Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced a sweeping austerity and energy-saving plan, saying the steps were necessary as the country confronts a global fuel crisis triggered by the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Pakistan, like several other economies, is facing fuel supply disruptions following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for global energy supplies. The disruption began after Iran retaliated against US bases in the Middle East following joint strikes by the United States and Israel, complicating oil shipments across the region. Amid tightening supplies, Pakistan increased petrol and diesel prices by 20 per cent and rolled out nationwide austerity measures aimed at cutting fuel consumption and government spending. Region "In A State Of War" In a televised address to the nation, Sharif said the wider region had been engulfed in conflict and stressed that Pakistan was working through diploma...
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would carry out more tests of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile in "combat conditions," a day after firing one on Ukraine.
"We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and character of the security threats posted to Russia," Putin said in a televised meeting with military chiefs.
Russia fired the new-generation missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro early on Thursday in a major escalation of the weaponry being deployed in the nearly three-year conflict.
The Kremlin boss also ordered the missile, which flies at speeds of Mach 10 -- 10 times the speed of sound -- to be put into serial production (mass production). Russia is developing similar advanced systems, he added.
"We need to begin serial production. The decision... has in effect been taken," Putin said, praising the "particular strength of this weapon and its power.
"The weapon system that was tested yesterday is another faithful guarantee of Russia's territorial integrity and sovereignty," he added.
Putin claimed no other countries in the world had such missile technology. While he conceded other states would soon develop them, he said: "That will be tomorrow, after a year or two. But we have this system now. That's important."
His choreographed meeting with the defence minister and those in charge of developing the missile came at the end of a week that has seen the Ukraine conflict escalate rapidly.
Putin said the firing of the Oreshnik missile was a direct response to Kyiv's forces using US- and UK-supplied missiles on Russian territory for the first time.
In an address to the nation on Thursday, Putin said Russia reserved the right to fire missiles at military facilities in countries whose weapons are being used by Ukraine -- specifically the United States and Britain.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/JuMTdk5
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