Soviet Union

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the special crisis hotline between Moscow and Washington is currently inactive. Introduced in 1963 following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the hotline was designed to provide a direct and secure communication channel between the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Aslan Bzhania, the president of Abkhazia, has stepped down following discussions with the opposition, according to a Telegram message and a signed document reported by Reuters. His resignation comes after widespread protests in the region, sparked by a controversial investment agreement signed with Moscow.

It is fair to say that most, if not all of us are following the current SYRIZA saga with some interest. Some of us are more interested than others either because we support or oppose the party, others are interested in the personalities involved; in any case the interest is high.

Flames soar into the air from a sandstone outcrop on a hillside on the Absheron peninsula near Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, as it prepares to host the COP29 climate conference next week.

The "burning mountain" — Yanardag in Azerbaijani — is fed by underground gas rising to the surface and igniting upon contact with oxygen.

Kazakhstan has approved a plan to build its first nuclear power station in a referendum, overcoming lingering resentment over massive radiation exposure from Soviet-era nuclear tests.

The Central Asian country is the world's largest producer of uranium and has massive oil reserves but it suffers from chronic energy shortages.

Norway announced today that the elevated levels of radioactive cesium (Cs-137) detected near the border with Russia in the Arctic are likely due to a forest fire near Chernobyl in Ukraine, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that supporting Ukraine is key to ensuring the stability of neighboring Moldova. Speaking at a conference addressing concerns about Russian interference in the region, Baerbock emphasized that Moldova could be the next target if Ukraine were to fall.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed more "retribution" against Russia as he celebrated Independence Day near where his forces launched a surprise offensive into Russian territory two weeks ago.

In Hong Kong, the government is intensifying efforts to shape the younger generation's allegiance to the Communist Party of China (CCP). Schools are now required to focus heavily on instilling patriotism and national education, with the state removing books that offer alternative viewpoints and criminalizing public commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre.