Europe

SEVASTOPOL, July 13. /TASS/: Russian voyager and survivalist Fyodor Konyukhov plans to break nine world records during his voyage on a giant yacht, sailing three times around the world, he said at a meeting in Sevastopol on Saturday.

"Now, I want to build a big 76-meter-long yacht to sail around the world and to break nine world records. I want to take three spins [around the globe] without calling at ports," Konyukhov said adding the voyage would not last longer than 80 days.

MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/: Russia and the Middle East will continue cooperating in the sphere of deliveries of Russian armament to the region, Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the State Duma [Lower House of the Russian Parliament - TASS] Leonid Slutsky said in an interview with RT TV Channel. The start of S-400 SAM system supplies to Turkey is just ‘the first shot’, the MP said.

DONETSK, July 14. /TASS/: Ukrainian army unit shelled the area of the Donetsk water filtration station by mortars on Saturday evening in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the DPR mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) reported.

MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/: Relations between Russia and Georgia are ‘heavy-handed’ and will hardly be restored under the current administration of Georgia, Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the State Duma [Lower House of the Russian Parliament - TASS] Leonid Slutsky said in an interview with RT TV Channel.

"I think that relations will be restored piece by piece but this will hardly take place under the current Georgian administration," the parliamentarian said, expressing regret in respect of the incident in the Georgian parliament.

MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/: Growth of retail lending in Russia carriers certain risks but is an economic growth driver, while there are no signs of ‘bubble’ or overheating in this segment, Deputy CEO of VEB.RF Andrei Klepach told TASS. Other experts questioned by TASS hold a similar position.

"The Central Bank, to its credit, is actually toughening regulation for several years already through risk ratios and establishment of retail lending provisions. It ‘cools down’ the same. Therefore, from my point of view, there is no ‘bubble’ here," Klepach said.

MOSCOW, July 13. /TASS/: An improvised bomb went off on Saturday on the route of the Russian military police patrolling the Syrian region of Daraa, but none of the Russian service members was hurt, nor were the vehicles damaged, Major General Alexei Bakin, the chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of conflicting sides in Syria, told reporters on Saturday.

14 July 2019; MEMO: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) yesterday expressed its concern about the deployment of the advanced Russian air defence system, the S-400, to Turkey.

An unnamed NATO official told AFP: “We are worried about the consequences of the Turkish decision to own the S-400,” noting that this defence system contradicts those used by the alliance, of which Turkey is a member.

14 July 2019; AFP: Britain's ambassador to Washington believed US President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal because it was associated with his predecessor Barack Obama, according to leaked documents published Saturday.

"The administration is set upon an act of diplomatic vandalism, seemingly for ideological and personality reasons -- it was Obama's deal," ambassador Kim Darroch wrote in a diplomatic cable in May 2018.

New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) Mohammad Anas bettered his own national record in men's 400m race while winning gold with an effort of 45.21 seconds at the Kladno Memorial Athletics Meet at Kladno, Czech Republic on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Anas won an easy race as he finished nearly one second ahead of silver winner Omelko Rafal (46.19) of Poland.

Anas' earlier national record time stood at 45.24 seconds which he recorded last year.

14 July 2019; DW: On the eve of Bastille Day, the president confirmed plans to boost the country's defense capabilities by harnessing outer space. China, Russia and the US have recently fueled fears about the militarization of space.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday announced the creation of a new national military space force command, as France becomes the latest of the world's top powers to boost defense capabilities in outer space.