Russia expects to grant military assistance to Afghanistan that could include helicopters, Interfax news agency quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy as saying on Tuesday. Moscow fears instability in Afghanistan could rise following the pullout of NATO troops and spill over into the ex-Soviet Central Asia, threatening Russia’s own southern borders. Source: Reuters
here will be no analogs of Russian weapons in the world in the foreseeable future, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at the Grand Kremlin Palace ahead of the concert in celebration of the Defender of the Fatherland Day. “You know that we prioritize equipping our army with the most modern weapons, control and communication systems. Our prospective weapons do not have any analogs in the world, at least for now, and I think that they won’t for a long time,” Source Tass
After years of people fleeing Syria and its civil war, there are now long queues to enter the country each day. Jordan opened its Jaber border crossing last October after Syrian government troops defeated rebels who had controlled the other side. Source BBC
Protests are continuing tonight in Barcelona against the ongoing trial of a dozen Catalan separatist leaders in Madrid. They are in the dock over a 2017 referendum and subsequent declaration of independence deemed illegal by the Spanish government. If found guilty, the group could each face up to 25 years in jail. Source Euronews
