tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post8808003638388909205..comments2022-05-25T16:23:51.130+02:00xronoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13107445158803745642[email protected]Blogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-26327876632113939672014-11-07T21:14:57.737+01:002014-11-07T21:14:57.737+01:00Drop in Russian Visitors Hurts European Tourist Industry ...<br /><br />Tensions between Russia and the West triggered by the Ukrainian turmoil have struck the European tourist business.<br /><br />&quot;The crisis in Russia&#39;s relations with the West has hit Czech tourism, with the number of spend-happy Russian visitors dropping 14 percent in the third quarter, data showed on Friday… Other European nations have reported similar falls, with ski resorts in Austria and Switzerland bracing for a sharp decline in Russian tourists over the coming months,&quot; Reuters reported..............http://en.ria.ru/business/20141107/195276324/Drop-in-Russian-Visitors-Hurts-European-Tourist-Industry.html<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-1425084692551772462014-11-07T17:16:31.280+01:002014-11-07T17:16:31.280+01:00Palestinians clash with Israeli troops again over holy site ...<br /><br />(Reuters) - Palestinian protesters fought with Israeli security forces in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank on Friday, the latest clashes in a fortnight of violence over access to Jerusalem&#39;s holiest site.<br /><br />At the Qalandia checkpoint separating Ramallah from Jerusalem, troops fired rubber bullets as several hundred protesters marched, some throwing rocks and petrol bombs.<br /><br />In East Jerusalem, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters hurling firecrackers and burning tires that sent up huge clouds of black smoke in Shoafat refugee camp.............http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-mideast-jerusalem-violence-idUSKBN0IR0G120141107?feedType=RSS&amp;feedName=worldNews<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-75114499595219847002014-11-07T12:51:38.427+01:002014-11-07T12:51:38.427+01:00Iraq Losing $1.2Bln Monthly on Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline Shutdown: Ministry ...<br /><br />The Iraqi economy is losing as much as $1.2 billion a month because of the shutdown of the oil pipeline connecting the Iraqi city of Kirkuk with the Turkish city of Ceyhan, an Iraqi Oil Ministry representative said Friday.<br /><br />&quot;Due to the cease of oil pumping through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline we are losing the income from the export of 300,000-400,000 barrels per day, as a result our export losses amount to an average of $1.2 billion per month,&quot; the ministry representative was quoted as saying by Iraqi news agency AIN..............http://en.ria.ru/business/20141107/195251554/Iraq-Losing-12Bln-Monthly-on-Kirkuk-Ceyhan-Oil-Pipeline-Shutdown.html<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-31807806308586514882014-11-07T11:31:29.860+01:002014-11-07T11:31:29.860+01:00Turkey’s opening air bases for anti-ISIL coalition would be beneficial: US commander ...<br /><br />The U.S.-led coalition fighting against Islamic jihadists in Iraq and Syria would benefit from Turkey’s permission to use its airbases, a U.S. commander has said.<br /><br />“When and if the Turks decide to be more forthcoming in helping the coalition, it will clearly be value-added,” Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia, said when asked to what extent the coalition’s efforts had been interrupted by Turkey’s reluctance to allow the usage of its İncirlik base.<br /><br /> “The more access to basing and overflight rights, the better,” he further said at an event organized by the Atlantic Council think tank on Nov. 6................http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-opening-air-bases-for-anti-isil-coalition-would-be-beneficial-us-commander.aspx?pageID=238&amp;nID=74003&amp;NewsCatID=359<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-10615183873226815952014-11-07T11:17:19.247+01:002014-11-07T11:17:19.247+01:00China and Japan acknowledge &quot;differing opinions&quot; on disputed territory ...<br /><br />China and Japan agreed on Friday (Nov 7) that there were “differing opinions” on the disputed islands in the East China Sea, according to media reports. China&#39;s State Councillor Yang Jiechi had met National Security Advisor of Japan Shotaro Yachi on Friday.