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Pope Francis, Iranian president discuss Middle East conflict

ANSA news agency reports that the call was initiated by the Iranian side

VATICAN CITY, November 5. /TASS/. Pope Francis spoke over the phone with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Middle East conflict was the central topic, the ANSA news agency reported on Sunday, citing Vatican sources.

According to the agency, the call was initiated by the Iranian side.

Earlier, Pope Francis held telephone talks with US President Joe Biden and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Iran Italy Pope Francis

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Israeli operation in West Bank takes out three bomb-making facilities

Israeli forces searched over 60 buildings, finding and seizing weapons and military equipment

Defense chief says Finland may reopen crossing points on Russian border

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Detention of US soldier in Russia’s Vladivostok has no relation to espionage — diplomats

Russian Foreign Ministry’s mission in Vladivostok that "not following the case of the US citizen closely"

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian missile solid propellant workshop over past day

Russian troops gained better positions in the south Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported

Lavrov, senior Serbian officials discuss Kosovo, top-level dialogue

Particular attention was paid to the situation in the Balkans, the Kosovo problem resolution, and the situation in and around Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Russian Foreign ministry said

UK Ministry of Defense subjected to major cyberattack — Sky News

The report says that hackers breached into payroll systems and got access to personal data of ministry officials, current service personal and veterans, including their names and bank details

Top UK diplomat knows nothing of repentance, Lavrov says

David Cameron "reiterated his position that British weapons can be used by the Ukrainians to attack any target on Russian territory," the minister emphasized

New Russian combat equipment in 2024

Trump develops plan on peaceful resolution in Ukraine — Telegraph

Former US President will not reveal it until the election, the Daily Telegraph reported

Top Russian security official mocks Macron as 'failed president'

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged it might be possible to consider sending troops to Ukraine in case of Kiev’s request

Israel’s operation in Rafah comes as response to attack on border crossing — diplomat

Yulia Rachinsky-Spivakov said that Israel, together with its international partners, has created a humanitarian zone, providing safety and vital infrastructure for displaced Gaza residents

French Foreign Ministry denies France sent troops to Ukraine

Earlier, media reports said that France had sent 1,500 troops to Ukraine, citing a statement by former US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Stephen Bryen

China to never forget NATO bombing of Chinese embassy in Belgrade — Xi Jinping

The Chinese leader noted that the China-Serbia friendship, sealed with blood, will remain in the common memory of the Chinese and Serbian peoples

Aurus Merlon electric motorcycle available for pre-order — acting Deputy PM

The Aurus Merlon made its public debut at the inauguration of the Russian President

Launch of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner manned spacecraft postponed

The decision was made due to problems in the oxygen relief valve of the Atlas V carrier rocket, manufactured by United Launch Alliance

Russia ready to engage in equal dialogue on security, strategic stability — Putin

The Russian leader emphasized that together with its partners in the Eurasian integration process and other sovereign centers of development, Russia would continue working to establish a multipolar world order and a system of equal and indivisible security

China to support peace conference on Ukraine approved by Moscow, Kiev — Xi

Chinese President stressed that China is neither the cause nor a party to the conflict

NBC reports US soldier allegedly detained in Russia on suspicion of theft

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Macron’s aggressive rhetoric baffles even his allies — diplomat

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Turkish expert says Putin's inauguration speech echoes what he said in Munich years ago

Aydin Sezer recalled that during the Munich Security Conference back in 2007 "Putin said that the unipolar world had no future and a multipolar world order was needed"

Russian troops to practice employing non-strategic nuclear weapons in missile drills

The missile drills will aim to maintain troop combat posture and will also come as a response to inflammatory statements and threats by some Western officials against Russia, the ministry specified

Medvedev gives warning amid talk of deploying Western troops to Ukraine

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Diplomats from friendly countries only invited to May 9 parade — Kremlin aide

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French ambassador to represent Paris at Putin’s inauguration — source

According to the source, Paris "took note of the results of the presidential election in Russia" in March

Cuban president departs to Russia on working visit - administration

Miguel Diaz-Canel visit is "aimed at discussing priority issues on the bilateral agenda," the statement says

Russia signals unfriendly countries by inviting ambassadors to inauguration — diplomat

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US intensifying efforts to find replacement for Zelensky — SVR

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Russian government resigns

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Putin formally takes office as Russian president for six-year term

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Russian lawmaker sees 'scare effect' in West as Russia prepares for nuclear drills

Vladimir Chizhov insisted that the drills do not mean "the Russian side is ready or intends to use these weapons immediately"

Russia's opponents tried to destroy it from within, but failed — Putin

The President stressed that the result of anti-Russian sanctions turned out to be "exactly the opposite of what was expected"

Draft Israel-Hamas deal envisages release of all hostages

During phase one of the agreement, Hamas undertakes releasing 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of a a large number of Palestinians kept in Israeli prisons and detention centers

Putin’s schedule of foreign travels almost finalized — Presidential Aide Ushakov

It is noted that this schedule primarily concerns "major summits"

DPR city significantly damaged in fighting, leader reports

According to Denis Pushilin, the enemy has installed major fortifications in Ocheretino

