Rouhani : No Nuclear Curb

US spied On Russia President at 2009 G20Summit

As Britain readies to host the G8 summit, the documents uncovered by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have revealed that back in 2009 US spies intercepted top-secret communications of then Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, during his visit to London

Serbia, Kosovo exchange envoys as Belgrade eyes EU membership talks

Serbia and the breakaway region of Kosovo have exchanged “liaison officers” five years after Pristina declared independence with backing from the West. Serbia's Dejan Pavicevic’s stressed that he is not an ambassador, saying the move did not constitute “the full normalization between two countries, but maybe between two nations." The envoys will help implement a deal hammered out by the EU in April to improve relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Brussels has pushed Belgrade to “normalize ties” with Pristina as the EU decides on whether or not to set a date for EU membership talks with Serbia. 

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Ahmadinejad to face charges in Iranian court

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was summoned on Monday to appear before a criminal court on unspecified charges, Iran’s official news agency IRNA said. The lawsuit was filed by a group of Ahmadinejad’s political opponents, including the country’s Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani, it added. There have been several other subpoenas issued against Ahmadinejad, IRNA notes, describing the latest as “unconstitutional.”The long-time conservative rival of the outgoing Iranian president, Larijani is now scheduled to see Ahmadinejad in court in November. Ahmadinejad officially leaves office in August after the swearing-in of the election winner, reformist-backed moderate cleric Hasan Rouhani.

ICRC : Has no direct ‘proof’ of chemical weapons use in Syria

The International Committee of the Red Cross has no data on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, said head of the ICRC's operations Robert Mardini at an international conference. “There is no direct proof that chemical weapons were used - both by the opposition and by the government forces.” He added that if any evidence is found it will be given to competent international authorities and in accordance with the policy of the ICRC the information will not be provided to the public. Earlier Mardini also said that in the near future ICRC will increase humanitarian aid to Syria up to US$190 million. At the moment 4 million people have been displaced in Syria and 1.2 million forced to flee to neighboring countries.

Russia ‘won’t allow’ no-fly zone in Syria

Russia will not allow the establishment of a no-fly zone over Syria, believes Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aleksandr Lukashevich. “We saw in Libya the way that such a zone is introduced and how these solutions are implemented. We don’t want this to repeat in the Syrian conflict. I think that we won’t fundamentally allow the same scenario,” he said.  Lukashevich added that the contract with Syria to supply S-300 “was signed quite a long time ago” and has not yet been implemented. “We take a responsible approach to the implementation of our commitments and there is nothing illegal in terms of international law,” he reiterated. Earlier several countries spoke out in favor of establishing a no-fly zone over Syria, which would deprive the Syrian government's army of the capability to strike the rebel forces from air.

Hassan Rouhani President-elect Iran : We won’t curb nuclear program

Iran will not stop its uranium-enrichment program despite pressure from the international community, Iranian president elect Hassan Rouhani has said during a press conference in Tehran. He added that the US must recognize Iran’s nuclear rights if it wants direct talks. The US, other Western countries and Israel suspect Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a peaceful nuclear-energy program. Tehran denies developing atomic weapons, saying that it is developing nuclear technology solely for use in energy and medicine.

Russia to sell Su-35 fighter jets to China

Russia and China are negotiating the delivery of Su-35 (Flanker-E) fighter jets, Aleksandr Mikheev, deputy director general of Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Monday. The two countries have already signed an intergovernmental agreement on several of these new Russian 4++ generation jets, Mikheev said, as he spoke at the opening of the 2013 Paris Air Show. He did not elaborate on the number of jets to be delivered, only saying these are “technical consultations.” There is a “profound interest” in the Su-35, which is now being exhibited at the air show, Mikheev added.

No progress in Ecuador-UK Assange talks

The UK and Ecuador have failed to reach agreement regarding WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up for almost a year in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, alluding extradition. Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Eduardo Patino met his British counterpart William Hague on Monday in London, though no headway was made. The UK says that it is has a legal obligation extradite Assange to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning on allegations of sexual assault. Assange maintains his innocence and claims that Sweden will hand him over to the US to be tried for publishing thousands of classified documents on WikiLeaks in 2009.

At least 10 Iraqis dead after 2 blasts

At least 10 people have been killed after two blasts in Iraq. One of the explosions happened at a restaurant near Baghdad, in the town of Taji that links northern provinces with the capital. Two women and a 12-year-old child were among the dead. In another attack, a car bomb went off near Fallujah Police Department, killing two policemen and wounding other eight people. The assaults come a day after a string of bombings, shootings and suicide attacks left 51 people dead across Iraq.