🤝 Lavrov and Rubio to meet on the sidelines of 80th UNGA session

The two ministers are expected to discuss a range of bilateral and multilateral issues, Russia's envoy to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, said.

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly is taking place in New York City on September 9-23.

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🇺🇸🇨🇳 Trump says his talk with Xi was 'productive', announces he will travel to China early next year

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🇷🇺🤝🇻🇪 New Russia-Venezuela partnership pact promises to strengthen dynamic alliance

Venezuela’s parliament has approved a new comprehensive cooperation agreement with Russia.

Here are the areas where the countries have already forged close ties.

⚡️ Energy

⚫️ Joint oil & gas exploration, crude processing via the Petromonagas Rosneft-PDVSA joint venture

⚫️OPEC+ & GECF coordination

⚫️Sanctions-resistant oil shipping insurance scheme (featured in the new pact)

🌠 Space, tech & logistics

⚫️Russia has opened a GLONASS sat nav ground station in Venezuela

⚫️It’s also been a key exporter of machine tools & equipment crucial for infrastructure

⚫️2024 strategic maritime transport cooperation agreement promotes shipping & logistics

⚫️Joints projects in rail & telecom in the works

🏭 Industry & resources

⚫️The new pact promotes extensive cooperation from metallurgy & mineral extraction to pharmaceuticals

⚫️Previous successful ventures include the Rusoro gold mining project & panel housing


🌎 International coordination

⚫️Russia & Venezuela have each other’s backs at the UN, resisting sanctions pressure & building a multipolar world

⚫️Venezuela has supported Russia amid the crisis in Ukraine

⚫️Russia has vowed to back Venezuela against US “regime change” plots

🪖 Military links

⚫️Venezuela has a vast arsenal of Russia-sourced equipment, from AK rifles produced under license to BUK-M2 & S-300VM SAMs, BM-30 MLRS & Su-30 jets

🔍 What stands out in the new pact?

Signed by the Russian & Venezuelan presidents in May, the agreement aims to take cooperation to a new level, focusing on resistance to sanctions, multilateralism & defense of sovereignty.

It promises to enhance joint venture opportunities & a 25% cut in tariffs on Venezuelan goods in the EEU market.

❗️Strategic implications

Along with Iran (energy infrastructure, drones), China (trade, major investments), & Cuba (medical, technical personnel), strong ties with Russia are vital in assisting Venezuela’s efforts to stand up to US imperialism.

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🇺🇸🇮🇳 Bullying tactics: US cranks up pressure on India for refusing to kneel – Marandi

The US is pursuing two objectives by imposing sanctions related to India’s involvement in Chabahar Port, Tehran University professor Mohammad Marandi tells Sputnik.

🟠 First, it seeks to cut off the North-South transport corridor and break the link between India and Russia that goes through Iran.

🟠 Second, it cannot reconcile with the fact that Indian PM Narendra Modi didn’t cave in despite tariffs and is now raising the stakes.

"They are trying to force the Indian government to do as they wish. And this is part of that process."

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🇮🇷🇪🇺 Iran accuses Europeans of ‘abusing’ sanctions snapback mechanism, putting new nuclear deal at risk

Iran’s Foreign Ministry reserves the right to respond after the UN Security Council rejected a resolution to extend nuclear sanctions relief.

📑 The 15-member council failed to adopt the resolution, drafted by South Korea and supported by Russia, China, Pakistan and Algeria, on Friday.

The resolution’s failure threatens the reimposition of European sanctions on Iran by September 28 if a new nuclear agreement is not reached by then. France, Germany and the UK – the three European signatories to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement, invoked the snapback mechanism in August.

Iran slammed the decision, calling sanctions unlawful, accusing the E3 of failing to fulfill own commitments, and pointing to Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 under pressure from Israel.

Chinese permanent representative Fu Cong expressed doubt over “whether the E3 have the right to invoke the snapback mechanism.”
Iran has asked South Korea to help take steps to avoid escalation.

