Russian President Vladimir Putin says last year’s blasts targeting the Nord Stream gas pipelines were carried out on a state level, not by a pro-Ukraine group. Putin on Tuesday rejected as “complete nonsense” the idea that an autonomous pro-Ukraine group was behind the attacks. He said no amateur group could …
Read More »Russia calls on US to halt ‘hostile’ flights after incident
Russia’s ambassador to the United States says the US military’s “unacceptable actions” close to Russian territory are “a cause for concern,” urging Washington to stop “hostile” flights near the country’s borders. Anatoly Antonov made the remarks in a post on his Telegram channel on Wednesday, a day after Moscow said …
Read More »West should respect Iraq’s cultural value: prime minister
The West should take into account Iraq’s cultural heritage when dealing with the country, Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani said on the sidelines of the 7th Sulaimani Forum on Wednesday. In his speech, al-Sudani said that Iraq views the United States as a strategic partner and works to expand this …
Read More »PM highlights budget’s role in achieving government objectives
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that the budget for the next three years will practically implement the objectives of the government program. Speaking at the seventh al-Sulaymaniyah Political and Economic International Forum, al-Sudani said, “Our government pledged to provide services to our people and build a strong and …
Read More »European states decry Israeli bill allowing settlers’ return to evacuated areas
Britain and a dozen other EU member states condemn the Israeli parliament’s approval of a bill that will enable settlers to return to areas of the West Bank evacuated in 2005 as part of the so-called Disengagement Law. In a joint statement on Monday, the UK and the EU countries, …
Read More »US hate crimes hit record high – FBI
Statistics indicate a rise in cases motivated by prejudice against race, religion and sexual orientation. Hate crimes in the United States have continued to rise sharply and have now reached their highest level since records began, according to data from 2021 analyzed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which …
Read More »Relations with US in bad state amid drone incident, the Kremlin says
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that relations with the United States were in a “lamentable state” and at their lowest level, after Washington accused Russia of downing one of its reconnaissance drones over the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had been no high-level contact with Washington …
Read More »Iraqi lawmaker says the budget bill under study is the largest in Iraq’s history
Lawmaker Bryar Rashid on Monday said the budget the government approved today is the largest in Iraq’s history. According to Rashid, the Iraqi Cabinet has approved the budget for the fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025, which totals 200 trillion Iraqi dinars a year (approximately $136 billion USD). The lawmaker …
Read More »Third US crypto bank collapses
Regulators shut down Signature Bank after its shares plunged in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank’s failure New York-based Signature Bank was shut down by US regulators on Sunday, becoming the third failure in the country’s banking industry in less than a week. According to a joint statement from the …
Read More »Xi Jinping to visit Moscow soon – Reuters
The Chinese leader will reportedly make a trip to the Russian capital as early as next week. Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning a trip to Moscow to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and could arrive as early as next week, Reuters reported on Monday, citing anonymous …
Read More »Raeisi: Iran turned threats, sanctions into opportunity to thrive
Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says the Islamic Republic has turned the threats posed by unilateral sanctions into an opportunity to make significant progress. Raeisi made the remarks during a press conference with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko after they met at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran on Monday. “Iran has …
Read More »Turkey’s earthquake toll tops 48,000 as government races to build container cities
The death toll in Turkey from last month’s major earthquakes has risen to 48,448, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Monday, as authorities rush to set up container cities to house for the longer-term those left homeless by the disaster. The combined death toll including those killed in Syria has …
Read More »Iraqi Cabinet approves budget bill for 2023-2025, sends to parliament
The Iraqi Cabinet has approved the budget bill for the fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025, a statement by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s bureau said. The bill will now be sent to parliament for further discussion and voting. On Sunday, Finance Minister Taif Sami said the draft budget bill …
Read More »BBC boss says will stay put as Lineker removal sparks chaos
The BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, has said he will not resign after the broadcaster’s sports coverage was thrown into chaos following ex-England soccer captain Gary Lineker’s removal from ‘Match of the Day’ program. In an interview with BBC News, when asked if he should resign over the crisis, Davie replied, “Absolutely not.” …
Read More »Biden extends national emergency against Iran in yet another act of bad faith
US President Joe Biden has informed the Congress that he will extend a national emergency against Iran for another year, in yet another act of bad faith after the Iranian foreign minister urged Washington earlier this month to adopt a constructive approach to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and …
Read More »President Rashid receives official invitation to visit Tehran
Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid received a written message from Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, containing an official invitation to visit Tehran. According to a statement from the Presidency’s media office, Rashid received the Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Kadhim Al-Sadiq, and his accompanying delegation at the Baghdad Palace.
Read More »Israeli army shoots dead three Palestinian gunmen in West Bank
Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinian gunmen after they fired at troops in the occupied northern West Bank, the army said on Sunday, as violence in the region continued. The military said that “gunmen opened fire” at an army position near the Jit junction west of Nablus, with the soldiers …
Read More »Iraqi PM launches major afforestation initiative
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, announced on Sunday the launch of a major afforestation initiative, which includes planting five million trees in different Iraqi governorates. Al-Sudani’s statement took place during a speech he delivered in the opening of the Iraq Climate Conference hosted by the city of Basra, …
Read More »86 terrorists arrested, weapons seized in eastern Iraq
The Iraqi security forces arrested 86 terrorists and seized quantities of weapons in the eastern governorate of Diyala. The Security Media Cell of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense mentioned in a statement that a joint security force arrested 86 terrorists in a security operation started on Friday in Diyala governorate. …
Read More »‘History will hold Donald Trump accountable’ for US Capitol attack, Pence says
Former US Vice President Mike Pence offered his most forceful rebuke to date of his one-time boss Donald Trump on Saturday, saying that history will hold him accountable for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Pence was in the Capitol when thousands of Trump …
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