{{dayPoint.date | date : 'd MMMM yyyy'}}

{{newsPoint.title}}

{{newsPoint.title+ ' '}}

{{newsPoint.subtitle}}

South Africa ready to expand trade with Russia through liquefied gas import — minister

In December 2023, the government of South Africa approved the African division of Russia’s Gazprombank, Gazprombank Africa, as a partner on the upgrade of this facility, which was put on hold in 2020

PRETORIA, July 12. /TASS/. The Republic of South Africa (RSA) is interested in expanding trade with Russia, including through possible import of liquefied gas, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe said.

"We would like to boost trade with Russia," he said at hearings in the parliament on budget of his ministry. "We are a BRICS member and we should feel free to import Russian gas," the minister added.

According to the local radio station SABC, Russian gas may flow to the South African company PetroSA’s refinery in the city of Mossel Bay in the country’s south. In December 2023, the government of South Africa approved the African division of Russia’s Gazprombank, Gazprombank Africa, as a partner on the upgrade of this facility, which was put on hold in 2020.

Gazprombank won an international tender on modernization of the plant in Mossel Bay as it presented the most efficient investment program estimated at 3.7 bln rand ($204 mln). The country’s authorities consider the restart of the facility in Mossel Bay as a prior project in the area of national energy.

No large natural gas field is being developed now in the republic. It imports natural gas mainly from Mozambique and Qatar. Meanwhile the government intends to turn a large part of operating thermal plants from coal to gas, which will increase the country’s demand for it multi-fold.

Russian stock indices mixed on Tuesday — market data

The yuan noted 0.05% to 11.85 rubles

Kiev’s newly received F-16’s won’t last long once they enter battle — Russian diplomat

Rodion Miroshnik expects the Ukrainian armed forces to spare the aircraft for the time being, using them as launchers for long-range weapons

Putin calls dissolution of USSR tragedy and ‘collapse of historical Russia’

"[There was] a tragedy as for the vast majority of the country’s citizens," he said

Finnish sawmill industry in crisis after halted Russian timber imports — newspaper

Several drivers are in place for the price hike, including the contracting demand for timber in construction and termination of imports from Russia, the newspaper said

Top Russian, Jordanian diplomats call for restraint in Middle East

The two top diplomats also agreed to maintain regular contacts on current issues on the bilateral and international agenda, the ministry noted

Yahya Sinwar elected new head of Hamas political bureau

He was arrested by the Israeli authorities in 1988 and in 1989 convicted to five life sentences on charges of murdering 12 people

Iran prepares to strike Israel 'in coming days' — newspaper

Iran is reportedly moving its missile launchers and has been conducting military drills since last weekend

Crowd breaks into prison in northern Bangladesh, over 500 inmates escape

Riots are reported in many Bangladeshi regions

Yandex revenue approaches $2.8 bln in Q2

Moreover, Yandex has published its annual revenue forecast for 2024 for the first time in two years, which is expected to rise by 38-40%

Russia’s Rostec says Ukraine’s F-16s will ultimately be destroyed

On August 4, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had taken the first delivery of F-16 fighter jets from Western allies

Russian stock indices mixed on Tuesday — market data

The yuan noted 0.05% to 11.85 rubles

Russian border guards prevent Ukrainian infiltration in Kursk Region — acting governor

Alexey Smirnov advised social media users to disregard potential bogus stories alleging enemy infiltration into the borderline Russian region

Major reshuffle made in Bangladeshi army

Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shamim has been appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Bangladeshi Army

Kaspersky Lab to create datacenter in Southern China — newspaper

The Russian company will also focus on solving cybersecurity problems faced by the Chinese business when expanding overseas, Adrian Xia said

Kim Jong Un points to fundamental change in security situation around DPRK

Over the past five years, Kim Jong Un stated, the concept of nuclear has been associated with every military action targeting the DPRK taken by the United States

Russian expert debunks idea US has hypersonic weapons

Alexander Stepanov stressed that, according to the Pentagon, a battery of this type of weapon, part of the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, conducted "electronic launches" of hypersonic missiles

Russian warships call at India’s Kochi port

It is reported that this visit confirms the close naval cooperation between Russia and India

Venezuela’s army, police reject opposition calls to side with it

The ministers of defense and the interior, Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Remigio Ceballos, says it was a provocation

Press review: Zelensky seeks to pass buck to the people and xenophobia sweeps Britain

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, August 5th

Kiev to give own pilots first shot at flying recently received F-16's — politician

