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German military reveals expected losses from conflict with Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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“Realistically, we are talking about a figure of around 1,000 wounded troops per day,” Surgeon General Ralf Hoffmann told Reuters on Monday, when asked about the Bundeswehr’s potential casualty rate. The military is looking at hospital trains and buses as it considers its potential needs, he added.

The Bundeswehr would also need German hospitals to allocate some 15,000 beds for it as soldiers would be mostly treated in civilian medical facilities after evacuation, according to Hoffmann.

Berlin has repeatedly spoken about the possibility of a direct military confrontation between NATO and Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Germany’s chief of defense staff, General Carsten Breuer, had previously stated that the nation must be ready to confront Moscow by 2029.

Earlier this year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that “Germany is becoming dangerous again” in response to a statement by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suggesting that the nation’s troops were ready to kill Russian soldiers in the event of a confrontation. Peskov has also called Chancellor Friedrich Merz a “fierce apologist for confrontation with Russia.”

Merz had earlier vowed to make the Bundeswehr the “strongest conventional army in Europe.” He also labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin “perhaps the most serious war criminal of our time” and urged Kiev’s Western backers to pursue “economic exhaustion” of Russia.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Berlin has significantly increased military spending and has become the second-largest supplier of arms to Kiev after the US. Ukraine used German Leopard tanks in its incursion last year into Russia’s Kursk Region.

 

Poland threatens to shoot down Russian aircraft

By
IFP Media Wire
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Earlier this month, Warsaw accused Moscow of “deliberately” sending at least 19 drones into Polish airspace, which Russia dismissed as “hysteria” promoted by the “European party of war.” The latest warning came during a meeting convened by another NATO member, Estonia, which also accused Russia of an airspace violation.

“You have been warned,” Sikorski said.

“If another missile or aircraft enters our airspace without permission – either deliberately or by mistake – and gets shot down and the wreckage falls on NATO territory, please don’t come here to whine about it.”

Moscow responded by saying that “neither Warsaw nor Brussels need the truth,” with Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyansky referring to the gathering as the second part of the “blame Russia for everything” spectacle.

Polyansky noted that the only confirmed damage from the alleged Russian drone incursion was actually caused by a Polish missile fired from a NATO F-16, which struck a residential building. Moscow offered to hold bilateral consultations over the incident but received “no adequate response,” and Warsaw has yet to provide any evidence that the drones were of Russian origin. Poland needed “only a reason for a new round of a Russophobic campaign,” the diplomat added.

As for Estonia’s claims that three Russian military aircraft violated its airspace for 12 minutes last week, “there is no proof except the Russophobic hysteria coming from Tallinn,” Polyansky stated.

Russia is treating any accusations against its military “very seriously,” but wants to see clear evidence rather than EU “hysteria” aimed at pushing US President Donald Trump onto “an anti-Russian course and undermining the agreements and understandings reached by the Russian and American presidents in Alaska a month ago,” Polyansky continued.

 

US could sanction entire ICC: Reuters

By
IFP Media Wire
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The International Criminal Court (ICC)

Washington has already blacklisted individual judges and prosecutors, but placing the court itself on the sanctions list could cripple its day-to-day operations, from paying staff salaries to accessing banking services and basic software. One US official said entity-wide sanctions were under consideration, though no final decision has been announced.

The pressure campaign against The Hague-based court comes after the ICC issued arrest warrants last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza, alongside charges against members of Hamas.

According to three sources, the ICC has already begun preparing for potential sanctions by paying staff salaries in advance through the end of 2025 and seeking alternative providers for banking and office software. Emergency meetings were held among court officials and with diplomats from member states to assess the potential impact.

The threat of broader sanctions has triggered pushback among the ICC’s 125 member countries, several of which plan to raise concerns at the United Nations General Assembly this week, three diplomats told Reuters.

“The road of individual sanctions has been exhausted. It is now more about when, rather than if, they will take the next step,” one senior diplomat stated.

The ICC was established in 2002 under the Rome Statute to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The court recognizes Palestine as a member, which it says grants jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in Gaza. Israel and the US reject this interpretation and do not recognize the court’s jurisdiction.

Last month, while announcing sanctions against two ICC judges and two prosecutors, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the court as “a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare” against the US and Israel. In February, Washington also sanctioned the ICC’s lead prosecutor, Karim Khan, after he sought arrest warrants against Israeli officials. Khan is currently on leave amid an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies.

 

Moldova arrests dozens over alleged Russian plot to stir up unrest around key election

By
IFP Media Wire
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The raids targeted more than 100 people and took place in multiple localities across the country, police said.

Seventy-four people were detained for up to 72 hours, said Victor Furtuna, Moldova’s chief prosecutor from the Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases.

Moldova’s police announced that the unrest plot was “coordinated from the Russian Federation, through criminal elements.”

Furtuna added that most of the suspects “systematically traveled” to Serbia, where they received training and that they were aged between 19 and 45 years old.

