The Belarussian publication of Interfax reports that Belarus has developed the first national cryptocurrency, called the thaler.

The creators of the Belarusian crypto currency plan to launch it on the international exchanges in January.

“We will enter the first international exchanges in January," said one of the creators of the thaler, Sergey Lavrinenko.

In addition, according to Lavrinenko, the thaler is planned to launch on the Belarusian stock exchange, which will soon appear with the …

Russia will take Japan’s deployment of ground-based anti-missile defense systems (ABM) into account in its military planning, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry's website.

"The systems deployed on Japanese territory are technically and functionally identical to the American ones; precisely, those capable of launching both interceptor missiles and assault cruise missiles," Ryabkov said.

The Deputy Minister noted that Moscow is …

The US Air Force signed a contract with the Raytheon Missile Company for the production of AMRAAM missiles. The weapons will be delivered to ten countries around the world, including Poland and Japan, according to the Pentagon website.

The advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles will be produced in Arizona. In addition to missiles, Raytheon will also manufacture spare parts and telemetric equipment. The contract for $634.2 million must be completed by January 31, 2020.

According to the US …

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a New Year's greeting to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, in which he expressed the hope that the radical changes in the gradual reconstruction of the country caused by the armed conflict would continue in Syria in the coming year, the Kremlin's press-service reports.

Putin noted that the victory over the terrorists and the prompt normalization of the situation in Syria served the interests of peace and security throughout the Middle East. In addition, he …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed amendments to the Land Code that will prolong the moratorium on the sale or alienation of agricultural land for another year, reported the President’s press service.

"President Petro Poroshenko signed the Law on Amendments to Section X ‘Transitional Provisions’ of the Land Code of Ukraine, passed by the Verkhovna Rada on December 7, 2017. The document extends the validity of the moratorium on sale or alienation of agricultural land for one year," the …

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent best wishes to his American counterpart Donald Trump on the coming New Year and expressed hope that the relations between the two countries will develop following the principles of equality, the Kremlin press service reported.

In Putin’s message sent to the heads of foreign states, governments and heads of international organizations, it is noted that "in the current difficult international situation, the building of a constructive Russian-American …

The Russian Embassy to the US has published a statement saying that Russia has refused to issue a visa to US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and that the politician had been put on a "blacklist" created in response to anti-Russian sanctions.

"The [Russian] Embassy received a visa application for a Congressional delegation consisting of senators and their staff. Visas were issued to all members of the delegation, with the exception of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who is on a Russian ‘blacklist’ created in …

People who cooperate with Russian special services are working in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), including those who are at high positions, the head of the SBU Vasyl Hrytsak stated it in an interview to Interfax-Ukraine. Employees of the department have detained "counterintelligence agents" themselves, including colonels and lieutenant colonels on suspicion of working for Russian special services.

He explained that before the change of power in 2014 "favorable conditions existed for …