MOSCOW, Nov. 13 — Russia will not allow a new arms race to begin and believes that nuclear powers should maintain global peace and security, Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, said Thursday.

Russia has taken note of statements by U.S. officials suggesting the possibility of nuclear testing and of growing militarization efforts in Europe, Shoigu told RIA Novosti news agency.

“Russia will never allow a new arms race to erupt, no matter how much others may wish it,” Shoigu told RIA Novosti, adding that Russia will continue to do everything possible to preserve strategic stability.

Russia and the United States, as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, bear a special responsibility for maintaining global peace and security, he said, calling on Washington to fulfill its commitments under nuclear test ban obligations and engage constructively in dialogue to reduce nuclear risks.

Shoigu also voiced concern over the accelerating militarization of Europe and inflammatory rhetoric by some European officials, saying that such actions “reflect a loss of historical perspective” and serve only to inflame tensions.

“We are closely monitoring not only hostile statements but also concrete military planning and decision-making within NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the European Union,” he said.

“Peace and security are not the privilege of one bloc. Those who possess the greatest destructive potential must act with the greatest sense of responsibility,” he added. (Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Nov. 13  — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday called on France and other European countries to provide military support to the Lebanese army ahead of the planned withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.

Speaking with Anne-Claire Legendre, political advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron, Aoun said the army needs more than moral support to carry out its duties.

“Support in spirit is not enough for the Lebanese army to fully carry out its role; it needs equipment and military mechanisms,” he said, according to a presidency statement.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)’s withdrawal, scheduled to begin in early 2026, will leave the army solely responsible for security in the south, said the president. Aoun welcomed European assistance that could provide a stabilizing presence and operational support.

The army is expected to expand to 10,000 troops by the end of the year. Legendre conveyed Macron’s greetings and reaffirmed France’s commitment to Lebanon, including reconstruction and military assistance, saying France would coordinate with Lebanese authorities to stabilize the south.

UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 to support the extension of Lebanese state authority. Its mandate is set to end in December 2026. (Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Nov. 13 — The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) began restoring and reinstalling blue boundary markers along the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel on Wednesday, said UNIFIL spokesperson Tilak Pokharel.

The markers, damaged last year, are intended to prevent misunderstandings, accidental crossings, and help maintain stability in the area, Pokharel said in a statement.

The Blue Line, established by the UN in 2000 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, was further formalized with marker installations agreed to by Lebanon, Israel, and the UN in 2007.

Meanwhile, according to UNIFIL sources, Lebanese army intelligence, and local witnesses, the Israeli army has begun building a concrete wall at Jal al-Deir, behind a newly established military post in Mount al-Bat, about one kilometer inside Lebanese territory.

A Lebanese intelligence source said Israeli forces, backed by tanks, have completed roughly 35 meters of a six-meter-high wall.

However, the Israeli military told the Jewish News Syndicate that the barrier lies fully within Israeli territory, rejecting “unverified reports” of extensions beyond the Blue Line into southern Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that Beirut has yet to receive an official Israeli response to proposals for negotiations to reclaim occupied territory.

“Talks have only addressed the principle of negotiation, not the details,” he said. A ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, brokered by the United States and France, has been in effect since Nov. 27, 2024, largely ending the clashes triggered by the war in Gaza.

Despite the agreement, Israel continues occasional strikes in Lebanon, citing threats from Hezbollah, and maintains forces at five key points along the border after a Feb. 18 deadline for full withdrawal passed. (Xinhua)

BAGHDAD, Nov. 13 — Preliminary results announced by Iraq’s electoral commission on Wednesday showed that the coalition led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has emerged as the frontrunner in the country’s parliamentary elections.

The results showed that al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition came first in eight provinces, namely Baghdad, Qadisiyah, Najaf, Karbala, Muthanna, Maysan, Dhi Qar, and Babil. In a speech made late Wednesday, al-Sudani called for “respect the will of the voters.”

He said “the next phase aims to formulate a new government capable of representing its programs,” adding that his coalition is “open to all parties without exception.”

Former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, who heads the State of Law Coalition, finished among the top winners in ten provinces but failed to place first in any of them, while Mohammed al-Halbousi, the former Sunni parliament speaker and head of the Taqaddum (Progress) Alliance, came first in the Sunni-majority provinces of Anbar and Salahuddin, and came second winner in Baghdad, Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Diyala.

In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Masoud Barzani, swept the Kurdish provinces of Erbil and Duhok, while also emerged as the frontrunner in the mixed Nineveh province.

Meanwhile, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan took the lead in Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk. Earlier in the day, the electoral commission announced a voter turnout of 56.11 percent in the early and general polls.

It reported that 12,009,453 voters cast ballots out of 21,404,291 registered eligible voters. (Xinhua)