https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iran-russia-strengthen-ties-through-food-carpets-banking-mor

Iran, Russia strengthen ties through food, carpets, banking & more

Iran and Russia have been warming up in relations, with reports in July revealing that Iran had become Russia's top customer in purchasing Russian wheat with 360,000 metric tonnes in deliveries according to data-intelligence company Kpler.

This month, Russia launched an Iranian satellite into space, as a part of Iran's space program, which is coming to success.

The two countries' close collaboration comes against a backdrop of targeted and comprehensive sanctions waged by the West against them, which has prompted closer cooperation in the long run. The US-led world order has only polarized alliances further.

The closer cooperation will ameliorate the aggressive impacts of the West-led sanctions on the two countries by locating new markets for their products and boosting military cooperation. Recently, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called the ties a "profound threat".

Furthermore, bilateral trade has risen 10% between the two countries this year - in 2021, according to Russia, bilateral trade increased 80% higher, reaching $4 billion.

With food and military cooperation on the rise, there is also carpet and clothing trade with frequent Russian customers, doubling since February and now making up half the customer base.

Iran is also selling clothes to Russian buyers, replacing Western brands and automotive spare parts to Russian car makers.

Earlier this month, the Iranian Finance Ministry's banking and insurance department said Iran could join the Russian Mir payment system within months of when talks between Tehran and Moscow reach a conclusion - this, according to Qorban Eskandari, the department's head, could be in the very near future.

Last month, authorities in the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that they will soon begin to accept Mir cards for transactions. The development in economic relations came during rising reports that Tehran and Moscow were working on expanding economic relations to combat US sanctions.

On July 23, Iran's Currency Exchange (ICE) launched a currency pairing system that enables exporters and importers to make payments in both the Iranian rial and the Russian ruble.

In July, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov highlighted that "Iran is an important partner of Russia, relations are of a friendly nature, have a long history, and are developing very effectively in the widest range of areas. Both sides have plans to bring bilateral cooperation to a new level — the level of strategic partnership. A new interstate agreement is being prepared.”

In other words, Ushakov said that Russia and Iran have plans to elevate their relations to the level of a strategic partnership and that a new deal is being drafted.

Last February, Russian banks were excluded from the SWIFT interbank payment system by the decision of the European Commission and its allies. The maneuver was intended to hit the country's banking network and its access to funds via SWIFT, which is pivotal for the smooth transaction of money worldwide.

>> Iran is going to send a lot of flying carpets to Russia. Kek!

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/pro-palestine-protest-outside-zionist-conference-in-switzerl

Pro-Palestine protest outside Zionist conference in Switzerland

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters are demonstrating outside a hotel in Basel, Switzerland, where a large event marking the 125th anniversary of the "First Zionist Congress" is held by the "World Zionist Organization."

The demonstrators were waving Palestinian flags and signs against Israeli aggression on a bridge located just across the Messe hotel, which is currently under Swiss police protection.

The conference was said to witness the flocking of over 1,000 Zionist leaders from around the world in time for the event, including Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The anniversary is viewed by Zionists as an important event that led to the establishment of the Israeli entity in 1948.

The demonstrations were planned by BDS - the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement - in Basel in opposition to the anniversary event.

According to Swiss BDS on Facebook, “This commemorative political event, supported by the Basel government and secured by a massive police and military presence, affirms the supremacy of right-wing organizations over the importance and history of Zionism."

“We once again urge the Basel government to withdraw from any involvement in the Zionism celebrations and to end any cooperation with official Israeli institutions and state representatives."

“Along with the WZO, this anniversary is also organized by an organization that plays an important role in illegal settlement building and systematic expropriation of Palestinian land."

“The history of violence of Zionism is denied at the celebration,” the Facebook post said, adding that “the colonial character of the Zionist occupation in Palestine is obscured and, in continuity with the Zionists of the time, the mere existence of Palestinians made their suffering invisible.”

According to the Swiss BDS website, in a demonstration against the Israeli event, two major events were supposed to take place: The first was Saturday evening where a “panel discussion on Palestine will relate to the critical contributions to the situation in Palestine,” and the second was supposed to be Sunday afternoon in protest against the "Zionist Congress" events.

“To this day, Israel is characterized by countless laws and practices that discriminate against the Palestinian population. The expulsion of the Palestinian population from more and more parts of the country continues unabated,” the group wrote.

“The Basel government ignores the criticism, instead boasting of Basel's importance to Zionism and Israel and welcoming Israeli President Isaac Herzog with open arms,” Swiss BDS said, concluding that “we once again urge the Basel government to withdraw from any involvement in the Zionism celebrations and to end any cooperation with official Israeli institutions and state representatives.”

