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Putin arrives in Brazilian capital city to take part in BRICS summit closing day
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Brazilian capital city, Brasilia, where he will take part in the second day of the two-day BRICS countries summit, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The meeting will in an outreach format involving the leaders of a number of Latin American countries. The Russian president plans to have separate meetings with some of them on the summit sidelines.
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Militia goes on offensive near outskirts of Donetsk - Ukrainian troops
Militiamen have launched an attack against Ukrainian troops near the village of Stepanovka, Donetsk region of Ukraine; troops loyal to the Kiev regime have already sustained casualties, according to the Ukrainian National Guard’s official website.
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Assad sworn in for third term as Syrian president
Bashar al-Assad was sworn in for a new seven-year term as President of Syria for the third time on Wednesday, media reports. "I pledge to respect the constitution and protect the people of Syria," he said during a live broadcast on Syrian television at a red carpet ceremony held at the presidential palace in Damascus.
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European Union leaders to meet July 16, discuss sanctions against Russia
European Union leaders to meet on Wednesday to pick the bloc's new foreign policy chief after choosing Jean-Claude Juncker to head the executive European Commission, but it may take some weeks before other top EU jobs are finally carved up, Reuter's reports.
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Iran, P5+1 to continue working on Tehran nuclear deal until July 20
After three days of talks in Vienna US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif agreed on the half of the final draft on Teheran nuclear program deal, while the second part of the document should be completed by July 20.
The Russian Investigative Committee has arrested two suspects in yesterday's Moscow metro tragedy. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when a train derailed between the Park Podedy and Slavyansky Bulvar metro stations. According to the latest information, 22 people died and July 16 has been declared a day of mourning for the victims. Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, has expressed condolences to family and friends of those who died.
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As the 6th BRICS summit kicks off in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza, attending the two-day event the leaders of Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa are set to ink a deal on the establishment of a 100-billion-dollar joint development bank. Discussions will focus on the contribution from each member state and where to locate the bank's headquarters.
A need to decide on fresh sanctions against Russia placed the EU between a rock and a hard place. With the US pressing hard for punishing Moscow over its alleged role in Ukraine, EU nations feel the step could affect their economic growth. Nine EU states, including France, Germany and Italy, indicated they would block the decision to impose more sanctions on Russia.
The prime concern of the US government is the security of state power and the corporate sector, but not the security of the American people, states Noam Chomsky, the prominent American political commentator, Institute Professor emeritus in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. According to the professor, security "in the normal sense" should not be a basic factor in policy formation.
.jpg "Aussie journalists to face jail time over spy leaks under new laws")
.jpg "Americans \"arrested\" Roman Seleznev without legal instruments - witness")
The United States, which has taken the role of the world's policeman, continues to ignore international law, procedural standards, diplomatic conventions and multi-lateral agreements. Roman Seleznev was literally kidnapped by the US from the Maldives on an internal grand jury finding that even a judge in the Maldives did not feel was credible enough to grant the issuing of an arrest warrant. Radio VR spoke to a witness to the kidnapping to get a clearer picture of what actually happened.
A journalist from Russia's state TV channel, Rossiya 1, Yevgeny Rozhkov, was denied entry to Ukraine after which the correspondent asked Kiev to provide official explanations, the broadcaster's website said on Monday. "The Ukrainian leadership is again raising obstacles for Russian reporters. They have denied entry to Rossiya 1 correspondent Yevgeny Rozhkov today," Rossiya 1 said in a statement posted on its official website.
The BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have agreed that the Iranian nuclear problem should be settled by political and diplomatic means. "While reiterating our view that there is no alternative to a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, we reaffirm our support to its resolution through political and diplomatic means and dialogue," the BRICS leaders said in the Fortaleza Declaration adopted at their summit meeting on Tuesday.
A typhoon killed at least 12 people as it churned across the Philippines and hit the capital, prompting the evacuation of almost more than 370,000 people as well as shutting down financial markets, offices and schools, rescue officials said on Wednesday. Eight died after being hit by toppled trees, electric posts or collapsed concrete walls, while three drowned in swollen rivers and one died from a heart attack.
Just imagine – no Facebook for 99 days. A Dutch nonprofit ad agency Just B.V. has urged Facebook users to quit the social network as part of 99 Days of Freedom campaign and later take part in happiness surveys taken at the 33-, 66- and 99-days to monitor progress.The results will then be posted on the campaign's website. Participants will also share messages on their progress on the group's website through an anonymous message board.
One US billionaire is suggesting that California be divided into a total of six individual states. "California needs a reboot. I think that with six Californias, it gives us a chance to make it our government. We can make it more local, better representation, closer to us," American billionaire Timothy Draper states in an official report.
More than 800 disabled children and orphans are currently living in Lugansk and Donetsk regions in the area where special military operation is conducted, said on Tuesday Ukraine's presidential envoy on the peaceful settlement of the situation in the east, Irina Gerashchenko. "Today, according to the presidential administration, there are 600 orphans in Donetsk region," said in a statement.
US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power shared with the world that she has won a debate with the Russian ambassador to international organizations Vitaly Churkin about the infamous group Pussy Riot, which took place in February. The Russian diplomat reminded his American counterpart, how the situation really evolved.
A new nanotechnology center has been opened in the Dubna science town in the north of the Moscow region. It is the 8th nanotechnology center of the RUSNANO management company. The center’s budget is some 60 million US dollars. The portfolio of the new Dubna nanotechnology center already has more than 40 innovation projects at the initial stage. In total, more than 250 various start-ups are implemented in the network of nanotechnology centers across Russia.
Russia has retrieved the main Soviet radio interception facility – the signals intelligence center in Cuban Lourdes, the Kommersant newspaper wrote on Wednesday. "The decision to return to Cuba can be explained by Russia's long strengthened financial capabilities, as well as cooling of relations with the US," sources in the Russian power structures said.
