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BISHKEK — Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly affirmed Russia’s solidarity with Iran, stating Moscow supports Tehran against U.S. and Israeli pressure and will continue economic and trade relations despite ongoing sanctions and regional tensions.Speaking on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in BishkeK, Kyrgyzstan, Putin told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that…

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN — After several weeks of relative quiet, US and Iranian forces have exchanged fire once more. On Sunday, US forces struck two missile launchers on Iran’s Larak Island. American officials said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel were preparing to launch rockets to plant naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz.In response, Iran’s IRGC…

BISHKEK  Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attended the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games here on Monday.President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov welcomed the Prime Minister upon his arrival at the venue. Other heads of state attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit also participated in the ceremony.A contingent of Pakistani athletes is taking…

KYIV — Ukraine officially observed “Romanian Language Day” for the first time on August 31, with special events held in Chernivtsi and Odesa to mark the occasion. The milestone is being hailed as a major diplomatic achievement, the result of a year of sustained efforts by the Romanian-speaking community. The development fulfills commitments made under…

WASHINGTON/OTTAWA — Amid escalating diplomatic and trade tensions between the United States and Canada, a new dispute has emerged over geographic naming. Google has changed the name of Lake Ontario — which straddles the US-Canada border — to “Lake America” on its Maps service for American users, following a directive from the US government, while…

CEUTA: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pointed to Russia, Israel, and an international far-right movement as sources of misleading information spread on social media during the migration crisis in Ceuta. In an interview with broadcaster Cadena SER, Sánchez said these actors use migration issues to target not just Spain but all of Europe. However,…

ATHENS/TEL AVIV: Greece is moving to finalize a roughly $3.6 billion deal to purchase three advanced air defense systems from Israel. After nearly three years of negotiations, Athens will integrate Israel’s David’s Sling, Spyder, and Barak MX systems into its planned multi-layered air defense network, dubbed “Achilles Shield.”Israeli defense firm Rafael is expected to secure…

TEHRAN — Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi has reaffirmed that the Strait of Hormuz remains completely closed, stating that any ship passing through does so only with Iran’s coordination and permission. He rejected as false the U.S. claim that vessels can transit the strait freely.According to Gharibabadi, an agreement on shipping movement through Hormuz…