It is early to speak about the possibility of Russia’s participation in military operations against the Islamic State (IS), Russian President Vladimir Putin said. „Speaking that we are ready to do it today is premature, but we are providing Syria with a rather serious support and equipment and training forces with armament,” told. Source: Tass
Russia’s population could decrease by half by the end of this century, a new United Nations demographic report has said.
Russia has grappled with stagnating population growth in recent years despite the government’s efforts to reverse the trend as the country’s population ages and fewer people have children. In 2018, Russia’s population declined for the first time in a decade to 146.8 million, while its migration numbers hit a record low. Source The Moskow Times
Russian official has warned that the country’s armed forces are prepared to respond to any new U.S. military bases close to its borders, amid concerns in Moscow over intensified American activity in Eastern Europe.
Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, told the Rossiya-24 TV channel that the country’s armed forces are stronger than they have ever been and ready to respond to American deployments perceived to threaten Russia. Source NewsWeek
South Korea on Wednesday announced it would donate 50,000 metric tons of rice to North Korea through the UN’s World Food Program (WFP). It is the largest food donation from South since 2008, coming as the North faces an acute food shortage. South Korea also promised to donate $4.5 million (€4 billion) to the WFP to help fend off a humanitarian crisis. Source: Deutsche Welle