IN BRIEF: Unity, care for people, country-civilization: Putin’s inaugural speech

The atmosphere in society has changed, now "reliability, mutual responsibility, sincerity, decency, nobility and courage" are highly valued, the Russian leader stressed

Russia to defend its security, sovereignty by all means — deputy foreign minister

"The ambassadors’ job is to properly report to their capitals what is happening here [in Moscow]," Sergey Ryabkov noted

Ukraine used at least 37 drones to attack Belgorod Region in past 24 hours

Over 40 buildings were damaged in the Belgorodsky district

What we know about Israel’s military operation in Gaza’s Rafah

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Russian troops liberate Ocheretino community in DPR — top brass

The Ukrainian army’s losses in the Avdeyevka area over the past 24 hours amounted to 380 personnel, a US-made Abrams tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, including a US-manufactured Bradley

State Duma bans foreign agents from acting as candidates, observers during elections

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Thousands of trucks crowding on EU and Russia borders — newspaper

The record high queue is registered at the moment at the Terekhovo - Burachki border crossing between Latvia and Russia

Russia looking into reports about sending of French troops to Ukraine — Kremlin

Earlier, media reports said that France had sent 1,500 troops in support of Ukrainian forces in Slavyansk, citing a statement by Stephen Bryen, a former US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense

Russia aims to avoid escalation but will not bend to Western pressure — senior diplomat

According to Sergey Ryabkov, Russia’s moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-and shorter-range missiles has been put in question by Washington’s destructive and dangerous policies

Russia may strike Britain's military facilities if London's threats materialize — MFA

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Putin will now use restyled Aurus car — Kremlin

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US citizen detained in northwest Moscow on charges of petty hooliganism

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Xi, Macron condemn Israeli assault on Rafah — Chinese Foreign Ministry

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Participants in the special military operation in Ukraine will also march across Red Square

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Putin says Russia had to use force to defend people in Donbass as peaceful means failed

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Zelensky's authority dwindling as term clock ticks down — Russian intel agency

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UK ambassador leaves Russian MFA after being summoned

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Ceasefire proposal envisages Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza

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France not at war with Russia — Macron

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Russia hands over last RD-180 rocket engines to US under existing deal

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EU's handling of Ukrainian refugee issue could lead to new crisis, says Russian official

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Israeli tanks enter Rafah in south Gaza — newspaper

IDF said it was delivering targeted strikes on Hamas facilities in the eastern part of Rafah

US seeking to throw Balts, Poles, Germans, French ‘into fire of war’ — Medvedchuk

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West’s latest escalation in Ukraine requires Russian response — Kremlin

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British envoy reiterates London’s course on aiding Kiev will continue — Foreign Office

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US not to send troops to Ukraine — Department of State spokesman

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Latvian Air Force chief says Ukraine could have to give up some territory for sovereignty

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Russian troops liberate two communities in Ukraine operation over past day — top brass

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet and 23 unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day

US concocting latest counter-offensive narrative to justify aid to Kiev — DPR head

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FACTBOX: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s biography

Since June 12, 2013, Putin has been the leader of the non-governmental movement All-Russia People’s Front, created at his initiative as a coalition of social and political forces

Southern neighbors of US to regain stolen lands — Russian Security Council’s secretary

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Putin’s inauguration to be aired at noon on May 7 — TV channel

Ukrainian counteroffensive unfeasible despite arms promises — Estonian military expert

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Australian Navy’s destroyer, helicopter impede Chinese drills in Yellow Sea — top brass

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Putin’s inauguration kicks off in Kremlin

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Medvedev warns Russia will pull no punches with France in response to Macron

The politician also wrote, "In hostem omina licita," a Latin phrase that can roughly be translated as "everything is legal if it is done to an enemy"

Kremlin aide chides ambassadors that didn’t come to Putin’s inauguration

Such behavior "speaks volumes in and of itself," Yury Ushakov told reporters

Russian Foreign Ministry tells French ambassador Paris’ policies destructive

Pierre Levy was told that the French authorities' attempts to create some kind of "strategic uncertainty" for Russia with their "irresponsible statements about the possible dispatch of Western military contingents to Ukraine are doomed to fail"

Macron denies death of French troops in Ukraine out of fear of protests — SVR head

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West plotted aggression against Russia on eve of special military operation — top brass

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FSB declassifies Hitler aide’s testimony how Red Army rescued Allies in Ardennes in 1945

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West recognizes deteriorating situation in Ukraine — Lavrov

Western countries need to think how not to lose to Russia in the conflict, the minister said

Two more Ukrainian drones shot down over Belgorod Region — defense ministry

This happened in a period from 8:10 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Moscow time

Russian sniper reports elimination of Ukrainian serviceman wearing helmet with SS emblem

He specified that his group took the helmet as proof of the elimination

Kremlin refrains from speculating on preferred successor to Zelensky

Earlier, the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported the US was in contact with several Ukrainan political leaders as possible successors to Vladimir Zelensky

Press review: Russia flexes nuclear muscle and Israel signals imminent offensive in Gaza

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, May 7th