Category: News

A 60-day state of emergency in Moldova’s energy and hydrological sectors took effect on September 26.

The country’s parliament approved the measure on September 22.

The state of emergency is preventive in nature and is prompted by the simultaneous increase in several energy and water supply risks ahead of the cold season, according to a statement released by the Moldovan government.

Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan stressed that the authorities need tools to respond quickly to a potential crisis.

According to the government, the country has already secured by contract more than 90% of the natural gas needed for the cold season, but the final price will depend on further developments in the European market.

At the same time, Moldova has recorded a severe water shortage in the Dniester and Prut rivers. In recent weeks, the Novodnistrovsk Reservoir in Ukraine has received an average of about 23 cubic meters of water per second, while at least 60 cubic meters per second is needed.

Iran has given the United States a “concrete” seven-day plan to ‌open the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the choice now rests with the US, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ⁠told reporters at the United Nations on Friday, Reuters reported.

“If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened, a normal maritime passage restored within seven days. The choice ‌now ⁠rests with the United States,” he said.

“The actions that the United States should take ⁠are not new. They are all already in the MOU,” he ⁠said, referring to the memorandum of understanding that Iran ⁠and the United States agreed in June.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met for talks on Tuesday with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, and previously set out conditions for ending the war and reopening the vital shipping channel.

However, within hours of his comments The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had rejected the proposal, citing US officials familiar with the matter.

School strikes are taking place across Germany to protest against the possible reintroduction of compulsory military service, the BBC reported.

One of the organizers of the strike, Bela Breitner, from School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service said the federal government was “serious about gradually reintroducing compulsory military service”.

At one protest in Hamburg, demonstrators waved flags and held up banners emblazoned with the words “We won’t take part in your wars”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made boosting Germany’s military a priority following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A new law introducing voluntary military service came into force in January, with the aim of recruiting volunteers to increase the number of soldiers.

However, if the security situation worsens or if too few volunteers come forward, a form of compulsory military service could be considered by Germany’s Parliament, the Bundestag.

Under the law, all 18-year-olds in Germany are being sent a questionnaire asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces.

One protester, 16-year-old Elias Bernhard, from Hamburg, said that the responses to the questionnaires “show that young people do not want to join the Bundeswehr [Germany’s armed forces]”.

“That is why I am out on the streets today. That is why we are serious about striking until compulsory military service is off the table. We will carry on.”

The questionnaire is mandatory for men and voluntary for women. All 18-year-old men will have to take a medical exam to assess their fitness for possible military service.

The organizers of the protests said the trigger came after some 18-year-olds in the northern German towns of Kiel and Flensburg were sent official invitations for medical exams, even though they expressed no interest in joining the army on their registration forms.

Around 45,000 students joined demonstrations in some 100 cities and towns on Friday, according to organizers.

A spokesperson for the Defense Ministry told the BBC that under the law, the obligation to undergo a medical examination applies “to all men liable for military service who were born after 31 December 2007”.

This also applies to people who have stated that they have no interest in compulsory military service. The spokesperson said that since July around 1,000 18-year-old men, who showed no interest in the army, have had the medical exam.

During the Cold War, Germany, like many other European countries, had a large army. But it reduced its armed forces during the 1990s after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Germany’s former Chancellor, Angela Merkel, ended compulsory military service in 2011.

US intelligence assessed that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing a nuclear weapons program, The Washington Post reported, citing US officials familiar with classified documents submitted to Congress.

The assessment deepened concerns among some US lawmakers about President Donald Trump’s agreement to help the kingdom establish a civilian nuclear program.

US President Donald Trump has said the agreement with Saudi Arabia will not take effect unless the kingdom joins the Abraham Accords and normalizes relations with Israel. 

The agreement allows US companies to carry out nuclear energy projects worth tens of billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia.

Under the agreement, the level of uranium enrichment is initially limited to below 5 percent. However, following additional review and written approval, it can be increased to 20 percent. That level is still not the enrichment level required for weapons, but reaching weapons-grade enrichment from there is significantly faster.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, in his address at the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, highlighted that “de facto” peace has been established with Armenia.

Bayramov noted that the process of normalizing relations has opened up economic ties.

“Today, we have achieved de facto peace. Moreover, by unilaterally lifting transit restrictions, Azerbaijan is facilitating the transportation of goods to and from Armenia. We have also established bilateral trade. Azerbaijan regularly supplies Armenia with strategically important petroleum products, despite growing instability in the markets and increased international demand for these products,” Bayramov said.

He recalled that in August 2025, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint declaration in Washington and initialed the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations.

“Through this declaration, the two sides confirmed the end of the conflict and their will to jointly build a peaceful and prosperous future,” the Azerbaijani foreign minister said.

Armenia and Rwanda have signed an agreement on waiving visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports.

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said in a press release that the agreement was signed on September 25 on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York by Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe.

During a conversation following the signing ceremony, the ministers also discussed issues related to Armenia-Rwanda cooperation in multilateral platforms.

Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan met with Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

According to the ministry’s readout, the foreign ministers discussed opportunities for developing bilateral relations between Armenia and Nepal. Particular importance was attached to promoting business ties in the areas of climate, renewable energy, information technology and artificial intelligence.

The ministers exchanged views on cooperation in multilateral platforms, including in the context of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which will be held in Yerevan.

Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan participated in a side event titled “Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in the Context of International Peace and Security” at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said the event was organized by India and Greece and aimed to facilitate discussions on the growth of artificial intelligence in various fields. Artificial intelligence is gradually being integrated into economies, communications and the security environment, and it is important to guide its development and application in support of peace, stability and human development.

Briefings were delivered by UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies Amandeep Singh Gill and UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.

The discussion addressed the practical applications of artificial intelligence, including early warning of conflicts, assessment of humanitarian needs, analysis of satellite data, humanitarian logistics and recovery planning.

Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan met with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih in New York.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said they discussed cooperation on issues falling within the mandate of the High Commissioner for Refugees.

They also discussed “programs aimed at the long-term integration of refugees displaced from Karabakh,” the ministry said.

Views were exchanged on regional developments.

Within the framework of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Secretary General of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Davit Karapetyan participated in the High-Level Ministerial Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said that the meeting reviewed developments over the past year and initiatives aimed at establishing peace in the Middle East, including the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, UN Security Council Resolution 2803 endorsing it, as well as the New York Declaration.

The high-level ministerial meeting discussed further steps planned for 2026-2027, as well as options for consolidating and further promoting the aforementioned international initiatives. The importance of formulating concrete proposals to ensure the effective implementation of these initiatives over the coming year was also emphasized.