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Ex-president Sarkozy throws his weight behind Francois Fillon in upcoming election

Fillon and Sarkozy were rivals at the primaries in November 2016

Nicolas Sarkozy AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani

Nicolas Sarkozy

© AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani

PARIS, April 18. /TASS/. France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy has urged his fellow countrymen to vote for Francois Fillon in the first round of the presidential election due on Sunday.

"In a few days France will find itself at the crossroads, and everybody must be aware of this," Sarkozy said in a video address to the French voters. "I can say directly why I support Francois Fillon - he has experience, a program and a bid to implement it. This will make it possible to get closure on the outgoing five years [of Francois Hollande’s presidency] that have turned out to be catastrophic for France," he said.

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Fillon and Sarkozy were rivals at the primaries of The Republicans in France last November. The former president was even seen as the favorite of the party vote, but the voters opted for Fillon, who was prime minister under President Sarkozy.

The first round of French elections will be held on April 23, and the second, after which the new head of state will be named, will take place on May 7.

Representatives of 11 political parties are running in the presidential race. Along with Fillon, the list of the frontrunners includes the National Front’s candidate, Marine Le Pen, founder of the En Marche! (On the Move) movement Emmanuel Macron, winner of the ruling Socialist Party’s presidential nomination, Benoit Hamon, and left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Francois Hollande, the incumbent head of state, who has held this post since May 2012, refused to run for a new five-year term.

EC disburses another tranche of financing worth €1.5 bln to Kiev

The first instalment of the exceptional bridge financing worth €4.5 bln for the first three months of 2024 was released in March

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"Russia’s intelligence services and law enforcement agencies are investigating and scrutinizing every detail of this despicable act [the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack], identifying all parties involved, including instigators, sponsors, and orchestrators," the Russian president stressed

Kremlin vows legal action against US bill on seizing Russian assets

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Mobilization law condition for new supplies of arms to Kiev by NATO — source

Arms supplies are only reasonable if a large number of military personnel able to use those weapons in defense and assault operations is available

EU may sanction 10 firms for allegedly shipping weapons tech to Russia — Bloomberg

According to the agency, the companies being assessed for potential sanctions are based outside Russia but have links to Russian and Belarussian individuals and firms

Putin proclaims Odessa Russian city, challenges Ukraine's historical narrative

At the same time, the president noted that once upon a time "Vladimir Lenin gave away the whole of Ukraine when he created the Soviet Union"

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

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Detained deputy defense minister suspected of taking grand bribe of over $10,000

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Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

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Continued threats to Pyongyang to put US, allies in danger, Kim Jong Un’s sister warns

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Speakers of EU parliaments back idea of creating rapid response forces

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They "exchanged opinions on a wide range of pressing bilateral and international issues while focusing on the situation in the Balkans," the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN said

UN chief describes current state of climate as ‘preview of disaster’

Antonio Guterres stressed that the world community must reduce global greenhouse emissions by 43% by 2030 compared to 2019

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Russian troops destroy four boats with Ukrainian assault force on Dnieper River

Russia’s Dnepr Battlegroup inflicted casualties on the 141st, 65th and 128th brigades of Ukrainian armed formations, delivered strikes on temporary deployment sites, military hardware and artillery positions of the Ukrainian army on the right bank of the Dnieper River, Vladimir Saldo said

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The organization believes that the states that deploy nuclear weapons on their territory are "consenting to be party to mass murder of civilians"

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"The Kiev regime has failed to achieve the goals of its counteroffensive prepared by NATO instructors," the defense minister said

Most agents at Security Service of Ukraine set on war with Russia — former officer

Vasily Prozorov said that "it is extremely difficult to count on any better judgement on their part"

Russia scraps plans to hold Immortal Regiment march in 2024 amid security threats

This year, the May 9 festivities will take the form of other events, Yelena Tsunayeva noted

Putin informed about detention of Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov

Minister Sergey Shoigu was also informed beforehand, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

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The source also said that 38,302 Russians have been evacuated from flooded areas and settlements potentially falling into these zones since the beginning of the spring floods

Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

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

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

The first Konteiner radar went on combat duty in the Volga area region of Mordovia on December 1, 2019

Ukrainian army loses 444,000 troops during military operation — Shoigu

According to the Russian defense minister, the liberation of several residential settlements in Donbass, disclosed Kiev attempts to prevent the collapse of the front

Radicals, intel services behind terror attacks in various countries, says Putin

The tactics employed by these criminals are becoming increasingly complex and barbaric, the Russian leader pointed out

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Military expert Andrey Marochko speculated that the Ukrainian army had to resort to this tactic because the TV tower in Kharkov was damaged

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

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Azerbaijanian leader says reaching peace with Armenia by November 'quite realistic'

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Senior Russian diplomat, Chinese special envoy discuss Israeli-Palestinian conflict — MFA

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS deputy foreign ministers and special envoys for the Middle East and North Africa consultations

Weapons for new US package for Kiev yet to be found — Ukrainian ambassador

Oksana Markarova explained that $4 billion worth of weapons that was to be provided under the previous decisions still remained undersupplied

Baku cannot turn blind eye to France, India, Greece arming Armenia — President Aliyev

"If we see a serious threat to us, we will have to take serious measures," the Azerbaijani President warned

Press review: Dissecting US aid package to Ukraine and sands of global economy shifting

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US using human rights topics to shake political situation in Russia — embassy

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Destroyed TV tower in Kharkov carried Ukrainian air defense coordination device — official

Digital TV signal interruptions are now observed in the city

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Ukrainian connection to Crocus terrorist attack undeniable — ex-SBU officer

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US military aid for Kiev cannot stop Russian army’s advance — North Korean diplomat

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NATO Secretary General did not immediately understand the reporter’s question, forcing the reporter to explain that they were referring to the idea of deploying nuclear weapons in Poland

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US authorities prepare military aid for Ukraine worth $1 bln — Reuters

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US Senate approves aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

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Russia invites all countries to develop North - South transport corridor — Putin

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Sergey Krivonos added that relocation of troops from one direction to another will not solve Ukrainian forces’ problems, and that each fighter should be used according to their specialization

Canada allows Airbus to use Russian titanium despite sanctions — Reuters

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The Ukrainian armed forces carried out 22 attacks on residential areas in the Donetsk People’s Republic

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Russia tasked with 'building new world' — Putin

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Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

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West battlegroup destroys two Ukrainian drones, hit over 170 Ukrainian army’s facilities

The battlegroup’s spokesman Ivan Bigma said that a Gvozdika self-propelled system, nine mortar squads, two Furiya fixed-wing type unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed

37 Russian, Ukrainian children receive treatment in Qatar — diplomat

Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said that ten families from Ukraine, including 16 children, and ten families from Russia, including 21 children, arrived in Doha on April 18

Raisi doubts 'Israeli regime' to exist in case of its attack on Iran

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Press review: GOP tussles over Ukraine bill and Putin, Aliyev talk partnership

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Israel retaliates missile launches from Gaza Strip — IDF

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Russia recovers black boxes from crashed Tu-22M3 bomber

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Biden to sign Ukraine aid bill on April 24

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Ukrainian forces refuse to obey Commander-in-Chief Syrsky — CIA ex-analyst

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Nikolay Patrushev added that Moscow is happy that its position is received well by most countries, whose delegates are attending a meeting in St. Petersburg

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