Russia deploys S-400 missiles in Arctic
AFP, Moscow

Russia has placed S-400 missile defence systems at the Novaya Zemlya archipelago as Moscow seeks to increase its military presence in the Arctic, the defence ministry said yesterday.
The surface to air-missile regiment of the Northern Fleet’s air defence forces based on the archipelago’s southern Yuzhny Island has been fully equipped with new S-400 systems, the fleet said. The regiment was earlier equipped with S-300 systems, a previous version of the missile.

Pakistan to send first astronaut
to space in 2022
NDTV, Islamabad

Pakistan plans to send its first astronaut to space by 2022 with the help of its close ally China, Minister for Science and Technology has said.
The selection process for the astronaut would start in 2020, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Sunday.
China would collaborate with Pakistan in its space mission, Fawad was quoted as saying by the News International reported.
He said that initially 50 individuals would be selected after which the list will be shortened to 25 in 2022.

Spain’s king opens talks to break political impasse
AFP, Madrid

Spain’s King Felipe VI began meeting parliamentary leaders yesterday in an eleventh-hour bid to form a government and head off what would be the country’s fourth elections in as many years.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists won elections in April, but only secured 123 of the parliament’s 350 seats, leaving him dependent on support from the radical leftwing Podemos and several smaller regional parties.