<br /><br />People’s Daily reported that the disputed islands – known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan – has caused tensions between the two countries. Japan and China agreed to implement crisis management measures to prevent tensions from worsening, People&#39;s Daily added.<br /><br />China and Japan will also resume diplomatic, political and security dialogue through bilateral and multilateral channels, reported Reuters.<br />- CNA/xq<br />http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/china-and-japan/1459384.html<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-62053991732074481042014-11-07T06:50:49.085+01:002014-11-07T06:50:49.085+01:00Russia not to consider itself bound by obligations after nuclear summit ...<br /><br />Russia will not consider itself bound by obligations that may appear after the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit, due in the US city of Chicago, which Russia does not plan to attend, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Thursday.<br /><br />“We will not consider ourselves bound by decisions worked out without our participation, and all the same, if someone wants the decisions to acquire a universal nature, they will have to go to the IAEA, follow the normal path,” Ryabkov told journalists.<br /><br />He said Moscow’s decision to skip preparation for the 2016 summit is not a special signal Russia is sending. The diplomat added that the decision would have been made even if the Ukrainian crisis had not happened.<br /><br />The positions of Russia and the United States on the Ukrainian developments differ radically. Washington accuses Moscow of participation in clashes in Ukraine’s embattled southeast and has subjected Russia to sanctions. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the intra-Ukrainian crisis.<br />http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/758474<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-61622690718456792532014-11-07T06:43:57.727+01:002014-11-07T06:43:57.727+01:00No need of foreign troops in Iraq to fight IS: Iraqi FM ...<br /><br />The Iraqi government asks foreign counties for military support, including equipment and training of security forces, but the country does not want foreign troops in its territory to fight the Islamic State (IS), Iraq Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday.<br /><br />&quot;Only Iraqi people will fight in territory of Iraq,&quot; al-Jaafari, who is paying a visit to Turkey, said at a conference in the International Strategic Research Organization in Ankara.<br /><br />The Iraqi government also asked Turkey for support in equipment and training of the Iraqi army, the minister said, after his meetings with Turkish leaders in the capital.<br /><br />Al-Jaafari called the international community for more humanitarian support to the Iraqis who fled the jihadists, and demanded help for restructuring the regions that were destroyed during clashes with IS militants....................http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/890562.shtml<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-28142490904543108342014-11-07T06:39:17.064+01:002014-11-07T06:39:17.064+01:00Nato erwägt Großmanöver an der Grenze zu Russland ...<br /><br />Das Verteidigungsbündnis stellt in Aussicht, künftig mit bis zu 40.000 Soldaten in Osteuropa aufzumarschieren. Ein ranghoher General räumt zudem ein, Russlands Vorstöße hätten die Nato unvorbereitet getroffen: „Wir hatten das nicht erwartet.“ <br /><br />Die Nato hat erstmals große Manöver mit mehreren zehntausend Soldaten in den Grenzregionen zu Russland in Aussicht gestellt. „Wir haben bisher Großmanöver von 25.000 bis 40.000 Mann nur in den westlichen Nato-Ländern durchgeführt. Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass wir das in Zukunft auch in Osteuropa und im Baltikum machen“, sagte der deutsche Nato-General Hans-Lothar Domröse der Tageszeitung „Die Welt“ vom Freitag. Details nannte er nach Angaben des Blattes allerdings nicht.<br /><br />Infolge der Ukraine-Krise lassen sowohl das westliche Verteidigungsbündnis als auch Russland seit einigen Monaten die Muskeln spielen. Die Nato verstärkt Standorte und baut eine schlagkräftige „Speerspitze“, die sogenannte Schnelle Eingreiftruppe, auf. Die russischen Streitkräfte flogen westlichen Angaben zufolge zuletzt „außergewöhnlich umfangreiche Manöver“ über den europäischen Meeren............http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/ausland/europa/osteuropa-nato-erwaegt-grossmanoever-an-der-grenze-zu-russland-13252924.html<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-1737448052066767122014-11-07T05:59:26.382+01:002014-11-07T05:59:26.382+01:00Obama wants $3.2 bln for U.S. air war on ISIS ...