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SOssetia president fires several ministers

Last Tuesday, Kokoity stated "the performance of government bodies has not been ideal; there are significant shortcomings in this area"

TSKHINVAL, December 7 (Itar-Tass) — South Ossetia President Eduard Kokoity relieved several officials of their duties on Wednesday: Education and Science Minister Aryana Dzhioyeva, Health Care Minister Otar Gassiyev, chairman of the state committee for telecom and mass communications Georgy Kabisov and head of the Tskhinval administration Gerasim Khugayev.

Kokoity told Itar-Tass the above mentioned officials had tended their resignations. "I wish to thank them for this courageous and responsible deed. I do not doubt their patriotism and professionalism, but in the present political situation in the republic, they have made this decision for the sake of consolidation of the society, and I'm grateful to them for it," the incumbent president noted.

Last Tuesday, Kokoity stated "the performance of government bodies has not been ideal; there are significant shortcomings in this area."

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An active accomplice of bandits was detained in the search operation and gave confessing testimony

Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

The process is largely driven by increasing contribution of developing countries, Alexey Overchuk said

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves

Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

Russia views the West’s encroachment on its assets as "a blatant and shameless theft for the purpose of lining its pockets," Maria Zakharova noted

Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

The group contains US finance and justice ministers, representatives of Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, as well as the European Commission

Russian stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

Igor Kimakovsky said that Ukrainian forces suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware, including Western equipment

BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS nations have already established a special channel for information exchange between their central banks

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Explosions reported in several Ukrainian regions

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

In 2023 the Russian economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth, Alexey Overchuk said

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

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US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

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Earlier, the media reported, citing a US official, that Israel had launched a missile strike on a site in Iranian territory

French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

All the presented drones and payload were created from domestic composite materials and elements

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Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

According to the official, the investigation established that Mikhail Maurov planned to travel to Ukraine to join the ranks of a right-wing Ukrainian organization called the Freedom of Russia Legion

North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

A power test of a super-large warhead designed for "Hwasal-1 Ra-3" strategic cruise missile was held as well

American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

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North Korean agriculture committee’s delegation sets off on visit to Russia

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Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

The first Konteiner radar went on combat duty in the Volga area region of Mordovia on December 1, 2019

No plans for pauses in fighting if talks on Ukraine begin, Lavrov says

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that the situation on the ground had changed significantly

Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

Water level of Ishim River in Russia’s Tyumen Region surpasses dangerous mark

It has reached 911 centimeters

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed the mobilization law passed by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in the second and final reading on April 11

Participation in ‘Columbine’ movement may result in life sentence — Prosecutor General

Earlier, the "Columbine" movement was recognized a terror group

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

The plane crashed in a field in the Krasnogvardeysky district of southern Russia’s Stavropol Region

Number of flooded residential buildings in Russia drops to 16,200

According to the official, flood waters receded from 1,117 homes and households in the Urals region of Orenburg in the past day, which is the highest number recorded in the flooded regions

S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Air defenses repel Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Smolensk Region — governor

Vasily Anokhin urged local residents to remain calm and refrain from filming air defenses in operation.

BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia, became full-fledged members of BRICS from January 1, 2024

Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

The Russian foreign minister also described Armenia and Russia as more than formal allies

NATO discussing transfer of ‘deep precision strike capabilities’ to Ukraine — Stoltenberg

Stoltenberg said NATO believes Ukraine has the right to strike "legitimate military targets" inside Russia

US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

The decision was sealed in a meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Niger’s prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine

Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

There is still no full clarity regarding the future of Ukraine's western regions, the Russian foreign minister went on to say

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Infrastructure is required to implement the investment project, both power transmission lines and the railroad, Andrey Chibis noted

Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

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CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

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Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

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Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

Russia urges the International Monetary Fund to resume the effort of improving the global monetary and financial system, Anton Siluanov noted

One crew member of jet crashed in Stavropol Region killed, search for another continues

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield

Russian industrial producers’ prices up 2.4% in March — statistics

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Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

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Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

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Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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Russian LNG exports to China rise by 2% in first quarter of 2024 — Chinese customs

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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KazMunayGas, Sibur, Sinopec sign protocol on plant construction in Kazakhstan

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