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RUSSIA'S ECONOMY

Russia’s Central Bank to keep interest rate at 11% due to seasonal volatility — expert

December and January are traditionally the months with biggest speculative operations on the forex market, President of OPORA-Russia Alexander Kalinin says

© Artyom Korotayev/TASS

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Russian presidential aide says Central Bank should take steps to support ruble

MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russia’s Central Bank may keep its key interest rate at 11% per annum due to volatility on the forex markets traditional for December-January period, President of OPORA-Russia Alexander Kalinin said on Wednesday.

"Obviously reduction is necessary in future. Another issue is whether it’s necessary in January as December and January are traditionally the months with biggest speculative operations on the forex market, so particularly in January I would honestly keep the rate unchanged," he said, adding that he expects the key rate to be reduced in spring.

In mid-2015, Russia’s Central Bank took a break after lowering the key rate (the rate of weekly repo) several times in a row. Currently, the key rate is 1%. At the same time the regulator gave a signal to the market that it would further cut the key rate at one of its next 3 meetings. The next meeting of its board of directors will be held on January 29. All the rates in the economy, including rates on loans given to small and medium-sized businesses, depend on the key rate set by the Central Bank.

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Russia’s international reserves up $2.4 bln in one week to $600.7 bln — Central Bank

As of April 5, the country’s international reserves amounted to $598.3 bln

Russia-China military-technical cooperation not directed against other states — diplomat

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US asking UNSC members to reject resolution on Palestine, hoping to avoid veto — media

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Roscosmos chief notes high quality of Vostochny space center’s construction

Yury Borisov said that the space facility’s launch pad bore practically no visible signs of the recent Angara-A5 carrier rocket’s launch

No snap elections before delimiting borders with Azerbaijan, Armenian PM says

Nikol Pashinyan said about it, replying to a question from a resident of the borderline village of Berkaber about the necessity to hold snap elections before delimiting the border with Azerbaijan

Kiev’s attacks on Zaporozhye nuke plant result of impunity encouraged by US

Sergey Ryabkov stressed that the attacks on the nuclear facility "must be stopped"

Russia, CIS partners to hold air defense exercise in 2024

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Kiev continues to openly announce terrorist attacks on Russia — diplomat

Maria Zakharova also pointed to the fact that Ukraine's special services do not give up attempts to "massacre their former compatriots"

Iran may break through Israel’s air defenses in major attack by drones, missiles — expert

Iran has the region’s largest arsenal of ballistic missiles, estimated to number in the low thousands, Behnam Ben Taleblu noted

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Russian PM signs off on plan for regions to accommodate evacuees from Palestine

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Georgia’s parliament approves first reading of foreign agent bill

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Russian government approves list of unfriendly countries

There are two countries on the list

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"Investigation should be objective and based not only on data provided by Israel but also on Palestinian information", Vasily Nebenzya said

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The number of employees in IT companies increased by 1.5 times over four years, Maksut Shadaev said

Slovakia to oppose Ukraine’s NATO membership bid — PM

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"The experienced and all-too-familiar Hollywood touch can be seen behind these rallies," the politician pointed out

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The Russian defense minister "personally tested the special transportation vehicle and its running qualities"

Ukrainian military under constant gunfire by Russian troops near Urozhainoye, says POW

Yevgeny Pogrebnyak said that he was treated well by Russian troops in his captivity

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Viktor Orban noted that there should be a buffer zone between NATO and Russia and Ukraine could serve as one

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Crimea, Donbass to forever remain within Russia, Slovak PM tells national parliament

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Romania now hosts as many as 11 F-16 jets for training of Ukrainian pilots

The ministers expressed their willingness to find a way for the center to continue to operate beyond 2025

Georgian president says she will veto law on foreign agents

According to Salome Zourabichvili, she is certain that the parliamentary majority will override her veto

FSB declassifies documents revealing Ukrainian infiltration of Red Army units during WWII

Russia’s Federal Security Service has made the memo public on the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of Western Ukraine

US believes that Russia tested 9M729 missile for range beyond 500 km

"All NATO allies agree that the 9M729 is not compliant with the INF Treaty," the US embassy’s spokesperson said

Former Ukrainian PM points to motive behind mobilization exception for law enforcement

Nikolay Azarov noted that currently, law enforcement’s main job in Ukraine was to tighten the screws on the country’s population

