Author: Leto Kormiade

Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Tatyana Shevtsova, who officially was dismissed mid-June, fled to France ‘with hundreds of millions of dollars saved in cryptocurrency.’. Tsargrad and other Telegram channels report this with reference to several sources, although confirmation or refutation of this data has not yet been received. If she fled to France, it must be a deal with the French security service, as she is sanctioned in Europe. There is a version that Shevtsova allegedly cooperated with the investigation against the detained generals, trying to avoid her own charges. According to another version, the generals, to reduce their sentences,…

The successful phasing-out of gas imports from Russia risks making Europe dependent on liquified natural gas (LNG) imports, according to a report published by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) today (June 24). Between 2021 and 2022, LNG imports increased from 80 billion cubic meters (bcm) to 120 bcm — reflecting an increase from 22% to 34% of total gas imports including from Russia and pipeline — according to the ECA. By 2023, the largest LNG global exporters to the EU were Norway (30%), the US (19.4%) and North Africa (14.1%), Russia was still responsible for 6.1% of LNG imports alongside 8.7% via pipeline,…

Brussels/London (16/6 – 33.33) The defeat of the Russian Federation is a foregone conclusion. It is a reality. It is a must. Victory for Ukraine is non-negotiable. It is an absolute necessity. As ironclad as Brussels, London, Berlin or Washington. As ironclad as the Normandy battlefield, Waterloo, Verdun, or many other spots on the planet. We, the ones living in this generation that saw the war erupted right in front of our eyes, owe it to the young men and women in the Ukraine who gave their lives for this conviction. An excessive number of sceptics advocate for surrender. We…

The terrorist attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall in March 2024, which left 140 people dead, has sparked a crackdown on central Asian workers living in Russia, and put the relationship between the region and Russia under increasing strain. The four suspected gunmen under arrest are all citizens of Tajikistan, a central Asian nation that was once part of the Soviet Union. Following the Crocus City attack, Russian police started rounding up and deporting workers who are originally from Tajikistan, as well as from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The attack, which Russia has blamed on Ukraine, also sparked massive police raids, document checks of migrants…

London (10/03 – 77.78)Up-and-down relations between Iran and Tajikistan in the past decade shot up again after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s official visit to Dushanbe on November 8-9, his second trip to the Tajik capital in 18 months. Raisi’s visit to Tajikistan was symbolically important amid a rapprochement between the countries that overshadowed the relatively standard batch of bilateral agreements that were signed. During the trip, Raisi and his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rahmon, announced a historic visa-free travel agreement for their citizens and deals in trade, transportation, and culture, among others. High-ranking visits have become a regular occurrence between the…

The Greek Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) aims to expand its presence in the Balkans and the wider region of Southeastern Europe. Chairman and CEO Manos Manousakis said recently during the OT Forum that talks are already underway for IPTO, also known for its Greek acronym Admie, to acquire shares in neighboring transmission system operators – TSOs. The 2018 Prespa Agreement between Greece and North Macedonia provides the basis for the Greek company’s possible entry, while the prospect of Western Balkan nations joining the European Union also opens new opportunities. Manousakis promises a “win-win” result for any operator willing to…

In the Exarcheia area of Athens, gentrification threatens to bring an end to a scene of alternative culture and protest that’s had a place in people’s hearts for decades In the heart of Greece’s capital, the neighborhood of Exarcheia – historical center of radical leftwing politics, adored in equal measure by intellectual activists and scruffy late-night revelers – is under attack. It starts shortly after sunrise. Trucks come ferrying workers who climb scaffolding and start cutting back trees, shielded by barbed wire and four-meter-high metal barricades, covered in graffiti. Locals shout, bang on the fences, blast out loud music all…

Much like its ideological counterparts at HispanTV (Iranian-owned) and Actualidad RT (Russian-owned), Telesur wraps its incitement into a sophisticated and slick twenty-four-hour news platform through its website, broadcasts, and social media presence. Though it is difficult to gauge its influence, numbers suggest that Telesur’s message is impactful. Telesur has two million followers on its Spanish X account, 117,500 on its English X account, and more than half a million on Instagram. Its YouTube account has over 1.7 million subscribers, with 100,000 new subscribers and almost 7.4 million video views since October 7 (It also posts its videos on the Daily Motion). The network traditionally pushes out conspiracy theories, fake news, “whataboutism,”…

Japan and France said on Monday they will support the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) plan to leverage IMF Special Drawing Rights for climate and development. SDRs are rainy day foreign exchange reserves held at the International Monetary Fund, backed by dollars, euros, yen, sterling and yuan. The IMF created a $650 billion allocation of new SDRs in 2021 in response to COVID-19 and said in June it had on-lent $100 billion of SDRs to low income countries at below-market rates. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) say they can bolster climate finance in developing markets by leveraging SDRs. “The…

British researchers will again participate in the scheme from the beginning of next month The U.K. has passed the final milestone in rejoining Horizon Europe after leaving the EU science program in 2021 as part of Brexit. British researchers will again participate in the program from the beginning of next month, after the EU-UK Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes formally approved a new association agreement on Monday. Speaking to reporters on a visit to Brussels to mark the occasion, U.K. Science Minister Michelle Donelan described the agreement to join the program as “a bespoke deal.” “Our association with…