According to the Swiss Basler Zeitung newspaper, the local and federal Swiss governments spent $6 million for this event, mainly on security measures. Airspace over the venue was closed and 700 policemen were deployed.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/talks-on-russian-gas-alternatives-fruitless:-bavarian-pm

Talks on Russian gas alternatives fruitless: Bavarian PM

Negotiations with foreign partners have not yet helped Germany to find an alternative to Russian gas, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soder said on Sunday.

"Visits that were made previously — to Qatar, Norway, Canada — did not help to find a replacement," Soder told German broadcaster ZDF.

The politician mentioned that "when it comes to energy, we are transferring to Russia more money than before."

In response to the special operation in Ukraine, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign aimed, in particular, at Russian energy resources.

French President Emmanuel Macron has had to adopt a variety of strategies, from hosting MBS in his home country to visiting former french colony Algeria to discuss diversifying energy supplies.

Other countries, such as Greece have likewise opted for a similar strategy of turning to the Gulf for alternatives.

Countries that have opposed the ban on Russian gas are Hungary and Georgia which recognized the imprudence of the sanctions on Russia.

On August 8, it was reported that millions of German lower-income households will find it hard to pay their energy bills this winter amid a sharp rise in gas prices, according to Lukas Ievenkotten, head of the German Renters' Association.

Germany has also issued recommendations weeks ago to slow or halt the consumption of gas in order to stock up for the coming winter.

On August 16, German Economy and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck lamented the entirety of the country's business model, dismissing it as reliant on cheap energy imports from Russia that will never return.

Two days ago, it was reported that for the first time since March, the gas futures in Europe top $3,500 per thousand cubic meters.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/raisi:-we-achieved-economic-progress-israels-threats-reflect

Raisi: We achieved economic progress; "Israel's" threats reflect fear

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stressed on Monday that attracting $5.160 billion of domestic and foreign capital despite the embargo and sanctions imposed on the country during the past year indicates the success of his government in achieving economic stability.

In a press conference held on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of his presidency, Raisi added that his government succeeded during the past six months in reducing inflation from 60% to 40%, noting, that they "no longer suffer from problems related to the stock of basic goods and commodities."

He explained that over the past year, the level of trade exchange increased at least four times, pointing out that "the level of Iranian exports indicates a lack of recognition of the embargo measures."

Raisi added, "We no longer suffer from power shortage, and we are carrying out projects to increase power production," noting that "Khorasan no longer suffers from a gas shortage, and the water shortage issue in the province has also been resolved."

The Iranian President continued, "We paid the debts of the previous government, and despite the budget deficit, the salaries of employees were not delayed even for a day."

Raisi confirmed that negotiations are ongoing to release some of his country's frozen assets, stressing that "the US embargo measures are unjust and must end quickly."

Regarding his country's participation in the Shanghai Organization, Raisi said that this helps Tehran obtain its share of the regional economy, noting that "Iran's membership in the Shanghai Organization is very important for the country."

He stated that signing Iran's membership documents to the Shanghai Organization will take place in the next meeting in Samarkand, adding, "We are determined to strengthen relations with China in various fields."

Raisi confirmed the continuation of developing relations with neighboring countries and emphasized the necessity of dialogue with them, without "any foreign interference", commenting that the US presence in the region "threatens security and stability."

During his speech, the Iranian President announced that he will not meet with his US counterpart Joe Biden, because such a meeting "is not in the interest of the Iranian people."

Regarding his country's nuclear energy program, Raisi said, "Our peaceful nuclear capability is our right, and no one can obstruct Iran from preserving this right," adding that "the Zionist entity never wanted it [Iran] to obtain the technology, but it got it against their will."

He stressed that "all the Zionist entity's threats and measures will be helpless in stopping our path, and the entity is aware that it is unable to confront us; its threats reflect its fear," advising "Israel" not to launch any aggression because it "may no longer exist [as a result]."

He added that "the normalization of some regimes with the Zionist entity will not provide them with security, and it is a betrayal of the oppressed Palestinian people and their resistance."

As for the armistice in Yemen, Raisi said, "We support any ceasefire that preserves the security of Yemen and the interests of its people and allows them to decide their fate."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/bolsonaro-and-lula-face-off-in-the-first-heated-presidential

Bolsonaro and Lula face off in the first heated presidential debate

During the televised presidential debate Sunday night, which included six of Brazil's 12 presidential candidates, incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro portrayed former President and candidate Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva as a corrupt former politician seeking to regain power, while the former accused his right-wing opponent of dragging the country’s economy to rock bottom.