Vladimir Rogov suggested that the delivery of the first batch of fighter jets will give a boost to the morale of the Ukrainian armed forces and Ukrainian citizens, but this will be short-lived

Russia not existing a day without US sanctions — Russian Ambassador

"It would be naive to think that the US sanction policy came into effect, say, in 2014 or in 2022," Anatoly Antonov noted

Former Bangladeshi prime minister considers several countries for asylum — report

Following Sheikh Hasina's arrival in New Delhi, news reports said that she was seeking asylum in the UK

US increases presence in Middle East by deploying additional jets, warships

"What I've been focused on is making sure that we're doing everything we can to put measures in place to protect our troops," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said

Shoigu says he discussed tragic events in Tehran with Iran's leadership

"It was impossible to bypass this topic," the Russian Security Council secretary stressed

Moscow, Tehran rapidly increasing cooperation, says top Russian security official

Sergey Shoigu noted that the parties had also touched upon issues related to the North-South Transport Corridor

Russian troops liberate Timofeyevka community in DPR over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 520 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Kamala Harris secures presidential nomination with 99% of Democrat delegates backing her

It is reported that Harris said that she would accept the offer to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in the upcoming election

West wants lull to give Ukraine chance to regroup — Russian Security Council chief

"But we are not going to believe in their words, we will rely only on concrete actions," Sergey Shoigu stressed

Zelensky floats idea of laying ground for ending conflict with Russia by year-end

Rhetoric that Kiev is seeking peace has lately increased amid the successes of Russian forces in the special military operation

Russian exports to US down to $186.7 mln in June

The volume of goods supplied to the US from Russia amounted to $244 mln in January, $287.9 mln in February, $427 mln in March, and $297.5 mln in April

EU called on Georgia to sanction Russia, send mercenaries to Ukraine — speaker

On February 25, 2022, then-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that he did not intend to introduce sanctions against Russia, saying that it was not in Georgia’s national interests

Several Ukrainian brigades find themselves trapped in Pokrovsk area

It is reported that Ukrainian forces had sought to use drones to improve their position, but those were jammed by Russian electronic warfare systems

Israeli, US defense ministers discuss Iran’s destabilizing role in region

The situation in the Middle East has escalated dramatically after the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah armed wing commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut

EU Council greenlights 4.2 bln euro of aid to Kiev — Hungarian Presidency

The European Commission said earlier that it intends to make this tranche to Ukraine by September of this year

Ukraine’s window of opportunity for peace closing — Russian Security Council chief

In mid-June, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a new peace proposal on settling the conflict in Ukraine

Minnesota governor agrees to run for US vice president in Democratic campaign

The US will hold a presidential election on November 5

Russian air regulator keeping eye on situation with flights to Iran

Aeroflot and Nordwind are currently making flights between the two countries from Moscow and St. Petersburg

Turkey to file application with ICJ to join suit against Israel

Hakan Fidan accused Israel of seeking to proliferate the Gaza conflict across the entire region

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead interim Bangladeshi cabinet

Joynal Abedin, spokesman for Bangladeshi President Shahabuddin Chuppu, said the decision was made following the president’s meeting with leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement

Extreme measures unable to ensure Israel's security — Chinese expert

Zhu Yongbiao believes that the Israeli side will be unable to eliminate the problem by means of a simple war or a large-scale military operation

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 14 times in past day

Apart from that, one shelling attack by Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists was reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone.

Press review: Iran prepares to settle score with Israel and Bangladeshi PM steps down

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, August 6th

Harris earns Democrats record 4-point lead over Trump — survey

The poll was conducted among more than 11,000 voters registered across the country between August 2 and 4

Tajikistan-Russia trade turnover rises by 14.1% in 1H 2024

Zavqi Zavqizoda noted that last year the trade turnover between the two countries exceeded $1.7 bln

Concern mounts in Netherlands about superbug from Ukraine

According to the report, superbugs are often found in Ukrainian soldiers, who undergo treatment in the country

Kiev could have saved 115,000 Ukrainian lives had it accepted Putin's June peace proposal

It is reported that Ukraine has lost more than 3,000 armored vehicles and more than 3,000 military automobiles since June 14

Top Russian MP warns of tragic consequences globally amid US-EU coordination in Ukraine

Vyacheslav Volodin recounted that the United States remains the only country that has used nuclear weapons

Russian diplomat sees new details of attack on Trump as 'sensational'