<br /><br />President Barack Obama will ask lawmakers Friday for an additional $3.2 billion to pay for the war against the Islamic State group of Iraq and Syria, including funds to train and arm Baghdad government forces, officials said Thursday.<br /><br />The funds will help cover the cost of replacing bombs in the weeks-long U.S.-led air campaign against ISIS jihadists and assistance for Iraqi army troops and Kurdish forces battling the ISIS on the ground, two defense officials told AFP.<br /><br />The air war in Syria and Iraq -- which commanders say could last years -- has involved thousands of sorties and hundreds of bombing raids, at a daily cost of $8.3 million, according to the Pentagon...............http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/07/Obama-wants-3-2-bln-for-U-S-air-war-on-ISIS-.html<br />7/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-65036067515662569642014-11-06T21:46:41.880+01:002014-11-06T21:46:41.880+01:00Fearing U.S. air strikes, Syria asks for Russian S300 ...<br /><br />The Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad feared the rise of Republicans in the U.S. Congress and began preparing for a potential radical shift in U.S. foreign policy towards Syria, statements by the country’s foreign minister revealed on Thursday.<br /><br />Damascus was afraid that the rise of Republicans could mount pressure on President Barack Obama to launch military strikes against the regime army’s installations in Syria and has asked Russia to speed up the delivery of a powerful air defense system, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said in an interview with Lebanon’s al-Akhbar newspaper..................http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/11/06/Assad-feared-rise-of-Republicans-in-U-S-Congress.html<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-71758101785101286072014-11-06T21:42:17.742+01:002014-11-06T21:42:17.742+01:00No warships for Russia yet, says French PM ...<br /><br />French Prime Minister Manuel Valls ruled out the imminent delivery of two French-built warships to Russia on Thursday, saying conditions set by France over Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis had not yet been met.<br /><br />&quot;Today the conditions have not been met for their (warships) delivery to Russia,&quot; Valls told reporters in the Serbian capital Belgrade..................http://www.france24.com/en/20141106-no-warships-russia-yet-says-french-pm-mistral-valls/<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-70004419449997341392014-11-06T21:12:32.364+01:002014-11-06T21:12:32.364+01:00Putin Holds Security Council Meeting Over Ukraine Crisis Deterioration ...<br /><br />President Vladimir Putin on Thursday discussed with members of Russia&#39;s Security Council a sharp deterioration of the situation in eastern Ukraine caught in a standoff between Kiev-led forces and Donbas militia.<br /><br />Authorities in self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics have reported Kiev&#39;s increased military activity on the separation line between the warring sides in recent days in a serious breach of the Minsk ceasefire agreements..................http://en.ria.ru/russia/20141106/195220687/Putin-Holds-Security-Council-Meet-Over-Ukraine-Crisis.html<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-20908415967407575692014-11-06T21:09:14.636+01:002014-11-06T21:09:14.636+01:00Moldova, EU sign memorandum implying financial aid of up to 410 mln euro ...<br /><br />Moldova and the European Union on Thursday signed a memorandum of mutual understanding and assistance for the years 2014 through to 2017, which implies European financial aid to the republic in the amount of 410 million euro.<br /><br />The document was signed by Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood policy Johannes Hahn.<br /><br />Leanca said at a joint news briefing with Hahn that aid would be allocated for reforms in the agrarian sector, development or rural areas and upgrading of state administration...................http://en.itar-tass.com/economy/758448<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-65776677829054768622014-11-06T16:47:02.454+01:002014-11-06T16:47:02.454+01:00US broadens bombing campaign in Syria, angers Western-backed rebels ...<br /><br />US airstrikes have targeted a Syrian rebel group with connections to Nusra Front, a Syrian watchdog reported. Syrian rebels, however, are reportedly upset with the change of strategy, saying it strengthens President Assad’s grip on power.