Russia & CIS

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu said on Thursday that nuclear weapons may no longer serve for the purpose of strategic deterrence in the future. Another type of weapon will come to replace it, the minister added. It will be high-precision weapons. The move will reduce international tensions and strengthen trust between countries

The situation is quite tense at the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), in connection with the rating MP candidates for the forthcoming parliamentary election, according to Zhamanak (Time) newspaper.

Armenian armed units violated ceasefire a total of 50 times throughout the day, using large-caliber machine guns.

Azerbaijani weightlifter Intigam Zairov (94 kg) has been stripped of the silver medal of the Summer Olympic Games 2012 in London.

Parliament late Thursday and early Friday adopted the seventh and eight articles of a new constitutional reform package -- two of the most debated items among a total of 18.

Oil prices edged up on Friday, supported by reports on details of OPEC output cuts, although lingering doubts over producer compliance with supply reduction targets weighed on the market.

A suicide bomber is suspected to have killed at least 10 people in a heavily secured district of the Syrian capital, Sputnik reported.

Turkish parliament on Thursday adopted the sixth article of a new constitutional reform package, APA reports quoting AA.

The deployment of US troops in Poland posed a "threat" to Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR may hold an initial public offering (IPO) of its subsidiaries in the future, said Elkhan Hasanov, head of investments and operations department at SOCAR Capital (SOCAR unit which operates in the securities market).

Minister of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ali Rabiei will attend a groundbreaking ceremony of a pharmaceutical plant in Pirallahi Industrial Park as part of his visit to Baku.

Russian and Turkish military officials on Thursday agreed to coordinate airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria and signed a memorandum on combat flight safety during missions in Syrian airspace, the Russian Defense Ministry said, APA reports quoting Sputnik.

The United States on Thursday blacklisted 18 senior Syrian officials it said were connected to the country's weapons of mass destruction program, after an international investigation found Syrian government forces were responsible for chlorine gas attacks against civilians, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Russia is performing its obligations within the framework of agreements with OPEC and non-OPEC countries and started phased contraction of oil production.

Smoke formation took place on Azerbaijani ferry named after Academician Zarifa Aliyeva on Jan. 12 afternoon, the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping press service reported.

Australian international advisor on electronic library Barry Walsh has visited Azerbaijan National Library.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order on additional measures to speed up the socio-economic development of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Uzbek-based Tnews news agency has published an article headlined "Azerbaijan's occupied territories must be returned".

Charge d'Affaires ad Interim of Israel in Belarus Yulia Rachinski-Spivakov visited blogger Alexander Lapshin who is being kept in a temporary detention facility in Minsk.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on application of “Law on Regulation of Taxpayers’ Liabilities as of Jan. 1, 2017,” APA reported.