Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable missile - military

25.04.2012, 09:45

Pakistan successfully test fired a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile on Wednesday, the military said, less than a week after India test launched a long-range missile. The exact range of the missile was not revealed, but retired General Talat Masood, a defence analyst, told AFP it would be able to hit targets up to 2,500 to 3,000 kilometres (1,550 to 1,850 miles) away - putting arch-rival India well within reach.On Thursday India test fired its long range Agni V missile, which can deliver a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in China. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

N. Korea “almost ready” for nuclear test – media

24.04.2012, 10:38

North Korea is finalizing preparations for its third ever nuclear test. “Soon. Preparations are almost complete,” Reuters cited a source with close ties to Pyongyang. According to Reuters, the very same source reported on North Korea’s plans to carry out a nuclear test in 2006 just several days before it actually happened. North Korea is finalizing preparations for its third ever nuclear test. “Soon. Preparations are almost complete,” Reuters cited a source with close ties to Pyongyang.According to Reuters, the very same source reported on North Korea’s plans to carry out a nuclear test in 2006 just several days before it actually happened. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Will Iranian 'Sentinel' ever get off the ground?

Boris Pavlishchev

24.04.2012, 14:56

Iran is building a copy of the American RQ-170 Sentinel drone which was brought down on an Iranian airfield in December. Its engineers have cracked the code of the drone’s memory and hacked its software. Iran is building a copy of the American RQ-170 Sentinel drone which was brought down on an Iranian airfield in December. Its engineers have cracked the code of the drone’s memory and hacked its software. Almost all of the data has been deciphered, one of Iran’s high-ranking military officials has declared on TV.The official also provided some details in what looked like an effort to dispel the CIA’s doubts about it. Before the raid on Bin Laden’s hideout, the drone monitored his house in Pakistan and prior to that it was in California for repairs. The software, technology and materials did not give away their secrets easily but we still did it, the official said. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Moscow threatens action over NATO AMB shield

17.04.2012, 12:11

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said the absence of any ABM deals between Moscow and Washington may push Russia to take corresponding steps. “The situation around the anti-missile defense leaves much to be desired. We’ve struck no agreements either with the US or NATO,” he said, stressing that, if nothing is done, Moscow will start preparing to counter the deployment of the US-led NATO anti-ballistic missile shield.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev first announced these plans on December 22, 2011. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Afghanistan still terrorized by Taliban

15.04.2012, 22:21

This Sunday, the Taliban attacked Kabul and several other places in Afghanistan. In Kabul, they attacked the embassies of the US, the UK and Germany, the president’s palace, the UN mission and the headquarters of the Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force. Fights are still under way in Kabul. This Sunday, the Taliban attacked Kabul and several other places in Afghanistan.In Kabul, they attacked the embassies of the US, the UK and Germany, the president’s palace, the UN mission and the headquarters of the Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Beauty of Pakistan.

AYUBIA NATIONAL PARK, Galliat,Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan.

Photo by Rikhtiya Media.

CSTO wants to intensify anti-drug cooperation with NATO

Svetlana Andreyeva

12.04.2012, 15:49

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which comprises 7 countries of the former USSR, including Russia, wants to intensify cooperation with NATO in fighting drug trafficking from Afghanistan. Viktor Ivanov , director of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, made this statement in Astana at a meeting of the head of the anti-drug agencies of the CSTO member-states. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which comprises 7 countries of the former USSR, including Russia, wants to intensify cooperation with NATO in fighting drug trafficking from Afghanistan. Viktor Ivanov, director of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, made this statement in Astana at a meeting of the head of the anti-drug agencies of the CSTO member-states. The decision to strengthen anti-drug cooperation between the CSTO and NATO was taken at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the CSTO countries, which was also held in Astana last week. The current statement by Viktor Ivanov sets the guidelines for the strategic partnership of the two organizations. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Russia's space programme on course