<br /><br />The Obama administration’s stated purpose for commencing an aerial campaign on Syrian territory – without Syria’s permission, not to mention that of Congress – was to deal a deadly blow to the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, or ISIL), the ultra-violent Islamic group that has cut a swath across northern Iraq and Syria. <br /><br />Those efforts suffered a setback Thursday when it was reported that US forces hit a compound belonging to the Islamic group Ahrar al-Sham in the town of Babsalqa in Syria’s northwestern territory, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights..............http://rt.com/news/202827-syria-us-isis-nusra/<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-34318859655705260152014-11-06T14:03:09.358+01:002014-11-06T14:03:09.358+01:00Kiev Troops Deploy Tanks in Donetsk Suburb, Fighting Underway: Self-Defense Forces ...<br /><br />Fighting erupted in a suburb of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk Thursday as the Kiev government troops deployed tanks there, Donetsk self-defense forces told RIA Novosti.<br /><br />“A column of tanks has entered Yasynuvata, nearby districts are being shelled,” a self-defense forces source said.<br /><br />The fighting comes a day after the Kiev government officials reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire regime in the conflict-hit east.<br />http://en.ria.ru/world/20141106/195203695/Kiev-Troops-Deploy-Tanks-in-Donetsk-Suburb-Fighting-Underway.html<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-66252252149049412532014-11-06T14:01:06.255+01:002014-11-06T14:01:06.255+01:00Russia’s lower house speaker says Donetsk shelling must not go unpunished ...<br /><br />Serious crimes like the shelling of a school in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, must not remain unpunished, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, said on Thursday.<br /><br />“Yesterday Donetsk again was shelled by armed groupings, subordinated to the official Kiev. The school became one of the targets in this shelling which killed two teenagers as a result,” Sergey Naryshkin said.<br /><br />“Such crimes must not be unpunished,” Naryshkin stressed.<br /><br />Earlier on Thursday, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case into the shelling of the Donetsk school.<br /><br />According to investigators, on Wednesday afternoon servicemen of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and National Guard launched artillery shelling upon instructions of their commanders directly targeting school number 63 in Donetsk.......................http://en.itar-tass.com/world/758327<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-72893451154203542142014-11-06T12:56:25.315+01:002014-11-06T12:56:25.315+01:00Libya&#39;s Supreme Court declares elected parliament invalid: agency ...<br /><br />Libya&#39;s Supreme Court declared the country&#39;s internationally-recognized parliament as unconstitutional on Thursday, state news agency LANA said, deepening a rift between rival power centers in the oil producer.<br /><br />Libya&#39;s elected parliament, the House of Representatives, has been operating from the eastern city of Tobruk since an armed group linked to the western city of Misrata seized the capital Tripoli, dividing the North African country..........http://www.todayonline.com/world/libyas-supreme-court-declares-elected-parliament-invalid-agency<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-66512914548974366932014-11-06T12:44:54.957+01:002014-11-06T12:44:54.957+01:00NATO Stages Military Drill in Lithuania ...<br /><br />More than 2,500 NATO troops are taking part in exercises on two training grounds in Lithuania.<br /><br />Nine countries have sent soldiers to train as part of Exercise Iron Sword, Czech Republic, Estonia, the U.S., U.K., Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary and Germany.<br /><br />Originally the exercise was to have involved only Lithuanian troops but was expanded in response to the Russian actions in Ukraine.<br /><br />U.S. officer Lieutenant Bryan Blair said the aim of the exercise was to be able to communicate and fight together as one unit.<br /><br />About 2,000 Lithuanian troops and 500 from the other NATO countries were using more than 300 combat vehicles in the two-week exercise.<br />http://www.voanews.com/content/nato-stages-military-drill-in-lithuania/2510267.html<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-38426377918953742712014-11-06T06:49:11.804+01:002014-11-06T06:49:11.804+01:00Iraq Looks Forward to Open &#39;New Page&#39; in Relations With Turkey: Foreign Minister ...