Moldovans will vote on Sunday to choose the new 101-seat legislature, in an election many view as a choice between the country’s continued path toward European Union membership or closer ties with Russia.

Online disinformation aimed at discrediting Moldova’s pro-European government in the run-up to the vote.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) are hoping to stay in power and keep Moldova — which is flanked by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east — on its path towards European Union (EU) membership.

But ballots in the country have traditionally been the target of intense disinformation and destabilisation campaigns, including vote-buying and bribery schemes.

It means Moldova has been caught in the crossfire of an information war pitting EU membership against closer alignment with Russia.

Pro-Europeans fear the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare techniques could skew the vote.

A sophisticated pro-Russian disinformation campaign, dubbed Matryoshka, has ramped up its efforts to spread propaganda in Moldova. It aims to discredit its pro-European Union government as parliamentary elections loom, according to a study.

The transparency tool NewsGuard said that the operation promoted false claims that Moldovan President Maia Sandu embezzled $24 million (€20 million) and that she’s addicted to “psychotropic drugs.”

It added that one campaign alone targeted Moldova with 39 made-up stories in three months since the elections were called in April this year, compared to zero the year before.

The Matryoshka campaign is a coordinated pro-Russian operation, known among fact-checkers for spreading false news reports in the style of legitimate media outlets.

And after last year’s presidential election, Maia Sandu denounced what she called an “assault on democracy and freedom” as she stated criminal groups had bought Moldovan citizens’ votes prior to a referendum on whether to enshrine seeking EU membership in the constitution.

Sandu claimed that “criminal entities” had the goal of buying 300,000 votes and that “the state institutions documented 150,000 people being paid to vote,” as the justice system failed to do enough to prevent vote theft and corruption.

 

Iran’s New School Year opens with president’s attendance

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The ceremony marked the return of nearly 16 million students to classrooms across the country after a three-month hiatus.

According to the Ministry of Education, students will attend lessons in 123,000 schools and 665,000 classes nationwide.

Of these, over nine million are in primary education, while nearly seven million being enrolled in secondary schools, technical and vocational programs.

More than 1.4 million students are studying in 8,000 vocational high schools.

Authorities emphasized this year’s theme, “Expanding Educational Justice for Iran – For Schools,” which highlights efforts to address shortages, eliminate under-resourced classrooms, and improve the quality of public education.

The entry of new teachers into the system is expected to ensure that no classroom remains without an instructor.

The Education Ministry also reported the completion of 2,400 new educational facilities, part of 7,700 currently under construction, with more schools set to open later this month.

Meanwhile, 110,000 classrooms have been renovated, and charitable donors funded nearly 60 percent of new schools built in the past three years.

Pezeshkian rules out negotiating with those who seek bullying

By
IFP Media Wire
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Pezeshkian

On Tuesday morning, after ringing the bell to mark the beginning of the new school year in Iran and before leaving for New York to address the UN General Assembly, Pezeshkian noted: “This is a valuable opportunity for presidents to deliver speeches and for us to present our positions.”

He added: “The motto chosen this year for all nations is ‘Convergence and Progress,’ yet what we see in global developments and in the behavior of world powers is nothing but unilateralism and authoritarianism.”

Referring to the situation in Gaza, Pezeshkian said: “It is truly painful to witness children dying from hunger and sleeplessness while Israel bombs the area daily, and so-called civilized, powerful countries that claim democracy and human rights easily support and even arm such actions.”

Speaking about his goals for the trip to the United States, the president stated: “In this visit, I will declare my positions based on my belief in peace, justice, rights, and humanity. If the conditions allow, I will also hold talks with the leaders of various countries.”

Iranian scientific vice president: Path of supporting AI education continues

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to the Communications and Information Center of the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, Hossein Afshin, Vice President for Science, stated, “We are at the beginning of the journey. Although the registration of over 440,000 students and the participation of 33,000 in competitions is a remarkable figure, this is only a starting point, and the path of supporting AI education will continue.”

Afshin said that AI, as today’s driving force, requires a creative generation.

He explained that the Vice Presidency, recognizing this transformation, has made training the future builders of this field its main goal, and within the framework of the “Digital Iran” plan, is providing free AI education to more than two million students.

He added that these lessons present AI through games and entertaining activities, turning a complex concept into an enjoyable and practical experience for children and teenagers, adding by entering the world of AI through play and competition, they learn how to turn their ideas into reality.

According to Afshin, so far more than 440,000 students have registered for the program, and over 20,000 teachers are collaborating to widely develop programming and AI skills. Alongside student training, a platform has been created for teacher education, with Sharif University of Technology also participating in teacher training.

The vice president further announced that this initiative will continue until next summer, and support for top participants will also be sustained throughout the year.

Afshin noted that the National AI Competition, held online with the participation of 33,000 students on a public platform, set a rare record in the history of student competitions in the country in terms of scale and geographical diversity.

He stated that 33,043 participants came from 398 cities and 653 educational districts, with 20,218 girls and 12,822 boys, a meaningful statistic indicating greater female participation.