Mikhail Aristov

12.04.2012, 17:50

Russia is preparing for the next stage of space exploration, and for the implementation of an ambitious programme to build a number of new generation space ships, as well as to upgrade the country’s cosmodromes. It is planned that by 2020, 90 per cent of all the Russian space launchings will be on the country’s territory. Russia is preparing for the next stage of space exploration, and for the implementation of an ambitious programme to build a number of new generation space ships, as well as to upgrade the country’s cosmodromes. It is planned that by 2020, 90 per cent of all the Russian space launchings will be on the country’s territory. The Baikonur cosmodrome, constructed during the Soviet era has remained the major launching pad for Russia, but in 1991, Kazakhstan on whose territory the  Baikonur is located became an independent state. Every year, Russia pays 165 million dollars in rent to Astana for the use and maintenance of the cosmodrome, says Alexander Alexandrov, a pilot  and cosmonaut, twice Hero of the USSR  and an adviser to the Russian President on  scientific matters.  Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Scorpius trapped in Antarctica ice

Svetlana Kalmykova

6.04.2012, 20:45

A crew of eight Russian and Ukrainian adventurers aboard the Scorpius yacht have gone missing off the Antarctic coast as they set sail on an ambitious expedition around the North and South Poles. There has been no radio contact with the expedition, which never sent a SOS distress signal. A crew of eight Russian and Ukrainian adventurers aboard the Scorpius yacht have gone missing off the Antarctic coast as they set sail on an ambitious expedition around the North and South Poles. There has been no radio contact with the expedition, which never sent a SOS distress signal. The search for the team will kick off today at midnight if it doesn’t make any contact by then.  The expedition sailed across the Sea of Ross in the West Antarctica and reached the Ukraine-run Akademik Vernadsky research base on the Galindes Island. On the night of April 3, expedition leader Sergei Nizovtsev sent the last report via e-mail, saying that the yacht had made it to the island but had been forced to get anchored in the island’s northern cove to avoid dense ice off its southern shore. The Akademik Vernadsky research team provided the Scorpius with technical assistance. At 6 a.m. the following day, the expedition was to set off for the Russian Bellingshausen polar base through the Lemaire Channel, which turned out to be cut off by the ice. The captain made the decision to head into the open sea where the yacht met 30-knots-strong gale winds. There has been no news about the expedition’s whereabouts ever since, its spokesperson Anna Subbotina told The Voice of Russia. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Tuaregs declare independence in Mali

6.04.2012, 19:44

The Tuareg leaders say that they have created an independent state of Azawad in the northern part of Mali –on the territory that is controlled by the Tuaregs. The Tuareg leaders say that they have created an independent state of Azawad in the northern part of Mali –on the territory that is controlled by the Tuaregs. The declaration that was signed by the Secretary General of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad Bilal Ag Acherif says: “We declare an Independent State of Azawad starting from April 6th, 2012.” A correspondent of the Voice of Russia made a call to an expert on Africa - Pierre Jacques Maut - who works at the Institute for International and Strategic Relations (France), and asked him whether the newly-born state of Azawad had a chance to be recognized by the world community. Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.

Commentary, Iran, Politics, Iran, World, US-Iranian relations

6.04.2012, 20:57

The US anti-missile defense system in the Gulf threatens Iran, the head of Russia’s Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Alexei Pushkov stated during a round table Friday. He finds a military scenario in Iran highly probable but everything will depend on the forthcoming talks on Iran’s nuclear program. The US anti-missile defense system in the Gulf threatens Iran, the head of Russia’s Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Alexei Pushkov stated during a round table Friday. He finds a military scenario in Iran highly probable but everything will depend on the forthcoming talks on Iran’s nuclear program.On April 5, the US and a number of the Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) agreed on a joint ABM system to shield from Iranian missiles. Strategies of this kind only increase tension in the region, believes Alexei Pushkov Читать далее Source: Voice of Russia.