The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com
Speaking with journalists, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that while Ukraine has the blueprint for this high-tech defense shield, it cannot deploy it quickly without immediate backing from international allies, News.Az reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.
Zelenskyy described Freya as a “European” initiative under Ukrainian leadership. Designed to rival the American-made Patriot system, Freya’s biggest advantage is its affordability. The goal is to create a highly effective system tailored for mass production at a fraction of the current market cost.
***
However, time is a luxury Ukraine doesn’t have. “We can do it ourselves. But it will take years,” Zelenskyy admitted, pointing to the agonizingly long waiting lists and limited global production of existing systems like the Patriot and SAMP/T.
While Ukraine has already developed the core missile technology, a fully operational defense system requires an intricate network of radars, launchers, and command units. To bridge the gap, Ukraine is looking to a coalition of eight specific countries that possess the manufacturing power to supply these critical components.
The project is moving fast behind the scenes, with a high-level summit scheduled in France to pitch the Freya project to capable allies. If partners sign on in the coming weeks, Zelenskyy believes it will trigger a massive breakthrough for European defense.
In tandem with the Freya project, Ukraine is also pushing the U.S. for a license to manufacture Patriot systems domestically, aiming to secure its skies from every possible angle.
The post Ukraine reveals its secret weapon to replace the Patriot system appeared first on azeritimes.com.
Gas prices have surged following President Donald Trump’s renewed attacks on Iran, News.Az reports, citing The Independent.
On Thursday, the average gas price in the U.S. spiked by five cents per gallon to nearly $3.85, according to data from AAA.
***
The U.S. military said it hit approximately 90 targets in an attack on Iran on Wednesday. Trump said he considers the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran “over.”
Thursday’s price spike is the biggest single-day increase since May 6, according to CNN.
The spike ends more than a month of steadily decreasing gas prices. The average cost of gas dropped more than 70 cents from its peak earlier this year. That decline was driven largely by the Memorandum of Understanding that temporarily cooled the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
Thursday’s spike followed a 6 percent surge in gasoline futures on Wednesday in response to the attacks. Gas futures continued to rise by a percentage point on Thursday.
The post US gas prices jump as Iran war rattles markets appeared first on azeritimes.com.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said she intends to make her views heard during next year’s French presidential election, while denying that she is considering running for office herself, News.Az reports, citing Bloomberg.
***
“I’m not a candidate for anything, but I’m very keen that Europe is protected, that Europe is the framework within which member states operate — including France,” Lagarde said in an interview with Euronews broadcast Thursday.
The post Lagarde rules out bid for French presidency appeared first on azeritimes.com.
Abbas issued a decree on Thursday declaring the election date for November 28 in all of the Palestinian Territories, including the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
***
If the vote goes ahead, it will be the first in 20 years.
The last legislative elections in the Palestinian Territories were held in 2006, when Hamas secured a shock victory. The result triggered a political split with Abbas’s previously dominant Fatah party, culminating in Hamas taking control of Gaza in 2007.
“This is understood to be a consequence, an outcome if you will, of the dialogue between the Palestinian president, the Palestinian leadership and foreign countries, namely powerful countries,” said Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
“France, Saudi Arabia and others want to see change and what they call reform in the Palestinian Authority in order to provide it with [the] assistance that it sorely needs,” Odeh added.
Several issues will need to be resolved before the elections can go ahead. Israel, which has yet to comment publicly on the announcement, would need to allow Palestinians to vote in occupied East Jerusalem.
In 2021, Palestinian legislative and presidential elections were cancelled after Israel did not guarantee that voting could be held there.
In Gaza, Israel’s genocidal war has internally displaced nearly all of the enclave’s 2.1 million residents, posing a major logistical challenge. More than 90 percent of the Strip has been destroyed, leaving Gaza without the infrastructure needed to hold a vote. The population registry has also not been updated because of Israel’s assault.
The post Date announced for first Palestinian vote in 20 years appeared first on azeritimes.com.
A court ruling obtained by journalists showed that the plant was required to meet its staffing quota for the “mobilization reserve” by March 4, News.Az reports, citing Meduza.
***
Management missed the deadline, and in early June the plant was fined for failing to comply with a directive from the regional governor or the region’s operational headquarters.
The plant’s lawyers said management had taken steps to recruit personnel, but that efforts to persuade employees had been “unsuccessful,” Verstka reported. No suitable candidates for the res
The post Russian factory fined over mobilization quota shortfall appeared first on azeritimes.com.