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2018 FIFA WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA

Macri cancels visit to Russia-hosted FIFA World Cup over economic crisis - newspaper

"Going to Russia would mean losing the game with a lopsided score," Argentina’s La Nacion daily said, citing a source

TASS, May 12. Argentine President Mauricio Macri has cancelled his planned visit to the Russia-hosted FIFA World Cup over the deteriorating economic crisis the country has been facing, Argentina’s La Nacion daily said, citing sources.

"It is impossible to attend the World Cup under the circumstances. Going to Russia would mean losing the game with a lopsided score," the daily said, citing a source close to the Argentine president.

"He [the president] is definitely not going. It is out of the question in the current situation," the source added. However, there has been no official confirmation yet.

Following his January talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macri said he hoped to attend the World Cup together with his daughter Antonia.

On Tuesday, Macri requested a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the wake of a slide in the value of the peso. According to Bloomberg, Argentina "is said to be seeking a credit line of as much as $30 billion."

2018 FIFA World Cup

The 2018 FIFA World Cup, the first-ever hosted by Russia, will be held between June 14 and July 15, 2018, in 11 Russian cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Sochi and Rostov-on-Don.

Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay will make up Group A, while Group B will include Portugal, Spain, Iran and Morocco. Group C is going to consist of France, Australia, Peru and Denmark, while Group D will be Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria. Group E will be composed of Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia. Group F has Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea, while Group G will encompass Belgium, Panama, Tunisia and England. Finally, Group H has Poland, Colombia, Senegal and Japan.

The World Cup opening match will be between Russia and Saudi Arabia. During the group stage, Team Russia will also play with Egypt on June 19 and with Uruguay on June 25.

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2018 World Cup in Russia

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"The high-level dialogue between Turkey and the US will continue," the spokesman Oncu Keceli said

Police checks reports of bomb allegedly planted at Russian embassy in Brazil — newspaper

The Russian embassy has not yet commented on the situation

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US stops hiding true purpose of sanctions on Moscow, Russian envoy says

"It’s not about any mythical aspirations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but about banal opportunistic and predatory ambitions," Anatoly Antonov said

Russian Economy Ministry expects trade balance surplus to decline

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Terrorist attacks occur in Iran, Russia due to US support for terrorism — Iran’s top brass

According to the news agency Tasnim, when speaking about NATO eastward expansion, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani emphasized that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states should utilize the SCO potential in order to neutralize common threats

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Swiss conference on Ukraine undermines European security — Russian diplomat

In Maxim Buyakevich words, neither the talks nor their outcome can change the existing political and territorial realities

Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

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According to Vasily Nebenzya, the situation is as though a year-long probe into a murder yielded a conclusion that "the victim was murdered"

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The head of state accused Washington of preparing a "Belarusian liberation army" and reiterated Minsk's readiness to "defend its country"

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According to preliminary information, the average altitude of the orbital outpost was increased to 414.8 km above the Earth’s surface

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The deal still looks advantageous even after two years of war, Welt am Sonntag said

EU remains unreliable partner for Russia for now — Lavrov

Moscow hopes that Brussels will pay attention to its vital interests in the end, Russia's top diplomat said

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Maria Zakharova stressed that "the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers"

US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

"The impression is that Warsaw is maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff," Maria Zakharova added

Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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The Russian leader expressed confidence that the the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues "will bolster cooperation for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples"

China, US free to have their own friends, partners — President Xi

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Erdogan moves back from May 9 his trip to US — report

The report hasn’t been officially confirmed

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Ingrida Simonyte called for getting ready for such a turn of events right away, and not just watch and wait

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West bends sanctions rules when it suits them — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that, "according to some parameters, companies in Europe and other regions can hardly maintain their competitiveness if they completely abandon our products"

Kremlin spokesman describes European Parliament as 'Russophobic machine'

Dmitry Peskov added that the EP "has turned into a machine brimming with internal contradictions that keeps generating boorish statements"

Insurers refuse to pay compensation for Nord Stream — Russian envoy to UN

Vasily Nebenzya stressed that insurers conclude on their own that the "explosion at the gas pipelines was made using an explosive devices, willfully and due to political motives," thereby confirming its terroristic nature

Russia fights West’s sanctions at UN for the sake of developing countries — envoy to UN

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Medvedev warns that Russia’s default may entail Europe’s default

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council added that the European Union’s financial system is not very stable and people are losing confidence

EAEU trade turnover reaches record high level of $8.7 bln in 2023 — Russian Prime Minister

The trade turnover between Russia and Belarus reached 4 trillion rubles ($43.8 bln)

Russian diplomat accuses US of facilitating chemical warfare in Ukraine

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Chances of Baku-Yerevan conflict settlement higher than ever, Scholz says

The German chancellor emphasized that Berlin's "offer to lend support in finding a long-term and acceptable solution remains valid"

Press review: US tries to strong-arm China and Zelensky's bid to bring men home

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Russian aerospace forces hit two terrorists base in Syria’s Homs governorate

Yury Popov, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, also said that one shelling attack on the positions of government forces was reported in the Idlid de-escalation zone from positions of the Jabhat al-Nusra

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TASS has put together the highlights of Shoigu's speech

Polish leader cautions NATO allies against provoking Russia

Andrzej Duda slammed the reported instances of Russian missiles entering Poland's airspace as "a Russian provocation"

Russia grateful to DPRK for unconditional support of special operation in Ukraine — MFA

Ivan Zhelokhovtsev said that the agreements that were reached during the DPRK leader's visit to Russia represent "evidence of the mutual desire of the sides to consistently implement and expand the rich heritage" that was passed down from previous generations

Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

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Putin calls impending formation of new cabinet ‘crucial step’

The Russian leader pointed out that it is important to ensure stability and transparency in the Russian socio-political system

UN bound to stay as unique world organization — Russian ambassador

"If the UN did not exist, it should have been created," Vasily Nebenzya said