In his opening speech, Bolsonaro labeled Lula a “thief" and shed light on the so-called “Car Wash” scandal, a scheme that allegedly included kickbacks to politicians and officials of the majority-state-owned Petrobas oil company in exchange for profitable contracts.

Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2010, has maintained his innocence and was controversially convicted in 2017 of money laundering and corruption linked to the scheme but was later released from prison in 2019 and the Supreme Court annulled the conviction in 2021.

“Your government was the most corrupt in Brazilian history,” Bolsonaro said during the televised debate, adding: “It was a kleptocracy, a government based on robbery … What do you want to come back to power for? To do the same thing to Petrobras again?” Lula fired back by saying that Bolsonaro was spreading “untruths” and pointed the finger at the president for mismanaging the country and undoing years of economic development and anti-poverty initiatives. Bolsonaro has adopted extremist views against women, Afro-Brazilians, and the left.

“This country has been destroyed,” Lula commented, referring to the increased poverty and hunger, soaring prices, and a surge in deforestation in the Amazon rainforest which has been rapidly decreasing in size under Bolsonaro's presidency.

Bolsonaro also bore the brunt of attacks from lesser-known candidates, such as centrist candidate Senator Simone Tebet, who seized on Bolsonaro's repeated efforts to undermine the Brazilian election system, which some have claimed is setting the groundwork for him to lead in the footsteps of former US President Donald Trump and challenge the presidential election results.

“We have a president who threatens democracy. We need to change the president,” stated Tebet, who also emphasized Bolsonaro’s downplaying of the COVID-19 pandemic and spreading of false information related to vaccines, which included wrongfully suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines may lead to the possibility of developing AIDS. A Supreme Court Judge has been asked by police, in an ongoing investigation into the accusations, to charge Bolsonaro on account of discouraging compliance with health measures against COVID-19.

Bolsonaro, however, sparked the latest outrage by snapping at moderator Vera Magalhaes after she referenced his vaccine disinformation. "Vera, you think about me in your sleep, you must have a crush on me or something, you can’t take part in a debate like this and spread lies and accusations about me. You’re an embarrassment to Brazilian journalism," he said. Following that moment, social media users quickly took to the platforms to accuse Bolsonaro of misogyny.

Although the proceedings saw some stressful moments, none of the candidates appeared to score a possible victory, but Lula entered the event by leading Bolsonaro in opinion polls 47% to 32% but delivered a performance that seemed to die down as the night went on.

Voters will be allowed to head to the polls in October, following a campaign season that Human Rights Watch has noted “is likely to be a critical test for democracy and the rule of law in the country and in Latin America”.

If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of valid votes in the first round on October 2, the election will go to a runoff on October 30.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sanaa:-any-israeli-assault-against-yemen-to-be-met-with-hars

Sanaa: Any Israeli assault against Yemen to be met with harsh response

The Yemeni Armed Forces warned "Israel" on Monday against committing any foolishness, vowing an "appropriate response", according to the September 26 newspaper.

The armed forces confirmed their readiness "for any options determined by the leadership at any moment."

Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree commented on this by saying, "The Israeli enemy should take this warning seriously," adding that "Yemen, under its leadership, people and armed forces will not hesitate to respond with cruel and painful strikes to any possible aggression against our country."

In an interview with Al Mayadeen on Sunday, member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen Mohammad Ali Al-Houthi said, “We have always wanted and hoped for a direct battle with the Israeli enemy, and we see the war with the countries of the coalition of aggression as rehearsals in the course of the liberation of Al-Aqsa."

The top Yemeni figure rebuffed Israeli reports that the Israeli occupation carried out strikes in Yemen during Operation Unity of the Battlefields.

On March 25, he revealed that Yemen is successful in manufacturing artillery and has reached the stage of self-sufficiency, assuring that the military-manufacturing sector is prosperous and very promising. Thanks to all these capabilities, Yemen is expected to be one of the arms-producing countries in the future, Al-Houthi stressed.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-sending-warships-to-taiwan-strait-undermines-stability:-c

US sending warships to Taiwan strait undermines stability: China

The United States is repeatedly sending warships to the Taiwan Strait in a show of force under the pretext of freedom of navigation, which is deliberately undermining regional peace and stability, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Monday.

US navy ships USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville passed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, where "high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law," according to the US seventh fleet.

China responded by putting its armed forces on high alert to try and prevent any provocations, the People's Liberation Army said.

"US warships frequently flex muscles in the name of exercising freedom of navigation. This is not about keeping the region free and open. This is a provocation aimed at 'freedom of trespassing' and it constitutes deliberate sabotage of regional peace and stability," the diplomat told a press briefing.