<br /><br />Iraq wants to open a &quot;new page&quot; in relations with Turkey, leaving behind all tensions with the country, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.<br /><br />&quot;We want to open a new page in our relations with Turkey. Even if we had some friction - let it remain in the past,&quot; Jaafari said.<br /><br />He added that Turkey could help Iraq in terms of national security.<br /><br />&quot;We are against the presence of foreign military in Iraq, but any other help from our friends would be welcome,&quot; he said.<br /><br />With regard to oil trade &quot;it is, under our constitution, under the responsibility of the central government of Iraq. And the issue with the sale of oil from the territory of Kurdish autonomy in Iraq will be solved according to the constitution,&quot; Jaafari stated.<br /><br />In turn, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey would continue to support Iraq and its territorial integrity, threatened by terrorist organizations. He stressed that it is necessary to develop a comprehensive strategy to fight terrorism.<br /><br />In November 2013, Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan autonomy agreed that the oil from the region would flow through Turkey to Europe. However, Iraq is against its autonomy&#39;s own decisions regarding petroleum resources located in the country&#39;s territory. Despite this, the leadership of the Kurdish autonomy began exporting oil through Turkey in May.<br />http://en.ria.ru/politics/20141106/195173595/Iraq-Looks-Forward-to-Open-New-Page-in-Relations-With-Turkey.html<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-439549428734449682014-11-06T06:45:39.208+01:002014-11-06T06:45:39.208+01:00Israel approves additional settlement plan in East Jerusalem ...<br /><br />Jerusalem&#39;s municipal Planning and Construction Committee authorized on Wednesday a plan to build 278 houses in East Jerusalem, the second of such move this week, Israeli media reported.<br /><br />It is the second time during this week that the committee approved a housing plan in East Jerusalem beyond the Green Line, on lands Israel annexed during the 1967 War. On Monday, the committee authorized the construction of about 500 housing units in the neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo.<br /><br />Wednesday&#39;s plan includes 216 housing units in the Ramot neighborhood, beyond the pre-1967 border, and 62 in the Har Homa neighborhood.<br /><br />&quot;This move comes as the Palestinian (National) Authority is trying to take unilateral step in international organizations like the United Nations,&quot; an official source told Israel&#39;s Walla news website, referring to the Palestinians&#39; recent attempt to seek a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to Israel&#39;s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem without negotiations.....................http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/890334.shtml<br />6/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-7219279919417858442014-11-06T05:48:41.725+01:002014-11-06T05:48:41.725+01:00U.S. State Department: Dismissals and Resignations of Georgian Government Officials ...<br /><br />Jen Psaki<br />Department Spokesperson<br />Washington, DC<br />November 5, 2014<br />-----<br />&quot;The United States notes with concern the Georgian Prime Minister’s dismissal of Defense Minister Alasania and his deputy ministers, and the subsequent resignations of State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Petriashvili and Foreign Minister Panjikidze and her deputy ministers. We have greatly appreciated the work of these ministers in service to their country and in partnership with the United States.<br /><br />At a time of regional turmoil and domestic economic challenge, it is in Georgia’s interest to demonstrate stability, unity, commitment to due process and the rule of law, and public confidence in democratic institutions. We urge all parties to work towards these goals and to focus on securing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future. We call upon the Georgian government to take steps to dispel perceptions that the judicial system is being used for political purposes, and to demonstrate its commitment to our shared democratic values.&quot;<br />http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/11/233793.htm<br />5/11/14<br />Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-38738276830503155732014-11-05T23:05:05.934+01:002014-11-05T23:05:05.934+01:00Global court says will not investigate Israeli raid on Turkish flotilla ...