Ecuador said on Wednesday the United States must “submit its position” regarding Edward Snowden to the Ecuadorian government in writing as it considers the former U.S. spy agency contractor's request for asylum. Ecuador, in a statement from its embassy in Washington, said it would review the request “responsibly”.
Russian state oil company Rosneft has agreed to double its oil supplies to China, in a deal worth 270bn dollars over 25 years. Under the terms of the deal, Rosneft will supply 300.000 barrels of oil a day to China starting in 2015.
Russia’s Gazprom will buy a 20% stake in Total SA’s gas fields in Bolivia. Total will retain 60% ownership in the fields, while a unit of Argentina’s Techint Group holds 20”, announced Bolivia’s Energy minister Juan Jose Sosa.
African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in 2012 have been the worst yet in Russia, with over half a million pigs having fallen victim to the disease and subsequently culled. It is hard to pinpoint causes, but lack of bio-security knowledge appears to be part of the problem which seems out of control. Surrounding countries reporting ASF to the OIE included Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and even Ukraine.
Russia is back. President Vladimir Putin wants the world to acknowledge that Russia remains a global power. He is making his stand in Syria. The Soviet Union acquired the Tartus Naval Port in Syria in 1971 without any real purpose for it. With their ships welcomed in Algeria, Cuba or Vietnam, Tartus was too insignificant to be developed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia lacked the funds to spend on the base and no reason to invest in it.
Brazil and Russia signed several agreements in different fields geared to increase trade and to advance in defense, energy and agriculture cooperation, including the purchase of Russian anti aircraft missile batteries on condition that Moscow agrees to transfer technology.
The meteor that exploded over Russia Friday was slightly larger than previously thought and more powerful, too, NASA scientists say. The explosion over the city of Chelyabinsk, on Friday injured more than 1,000 people and blew out windows across the region in a massive blast captured on cameras by frightened witnesses.
The European Union will invest €1.4 million to control African swine fever on the Italian island of Sardinia in 2013. The island is the only place in the EU where African Swine Fever (ASF) is still present.
According to official data from Moscow veterinary services, for the first nine months of 2012, in total 500,000 pigs were slaughtered in order to stop the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Russia.
Global wheat prices climbed on Friday as Russia’s economy minister raised the possibility of grain export curbs from one of the largest global suppliers in what appeared to be a policy u-turn.