MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called for building up the country's military capabilities in the next 10 years to withstand global threats.

At a meeting of the Russian Security Council, Putin said military technology is developing rapidly and competition and rivalry are intensifying in the world. (Russia-Military buildup-Putin)

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TEHRAN -- Drills, codenamed Guardians of Velayat's Sky-98, entered its second day on Friday in the central Iranian province of Semnan, according to Fars news agency.

The drills, which are held over an area of 416,000 square km, aim to boost combat readiness over potential threats in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, said the report. (Iran-Drills-Strait of Hormuz)

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LOS ANGELES -- NASA's InSight lander has resumed its heat flow probe digging on Mars again after months of efforts, the mission team said on Twitter.

The heat probe, also known as the "mole," was designed to dig below the Martian surface and measure the heat coming from inside the Red Planet. However, the mole has not been able to dig deeper than about 30 cm below the Martian surface since Feb. 28, 2019. (US-NASA-InSight)

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BEIRUT -- Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin slammed on Friday the United States' disruptive role in Lebanon, local media reported.

"What we see in Lebanon today is America's subversive role in the country and nothing more," Zasypkin was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper. (Lebanon-Russia-US) Enditem

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