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UK prime minister signs formal Brexit letter to Brussels — official photo

The notice will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting a two-year period of negotiations on terms of Brexit

© Christopher Furlong/Pool Photo via AP

LONDON, March 29. /TASS/. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has signed a formal letter to notify the European Union leadership that London was formally launching the procedure of quitting the organization, according to a photo released late Tuesday by the UK media.

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Queen gives royal assent to Brexit triggering UK’s departure from EU

The image shows May at the table in her official office in London. The letter, that has several pages, will be delivered personally to European Council President Donald Tusk on Wednesday by the UK ambassador to the EU, Tim Barrow.

The official notice will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting a two-year period of negotiations on terms and conditions of Brexit.

May will also make a speech before the Parliament on Wednesday at approximately 12:30 GMT (14:30 Moscow time).

On Tuesday evening, the prime minister called German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker "to update them ahead of the letter giving notification of the UK’s intention to withdraw from the European Union being delivered tomorrow," May’s office said in a statement.

"In separate calls, they agreed that a strong EU was in everyone’s interests and that the UK would remain a close and committed ally," the statement reads. "They also agreed on the importance of entering into negotiations in a constructive and positive spirit, and of ensuring a smooth and orderly exit process.".

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This decision was made "in view of efforts aimed at promoting trade and economic ties with China", Cuban Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos Garcia Granda said

Russia urges partners not to take part in conference on Ukraine in Switzerland — diplomat

Bern had invited more than 160 delegations to the conference on Ukraine

Russian envoy slams US accusations of Russia’s involvement in cyberattacks on Europe

"According to statistics, the vast majority of computer attacks in the world occur from the territory of the United States," Anatoly Antonov stressed

Russia not to take part in any events on 'Zelensky's formula' — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova emphasized that Switzerland cannot serve as a platform for a settlement dialogue

Russian ambassador slams Germany’s supplies of lethal weapons to Kiev as mistake

Neither Russia nor Germany will disappear from the European map, Sergey Nechayev noted

Dollar will be worth nothing unless issue of country’s national debt solved, Musk says

Earlier, Vitor Gaspar, director of the International Monetary Fund’s Fiscal Affairs Department, said that the growth of the US national debt spurred side effects across the globe

Kiev loses 18 observation posts on right bank of Dnieper in past day — Russian official

The Russian army carried out active defensive operations on the left bank of the Dnieper, conducting precise strikes on enemy military facilities, equipment and artillery weapons on the right bank

Freedom of the press dying in West, any dissent snuffed out — MFA

The Russian Foreign Ministry also pointed to the "incessant arbitrariness committed by the Western authorities against the Russian media and journalists, who have fully felt the repressive machine of the neoliberal West"

Trump develops plan on peaceful resolution in Ukraine — Telegraph

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

Israeli military says it killed one of Islamic Jihad commanders in Rafah

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Russian Foreign Ministry calls new US sanctions 'another act of trade war'

Maria Zakharova noted that the new sanctions should be viewed as an attempt by the United States to "maintain leadership in the absence of the opportunity to do this legally"

Russian citizen Vinnik pleads guilty in US court in money-laundering case

His attorney said that his jail term should be less than 10 years

Dutch ambassador to Russia wraps up his term — embassy

Gilles Beschoor Plug started his tenure as ambassador to Moscow in 2021

Cuba opts to scrap visa regime for Chinese nationals, says Cuban tourism minister

This decision was made "in view of efforts aimed at promoting trade and economic ties with China", Cuban Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos Garcia Granda said

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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

US authorizes energy-related transactions with Russian banks until November 1

According to the document, the banks in question include the Central Bank of Russia, VTB, Alfa Bank, Sberbank, Vneshekonombank, Otkrytiye, Sovkombank, Rosbank, Zenit and Sankt-Peterburg

Russia not depending on foreign gas turbines anymore — Rostec

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Sending NATO troops to Ukraine to lead to dangerous escalation — top UK diplomat

David Cameron opined that Ukraine's defeat in a conflict with Russia would create a "very dangerous future" because it would signal to China and Iran that aggression against their neighbors is acceptable

Russian diplomat sees Kiev preparing for new attack on Crimean Bridge with Western support

According to Maria Zakharova, ahead of Victory Day celebrations in Russia, "the Kiev regime and its Western patrons are plotting new terror attacks on Russian soil," while aiming for the news to "reverberate in the media and have a propaganda effect"

Ukrainian authorities talk about negotiations guided by public sentiments — experts

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Azerbaijan’s president points to highest level of cooperation with Russia

Speaking of his recent visit to Russia, Ilham Aliyev stressed that it had been "very productive" and "once again demonstrated the strategic nature of allied relations" between the two countries

G7 considers giving Ukraine $50 bln worth of aid — Bloomberg

The US pushing to sign an agreement when G7 leaders convene in Italy in June

Trinidad and Tobago recognizes State of Palestine

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Some 400 US citizens killed in hostilities in Ukraine — former Pentagon official

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FSB foils Kiev’s terrorist attack on Trans-Siberian Railway

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Russian ministry puts Ukraine’s Ground Forces commander on wanted persons list

Pavlyuk was appointed Ground Forces commander on February 11

US confirms Russian troops enter US base in Niger

News of the Russian deployment to the airbase follows after Niger’s military rulers told Washington in March that it must withdraw the nearly 1,000 US military personnel stationed in the country

Retaking Chasov Yar is just a matter of time for Russia — Ukrainian intelligence

Vadim Skibitsky admitted that the Russian forces now operate as a "single body, with a clear plan, and under a single command"