Zhao underlined that Beijing was urging the US to stop violating its One China principle, abuse by the basics of international relations, and observe the provisions of the three joint US-China communique.

Tensions soared between China and Taiwan earlier this month, reaching their highest in decades, due to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island after Beijing warned both Washington and Taipei against such a trip.

The bipartisan trip sparked a caustic response from Beijing, which said it had carried out "combat readiness patrol and combat drills in the sea and airspace around Taiwan island."

In response to the delegation's visit, Beijing called on Washington to "stop going further down the wrong path of hollowing out and distorting the one-China principle, so as not to cause further damage to China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

Since early August, China has carried out several large-scale military exercises near Taiwan in response to the visits of high-ranking US officials to the island.

Pelosi's visit also led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry had announced that Beijing will impose sanctions on Pelosi and her close relatives in response to her provocative visit to Taiwan. China also imposed restrictions on the purchase of fruit and seafood from Taiwan, as well as stopping sand supplies to the island.

The escalation in the region saw Taiwan announcing plans on increasing its security budget in light of rising tensions with Beijing, especially due to the latest developments that drove a wider wedge between China and Taipei.

Taipei proposed a security budget of $13.7 billion for 2023, marking a 13% year-on-year increase, pending parliamentary approval.

The island will also create a special budget allocated specifically for the acquisition of fighter jets and other aircraft and naval vessels to boost its capabilities in the maritime and aerial arenas.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ukrainian-air-staff-suffer-catastrophic-losses-by-russian-fo

Ukrainian air staff suffer 'catastrophic losses' by Russian forces

Ukraine’s Air Force staff have been essentially eliminated by Russia’s Aerospace Forces and air defense systems, a military-diplomatic source told the Russian agency TASS on Monday.

"The entire qualified operating personnel of Ukraine’s former air force - of Mig-29, Su-27 and Su-25 aircraft - have been practically eliminated by the effective actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the air defense systems," the source declared.

The source also stated that the West’s vows to deliver more Soviet-manufactured combat planes will most likely remain void, adding that Ukraine was coerced to include poorly trained air cadets for combat sorties which led to "catastrophic losses among the remnants of the Ukrainian aviation."

According to the source, attempts to bring on more pilots in Poland and other Eastern European countries were not fruitful. "The few who agreed are already in grave or in hospitals," he explained.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin requested the increase of the size of Russian military personnel from 1.9 to 2.04 million last Thursday and amid continuous attacks by Ukrainian forces on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP).

Following the attacks, two power units of the Zaporozhye NPP have been automatically disconnected from the network after a fire erupted near a high-voltage line, Yevgeny Balitsky, the head of the Zaporozhye regional administration, said on Thursday, adding that one power unit is still connected to the network. Just a day later, the Ukrainian military targeted the Zaporozhye NPP, and four shells hit the area where radioactive isotopes are stored.

The concurrent damages have led to action by the IAEA inspectors who are due to be on their way to the Zaporozhye NPP amid mounting fears over a potential nuclear accident.

>>17459929

After his cousins tried to have him killed, he became a whale from all the morphine he took.

>>17459956

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/eu-prepares-emergency-plan-to-halt-energy-prices

EU prepares emergency plan to halt energy prices

The European Union is preparing for emergency action to reform the electricity market and hold the energy prices in its grip, especially since they have soared since the war in Ukraine began, according to senior officials on Monday.

EU energy ministers will be holding urgent talks in Brussels, Belgium, on September 9.

The high gas prices have been followed by disruptions in the nuclear and hydroelectric sectors against the backdrop of a heatwave due to climate change, threatening businesses, and households with bills beyond affordability.

"The skyrocketing electricity prices are now exposing the limitations of our current electricity market design," said EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

"It was developed for different circumstances. That's why we are now working on an emergency intervention and a structural reform of the electricity market."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for also called for action.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala held talks with Scholz, after which Scholz noted that "we are in complete agreement that rapid action has to be taken" to reform the market.

"My impression is, I think our common impression is, that this will now succeed more quickly across Europe than under other framework conditions," he said.

"We must fix the energy market. Solution on the EU level is by far the best we have," he said on Twitter.

The European Commission will need to publish a detailed plan for market reform. However, some EU member states have been pushing for a temporary cap on the prices.

Two weeks ago, European gas prices hit a six-month high, compounding recession fears as the area faces rationing due to Russian supply disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, oil prices continued losses a day after falling more than 5% on expectations that demand may fall owing to recessions or poor growth in big economies, such as China.

In Europe, the Dutch TTF natural gas reference price rose more than 10% at one time to more than 250 euros per megawatt hour, the highest level since the beginning of March, not long after the war in Ukraine.

