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Middle East and North Africa

UN Secretary General welcomes agreement reached in Geneva

He urged the Governments of Iran and the six other Member States involved to “build on this encouraging start” and to create mutual confidence

UN, November 24, 10:07 /ITAR-TASS/. The United Nations Organisation’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday welcomed an interim agreement reached regarding Iran's nuclear programme and urged the Governments concerned to do everything possible to continue negotiations, statement of the organisation’s press service reads.

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Middle East and North Africa

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

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

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Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

There is still no full clarity regarding the future of Ukraine's western regions, the Russian foreign minister went on to say

Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

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

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.

UN secretary general urges Azerbaijan, Armenia to normalize relations

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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

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Dmitry Peskov pointed out that the Ukrainian armed forces were deliberately targeting Russian journalists

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

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Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

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Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

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

Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Minister noted that "Ukrainian negotiators came and said that, for example, on the issue of maneuvers with the participation of third countries, let's replace the wording 'if all guarantor countries agree' with 'unless the majority agrees'"

US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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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

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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

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"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

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According to the official, the investigation established that Mikhail Maurov planned to travel to Ukraine to join the ranks of a right-wing Ukrainian organization called the Freedom of Russia Legion

Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli security forces have killed at least five people over the past 24 hours

Ukrainian shelling kills pregnant woman in Russia’s Belgorod Region — governor

Vyacheslav Gladkov added that the attack had shattered the windows of several houses and damaged their facades and roofs

CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

William Burns said "there is a very real risk that the Ukrainians could at least put Putin in a position where he could essentially dictate the terms of a political settlement"

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

In chemicals production, prices edged up by 26.8% for ethers, organic peroxides, epoxides, acetals and semiacetals and their derivatives

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

Ivan Paskar is charged with illegally transporting explosive substances, but he does not recognize his guilt

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"

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

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

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

Earlier, it was reported that Ukraine had developed a UAV with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers

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Construction of the plant in the Atyrau region is planned to be completed by 2029

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian drone over Belgorod Region

An attempt by the Kiev regime to use a fixed-wing drone to carry out a terrorist attack on targets in Russia was foiled at about 1:00 p.m. Moscow time

FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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

It has reached 911 centimeters

Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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Russian stock indices rising on Friday

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

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

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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

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

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

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

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

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

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

Stoltenberg said NATO believes Ukraine has the right to strike "legitimate military targets" inside Russia

Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

The IMF states that the restrictions led to the need to rebuild the economy

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

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

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BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

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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

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

israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said