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Investigators reject role in dismissal of Russian man wrongly accused of subway bombing

Some media outlets reported earlier that Andrei Nikitin had been dismissed by his employer at the request of the Russian Investigative Committee's branch in West Siberia

YEKATERINBURG, April 5. /TASS/. Investigators in West Siberia have rejected media reports on their role in dismissing Russia's Bashkiria resident Andrei Nikitin after published photos showed him as a suspect in the St. Petersburg subway blast, senior assistant to the local investigative branch’s head Alina Nikiforova told TASS on Wednesday.

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"This information has nothing to do with reality. Investigators have not turned to Nikitin’s employer in Nizhnevartovsk," she said.

Some media outlets reported earlier that Andrei Nikitin, a native of the Republic of Bashkortostan, had been dismissed by his employer in Nizhnevartovsk at the request of the Russian Investigative Committee’s investigation branch for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area in West Siberia. It was also reported that air passengers refused to travel aboard the same plane with Nikitin, even though he had come to a local police station himself to prove his non-involvement in the St. Petersburg subway terror attack.

The bomb in the St. Petersburg subway went off at 14:40 on April 3 between the Tekhnologichesky Institut and the Sennaya Ploshchad stations. Russia’s Investigative Committee has qualified the blast as a terror attack.

According to the Health Ministry’s latest data, the blast killed 14 people while 49 persons remain in hospitals.

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Military base near Iran’s Isfahan hit following attack — newspaper

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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Wang Wen stated that it’s still very hard to achieve a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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

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Earlier, the media reported that one of the strikes hit Tha'lah Military Airbase, with several explosions going off there

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Infrastructure is required to implement the investment project, both power transmission lines and the railroad, Andrey Chibis noted

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Kazem Jalali noted that Iran had demonstrated its ability to ensure security and nudge the region toward a de-escalation

Colombian president displays interest in country’s entry into BRICS

Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva welcomed Gustavo Petro’s initiative, "being committed to promotion of Colombia’s candidacy"

Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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Iran suspends flights above several cities amid reports of air attack — IRNA

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

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

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Germany fails to present evidence in case of espionage suspects — Russian embassy

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Ukraine turns from sovereign country into Western protectorate, Hungarian PM says

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US blackmails other countries at United Nations — Russian mission

Dmitry Polyansky said "this shameful neocolonial tactics are fully exposed now in the context of Gaza War"

Iran done with retaliation, calls for efforts to stop Israel from reckless steps — MFA

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Russia will not 'shake up' relations with Argentina due to its partnership with NATO — MFA

According to Sergey Ryabkov, Russia and Argentina maintain a good dialogue at various levels

US blocks Security Council resolution granting full UN membership to Palestine

A total of 12 countries, including Russia and China, voted in favor of the document

Vehicles, equipment participating in Victory Day parade depart for Moscow — ministry

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No foreign state attacks Iran — TV

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Ukrainian front may collapse this summer — newspaper

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French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

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