Russian

In Pyongyang, Russian and North Korean leaders have signed a broad strategic partnership agreement, as reported by TASS. Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to Vladimir Putin, clarified that the agreement covers various aspects including security issues.

U.S. photographer Elliott Erwitt, renowned for capturing the lighter side of his subjects, their canine companions and celebrities, has died aged 95, the Magnum agency where he was a mainstay said on Nov. 30.

"He died peacefully at home surrounded by family," the storied agency, founded in 1947, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Sunday morning, striking at least two residential buildings, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said, as elsewhere Russian troops consolidated their gains in the east.

Associated Press journalists in Kiev saw rescue services battling flames and rescuing civilians. Klitschko said two people were hospitalized with injuries.

The European Union on Dec. 29 called on Syria's regime and its allies to halt "indiscriminate" military attacks on civilians in the country's northwest, where an intensifying bombardment by Damascus and Russian forces has displaced tens of thousands.    

The Bulgarian government will decide at its regular meeting on Wednesday whether to approve the contract devised by the Defence Ministry on the repair of the engines of MiG-29 fighter jets by Poland.

The contract, which is entitled "draft decision for approval of a draft agreement between Bulgaria and Poland for cooperation in the military area", comes tenth on the agenda.

The European Commission has sent a statement of objections to Gazprom, accusing the Russian company of abusing its dominant market position and breaching EU antitrust rules.

Ir also says that Bulgaria is among the most heavily affected countries by what it describes as disputable practices on behalf of the Russian energy giant.

BELGRADE - The company Russian Railways RZZD International hired two more Serbian companies, Novi Sad-based Energotehnika-Juzna Backa and ATM from Belgrade, within the project aimed at modernisation of the Serbian railway system.

Russian Railways chief Vladimir Yakunin explained on Monday that the Russian state company is not only interested in Greek service operator Trainose, but also in the country’s rail infrastructure.

Yakunin said the creation of a new rail gateway for cargo to Europe could constitute a productive investment.

"Such a project would be of great interest to us,» he added.

Gas deliveries to Kiev could be disrupted if Ukraine's Naftogaz does not pay its debts to Russian energy concern Gazprom by Monday morning, June 16.

The money that is to be transferred to the Russian company amounts USD 1.95 B.

Hours before the deadline, a new session of talks that started between Kiev and Moscow over the weekend ended without yielding any results.

President receives UralVagonZavod delegation

BELGRADE -- President Tomislav Nikolić has met with a delegation of UralVagonZavod (UVZ) to discuss the company's interest in further business operations in Serbia.

These including the Smederevo-based steel mill Železara, it was said after the meeting in Belgrade on Wednesday.