"Energy prices are soaring in Europe," said market analyst Fawad Razaqzada at City Index and FOREX.com.

"Reduced Russian energy shipments of around only 20 percent of capacity through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline have increased the risk of rationing in the coming months," he added.

Rising gas prices would almost surely plunge European economies into recession, cutting demand for other commodities, such as oil.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/we-are-brothers:-venezuela-and-columbia-restore-diplomatic-r

"We are brothers": Venezuela and Columbia restore diplomatic relations

For the first time in three years, Venezuela and Colombia have restored full diplomatic relations Sunday as a new leftist government in Bogota takes its course.

The new Colombian ambassador, Armando Benedetti, arrived in the city of Caracas and published on Twitter: "Relations with Venezuela should never have been severed. We are brothers and an imaginary line cannot separate us." The new Venezuelan ambassador to Colombia, Felix Plasencia, also landed on Sunday in Colombia to expedite the normalization of diplomatic ties.

He was welcomed by deputy foreign minister Rander Pena Ramirez, who tweeted: "our historical ties summon us to work together for the happiness of our peoples."

Gustavo Petro, Colombia's new and first leftist president, and Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro announced on August 11 their plans to restore diplomatic relations that were broken in 2019. That was the pinnacle of years of tension between leftist Venezuela and Colombia under successive conservative presidents, starting with Alvaro Uribe. Following the series of events, embassies and consulates in both countries were closed, and flights between the neighbors were grounded.

The 2,000-kilometer land border between the two Latin American countries was closed between 2019 and October 2021, and was opened to pedestrians only. Petro is Colombia's first leftist president and wishes to establish a strong relationship with Caraca unlike his predecessor, Ivan Duque, who did not acknowledge Maduro as president - but rather opposition leader Juan Guaido, a US-backed right-wing candidate during the Venezuelan elections who claimed to have become interim President of Venezuela.

Colombia was one of around 60 countries to do so, having renounced Venezuela's 2018 presidential election, which was boycotted by the opposition. In addition to exchanging ambassadors, the normalization process will entail the full reopening of the border.

The frontier has been the scene of conflict between armed groups. The cities of Caracas and Bogota have also announced plans to restore military relations as well. Benedetti stated that more than eight million Colombians earn a living from trade with Venezuela, which is why one of the intentions is to re-establish trade relations between the two countries.

A similar expectation sits on the Venezuelan side, where industrialists want to normalize trade that reached $7.2 billion in 2008 but collapsed when the border closed. Maduro said during a national economic council session on Tuesday. "We will propose to (Colombian) President Gustavo Petro establishing a vast economic zone for trade and industry between Norte de Santander and the state of Tachira".

The Venezuelan leader highlighted that this project could be expanded to include the states of Apure, Amazonas, and Zulia, all of which lie on the Colombian-Venezuelan borders.

>> Recently seeing a lot of V signs being made.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/fsb-identifies-2nd-suspect-in-darya-duginas-assassination

FSB identifies 2nd suspect in Darya Dugina's assassination

A Ukrainian man called Bogdan Tsyganenko was identified by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) as an accomplice in the plot to assassinate Alexander Dugin's daughter, Darya Dugina.

Tsyganenko assisted Natalya Vovk, the main suspect, in obtaining a fake Kazakhstani passport and assembling an improvised explosive device, which she used later to kill the victim, according to the statement.

The FSB added on Monday that the suspected 42-year-old bombmaker came from Estonia to Russia in late June and left the country a day before the assassination on August 20. The FSB believes that the two suspects were members of a “Ukrainian sabotage-terrorist group.”

The agency released photos and a video showing Tsyganenko traveling with Vovk in her car, receiving falsified car plates, and entering and leaving Russia.

New details about the assassination itself were also revealed. The footage released shows Vovk watching Dugina at a parking lot of the Tradition festival where the bomb was presumably planted. The Ukrainian woman followed Dugina in her car and set off the explosion, which killed the target on the spot, according to the FSB.

Dugina often criticized the Ukrainian government and was a supporter of Russia’s military action in Ukraine. Her father Alexander Dugin, a political philosopher, has been long described by Western media as a secret influencer of Russian foreign policy.

After Vovk was identified as the main suspect, Russia accused Ukraine of masterminding the assassination, but the latter denied any involvement.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said last week that if any Ukrainian trace in the murder of journalist and political analyst Darya Dugina is confirmed by competent authorities, then Kiev will be held on charges of implementing a policy of state terrorism.

Following the assassination, the UN called for an "investigation to establish the facts” behind the assassination of the Russian journalist, according to Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday.