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Snowden and NSA leaks

Nicaragua’s diplomatic mission in Russia sends Snowden’s letter to Nicaragua president with political asylum request

According to diplomatic sources, Snowden is staying in the transit zone at the Sheremetyevo airport

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 8 (Itar-Tass) - The officials of the Nicaraguan diplomatic mission in Russia have sent Snowden’s letter to the Nicaraguan president with a request for political asylum, Nicaraguan Ambassador in Moscow Luis Alberto Molina told Itar-Tass on Monday.

“We received a letter from Snowden. We sent it to Nicaragua so that the president will consider it,” the high-ranking diplomat confirmed.

In reply to the question whether any contacts between the officials of the embassy with Snowden are planned soon, Luis Alberto Molina said that they “are not expected yet.”

Edward Snowden, 30, is the former CIA agent who has worked recently on contract at the National Security Agency and was engaged in electronic intelligence. Fleeing from the United States, he leaked the classified spying programs, which this agency is implementing in America and all over the world. This stirred up a sweeping scandal that continues to gain momentum. Snowden went to Hong Kong from U.S. and flied to Moscow from there to go from the Russian capital to another country, which would grant a political asylum to him, but failed to leave the airport so far. According to diplomatic sources, he is staying in the transit zone at the Sheremetyevo airport.

Snowden says no chance he can win Nobel Peace Prize

In January 2021, Mairead Maguire, the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner, nominated Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning for the prize

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

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

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Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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

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

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North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

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EU ministers to discuss use of Russian assets for Ukraine on April 22 — EU official

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

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

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

Hungary to not intervene in Ukrainian conflict on any side, PM says

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US assured Israel that Iranian drones will be intercepted — US journalist Hersh

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

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

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

Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

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Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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

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Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

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

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

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

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

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Ukraine’s new ethnic minorities law insufficient to protect Magyars — Hungarian president

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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

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Iran suspends flights above several cities amid reports of air attack — IRNA

Fox News said the Jewish state delivered a limited strike on Iran

Military base near Iran’s Isfahan hit following attack — newspaper

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

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

Funding will be provided from the federal, regional and local budgets, as well as taxes from gambling transferred to the organizer

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

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

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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

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

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said

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

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

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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

Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

At the same time, the top Russian diplomat pointed out that "there is information that not only French mercenaries, but also instructors, maybe even together, but along with some other representatives of military and special services of European countries are working there [in Ukraine]"

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

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

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

Final statement by G7 top diplomats to call for supplying more air defenses to Kiev

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Kiev required US-made Patriot systems and Italian-French Samp-T theatre antimissile systems

Russia’s export duty on wheat to be $37.42 per metric ton from April 24

The floating duty on Russian grain exports is effective from June 2, 2021

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

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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

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

Two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government army by the Jabhat al-Nusra groups were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

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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Grossi ignores ‘elephant in the room’ in Zaporozhye nuke plant situation — Russian envoy

Dmitry Polyansky noted that the IAEA chief is being very cautious about the issue of attacks on the nuclear facility

Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

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

Death toll in Gaza Strip since tensions escalated exceeds 34,000 — Health Ministry

It is reported that just over the past 24 hours alone, 42 people have been killed and 63 wounded

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