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Stable cease-fire in Syria to be monitored by international observers

The Security Council will discuss the situation and further steps

MOSCOW, April 10 (Itar-Tass) —— A stable cease-fire in Syria should be monitored effectively by international observers, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following the talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem on Tuesday.

“The United Nations Organisation’s Security Council, first of all, has not demanded, but called for both the government and the opposition to undertake necessary actions for achieving a stable cease-fire,” Lavrov said. “The Council called for Syria’s government, as the first step, not to withdraw completely, but to begin withdrawing of the army divisions so that it is visible.”

“The final full stable cease-fire, according to Kofi Annan’s plan, should be made with effective international monitoring by all sides,” the minister said. “In case of failure from any side to follow those calls, the Security Council will discuss the situation and further steps.”

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

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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

Russian Cabinet expands list of perfumery, cosmetic products subjected to import duty

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

According to the news agency, one PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded

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

Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

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

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Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

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World’s anti-doping agency WADA still waits for Russia’s 2023 financial contribution

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

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US gives nod to Israeli operation in Rafah in exchange for canceling major attack on Iran

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

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Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

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Russia's revenues from oil exports remain high despite price ceiling — IMF

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

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

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

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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

US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

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

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

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

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

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

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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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

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

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

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Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has visited a testing ground in the Moscow Military District where new models of small arms developed with the participation of snipers who carried out missions in the special military operation zone were presented

Lavrov says Borrell let it slip that Europe ‘fighting against Russia’

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Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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

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Drones downed over Isfahan cause no damage, says Iranian foreign minister

It is reported that several drones had been intercepted by the national air defense forces over Isfahan

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Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

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

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Two people killed in borderline Belgorod Region in Ukrainian drone attack — governor

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

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

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

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Iran has no plans to immediately retaliate to attack on its soil — agency

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Hungarians in western Ukraine should get their rights back, Budapest says

"The Hungarian community’s opportunities to use its native language in the fields of education, culture, media and self-governance have been significantly limited," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto specified

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

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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China’s Russian oil imports rise by 13% in first quarter of 2024 — customs

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Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

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Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

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West close to sending military to Ukraine, this would 'drag Europe to bottom' — Orban

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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

Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

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Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

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Armenia has to define CSTO’s zone of responsibility on its territory, says Lavrov

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US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said

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

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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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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.

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

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

Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

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Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

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Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

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North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

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North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

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West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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