Maria Zakharova also pointed to even more "mind-boggling" facts that Crooks had scoured the Internet before the event for information about the distance that separated Lee Harvey Oswald and John F. Kennedy, and that he had his own drones that he launched the day before the rally in Pennsylvania

US expects two waves of attacks on Israel — Axios

"One U.S. official said intelligence indicates the response by Iran and Hezbollah is still a "work in progress" and both are undecided about what exactly they want to do," the portal wrote

Bangladesh’s ex-foreign minister handed over to army after being detained at airport

Arsons and lootings were reported across the entire country

Ukraine fired about 130 at Belgorod Region over past day, governor says

According to Vyacheslav Gladkov, in the Belgorod District, the settlements of Oktyabrsky, Politotdelsky and the villages of Blizhneye, Dolbino, Krasny Oktyabr, Nikolskoye, Repnoye, Shchetinovka and Yasniye Zori were attacked by eight drones and shelled with 13 munitions

Baltic Fleet’s training ship pays business visit to Venezuelan port

A military band welcomed the Russian training ship with marches and Venezuelan musical pieces

Haniyeh's assassination shows there will be no ceasefire in Gaza under Netanyahu — Hersh

US journalist notes that Israeli prime minister "has been the one resisting a ceasefire there, despite pressure - or rather, pleading - from the Biden White House"

Mass graves of civilians discovered in Avdeyevka, aide to DPR head says

Igor Kimakovsky pointed out that so far dozens of bodies have been identified as those of local residents who refused to leave the city

Venezuelan President Maduro vows to stop using WhatsApp, switch to Telegram

Nicolas Maduro said that "WhatsApp is being used to threaten Venezuela"

Protesters in Bangladesh storm parliament building

Some videos also show puffs of smoke inside the conference hall and papers scattered on the floor

Top Russian security official says no response yet from Kiev on Moscow’s peace initiative

"For holding negotiations without a key negotiator looks a bit weird," Sergey Shoigu said

US, allies tell Israel, Iran escalation unacceptable — Blinken

US Secretary of State stressed that the US is always ready to ensure Israel’s security

Russian ambassador sees F-16s as serious threat, although US limited their use by Ukraine

"We raised a question with the US regarding the prospects of supplying F-16s to the Ukrainian battlefield, given the reports and photos that have appeared in news media on the subject," Anatoly Antonov stressed

Strikes on Israel to come from Iran, Yemen, Lebanon — Hezbollah leader

The Shiite militia was not the initiator of expanding the conflict, Hassan Nasrallah recalled

Russian diplomat decries Ukrainian attack on Kursk Region as terrorism

Meanwhile, the number of those injured in a massive Ukrainian attack has risen to 28

Putin invited to inauguration of Mexico’s new president

The Russian president will make a decision whether he will participate in the ceremony himself or designate another high-ranking official

Russian warplanes eliminate Ukrainian stronghold in Battlegroup East responsibility zone

As a result of this flight mission, the adversary’s special hardware and troops were eliminated

Nobel laureate ready to head interim government of Bangladesh

Yunus is currently in Paris as a special guest at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee

Truck carrying 42 Ukrainian draft dodgers stopped in Odessa Region — report

The news organization posted a photo on Telegram that shows the back of a truck with several dozen men in it

Russia, Azerbaijan discuss Western meddling in South Caucasus security

The sides also focused on transport projects, in particular the North-South corridor, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu added

Russian Security Council chief addresses Ukraine conflict during meetings in Tehran, Baku

Sergey Shoigu recalled that Kiev has not responded to the peace proposal Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward on June 14 so Russian forces continue advancing toward achieving the goals of the special military operation

Bank of Russia increases dollar rate to 85.16 rubles for August 7

The Central Bank said on June 13 that it would fix official dollar and euro rates against the ruble on the basis of reports of banks on results of transactions in the over-the-counter currency market

Kamala Harris touts her official democratic nomination in US election

She made the announcement together with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz

YouTube stops playing videos in almost all web browsers in Russia

High quality videos are still being played in the Yandex browser and in the Safari desktop version

US Secret Service fears another assassination attempt on Trump — senator

According to Josh Hawley, the root cause of the problem is that the service’s leadership "is not taking action to clear out the rot"

Ukraine used its last reserves to attack Russian border, senior Russian officer says

On August 6, the Kursk Region came under a massive attack from Ukraine

Bangladesh dissolves parliament, to form caretaker government in wake of protests

On Monday, thousands flooded the streets of Dhaka and other large cities in Bangladesh

