The Presidents of 🇷🇺 Russia and 🇪🇬 Egypt participated in a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Egypt’s first ever Nuclear Power Plant (El Dabaa NPP), Anadolu Agency reports.
Russia's Vladimir Putin and Egypt's Abdelfattah Al Sisi via online video link poured foundation concrete of the fourth and final reactor of the NPP, developed by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) in Egypt's Mediterranean Dabaa city in Marsa Matrouh province, located about 320 kilometres northwest of the capital Cairo.
Putin said the joint project will contribute to the development of the Egyptian economy, provide it with additional energy resources and contribute to building new enterprises and employment generation.
First concrete has been poured for the foundation slab of Unit 4 at the El Dabaa nuclear power station in Egypt, marking the official start of construction, Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said.
A ceremony to mark the pouring of first concrete was attended by videoconference by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The event was attended by dignitaries including Egypt’s prime minister Mustafa Madbouly and Rosatom’s director-general Alexey Likhachev.
Rosatom said the four-unit El Dabaa nuclear station, west of Alexandria on Egypt’s northern coast, is the largest nuclear construction project on the African continent.
Likhachev told Tuesday’s ceremony that El Dabaa is the largest cooperation project between the two countries since the construction of the Aswan Dam. He called the project “a significant event in the history of nuclear energy in Egypt and Russian-Egyptian relations”.
Africa’s only other commercial nuclear power station is the two-unit Koeberg near Cape Town in South Africa.
Russia is supplying four Generation III+ VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors for El Dabaa. The first unit is expected to be online in 2026.
Egypt’s regulator the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority granted permission for construction of El Dabaa-4 in August.
An initial agreement for the project – the first commercial nuclear station in the country – was signed in 2015.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, construction of Unit 1 began in July 2022, of Unit 2 in November 2022 and of Unit 3 in May 2023.
In a surprising turn of events, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree branding the 1867 sale of Alaska to the U.S. as 'illegal.' This move has reignited historical debates and raised geopolitical concerns on a global scale.
Alaska, acquired by the U.S. from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million, has been an integral part of the nation for over 150 years. The region's strategic location near Russia's eastern territories through the Bering Strait has long been a geopolitical focal point.
Post-World War II, Alaska gained heightened significance as the U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged as rivals. Now, in the wake of Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the idea of reclaiming Alaska has gained momentum among Russian politicians.
Sergei Mironov, a close ally of Putin, advocates for Moscow to consider reclaiming Alaska from what he perceives as a "weakened U.S." State Duma President Vyacheslav Volodin issues a cautionary message to Americans, reminding them of Russia's potential to reclaim assets, should they attempt to seize Russian properties abroad.
Drawing parallels with Russia's actions in Crimea, historically transferred to Ukraine during the Soviet era, adds an ominous historical context to the unfolding situation.
The tension brewing between Russia and the U.S. over Alaska adds a new layer to the complex geopolitics of our time. Fueled by historical grievances and recent global events, this situation highlights the evolving dynamics between these two influential nations and raises questions about the potential impact on the global geopolitical landscape. As the world watches, the historical echoes and contemporary geopolitical maneuvering create an atmosphere of uncertainty and concern.
🇷🇺 Russian President Vladimir Putin took a dip in icy waters to mark the Orthodox feast of Epiphany in the wee hours of January 19, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
When asked if the president had taken an Epiphany dip, Peskov said: "Yes, he did it to mark Epiphany according to tradition."
Epiphany (Baptism) bathing is one of the oldest folk traditions existing in Russia. The Christian holiday commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River.
Orthodox believers across the world celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, one of the main Christian holidays, on January 19. Epiphany bathing usually takes place in the early morning hours of January 19.
The Kremlin first publicized Putin’s Epiphany exploits in 2018. According to Peskov, previously, the president followed the tradition, but didn’t advertise it. Last year, the head of state took his icy dip in a Moscow suburb.
The 🇺🇸 U.S first Moon mission in half a decade which was launched on Monday has run into technical problems.
The Astrobotic company behind the project says its Peregrine spacecraft has experienced an "anomaly" that has stopped it from pointing its solar panels stably at the Sun.
Without the ability to charge its battery, the mission's plan to land on the Moon is in danger.
Astrobotic said engineers were working on the issue and would provide updates when it had more information.
The 1.2-tonne lander was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Vulcan rocket.
It is aiming to become the first American mission in half a century to make a soft landing on the Moon and the first commercial endeavour to do so.
The US space agency has purchased capacity on the lander for five instruments to study the lunar environment ahead of sending astronauts later this decade.
Astrobotic said the mission started to encounter problems as it was being put through post-launch checks.
The issue occurred after communications had been established with Peregrine and all its systems had been powered up.
Peregrine was struggling to maintain a stable lock on the Sun, enabling its solar panels to receive a constant supply of sunshine to generate electricity. Without power, it has no mission.
"The team believes that the most likely cause of the unstable Sun-pointing is a propulsion anomaly that, if proven true, threatens the ability of the spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon," the company said in a statement, adding: "As the team fights to troubleshoot the issue, the spacecraft battery is reaching operationally low levels."
