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Cuba's Interior Minister Carlos Gondin dies at 78

According to the newspaper said the death was caused by "complications of a long chronic disease."

© EPA/ORLANDO BARRIA

MOSCOW, January 8. /TASS/. Cuba's Interior Minister, Division General Carlos Fernandez Gondin died at the age of 78 in Havana on Friday, the website of the El Mundo newspaper reported referring to an official note by Council of Ministers.

According to the newspaper said the death was caused by "complications of a long chronic disease."

Carlos Fernandez Gondin was born in the city of Santiago de Cuba on July 1, 1938. Since 1989 he served as First Deputy Minister. Earlier he was the head of the counterintelligence of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces. In 2015, he became Interior Minister replacing resigned General Abelardo Colome.

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Better situation for peace in Ukraine, threats to Belarus: new statements by Lukashenko

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West bends sanctions rules when it suits them — Kremlin

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European Parliament urges EU states to regard Russian presidential vote as illegitimate

The resolution passed in a 493-11 vote, with 18 abstentions

Blinken’s visit to China meant to shatter Russian-Chinese ties — senior Russian diplomat

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Dardanelles temporarily closed due to fire on board of dry cargo carrier

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Promotion of Russian brands gives good return — Putin

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Negative trends still on rise in US-China relations — top Chinese diplomat

The United States should not cross the red lines with regard to China’s sovereignty and security, Wang Yi added

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Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

"It is obvious that the upcoming combat training on the territory of Finland is part of a hybrid war against our country," Maria Zakharova said

US incapable of replicating Cold War-era arms race — Valdai club expert

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West’s unwillingness to give up hegemony escalates tensions in world — security official

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Europe should be prepared to build relations with Russia post-Ukraine conflict — Macron

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Ukraine had to negotiate agreements with Russia with ‘three masters’ — Russian envoy

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Kremlin vows to resolve situation with Turkish Airlines refusing service to Russians

Russia has "very constructive and friendly relations" with Turkey, Dmitry Peskov stressed

Serial production of missiles for S-500 air defense systems begins in Russia — source

State trials of S-500 are under way at a testing range in southern Russia

US effectively dooms Ukraine by its new decisions, Russian envoy says

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West prepares puppet structures in case of coup in Belarus — KGB

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Houthis say they attacked MSC Darwin vessel in Gulf of Aden

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

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Russian cosmonauts begin first spacewalk in 2024

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Venezuelan foreign ministry, Russian embassy hold joint conference in Caracas

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China vows decisive response to US move to deploy intermediate missiles in Asia-Pacific

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Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service head added that the act of terrorism was intricately planned and it took an international network of conspirators to carry it out

Russian children’s commissioner holds first face-to-face talks with Ukrainian counterparts

Maria Lvova-Belova thanked Qatar for setting up a venue for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine regarding children’s interests

First-ever South Korean citizen arrested for espionage in Russia

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Labor productivity requires a significant increase in all sectors of the economy, the President stressed

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The Russian Investigative Committee added that measures are underway to locate their whereabouts and bring them to criminal liability

Azerbaijan, Armenia have installed 20 border markers so far

Expert groups from the two countries continue their work

US nuclear facilities in Northern Europe to become targets in Russia-NATO clash — MFA

Maria Zakharova warned that if US nuclear weapons were deployed to Northern Europe, "the security of the countries hosting these weapons will by no means get stronger, but on the contrary be harmed"

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

"In any case, whatever the modality of providing this aid, de facto it is about provoking Ukraine into further hostilities down to the last Ukrainian, putting guarantted money in the pockets of the US," Dmitry Peskov said

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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza

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Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

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The unemployment rate went down in regions and settlements where it was historically high, the head of state stressed

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Andrey Babenko said that after a crash course in Britain he had been sent to the frontline near Liman

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"Neither these missiles nor other weapons can help defeat the Russian Federation," Anatoly Antonov said

Government, business to continue dialog — Kremlin

The President and business representatives are satisfied with outcomes of the meeting, Dmitry Peskov noted

Russians not let to Turkish Airlines flights to Mexico due to US pressure on it — diplomat

Sergey Ryabkov noted that such problems exist for Russians using Turkish Airlines flights to other Latin American countries