Russia engages TOS-2 flamethrowers in Ukraine

220mm TOS-2 is a successor to TOS-1A with improved characteristics

Half of Avdeyevka’s territory cleared of explosives — newspaper

"We begin by talking to civilians and asking whether they came across anything unexploded," said the commander, identified by only his call sign Panda

Zelensky’s legitimacy to be soon called in question — Kremlin spokesman

According to Dmitry Peskov, it will be done from the legal point of view in any case

China launches lunar probe to grab samples of soil from Moon’s far side

The spacecraft will attempt to perform a soft landing on an area in the South Pole-Aitken basin

US official supports continued cooperation between Russia, US on space

This is the opinion of the US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Mallory Stewart

Reaching agreement on Gaza in Cairo could take several more days - report

According to the television channel, "negotiators in Cairo have made progress on technical aspects of a potential agreement"

Putin stresses importance of realistic approaches to national budgetary policy

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Ukraine presumably used US-made Excalibur shell for strike at Tokmak

Ministry of Emergency Situations employees continue to remove the debris

‘Peace formula’ on Ukraine to succeed if West halts arms supplies — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova noted remarks by Josep Borrell who asserted that without Western arms supplies Kiev would capitulate in two weeks

Two people wounded in Ukrainian shelling attack on Donetsk

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Russian ministry puts former Ukrainian Defense Minister Koval on wanted persons list

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Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr wipes out 40 Ukrainian drone control centers in 24 hours

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Almost 34,600 Palestinians killed in Gaza since last October — Health Ministry

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Russia, Africa united by common vision on global issues — senior diplomat

Mikhail Bogdanov noted that "the African continent is a dynamically developing part of the world with an enormous growth potential, attractive domestic market and expanding export prospects"

Russian senator warns against attempts to hamper Russia’s access to Kaliningrad

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Talks on Gaza in Cairo achieve little progress so far — Hamas spokesman

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US destroyed Germany’s domestic energy supply as it blew up Nord Stream — Carlson

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NORAD tracks four Russian military planes off Alaska — statement

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Fire gutting German plant of industrial group making IRIS-T air defense systems

The Diehl Group also makes ammunition and communications systems

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Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said more than 9,000 people, aircraft and 75 units of military equipment will take part in the parade on Red Squar

Russian ministry puts former Ukrainian President Poroshenko on wanted persons list

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Around 40% of US voters see possibility of civil war in their country — survey

The survey also found that 37% of voters believe another civil war is more likely to happen if incumbent President Joe Biden is re-elected

Orthodox believers start celebrating Easter with night-time worship services across Russia

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will celebrate Easter Vigil Liturgy at at the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow

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The deluge hit 281 municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, affecting more than 370,000 people

Fire at German plant won’t affect production of IRIS-T air defense systems — Spiegel

It is reported that the defense unit has not been affected

Any aggression against Crimea to be met with crushing retaliation — Russian MFA

In recent days, Maria Zakharova continued, Ukrainian forces "have been seen using several US-made ATACMS long-range missiles, which were secretly received a month ago, against Crimea"

Criminal case opened against Zelensky, arrest warrant issued — police database

According to the entry, Zelensky is wanted over a Russian Criminal Code article

Russian air defense forces block Ukrainian attempt to use ATACMS on Crimea — politician

The Ukrainians used several ATACMS ballistic missiles in an attempt to attack civilians on the peninsula

Russian air defenses shoot down Ukrainian drone over Belgorod Region - Defense Ministry

The Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed over the territory of the Belgorod Region by on-duty air defenses

NATO wants 'hot war' with Russia which may destroy US, Carlson says

According to the journalist, everything that Washington does shows that it wants this war

Russian troops wipe out German-made IRIS-T air defense system over past day

The Ukrainian army lost over 350 personnel and several items of military hardware in battles with Russian forces in the Kupyansk area over the past day, the ministry reported

Latvia digging anti-tank ditches on border with Russia, Belarus — media

Kaspars Lazdins noted that once the ditches were ready, the so-called dragon’s teeth barriers would be set up on the border

France preparing contingent of 2,000 troops to be sent to Ukraine — intelligence chief

According to Sergey Naryshkin, the French military "fears that such a large military unit cannot be transferred and stationed in Ukraine unnoticed"

Qatar likely to accept US request on expulsion of Hamas leaders from Doha — report

According to the source, Washington may file a request on expulsion of Hamas leaders if the Palestinian movement rejects the latest proposal on resolution of the hostage crisis

Idea of cutting Russia off from Kaliningrad is absurd — region’s authorities

Dmitry Lyskov clarified that Russian passenger planes use the same GPS system as European ones and do not experience any difficulties in navigation

Wounded Ukrainian soldiers have to pay ambulances to take them to hospital — US expert

The ex-Pentagon adviser Douglas Macgregor also noted the continued Russian advance on the front line

Any European country’s involvement in Ukrainian conflict to trigger world war — Szijjarto

Hungarian Foreign Minister noted that Europe is living through an emergency situation, with a war being held

Over 10,000 women killed in Gaza — UN agency

According to the agency, "37 children lose their mother every single day"

Russian diplomat blasts Cameron for approving strikes on country with nuclear weapons

Maria Zakharova said Russian agencies in charge of defending the country would undoubtedly retaliate if there were any strikes inside Russia

Coexistence of Palestine, Israel possible if Israel’s security guaranteed — Blinken

Secretary of State underscored that Washington is fully committed to ensuring the security of Israel