‘Twitter killer’ executed in Japan after murdering nine
The man behind one of Japan’s most disturbing serial murder cases—dubbed the ‘Twitter killer’—has been executed, breaking a nearly three-year pause in the country’s use of capital punishment.
Armenia’s $1.5 bn shift to Indian and French arms has slashed Russia’s share of its weapons imports from 94 % to 10 %, underscoring supply gaps and eroding trust.
Armenia signed defence contracts worth more than US$1.5 billion with India between 2022 and 2023, according to a new report by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) that cites parliamentary disclosures in Yerevan.
During that period Armenia ordered Indian‑made Pinaka 214 mm multiple‑launch rocket systems, ATAGS 155 mm artillery, ZADS anti‑drone suites, Akash‑1S surface‑to‑air missiles, Konkurs anti‑tank systems (licenced from Russia), mortars and assorted munitions. The next delivery, India’s new‑generation Akash‑NG medium‑range air‑defence system, is expected shortly.
France has become Armenia’s other key supplier: from 2023 to 2024 Yerevan inked roughly US$250 million in deals for three GroundMaster‑200 radars, Mistral‑3 MANPADS and CAESAR self‑propelled howitzers.
Russia, by contrast, has not completed a US$400 million weapons contract signed in 2021. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) once put Russia’s share of Armenian arms imports at 94 percent (2011‑‑2020); by early 2024, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said that figure had fallen to just 10 percent. RIAC attributes the decline chiefly to supply constraints caused by the war in Ukraine.
Moscow’s standing in Armenian public opinion has also eroded. An International Republican Institute poll (December 2023) showed Russia ranking third—behind Azerbaijan and Turkey—among states perceived as “political threats,” a shift analysts trace to Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Nagorno‑Karabakh war and subsequent border clashes, during which Yerevan felt Russia’s response was muted. The Armenian government has since pursued a policy of diversifying its foreign ties, leaning toward the West: it signed a strategic partnership charter with Washington in January 2025 and, in February, parliament opened the process for EU accession.
Even so, Russia remains Armenia’s top trade partner. In 2024 bilateral trade hit US$12.4 billion (41 percent of Armenia’s total turnover), up from US$7.9 billion in 2023, driven largely by re‑exports of Western goods to Russia and Russian goods outward via Armenia. Russian FDI stock has doubled since 2022 to US$4 billion.
Analyst Artur Ataev says Yerevan’s long‑planned defence pivot toward India is meant to cut political dependence on Moscow; Paris plays a complementary role. Yet Armenia has no desire to sever military ties with Russia outright—those links, he notes, still matter more to Yerevan than to Moscow.
Stanislav Pritchin of IMEMO RAS adds that Indian and French systems cannot fully replace Armenia’s predominantly Russian‑made arsenal, which needs Russian maintenance and spares, while the Russian base in Gyumri keeps defence standards aligned with the CSTO. He believes Russia’s market share will rebound over time.
For now, Armenia profits as a trans‑shipment hub for Russian trade, but Pritchin warns this advantage could fade if sanctions lift or loopholes close, returning commerce to pre‑2020 levels.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed using closer cooperation with Pacific rim countries as a foundation to redesign the World Trade Organization (WTO), citing rising trade tensions and global fragmentation.
China and Ecuador mark a key step in strengthening bilateral ties by agreeing to expand and deepen cooperation in trade, investment and economic development.
The man behind one of Japan’s most disturbing serial murder cases—dubbed the ‘Twitter killer’—has been executed, breaking a nearly three-year pause in the country’s use of capital punishment.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday that Tehran has not made any decision to begin new nuclear talks with the United States, dismissing recent claims by President Donald Trump about a planned meeting.
An unusual blast of cold air from Antarctica has swept across Uruguay, causing the deaths of at least seven homeless people and forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency.
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