Kremlin announces creation of blockchain-based payment system in BRICS

Work will continue to develop the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, primarily regarding the use of currencies different from the US dollar," the Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov pointed out

Russia to retaliate immediately if Kiev gets ATACMS missiles — diplomat

Konstantin Gavrilov also noted that the "manic efforts" of some Western OSCE member countries to isolate Russia "are futile and will backfire on their initiators"

Cosmonauts complete spacewalk two hours ahead of schedule

The cosmonauts fulfilled their tasks way faster than planned, spending four hours and 36 minutes in space

Cosmonauts complete spacewalk two hours ahead of schedule

The cosmonauts fulfilled their tasks way faster than planned, spending four hours and 36 minutes in space

Press review: US tries to strong-arm China and Zelensky's bid to bring men home

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, April 25th

Bolivarian Alliance countries stand for multipolar world — Maduro

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Reinforced Ukrainian battlegroup fails to break through Russian defenses in DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko added that the Ukrainians have also intensified artillery and drone attacks at Russian positions

Russian international reserves up $2.5 bln in one week exceeding $603.2 bln — Central Bank

Russia’s international reserves are highly liquid foreign assets available with the Bank of Russia and the Russian government

Israel Defense Forces delivers more strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon

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Houthi leader says group attacked more than 100 ships in Red, Arabian seas so far

Ansar Allah strikes one ship every two days, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said

Potential nuclear facilities in Poland to be military target for Russia — senior diplomat

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Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV production workshop over past day

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Fatah accuses Hamas of actions that led to Israeli control of Gaza — report

Fatah also said Hamas is currently seeking to become part of the Palestine Liberation Organization, but is doing this "only to preserve itself and survive"

TASS, SMI2 to launch positive content aggregator on Internet

Positive agenda promotion mechanisms should appear in Russia, SMI2 CEO Yury Belousov said

Russia ready to cooperate with all interested partners to ensure security — Putin

The Russian leader expressed confidence that the the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues "will bolster cooperation for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples"

Press review: NATO flexes muscles near Russian border and South China Sea runs hot

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, April 24th

Ukraine could send special forces to capture Zaporozhye NPP — politician

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Around ten shopping malls in Moscow evacuated over bomb threats

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Network of international conspirators plotted Crocus terrorist attack — watchdog

Yury Chikhanchin pointed out that the perpetrators of the attack were provided with money, weapons, transportation and ammunition

Russia says its battlegroup West seized better positions

The Russian forces also foiled a counterattack of an assault group of the Ukrainian 80th mechanized brigade in the vicinity of the Krasnoye settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic

Russia’s advanced technology helps use unguided munitions as precision bombs

Gefest system analyzes data of the Glonass satellite navigation grouping on the mutual location of the aircraft and the target

US shifted conflict in Europe onto EU, NATO shoulders to weaken Russia, says Lukashenko

The Belarusian leader specified that the US had organized the conflict in Europe, in this case in Ukraine, and "shifted it onto the shoulders of the European Union and NATO, promising to help with money"

Russia’s national jurisdiction must be competitive for business — Putin

The President noted that the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, together with other business associations, is doing a lot to relieve the business environment from red tape, helping to simplify or convert administrative procedures and approvals into electronic form, and helping the government improve legislation and control and supervisory activities

Situation at ZNPP remains unpredictable — International Atomic Energy Agency

The situation can take a sudden turn for the worse from one minute to the next, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said

Kiev violates diplomatic relations convention by recruiting mercenaries abroad — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed to media reports, according to which Ukrainian embassies in a number of countries are openly campaigning local citizens to join the so-called International Legion of Ukrainian Territorial Defense

Good GDP growth results showed in first months of 2024 — Putin

GDP growth is 6% in average over the first two months, the Russian leader noted

Senior Russian MP dubs pervasive gender reassignment in West 'human tragedy'

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Kiev troops may strike targets in Crimea with ATACMS missiles — newspaper

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US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

"The impression is that Warsaw is maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff," Maria Zakharova added

US government prepares to sign $6-bln contract for arms deliveries to Ukraine — Politico

According to the article, the United States "is putting the finishing touches" on one of its largest Ukraine military aid packages to date, which may be announced on Friday