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Inside Trump’s anger and impatience — and his sudden decision to fire Comey The president was said to be frustrated by James Comey’s focus on Russia and lack of attention on leaks. By Philip Rucker  •  Read more » The Daily 202: Why is Paul Ryan really defending Trump firing Comey? FBI scandal threatens to derail GOP agenda in Congress By James Hohmann  •  Read more »   The Fix •  Analysis The White House explanations for Comey’s firing are crumbling before our eyes Over 36 hours, a host of story lines from the White House. By Aaron Blake  •  Read more »   Acting FBI director vows to inform congressional committee if White House tries to upend Russia probe Andrew McCabe also told a congressional committee there had “been no effort to impede our investigation to date.” By Matt Zapotosky  •  Read more »

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Iran likely to get rid of its gas shortage

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Baku, Azerbaijan, May 10

By Dalga Khatinoglu – Trend:

Iran increased gas production by 25 billion cubic meters (bcm), or 9 percent to 285 bcm, during the last fiscal year (ended March 21), but its domestic demand growth rate has increased as well.

Almost the entire growth occurred in the second half of the year on phases 17-21 of the South Pars gas field, that Iran shares with Qatar.

The total nominal capacity of these phases is 54 bcm and they are expected to become full operational in the first half of the current fiscal year.

Mehdi Jamshidi Dana, dispatching director of National Iranian Gas Company told Shana news agency May 9 that during the last fiscal year, Iran increased gas delivery to power plants by 7 percent, while the same growth happened in gas supply to housing and industrial sectors.

Iran should have increased gas usage in power plants by 14 percent to 65 bcm, but it supplied only 61 bcm due to gas shortage in the housing sector, especially because of cutting Turkmen gas flow to Iran since January 1, 2017 due to longed delayed $2 billion debt.

Turkmenistan had exported 9 bcm of gas to Iran in 2015, but it halved in 2016 and stopped since the beginning of the current year.

The gas flow to petrochemical and some industrial plants also experienced disturbs during some weeks of winter.

The gas shortage in the country during the last fiscal year occurred mostly due to connecting more cities and villages to the gas network. Iran extended gas grid by 700 km during the last fiscal year.

• Yearly expansion of Iran’s gas grid

Iran spent about $1 billion on expanding the grid and adding 24 pressure boost compressors last year, while for the current year, some $1.25-1.55 billion investment is planned.

Jamshidi Dana said that the country’s gas demand would increase by 80-90 mcm/d (around 30 bcm) during the current fiscal year. Regarding that the full operational of phases 17-21 would add more gas to output, it seems Iran would not face gas shortage this year.

Gas consumption	2014/2015 (bcm)	2013/2014 (bcm)
Housing sector	91	88.9
Industrial sector	32.45	29.8
Power plants	50.5	36.8
Export	10	9.7
Gas lose in grid	9	9
Re-injection	33.9	32.9
Flaring	11.7	11.7
Total	238.55	218.8
Sweet gas production	188	163
Import	7.5	3.5

• According the latest updated yearly report of oil ministry

Iran’s total gross gas output reached 285 bcm during the last fiscal year and the volume would increase at least by 20 bcm during the current fiscal year.

Iran injects about 25 bcm into old oil fields to maintain crude oil production, while about 11 bcm is flared and the 9 bcm is lost in the gas grid.

About 80 percent of Iran’s active fields are in their second half life and during the current year, their production would decrease 300,000 b/d, according to Ali Kardor, CEO of National Iranian Oil Company.

Iran needs to triple gas re-injection to fields, but according to production and demand growth rates, it seems the country wouldn’t be able to increase the re-injection volume.

According to the highlighted plans for the current year, it doesn’t seem Iran would decrease gas flaring nor lose volume in the current fiscal year.

Therefore, Iran would be able only to get rid of gas shortage in housing, power and industrial sector after a decade.

U.S. to use all means to denuclearize Korean Peninsula

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• PrintWASHINGTON, May 10 (Yonhap) -- The United States will use "all the means at our disposal," while keeping military options on the table, to realize a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, the nominee to be America's No. 2 diplomat said.

John Sullivan, named to be deputy secretary of state, also said during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that the U.S. will turn up pressure on China.

"Our goal is to have a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. That is our objective and we're going to use all the means at our disposal, our national power, to accomplish that, in working with allies, partners and others, and having as an option the use of other means at our disposal with the Defense Department," Sullivan said.

The main point of U.S. President Donald Trump's North Korea policy is to put maximum pressure on the regime through economic sanctions and diplomatic measures, and a key pillar of the pressure campaign lies with China, the main food and energy provider for the North.

