Gas from Russia to EU up by 3 billion cubic meters in 8-2024 -GECF

MOSCOW, September 18. /TASS/. EU pipeline gas imports last month decreased by 2% in August and overall, since the beginning of this year, gas supplies from Russia to Europe have increased by 3 billion cubic meters, according to a report by the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). In general, total gas consumption in the EU in January-August of this year…

Kazakhstan to host CSTO ‘Indestructible Brotherhood’ drills with Russia

ASTANA, September 18. /TASS/. Command exercises with the participation of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces ‘Indestructible Brotherhood-2024’ will be held in Kazakhstan from September 26 to October 7, the republic’s Defense Ministry said. According to the agency, the exercise will be held at the Bereg training ground in the Almaty Region. The defense ministry added that military contingents from Belarus,…

Top Israeli defense official contacted Pentagon chief before pagers blast

WASHINGTON, September 18. /TASS/. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called his US counterpart Lloyd Austin minutes before the start of pager explosions in Lebanon, Axios news outlet reported citing an American official. According to the official, Gallant told Austin during the call that Israel was planning to carry out an operation in Lebanon, but did not provide details. According to…

City Hall’s chief counsel steps down; probes expand in New York; 4 agencies now involved

Eric Adams, New York City’s mayor, has never shied away from his ties to people with checkered pasts. He has defended mentoring a Rolls-Royce-driving bishop with a rap sheet, appointing a friend implicated in a past corruption probe as a top aide in his administration, and dining and partying with felons. […] Now, America’s biggest metropolis faces a political meltdown….

Top legal adviser to New York City mayor quits as investigations swell

NEW YORK (AP) — The top legal adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned abruptly over the weekend, the latest sign of instability in the Democrat’s administration as it deals with multiple federal investigations. City Hall announced Lisa Zornberg’s departure late Saturday night. She had advised Adams and other city officials on legal strategy for over a year…

French authorities arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at a Paris airport, French media report

The founder and chief executive officer of the messaging service Telegram was detained at a Paris airport on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offences, French media reported Sunday. Pavel Durov, a dual citizen of France and Russia, was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday evening after landing in…

France ‘crosses a red line’ by arresting Telegram founder Durov — Rumble chief

NEW YORK, August 26. /TASS/. French authorities have ‘crossed a red line’ after they decided to detain Telegram messenger founder Pavel Durov, Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of Rumble online video platform, said on Monday. “France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, reportedly for not censoring speech,” Pavlovski wrote on…

Berlin exchanges Nord Stream explosion data with Moscow — German foreign ministry

BERLIN, August 19. /TASS/. Berlin exchanges information regarding explosions at Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines but not the one that may jeopardize the course of investigation, a spokesperson of the German foreign ministry told reporters. “We exchange[information] with the Russian side,” he said. The investigation continues and therefore German authorities believe that interim results should not be…

Germany must answer all questions from Russia regarding Nord Stream pipelines — Lavrov

MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. Germany must answer all questions posed by Russia regarding the terrorist attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a commentary for the daily Izvestia. “[Germany] must answer all questions. First, they must stop categorically refusing to present the facts that they could not but discover. When at least some of…

New findings in Nord Stream sabotage case may sway Europe’s perception of Ukraine — expert

NEW DELHI, August 19. /TASS/. Information pointing to the Kiev regime’s involvement in the Nord Stream blasts may impact how the European public sees Ukraine and create difficulties for EU governments, President of the New Delhi-based analytical center Imagindia Institute Robinder Sachdev told TASS. “This report could influence public opinion about Ukraine in Europe, potentially causing future difficulties for European…

Water supply crisis getting worse in southern Gaza Strip

DUBAI, August 19. /TASS/. A water supply crisis is getting worse in the southern Gaza Strip as Israeli troops are destroying water wells, tanks and pipes, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV channel reports. According to the broadcaster’s report from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, four out of the five major tanks in the city have been destroyed. Damage has also…

Amazon is responsible for hazardous items sold by third-party sellers, US agency says

Amazon is responsible under federal safety law for hazardous products sold on its platform by third-party sellers and shipped by the company, a U.S. government agency ordered Tuesday. In a unanimous vote, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said it determined that the e-commerce company was a “distributor” of faulty items sold on its site and packed and shipped through its…

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces scrutiny from UK competition watchdog

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Tuesday it’s looking into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, adding fresh regulatory scrutiny to investment money flooding into the AI industry. The Competition and Markets Authority said it’s seeking comments as it considers whether the deal between the two companies has resulted in a “substantial lessening of competition” in the United…

Spain Allows Russian Sailboat to Make Port Call Despite Sanctions

Spanish authorities have granted an emergency request for the replica of an 18th-century Russian frigate to make a port call so that it can replenish provisions and replace broken parts, media reported Tuesday. The EU implemented a ban on Russian vessels docking at its ports as part of a broader sanctions package in response to Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine….

Donald Trump injured in apparent assassination attempt

Donald Trump has been injured after gunshots were heard during his campaign speech in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The former US president was quickly rushed off stage by his security team. He had blood stains on his right ear. The Trump campaign later released a statement saying that the former president “is fine.” Updates 00:18 GMT Vivek Ramaswamy, who had…

Russia declassifies intel about France’s plans to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine

MOSCOW, July 11. /TASS/. Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has declassified a report by one of its agents about March 2024 preparations to send French troops to Ukraine. The full report by the SVR agent working under the alias Felix was published in the Razvedchik (Scout) magazine. SVR Director Sergey Naryshkin said on March 19 that Paris was already preparing…