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Conflict in Syria

Syria ready to provide OPCW investigators access to Shayrat airbase — UN envoy

According to Jaafari, security guarantees from terrorist groups operating in this area and "the countries providing assistance to them" will be necessary to provide experts access to Khan Sheikhoun

© AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

UNITED NATIONS, April 13. /TASS/. Syria is ready to provide experts of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) access to Shayrat airbase to check whether sarin, which Western countries claim was used during the attack against the city of Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, was stored there, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, told a meeting of the UN Security Council.

He noted that Damascus had sent a letter to the OPCW Director General, Ahmet Uzumcu, asking him "to send an unbiased and professional mission to Khan Sheikhoun and Shayrat airbase to determine what exactly happened." "Syria emphasizes its willingness to provide the mission access to Shayrat airbase to determine whether sarin was stored there," the diplomat said.

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Russia vetoes UN Security Council resolution on alleged chemical attack in Syria

According to Jaafari, security guarantees from Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist groups operating in this area and "the countries providing assistance to them" will be necessary to provide OPCW experts access to Khan Sheikhoun.

On Wednesday, Russia blocked the draft resolution, which said that Damascus must hand over all data on April 4 flights to the OPCW and provide access to the airbases that could be used to carry out a strike against Khan Sheikhoun.

Jaafari noted that the Syrian government is interested as nobody else in shedding light on what happened in that city. However, he spoke out against "the draft resolutions that have the insidious wording that forestall the results of any probes" and are aimed at "accusing the Syrian government in advance" of wrongdoings. The diplomat thanked Russia for vetoing the document.

The US military fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a military airfield in Syria’s Homs province overnight to April 7 on instructions issued by President Donald Trump. The strike came in response to what Washington believes was the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons in the Idlib province. The US authorities asserted that the alleged chemical attack was launched from that airfield.

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Media from unfriendly states will be admitted to Putin's annual press conference — Kremlin

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Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

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Decision on strikes inside Russia seals US puppet Zelensky’s fate — commentator

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Iran claims to have disabled Israel’s Iron Dome air defense in past strikes

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US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova stated that the US-NATO construction project, ongoing for nearly a decade with complete disregard to Russian security concerns, has consistently been a focus of Russia's attention

Moscow-Washington hotline not in use now — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov added that there have been no contacts via this new channel lately

Biden's decision to use ATACMS on Russia threatens to kill Americans — Tucker Carlson

The journalist also criticized US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (a Republican representing the state of Louisiana) for "not even mentioning it in public or in leadership meetings" with factions in the lower house of Congress

Railroad development to strengthen ties with foreign partners — Russian PM

Mikhail Mishustin added that "it is necessary to modernize border crossings in coming years, including introduction of practice of electronic paperwork"

Canada neglects its sovereignty by approving transfer of land mines to Kiev — diplomat

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US takes responsibility for Palestinian deaths by vetoing UNSC resolution — Russian envoy

Vasily Nebenzya noted that Russia has no doubt that "the Israelis themselves are also interested in ending the spiral of violence"

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Belarusian security agency says Minsk aware of Poland’s efforts to prepare terrorist cells

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Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, November 20th

Six European countries accuse Russia of allegedly attacking security architecture

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

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Official declines to say if US gives Ukraine targeting data for Storm Shadow missiles

US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller also declined to discuss the presumed first strike on Russia with the missiles

Ukraine conflict moves towards NATO-Russia direct clash — expert

Commenting on Ukraine's long-range missile strikes on Russian territory, Elena Basile remarked, "US President Joe Biden has decided to make the task of resolving the Ukraine conflict even more difficult for his successor"

Russia’s reaction to Austrian OMV’s failure to pay for gas justified — MFA

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Xi Jinping calls for unification of more voices for peace in Ukraine

"We need to bring together more voices of peace and pave the way for a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis," Chinese president said

Russia to use revenues from frozen assets of Western investors — Finance Minister

Tit-for-tat measures will be implemented after receiving information about unfriendly actions of Western countries, Anton Siluanov noted

Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Elon Musk denies his impact on Trump’s decisions on nominates for cabinet positions

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Russian troops raise flag in central Kurakhovo in Donetsk region — politician

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Rubicon center drones hit Ukrainian equipment in Russia's Kursk Region

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