<br /><br />(Reuters) - International prosecutors have ruled there are grounds to believe war crimes were committed during an Israeli raid that killed nine Turkish activists in 2010, but decided the case is beyond their remit, according to court papers seen by Reuters.<br /><br />The move by lawyers at the International Criminal Court is likely to enrage Ankara which accused its erstwhile ally Israel of mass murder after the commandos abseiled onto a flotilla challenging an Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.<br /><br />&quot;The information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes under the Court’s jurisdiction have been committed in the context of interception and takeover of the Mavi Marmara by IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) soldiers on 31 May 2010,&quot; read the paper seen on Wednesday.<br /><br />But the lawyers decided the crimes in question were not of sufficient gravity to fall under the court&#39;s jurisdiction, the papers added..............http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/05/us-israel-turkey-flotilla-idUSKBN0IP2PX20141105?feedType=RSS&amp;feedName=worldNews<br />5/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-38345877841466605432014-11-05T22:59:40.330+01:002014-11-05T22:59:40.330+01:00EU Council does not recognize elections in Donetsk, Lugansk republics ...<br /><br />The Council of the European Union said in a statement on Wednesday that it does not recognize the recent elections in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s republics.<br /><br />“The EU considers the holding of ‘presidential and parliamentary elections’ in Donetsk and Luhansk &quot;People’s Republics&quot; on 2 November as illegal and illegitimate and will not recognize them,” the Council’s statement said.<br /><br />The Council said the only elections that could be recognized by the EU should be held “in accordance with Ukrainian law.”.............http://en.itar-tass.com/world/758232<br />5/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-18177201176575332242014-11-05T22:55:58.520+01:002014-11-05T22:55:58.520+01:00Russian Embassy in Portugal Says Verifies Information on &#39;Intercepted Russian Ship&#39; ...<br /><br />The reports saying that Portuguese Navy intercepted a Russian vessel early on Wednesday are going to be verified, Russian Embassy in Portugal told RIA Novosti.<br /><br />&quot;The Russian Embassy in Portugal is verifying this information. At the moment, neither the Ministry of Defense of Portugal, nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can not give any comments or information on the subject,&quot; the embassy said.<br /><br />&quot;Lusa [information] agency reported that this information was provided by its correspondent who accompanied the Minister of Defense Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco in his visit to Lithuania. The embassy is awaiting clarification from the Portuguese authorities,&quot; it added.<br /><br />According to Lusa, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco stated that the Portuguese Navy intercepted a Russian vessel that was in the waters of the exclusive economic zone of the country.<br /><br />The Portuguese Minister of Defense is currently in Lithuania, with his NATO colleagues at the military base of Siauliai. Portuguese media do not give the name of the ship or the exact point of interception. According to the Portuguese media, it is a survey vessel.<br />http://en.ria.ru/world/20141105/195171097/Russian-Embassy-in-Portugal-Says-Verifies-Information-on.html<br />5/11/14Anonymous[email protected]tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5409482909880290151.post-80970548405281555752014-11-05T16:51:27.338+01:002014-11-05T16:51:27.338+01:00Georgia&#39;s Pro-West Foreign Minister Quits ...<br /><br />Georgian Foreign Minister Maja Panjikidze resigned on Wednesday over what she called threats to the ex-Soviet republic&#39;s pro-Western policies, deepening a crisis in the coalition government.<br /><br />A junior minister overseeing integration with Europe also quit, a day after Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili fired his Western-leaning defence minister and one of the six parties in the ruling Georgian Dream coalition threatened to pull out.<br /><br />The Free Democrats&#39; departure would strip the coalition of a majority in parliament, increasing political instability in the country of 4.5 million which is crossed by pipelines that carry Caspian oil and gas from Azerbaijan to Europe.............http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-georgias-pro-west-foreign-minister-quits/2509149.html<br />5/11/14Anonymous[email protected]