Ukrainian president admits Russian troops’ advancement

Vladimir Zelensky asked his country’s supporters to provide "everything that helps to hold the frontline," including shells, military vehicles and drones

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

Investigators have established that the funds that were received through commercial organizations, such as the oil and gas company Burisma Holdings operating in Ukraine, have been used to carry out terrorist acts in Russia and abroad

Israel planned to strike back at Iran on April 15, but decided to postpone, Axios reports

Israel told the US administration about the decision to wait, according to a US official

Press review: Ukraine, Israel vie for EU’s attention and Georgia passes controversial bill

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, April 18th

Press TV reports all of Iran's hypersonic missiles hit intended targets in Israel

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Weather balloon neutralized in Russia’s central Kaluga Region — authorities

According to the report, the area around the discovered balloon was cordoned off and residents of nearby houses were evacuated

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"

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

New US bill calls for $26 bln in assistance to Israel

The bill also includes a proposal to earmark $2.4 billion to fund US Armed Forces operating in the Middle East in response to threats against Israel

US retrieves weapons previously banned under INF treaty — Russian ambassador

Anatoly Antonov emphasized that such steps were another powerful blow to strategic stability

Israeli Air Force strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

The IDF also said that its soldiers were forced to open fire in the area in order to "remove an imminent threat"

Russia to scrap moratorium on intermediate missiles if US deploys them anywhere — MFA

Sergey Ryabkov said the US seeks to maintain military superiority in a great variety of areas

US not going to be in armed conflict with Russia — official

The President of the United States has made that very clear

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

Ukrainian president signs law tightening mobilization rules

According to Rada Deputy Speaker Alexander Korniyenko, some of the law’s provisions will take effect after its publication, while most of them will enter into force in a month

Mystery surrounds dolphin deaths on Black Sea coast, investigation underway

Over the past few weeks, local residents have found several dozen dead dolphins

Kremlin condemns 'illegal' seizure of villa from Russian businessman

Dmitry Peskov underscored that Moscow has already made its position clear on this matter

Russian Aerospace Forces destroy three militant hideouts in Syria’s Homs

No shelling attacks on Syrian troops were registered over the past 24 hours

Ukraine to lose at least 10 mln citizens over mobilization law — political scientist

According to Andrey Zolotarev, domestically, the population’s confidence level in President Vladimir Zelensky and state authorities will plummet

France-Russia relations hit rock bottom — ex-envoy to Paris

Alexander Orlov noted that recently French President Emmanuel Macron "has made a number of questionable moves that have increased the divide" between both countries

EU vows new sanctions against Iran, calls on Mideast conflict parties to show restraint

The European Union is also poised to impose new sanctions on Iran, related to drones and missiles

Russia maintains constructive dialogue with both Iran, Israel — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov mentioned a recent phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Russia bans 235 Australian local government officials from entering country — MFA

"Taking into account the fact that Canberra does not intend to give up its anti-Russian course and continues to introduce new sanctions, work on updating the Russian stop list will continue," the ministry said

Iran withdraws officers out of Syria due to Israel’s potential strike — newspaper

The report said that the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement is also reducing the number of its officers in Syria

Iran tells US about April 13 attack on Israel, it does not want escalation — top diplomat

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian added that prior to the attack, Tehran said that it would not target US military infrastructure in the Middle East "except in a situation where the United States wants to take military measures in support of Israel"

China to act over possible US measures for alleged support of Russian defense sector

"China always opposes the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Liu Pengyu said

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

According to the media outlet, "the US administration will support the plan for a military operation in Rafah put forward earlier," which provides for dividing the city into numbered sectors that will be mopped up one by one

Ukrainian drone attack damages four houses in Russia’s Voronezh

According to Governor Alexander Gusev, last night the air defenses on duty in the Voronezh Region detected and destroyed several air targets, including three weather probes

Russian forces pummel Ukrainian army, equipment in 133 areas over past day

Russian troops took better frontline positions in the Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported

German police apprehend two suspected Russian spies — media

The Der Spiegel magazine claims that the saboteurs’ targets included military cargo routes

Israel plans to send 'painful message' to Iran in response to attack — newspaper

According to the report, Israel’s war cabinet will meet on April 16 for a third straight day

EU summit urges to provide air defense systems and all necessary military aid to Kiev

The document also says that the EU and its member states will step up humanitarian support and civil protection assistance to Ukraine