Global News Roundup: Economic Forecasts, Geopolitical Tensions, and International Relations

Russian budget deficit to be 2.2% of GDP next year — Finance Minister

Anton Siluanov emphasized that the budget is resilient to various scenarios

US activists file lawsuit to declare war against Iran illegal

According to President of the National Iranian American Council Jamal Abdi, the plaintiffs will seek to have the court of the Metropolitan District of Columbia recognize the operation against Iran as a war

Top Hungarian diplomat says ready for dialogue with Russia on bilateral relations

Anita Orban told the Index news portal that although she had not spoken to her Russian counterpart, diplomatic relations between the two nations continued "as normal"

Many German, US, French mercenaries fighting for Ukrainian side — DPR head

According to Denis Pushilin, personnel shortages, as well as the foreigners’ own need to earn money are the reason for foreigners’ fighting alongside the Ukrainian armed forces

Iran’s supreme leader in full control of his republic — president

Masoud Pezeshkian added that the implementation of his directions "is in the hands of the administration and the government"

Russia cuts 2026 gas output forecast by 0.8%, raises pipeline export outlook by 1.7%

Gas production is expected to rise to 683.1 bln cubic meters in 2026

Russian air passenger traffic to fall 0.3% to 108.5 mln in 2026 — ministry forecast

The forecast specifies that passenger traffic by Russian airlines will increase over the long term

China to send two pandas to US as symbol of friendship — Xi

According to the Chinese leader, pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will be sent to Zoo Atlanta

London may become de jure party to Ukraine conflict — MFA

Sergey Ryabkov pointed out that Moscow's position on the matter had been set out in detail in a note recently handed to the British charge d'affaires in Russia

Polish foreign minister calls naming new US base after Trump humiliating

Radoslaw Sikorski said that he would have rather named the new military base "after Ronald Reagan," the 40th president of the United States

Chinese president says he had frank, in-depth talks with Donald Trump

Xi Jinping went on to say that their talks had given new meaning to the relations of strategic stability between the two nations

Russia concerned by use of satellites for interference in nations' affairs — MFA

Moscow is advocating "transparent regulation of the use of such systems" and compliance by satellite operators with the national laws of the countries in which they operate

Russian oil product exports expected to fall by 21.7% to 98.5 mln tons in 2026

In 2025, Russia’s oil product exports actually totaled 125.8 mln metric tons, according to the Economic Development Ministry’s materials

Being journalist in US poses danger — US journalist Sarah Bils

According to the journalist, US intelligence services monitor reporters and the contents of their smartphones

Flamingo engines storage facility, Ukrainian logistics sites: results of Russian strikes

Russian forces struck two logistics centers in Odessa and the town of Nerubaiskoye, which were used to store and distribute military and dual-use cargo delivered to Ukraine from European countries

Japanese PM calls for removing term 'enemy states' from UN Charter

In her speech, Sanae Takaichi recalled that a 2005 UN World Summit resolution expressed a determination to remove references to "enemy states" from the UN Charter

About 60 ships passed through Strait of Hormuz on September 23 — Reuters

According to sources cited by the news agency, the vessels transported 22 million barrels of oil, the largest daily volume since the beginning of July

Russian Defense Ministry reports on Ukrainian army encirclement, losses near Dobropolye

The Dobropolye direction "is one of the key to achieving results in the complete liberation of Donbass and is of fundamental importance for conducting successful offensive operations of the United Group of Forces"

Iran may give up its highly enriched uranium if deal with US reached — president

Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News that Tehran would comply with the deal with Washington within the framework of international law

Rebuilding Gaza to require $71.5 bln — UN Conference on Trade and Development

According to the report, 92% of Gaza’s economic assets have been damaged or destroyed since October 2023

FACTBOX: Economic Development Ministry’s forecast, oil prices, inflation, GDP

The ministry expects real household income to grow by 0.8% in 2026 and 1.5% in 2027

China-US relations enter new historical stage — Xi Jinping

The Chinese president also said that China and the US should seek a new approach to building relations between the two great powers

Russia not to pause special military operation for talks in any format — Lavrov

The Russian top diplomat stressed that Europe wanted to gain a respite and replenish the depleted military arsenals of the Kiev regime

US journalist who visited Donbass avoids returning home due to pressure from authorities

Sarah Bils added that she had moved to Serbia, where she had been living for a month and continued covering geopolitical developments

If Europeans hadn’t cheated, Ukraine could have remained within 1991 borders — Lavrov

The Russian top diplomat noted that the Europeans had failed to suppress their age-old instinct to lie and try to achieve their goals by criminal means

Global gas prices continue to rise in 2026, but set to fall 40% by 2029 — ministry

In 2026, natural gas prices continue to rise amid a global drought, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and damage to key LNG infrastructure in the Middle East

US ‘security guarantees’ may leave Yerevan disappointed — Russian Security Council

Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Army General Oleg Salyukov noted that the events related to the transfer of Nagorno-Karabakh under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction were largely the result of the policy pursued by the Armenian leadership that came to power as a result of the so-called Velvet Revolution of 2018

Number of injured in chairlift collapse in Russia’s Nalchik climbs to eight

It was clarified that two of those injured had been discharged following a medical checkup