Afshin, who is also the President of the National Elites Foundation, assessed the participation of secondary school students as more prominent, noting that 6,658 were in primary school and 26,382 in secondary school. The provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, Khorasan Razavi, Fars, and Hormozgan had the highest number of participants, marking an unprecedented figure.

Afshin described the competition, in terms of scale, nationwide spread, and prize value, as the largest programming and AI competition in the country and the region.

He added that the Computer Student Olympiad has about 7,000 registrants, the Mathematics Student Olympiad about 14,000, the programming section of the Khwarizmi Youth Festival about 4,000, and the programming section of the Khwarizmi Young Adults Festival fewer than 1,000 participants.

Iran warns snapback will create ‘new conditions’ and void deal with IAEA

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the remark on Monday upon arrival in New York at the head of a delegation for the 80th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He said the agreement on cooperation with the IAEA was signed in the context of the US-Israeli acts of aggression in June against Iran, and the sides will face new conditions if the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal trigger the snapback mechanism.

“In the press conference following the agreement with the IAEA, I emphasized that if the snapback is ultimately implemented, the agreement will also lose its validity,” the top Iranian diplomat stated.

Araghchi announced that he will be meeting with most of his European counterparts in New York.

“It is time for them to choose between cooperation and confrontation.”

“We hope for a diplomatic solution, but rest assured, if that fails, Iran is prepared to take necessary measures,” he added.

On September 9, the Iranian foreign minister and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reached an agreement on practical modalities to resume cooperation after a meeting in Cairo.

It came after the Iranian Parliament unanimously passed legislation requiring the administration to suspend all cooperation with the IAEA following the Israeli-US aggression, which targeted three of the country’s nuclear sites in a clear violation of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

On September 19, the 15-member UN Security Council failed to adopt a resolution that would have prevented the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran after the E3 triggered the “snapback” mechanism.

Tehran was accused of failing to comply with the nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran rejected the “illegitimate” move by the European troika, saying the United States had already pulled out of the deal. Tehran also accused the European trio of siding with illegal sanctions instead of honoring their own commitments.

Pointing to his scheduled meetings on Monday, Araghchi said he will sit down with Grossi to discuss the latest developments regarding Iran’s nuclear activities, the agreement with the IAEA, and the re-imposition of sanctions.

He added that Iran will respond to any “destructive” move by the European troika.

“They have tested the Islamic Republic of Iran at various times and know that we do not respond with a language of pressure and threats.”

“Rather, we will respond to a language of respect. If there is a solution, it is only a diplomatic solution,” he noted.

 

Russia risking ‘direct armed confrontation’ with NATO: UK

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Yvette Cooper condemned recent Russian incursions into NATO airspace as she addressed the UN Security Council for the first time as Foreign Secretary.

She said: “They are a deliberate attempt to undermine the territorial integrity of sovereign nations and European security.”

“They risk miscalculation. They open the door to direct armed confrontation between NATO and Russia,” she added.

On September 19, three Russian jets entered Estonian airspace without permission, remaining there for 12 minutes and being intercepted by Italian aircraft operating as part of NATO’s Eastern Sentry mission.

The incursion followed similar incidents in Poland and Romania in which Russian drones were intercepted or shot down over NATO territory.

Speaking at the UN on Monday, Cooper stated: “Our alliance is defensive, but be under no illusion, we stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend NATO’s skies and NATO’s territory.

“We are vigilant. We are resolute. And if we need to confront planes that are operating in NATO airspace without permission, then we will do so.”

 

Putin: Russia ready to respond to any threat

By
IFP Media Wire
-

Speaking ahead of the Security Council meeting on Monday, Putin sounded the alarm with regard to the “extreme danger of further deterioration” of the geopolitical situation, particularly amid the Ukraine conflict.

He added that while Russia had offered “specific ideas” to correct this trajectory, these “warnings and initiatives received no clear response.”

“There should be no doubt about this: Russia is capable of responding to any existing and newly emerging threats. Responding not with words, but through the application of… military-technical measures,” Putin warned.

He noted Moscow’s decision to abandon the unilateral moratorium on the deployment of ground-based intermediate- and shorter-range missiles last month, describing it as “a forced step” caused by the need to counter plans to deploy US- and other Western-made missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Putin stressed, however, that Russia is not interested in warmongering and saber-rattling.

“We are confident in the reliability and effectiveness of our national deterrent forces, but at the same time we are not interested in further escalating tensions or fueling an arms race.”

He said that Russia has always prioritized “political and diplomatic methods for maintaining international peace, based on the principles of equality, indivisibility of security, and mutual consideration of interests.”

Putin signaled that Moscow is ready to prolong the 2010 New START Treaty, the last remaining arms control pact between Russia and the US, which expires in February. It limits each side to no more than 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and 700 deployed delivery systems, and provides for inspections and data exchanges to verify compliance.

This initiative, Putin stated, “could make a significant contribution to creating an atmosphere conducive to substantive strategic dialogue with the United States.”

 

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