Poland, US and Russia
Warsaw has denied Russian media reports that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski asked Washington to deploy US troops to protect Poland. On Thursday, the Russian Interfax news agency quoted Sikorski as saying Poland had requesting the United States and NATO to deploy troops in Central Europe. His comments came after media reports claimed Russia and Belarus had simulated nuclear strikes on Poland during massive war games in September. “In this case we seem to be dealing with a deliberate manipulation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said on Friday, RiaNovosti reported.
Lebanon
Lebanon’s political opposition has agreed to join a unity government under Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri, who is backed by the US. Hezbollah – a powerful Shia political and military organisation – says the opposition alliance it leads agreed to the move after talks on Friday.
Afghanistan
A total of 10 V-22 Ospreys, military aircraft used by the U.S. Marines, are in Afghanistan after departing an amphibious assault ship, the military said. The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Saturday the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit aircraft traveled from the assault ship Bataan to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Zimbabwe
An international body charged with stopping the illicit trade in diamonds that fuel conflict has decided not to suspend Zimbabwe, officials said Friday, though its investigators had concluded that Zimbabwe’s military had organized smuggling syndicates with the government’s permission and used “extreme violence” against illegal miners. Instead, the countries that are part of the body, the United Nations-endorsed Kimberley Process, decided to send a monitor to decide whether future exports of rough diamonds from the troubled Marange fields in eastern Zimbabwe could be certified as not supporting conflicts.
Georgia
About 500 demonstrators have taken to the streets of Tbilisi to commemorate the anniversary of a police attack on opposition supporters in Georgia.
Iran and Cuba
Iran has agreed to extend a 300-million-euro ($445 million) line of credit to Cuba to finance quick-return projects in the Latin American country. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the officials of the two countries at the end of their 14th joint economic cooperation committee meeting in Havana. Iran’s minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian says the new deal will increase the Iranian credit line to Havana from the current 200 million euros to 500 million. Mehrabian says the line of credit will also provide Cuba with facilities for buying Iranian goods and engineering services.
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Poland, US and Russia
Warsaw has denied Russian media reports that Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski asked Washington to deploy US troops to protect Poland. On Thursday, the Russian Interfax news agency quoted Sikorski as saying Poland had requesting the United States and NATO to deploy troops in Central Europe. His comments came after media reports claimed Russia and Belarus had simulated nuclear strikes on Poland during massive war games in September. “In this case we seem to be dealing with a deliberate manipulation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said on Friday, RiaNovosti reported.
Lebanon
Lebanon’s political opposition has agreed to join a unity government under Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri, who is backed by the US. Hezbollah – a powerful Shia political and military organisation – says the opposition alliance it leads agreed to the move after talks on Friday.
Afghanistan
A total of 10 V-22 Ospreys, military aircraft used by the U.S. Marines, are in Afghanistan after departing an amphibious assault ship, the military said. The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Saturday the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit aircraft traveled from the assault ship Bataan to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Zimbabwe
An international body charged with stopping the illicit trade in diamonds that fuel conflict has decided not to suspend Zimbabwe, officials said Friday, though its investigators had concluded that Zimbabwe’s military had organized smuggling syndicates with the government’s permission and used “extreme violence” against illegal miners. Instead, the countries that are part of the body, the United Nations-endorsed Kimberley Process, decided to send a monitor to decide whether future exports of rough diamonds from the troubled Marange fields in eastern Zimbabwe could be certified as not supporting conflicts.
Georgia
About 500 demonstrators have taken to the streets of Tbilisi to commemorate the anniversary of a police attack on opposition supporters in Georgia.
Iran and Cuba
Iran has agreed to extend a 300-million-euro ($445 million) line of credit to Cuba to finance quick-return projects in the Latin American country. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the officials of the two countries at the end of their 14th joint economic cooperation committee meeting in Havana. Iran’s minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Akbar Mehrabian says the new deal will increase the Iranian credit line to Havana from the current 200 million euros to 500 million. Mehrabian says the line of credit will also provide Cuba with facilities for buying Iranian goods and engineering services.