Bag with cash stolen from Indonesian badminton team at Paris Olympics

The bag, belonging to the team’s manager Armand Darmadji, contained 53,000 euros, a credit card and a passport

New Russian combat equipment in 2024

Ukrainian drone attacks ambulance in Russia’s Kursk Region, killing two

Driver and a paramedic was killed, acting regional Governor Alexey Smirnov said

Plane carrying Sheikh Hasina became the most tracked in real time

It was tracked by 29,000 users simultaneously

Hezbollah hits Israeli air defense headquarters in Golan Heights

Earlier, Hezbollah said that four field commanders had been killed in an Israeli attack on Mayfadun near Nabatiyeh and three more had been killed in a raid on the Adaysseh area

Russian Defense Ministry changes format of Army Forum amid special military op

As the source reported, the forum’s main goals will now be "to consolidate the efforts of product developers and manufacturers working for the special military operation"

Sheinbaum to foster ties between Russia, Mexico, Putin hopes

The Russian leader wished his future counterpart "every success in the government activity as well as health and prosperity"

Palestinian fighters open fire on Israeli troops in Nablus — TV

According to Al Mayadeen, troops were ambushed during a raid in the old city area

Italian citizen detained in Moscow for flying drone near Kremlin

The man said he just wanted to capture some footage of downtown Moscow and had no idea about the ban on the use of drones in Moscow

Russia developing new Kh-95 long-range hypersonic missile

Colonel-General Vladimir Zarudnitsky noted that such advanced and upgraded armaments were being developed to achieve supremacy in the aerospace, which is a vital condition for ground and naval groupings of forces to conduct combat operations successfully

Sunken ship with champagne cargo found in Swedish waters declared historical monument

According to Swedish law, ships sunk before 1850 automatically have the status of historical monuments

Russian security official says Ukraine lost three chances to ensure its stability

Sergey Shoigu pointed to "February 2014, when political forces in Ukraine signed an agreement on the settlement of the internal political crisis"

Niger severing diplomatic relations with Ukraine — agency

According to Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for the Niger military government, Niamey called the UN Security Council to make a ruling on Ukraine's aggression

Trump to give interview to Musk next week

The former US president said it on his Truth Social media platform

Over 90 people with Russian flags detained in Nigeria during protest rallies

Simultaneously, the state secret police said that several tailors had been detained for making Russian flags

Appearance of Chinese ships off Alaska heralds new stage of rivalry with US — expert

Colin Flint also points out that China - both to protect its near waters and to extend influence in distant waters - over the past decade has developed strong economic and diplomatic relations with Pacific island nations

IOC chief enters criminal conspiracy to disqualify competitive athletes — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova also emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into Thomas Bach’s relations with Ukraine’s national Olympic Committee and its members

Situation on border in Kursk Region not critical — commander

Apty Alaudinov refuted reports circulated on Ukrainian Telegram channels that Akhmat fighters have allegedly left their positions in this area

Harris announces Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her pick for vice president

US news media reported that Walz belongs to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party

Kherson Region governor reports Ukrainian attempt at a raid on Tendra Spit

Russian naval soldiers jointly with servicemen from other units opened fire from weapons of all types on the Ukrainian speedboats as they approached the Tendra Spit, Vladimir Saldo said

F-16s received by Kiev to have no impact on Russia’s special op — Chechen commander

Apty Alaudinov stressed that these outdated planes, being made before the turn of the century, having nothing modern or top-secret, "absolutely do not change anything"

Russian Security Council chief calls on Kiev to think about cost of West’s 'good offices'

The Europeans "are again hampering any real progress in the Ukrainian settlement by advancing unacceptable initiatives in the spirit of the Copenhagen or Swiss formats," Sergey Shoigu said

Russian MFA advises US special services to 'patch up security holes'

"The secret service also rejected a request for a meeting with the local police, who had developed suspicion about Crooks on the eve of the attack," Maria Zakharova pointed out

At least 29 members of Bangladeshi former ruling political party perish overnight

According to the Dhaka Tribune, at least 10 people were killed in attacks and violence in Satkhira

Hezbollah drones hit military targets near Nahariya, Haifa

Several explosions occurred in the city of Haifa

Gold price rally to continue, experts say

The gold price will stand at $2,500-2,600 per ounce in the baseline best case, Nikolay Dudchenko noted

Two Ukrainian projectiles shot down in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region — official

Acting regional Governor Alexey Smirnov earlier reported about two other projectiles

Russian specialists coming to Burkina Faso to discuss NPP construction

The visit of Russian specialists will continue until August 9