"The secretary has made clear that we will all of the legal and policy authorities that we have to ... turn the dial on the pressure on China to make sure that we are leaning in ... on China. Leaning on China more than we ever have to make clear how important this is to the United States," Sullivan said.

Trump has repeatedly praised Chinese President Xi Jinping in an effort to encourage Beijing to take tougher measures against the North. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson chaired a special session of the U.N. Security Council last month and urged U.N. members to suspend or downgrade diplomatic relations with the North and cut off trade ties supporting Pyongyang's illicit activities.

John Sullivan, nominee for deputy secretary of state, speaks during his Senate confirmation hearing. (AP-Yonhap)

Trump and Lavrov meeting round-up

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© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

WASHINGTON, May 10. /TASS/. A meeting of US President Donald Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has ended, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Wednesday.

The talks lasted for about 40 minutes behind closed doors.

READ ALSO

Putin and Trump stress importance of anti-terrorism cooperation

Russia-US relations

Moscow and Washington can and should solve global issues together, Lavrov said following his meetings with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US President Donald Trump.

"I had a bilateral meeting with Rex Tillerson, then the two of us were received by President Trump," the Russian top diplomat said. "We discussed, first and foremost, our cooperation on the international stage."

The Russian top diplomat said dialogue with Trump was non-politicized and Trump team members are people of action.

Lavrov said agreement reached with Tillerson to continue using diplomatic channel to discuss Russian-US relations. He added that Trump confirmed interest in building mutually beneficial relations between the US and- Russia.

The top diplomat added Russian diplomatic property issue was discussed in Washington.

De-escalation zones in Syria 

Lavrov believes Syria has areas where US might contribute to operation of de-escalation zones.  "We have confirmed our interest in the US’ most active role in those issues," Lavrov said. "I imagine the Americans are interested in this too."

"We proceed from the fact they will take up the initiative," he added. "We have thoroughly discussed the Syrian issue, particularly the ideas related to setting up de-escalation zones," the Russian top diplomat said. "We share an understanding that this should become a common step aimed at putting an end to violence across Syria," he added.

READ ALSO

Lavrov: decisions on Syria de-escalation zones related to US initiatives

Lavrov said Russia and the US share understanding of Syrian de-escalation zones’ geography, Washington is interested in solving issues.

Russia is ready to cooperate with the US in setting up de-escalation zones in Syria, Lavrov stressed. Trump confirmed that defeating terrorism in Syria is Washington’s main priority.

"We have agreed we will be working together in the format of Astana (talks) which the United States attends as an observer," Lavrov said. "We have praised the constructive contribution the US made at the last meeting."

"We will be cooperating in the format of the Geneva process which, according to (UN Special Envoy for Syria) Staffan de Mistura, will be resumed the very next week," he said.

Anti-Russian sanctions

Lavrov said the issue of anti-Russian sanctions was not discussed at the talks.

"We did not discuss the sanctions. This is not our problem, these are unilateral actions that were taken against us," the foreign minister said.

Lavrov noted Russia would prefer not to use the right to retaliate for US sanctions imposed by Obama's administration in December 2016. 

According to Lavrov, the talks mentioned the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, the situation in Afghanistan, and also the fulfillment of the Minsk accords on the political settlement in east Ukraine.

"We agreed to continue working contacts on these issues and look for ways to bring closer the positions of all the parties concerned," the Russian foreign minister said.

More:
http://tass.com/politics/945302

Around eight million people take part in Victory Day celebrations in Moscow

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© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

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MOSCOW, May 10. /TASS/. Around 8,000,000 people took part in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, marking the 72nd anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, the press service of the city security and anti-corruption department said in a statement on Wednesday.

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Putin takes part in ‘Immortal Regiment’ march

Putin says 'no force ever existed to conquer Russian people'

‘Immortal Regiment’ march in Moscow sets record of 750,000 participants

"Around 8,000,000 people participated in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, including the military parade at Red Square," the statement reads.

As many as 6,000 people, particularly war veterans, were present at Red Square during the military parade. Another 400,000 people watched the parade along the streets leading to Red Square. Later on the same day, about 850,000 people participated in the Immortal Regiment march.

"No violations of public order were recorded during the Victory Day celebrations," the press service added. "More than 4,000 police officers, 420 road police officers, more than 5,000 National Guards and nearly 2,000 members of voluntary patrol groups were deployed to the city’s streets to ensure security," head of the Moscow security and anti-corruption department Vladimir Chernikov said.

READ ALSO

Moscow's Victory Day parade in pictures

More:
http://tass.com/society/945254