👉 On Thursday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the E3 and EU to “avert an unnecessary and avoidable crisis” on the nuclear issue, stressing that up to now, “instead of being met with engagement on the substance of [Tehran’s] plan, Iran is now faced with a litany of excuses and outright deflection.”

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🇺🇸🇮🇳 US lawless behavior has fueled the rise of BRICS and SCO - Marandi

US intimidation of Russia, Iran, and India is pushing them to unite on solutions beyond the US control, Tehran University professor Mohammad Marandi tells Sputnik.

💬 "It is US policy that has effectively made BRICS what it is today. It is US policy that has made the Shanghai Cooperation Organization what it is today. It is their behavior, their lawless behavior, using sanctions as a weapon, using tariffs as a weapon, using financial institutions and the US dollar as a weapon."

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🇺🇳🇵🇸 UN General Assembly backs Palestine’s right to speak at 80th session

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Friday granting Palestine the right to participate in high-level meetings of the 80th session.

🔸 The move allows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to deliver a recorded address after the US refused him a visa, according to the Wafa news agency.

🔸 Palestine may now present statements by its president or senior representatives at UN meetings and conferences.

🔸 The resolution was backed by 145 countries, with 6 abstentions and 5 votes against — including the United States.

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🇸🇾🇮🇱 Syria may sign security deal with Israel soon – reports

Syria’s transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa said Damascus could sign a security agreement with Israel in the coming days, with US mediation, Anadolu reported.

He stressed that the deal would resemble the 1974 disengagement agreement but would not mean normalization of relations with Tel Aviv or Syria’s accession to the Abraham Accords.

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🇷🇺🇷🇺 Russian MIG-31 fighter jets did NOT violate Estonian airspace – Defense Ministry

Three Russian MiG-31 jets carried out a planned flight on Friday from Karelia to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

💬 The ministry stressed the flight was conducted strictly in line with international airspace regulations, with no violations of other states’ borders — confirmed by objective monitoring systems.

The aircraft did not deviate from the agreed route and did not enter Estonian airspace. Their course ran over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, more than 3 km away from Vaindloo Island.

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🚨 Biden family is 'LARGEST CRIME SYNDICATE in US politics' - Rep. Greene

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said bank records and over 2,000 pages of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARS) reviewed by the House Oversight Committee show evidence of money laundering and human sex trafficking involving Hunter Biden.

💬 “The investigation is going to show that the Biden family is the largest crime syndicate that America has ever seen in politics,” Greene stated, alleging wire transfers from several countries into shell LLCs that later paid multiple Biden family members.

💬 “If an elected official is abusing their position of power for influence peddling and getting rich off of it, that is corruption the American people should never allow,” she added.

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🚫 US quietly PAUSES some arms sales to Europe – reports

The Atlantic reported that Washington has begun blocking requests from European allies for certain high-demand weapons, including Patriot missile systems, citing “shortages” and the need to prioritize American stockpiles.

🔸 According to the report, Denmark was close to a deal for Patriots when the Pentagon abruptly pulled back. Instead, Copenhagen turned to a $9.1 billion package from European suppliers — its largest-ever arms purchase.

🔸 Defense officials admit the US has only about 25% of the Patriot missiles needed for its own military plans. The system has no European equivalent, making it one of NATO’s most sought-after assets.

🔸 Observers told The Atlantic the move risks opening rifts with allies and “weakening their defenses at a time when Russia poses an imminent threat.”

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💥 Russian FPV drones wipe out Ukrainian pickups near Kramatorsk – Defense Ministry

Operators of FPV drones from the 6th Motor Rifle Division of the Yug battlegroup destroyed two pickup trucks carrying Ukrainian personnel in the Kramatorsk–Druzhkovka area, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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🚔 Police search US health chief’s home after bomb threat – reports

Police with K-9 units searched the Georgetown home of US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after a reported bomb threat, Newsmax said. No explosives were found, but the investigation is ongoing.

Kennedy recently called the US the “sickest country in the world,” criticized the CDC, and proposed cutting 20,000 jobs at HHS — a plan blocked in court.

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