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Trump-Merkel talks may focus on international conflicts and trade

According to a source, trade issues in the EU-US relations will be in the focus of the negotiations

© AP Photo/Evan Vucci

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White House confirms Trump still wants to meet with Putin

BERLIN, April 26. /TASS/. Conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the future of the Iran nuclear deal as well as trade issues in the EU-US relations will be in the focus of attention at talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, a German government source told reporters.

"Transatlantic trade and global conflicts, Syria, Ukraine and Donbass, the North Korean issue and Iran will be on the agenda," the source said. The sides will also discuss cooperation as part of NATO.

Merkel’s working visit will last for just several hours, Berlin stressed. The German Chancellor plans to coordinate steps with Trump on "particular political issues."

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Angela Merkel Donald Trump

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

At least 37 people killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza in past day

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

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

On April 10, the vehicle was also spotted when the North Korean leader visited Kim Jong Il Military and Political Academy

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

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

In monetary terms, Russian oil exports to China increased by 17.9% to $13.858 bln in the first quarter of the year

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

Sites for practicing ways to counter drones to be set up at all Russian testing grounds

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

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Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

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

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

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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

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

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G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

Recommendations on opportunities of using frozen Russian assets in interests of Ukraine will be presented before the G7 summit in June 2024

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

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

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

The decision was sealed in a meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Niger’s prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine

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

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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

The Security Service of Ukraine announced earlier that in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Poland it thwarted an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

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

It has reached 911 centimeters

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

According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a private residence in the village of Poroz caught fire when the unmanned aerial vehicles dropped two explosive devices

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

"The effect of the customs duty totaling 35%, renewed in December 203 in respected of imported perfumery, cosmetics and home care products will cover certain new positions of these products from unfriendly countries," the ministry said

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

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

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Court arrests another man accused of blowing up car of former SBU officer in Moscow

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

It cannot be ruled out that the House of Representatives may pass this package as early as Saturday

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."

Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

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

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Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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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

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

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

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

Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

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

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North Korean agriculture committee’s delegation sets off on visit to Russia

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Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

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

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

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

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

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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

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

The first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the special military operation took place in early March 2022 in Belarus, but they did not bring tangible results

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

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Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

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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

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

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

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

Russian stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

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

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

He also revealed that some weapon batches contained anti-armor systems whose service life had expired

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

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.

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

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

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

The conference will take place from April 23 to 25 in St. Petersburg

Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

All the presented drones and payload were created from domestic composite materials and elements

Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

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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