China’s […]
…from PressTV, Tehran [ Editor’s Note: This report is missing key details, but understandably so, as Iran does not have a habit, nor anyone else, of broadcasting its air defense plan details. But the move is overdue, as the public has sat back and watched an endless stream of Iranian supplies to be shipped into Syria and dispersed to a number of locations, with many far from the Israeli border, only to see them struck by Israeli air to ground missile barrages that have a demonstrated accuracy. To date, despite Russia having air defense weapons that could take down the Israeli […]
New Delhi (Sputnik): In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, India’s Gross Domestic Product growth fell to a 12-year-low of 3.1 percent in January- March. Observers have projected negative growth for the Indian economy during the financial year 2020-21. The country entered a national lockdown on 24 March at the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A lawmaker from the Indian state of West Bengal on Sunday equated federal Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with a “venomous snake” for her handling of the economy. Kalyan Banerjee is a lawmaker from Trinamool Congress (TMC), the rival party of Sitharaman’s Bharatiya Janata Party, the main […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107966/75/1079667540_0:0:3072:1728_1200x675_80_0_0_0608cfaa0fa7f86adfefe3bcc80a4770.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Tim Korso. Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202007051079800663-irans-de-dollarisation-eased-us-sanctions-pressure-on-country-foreign-minister-says/ Washington introduced its unilateral sanctions against Iran in 2018 after withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The measure crippled Tehran’s ability to sell its oil and severed its banks’ connection to the global SWIFT system, complicating transactions with foreign financial institutions. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has praised the country’s de-dollarisation efforts, arguing that it allowed Tehran to ease the pressure of American sanctions. The refusal to use dollars in international transactions was in large part achieved via the broad use of “barter”, the minister added. “One of the […]