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Japan FM to visit Russia Jul 27

Koichiro Gemba intends to discuss a wide range of international issues, including the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran, the situation in Syria

TOKYO, July 20 (Itar-Tass) — Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba intends on July 27 to come to Russia for a four-day official visit, the Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.

According to the agency, the Japanese foreign minister plans to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Sochi on July 28. According to Kyodo, Koichiro Gemba intends to discuss the territorial issue, the issue of signing a peace treaty, the state of bilateral economic cooperation in the Far East, as well as a wide range of international issues, including the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran, the situation in Syria.

The program of the visit is at the stage of coordination, the agency said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the June summit of the Group of Twenty in Los Cabos (Mexico), during which agreed to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Bombs with power of 13 kilos of trotyle found in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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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

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

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

Bentley came to Donbass from the United States in 2014

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

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

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

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

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

Ararat Mirzoyan also said that Yerevan is currently making efforts to expand cooperation with the European Union and the United States

Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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

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

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Russian stock indices rising on Friday

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

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

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Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

This measure is not a prohibitive one and will make it possible to make competitive conditions equal for Russian producers, the ministry said

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

"They would have been scared had anyone come down on them with similar ferocity," the Russian foreign minister added

Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

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Explosions reported in several Ukrainian regions

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

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

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

In chemicals production, prices edged up by 26.8% for ethers, organic peroxides, epoxides, acetals and semiacetals and their derivatives

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

Donald Tusk said that German Chancellor’s call to send more air defense systems to Kiev had no relation to Poland, provided the country's geographical position near the frontline

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

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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

UN secretary general urges Azerbaijan, Armenia to normalize relations

Stephane Dujarric noted that the secretary general "encourages the parties to continue the delimitation and demarcation of the remaining sections of the border and tackle all outstanding bilateral issues toward achieving full normalization of relations."

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

According to the president, this step will help strengthen his country’s defense potential and contribute to bolstering the national armed forces’ capabilities

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

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

It has reached 911 centimeters

Moscow demands international organizations condemn killing of Russian war correspondent

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also expressed condolences to Eremin’s family and friends

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

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

Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli security forces have killed at least five people over the past 24 hours

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

According to Faustin-Archange Touadera, since becoming the president, his actions have been guided by the need "to modernize the army and take into account new challenges"

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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Ukrainian shelling kills pregnant woman in Russia’s Belgorod Region — governor

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US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

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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

Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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

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

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Construction of the plant in the Atyrau region is planned to be completed by 2029

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The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

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

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

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

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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"

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

William Burns said "there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement"

Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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

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

Ahmad Haghtalab said on April 18 that Tehran has identified the location of Israel's "nuclear centers" and will be ready to destroy them in case the Jewish state responds to the recent Iranian attack on Israeli military facilities

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said

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

Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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No foreign state attacks Iran — TV

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

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Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine had developed a UAV with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers

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

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

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Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

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

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

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

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

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

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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

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

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

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

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

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

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

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