The death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 2,295. More than 11,000 people have been injured. According to the President of the National Assembly, Venezuelan and foreign rescue teams, along with volunteers, have pulled nearly 6,500 people alive from the rubble. The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck on June 24,…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday announced a €20 million ($22.7 million) program to promote peace in the South Caucasus region as she embarked on a visit to Azerbaijan. The “peace-fostering program” was announced by von der Leyen at a joint press conference in Baku following talks with President Ilham Aliyev….
Afghanistan’s Taliban regime said they have carried out strikes on targets along the border with Pakistan, injuring several people in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province. Pakistan’s military said it had shot down four rudimentary drones and warned any further provocation “would receive a befitting response”. The BBC has been unable to independently confirm the attack….
The Russian government is set to suspend traffic through several railway checkpoints on its borders with Finland, Estonia, and Latvia starting July 1, according to a government order, The Kyiv Independent reports. The order did not provide a reason for the closures. The statement, published on June 30, says Russia will “temporarily suspend”…
Azerbaijan is on the verge of establishing a media “super-regulator” with unprecedented powers, Reporters without Borders said in an announcement. Published on the organizations website, it reads: The bill creating a Media and Broadcasting Council — examined by Parliament at its second reading on Tuesday, 30 June — would concentrate the regulation, funding, training…
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to leverage the upcoming NATO summit to press for deeper Turkish involvement in Europe’s defence architecture, calling for the removal of restrictions on defence trade among NATO allies. Speaking on Monday to parliamentary delegates from all 32 NATO member states in Istanbul, the Turkish president said that Turkey’s contributions…
Eleven people have died after a civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed in the town of Tomblaine in eastern France, local officials said, BBC reports. The pilot and all 10 passengers were killed, including five instructors and five people who were preparing to skydive for the first time. The plane, which was being used…
Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed amendments to the country’s Nuclear Energy Act allowing the import, transit and transportation of nuclear weapons through Finland, the Finnish Parliament said. The law will take effect July 1. The legislation removes previous restrictions on such activities and adapts Finnish law to the country’s new security environment following…
The heatwave scorching western Europe is the most severe and widespread ever and is only possible due to the climate crisis driven by fossil fuel burning, scientists have said, The Guardian reports. Almost half of Europe’s 850 largest cities are also enduring their worst ever heat stress, a combination of temperature and humidity, they…
Iran on Friday condemned a joint statement issued by the US secretary of state and Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers, describing it as “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative.” In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry criticized positions outlined in the joint communique issued after the GCC-US ministerial meeting in Bahrain on June 25 and warned…
The death toll from the Venezuela earthquakes has risen to 589 and the number of injured is now 2,980, according to acting President Delcy Rodríguez. A previous official update said 235 people had been killed and 4,300 were injured. Two powerful earthquakes rocked Venezuela within seconds of each other on Wednesday. The second…
The U.N. International Maritime Organization paused its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a vessel reported an attack, reigniting concerns about whether a preliminary deal to end the Iran war will hold, Reuters reports. Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine (2603.TW), opens new tab said on Friday its ship was hit…
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution expressing serious concern over the systemic suppression of dissent in Azerbaijan. The resolution highlights the country’s low ranking in the Press Freedom Index and notes the existence of a restrictive legislative framework targeting media outlets, political parties, and non-governmental organizations. The report condemns…
The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Romanian parliament, has approved a draft law on unification with Moldova. This was reported on June 24 by the Romanian agency Agerpres. The authors of the material clarify that the draft law was submitted to parliament on April 14, but the chairman of the Romanian…
US President Trump declared defiantly Wednesday that Iran is not charging fees for transiting the Strait of Hormuz. He did not mention, however, Iran’s plans to manage traffic through the vital shipping route in conjunction with Oman in the future – which Tehran and Muscat have said could involve “costs” for shippers. “Iran has…
Another batch of wheat has been sent to Armenia via transit through the territories of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Ten railcars of wheat will be delivered from Russia. According to Azerbaijani media reports, the train departed at 18:00 from the Balajari station of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC. It will pass through Georgia and then continue on…
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing to travel to Armenia next week, according to three people familiar with the plans, Poiltico reports. The EU delegation, which will also include Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, will visit Armenia in a high-profile show of support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after his pro-European party…
Armenia may be deprived of voting rights in the CSTO due to debts, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. According to her, according to the organization’s charter, measures can be taken against a state if it fails to fulfill its obligations, in particular, if it has a two-year debt. The measures also…
Israel is considering announcing “symbolic” withdrawals from occupied territory in southern Lebanon as part of upcoming talks, according to an Israeli source familiar with the matter, CNN reports. The idea has been discussed ahead of three days of talks between Israel and Lebanon set to take place under the auspices of the Trump administration…
Ambassador Narek Mkrtchyan is participating in the 56th Annual Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) from June 21 to 24, Embassy of Armenia to USA reports. Alongside the session’s proceedings, a meeting is also scheduled between the heads of delegations of OAS member states and the delegations of…
About two dozen people have reportedly been killed by Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon, less than 24 hours after a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was announced, BBC reports. Local officials said 16 people had been killed in the Nabatieh district and seven in neighbouring Saida, with others injured, after Israeli warplanes, drones,…
A meeting between representatives of the defense ministries of Azerbaijan and Turkey was held in Baku. The sides discussed logistical issues in the military sphere. A working protocol on the results of the meeting was signed. It was noted that the document strengthens further cooperation between the parties. Նյութերը գեներացվում են տարբեր կայքերից արհեստական…
Drone attacks on Moscow and Europe’s attempts to talk to Russia from a position of strength were the main topics on the agenda of Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s daily briefing on Friday. TASS has compiled the key statements of the Kremlin representative. About the President’s schedule – Russian President Vladimir Putin will lay…
At the High-Level Event marking the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, H.E. Mr. Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Permanent Representative of Armenia, reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to countering hate speech as an integral component of the prevention agenda. He noted that the growing prevalence of hate speech, particularly when directed against ethnic and religious groups, continues to…
Reuters. A Ukrainian drone attack damaged the Moscow oil refinery, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Thursday (June 18). Video published on social media shows the aftermath of the strike. Reuters confirmed the location from the buildings, road layout, utility poles and parking lot layout which matched archive and satellite imagery of the area….
The Senate tried and failed again Tuesday to advance a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran, in what has become an almost weekly effort to rein in President Donald Trump as the administration floats a new plan to bring an end to the nearly four-month long war, AP reports….
The new head of France’s Louvre Museum warned Wednesday that the world’s most visited museum is “at breaking point” due to aging infrastructure and mounting investment needs. “We can say it without ambiguity … the Louvre is at breaking point,” Christophe Leribault told the French Senate’s Culture Committee. He noted that the institution…
The restrictions on the supply of Armenian agricultural products to Russia are not related to politics, but to the lack of effective quality control among producers, said the head of the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor), Sergey Dankvert. Earlier, Rosselkhoznadzor announced that starting June 12, it would restrict the import…
Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (June 16) that Russia should make a peace deal with Ukraine, adding that he would do what he could to end the war after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Group of Seven leaders at a summit in France. Trump arrived at the June 15-17 G7…
Reuters. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (June 15) welcomed a deal between the United States and Iran to end the war, but warned against provocations by Israel until the deal is signed. “We are very pleased, on behalf of our region and all humanity, with the agreement reached with our contributions as well,”…
