{{dayPoint.date | date : 'd MMMM yyyy'}}

{{newsPoint.title}}

{{newsPoint.title+ ' '}}

{{newsPoint.subtitle}}

Austrian minister optimistic about Russia joining WTO

He believes that Russia’s membership in WTO will open up new prospects for Austrian business people on the Russian market

VIENNA, December 16 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia’s joining of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will give “a positive impetus to the world economy,” says a statement of the Austrian Minister of Economy Reinhold Mitterlehner, which was circulated here on Friday.

He believes that Russia’s membership in WTO will open up new prospects for Austrian business people on the Russian market. According to his information, last year Austrian exports to Russia grew by 21.6 percent to reach 2.5 billion euros. The figure for the first three quarters of the current year grew by 15 percent as against the 2010 figure to reach 2.2 billion euros.

Commenting on the discussion started at the 8th ministerial conference of the WTO member countries, Mitterlehner suggested the tightening of control by WTO over the putting up of trade barriers. “In connection with the threat of the spreading of the debt crisis to the real economic sector, a return to protectionism on the national level would be an absolutely wrong strategy,” he said.

Bombs with power of 13 kilos of trotyle found in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria

An active accomplice of bandits was detained in the search operation and gave confessing testimony

US believes Ukrainian forces to be pushed out of Kursk Region in few months — Bloomberg

According to the report, Ukraine lacks personnel and Kiev has no confidence in further provision of military aid by the West

Russian units attack Ukrainian troops near Kurakhovo power plant in DPR — republic’s head

"Russian units are also storming the industrial zone and we are also seeing combat in the vicinity of the thermal power plant," he said in a video address published on his Telegram channel

29,500 square meters of Kerch Strait cleared of oil after tanker incident

The Krasnodar Region anti-crisis center said that 460 meters of booms have been deployed in areas where that would be effective, 250 of them - around the stern of the Volgoneft-239, stranded near Taman

Assad allegedly hands list of military targets over to Israel before leaving Syria — media

According to the Turkish newspaper, the former Syrian president did it to ensure his own safety

Press review: US, Israel aim to curb Turkey’s gains while Moscow, Tehran strengthen ties

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, December 24th

Foreign mercenaries in Ukraine will not have POW status — Russian military

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov warned that all foreign mercenaries, detained in Ukraine, would be brought to justice on criminal charges

Russian chess grandmaster Volodar Murzin wins FIDE World Rapid Championship

Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, the winner of last year’s championship, was earlier disqualified for breaching the dress code

Russia practically eliminates remnants of Ukraine’s Air Force — source

The source said that attempts to recruit more pilots in Poland and other Eastern European countries were not particularly successful

Trump’s Greenland comments could be part of policy of countering Russia and China — media

Trump’s transition team did not respond to a TASS request for comment

Kremlin points to a wide range of countries to host negotiations on Ukrainian conflict

Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Moscow respects the peacekeeping efforts of various countries

Public debt back on Europe's agenda for first time in five years — media

It estimates that increasing public debt during the coronavirus pandemic was not seen as a priority in European countries due to low interest rates

Fox News includes Biden’s Putin slip-up in top political gaffes of 2024

The list also concludes Biden calling Donald Trump’s supporters "garbage" during the US presidential campaign

German lawmaker slams Ukrainian diplomat for demanding more weapons

According to Sevim Dagdelen, Friedrich Merz, Economic Minister Robert Habeck and current Chancellor Olaf Scholz 'will probably continue to burn German taxpayer money in Ukraine'

Two militants killed while preparing terrorist attack against Kadyrov

They had arrived in Grozny on instructions from warlord Doku Umarov

Russian policy paper says foreign NGOs step up extremist activity aimed against Russia

Russia views the support of such activities by unfriendly countries, including the initiation of "color revolutions," as an extremist threat

About 70 former Syrian troops deported back after fleeing to Lebanon

According to Elnashra, they was detained on December 27 in the town of Byblos

INTERVIEW: Georgia’s people, new government lack desire to become West’s pawn — Lavrov

He noted that over many years, Washington and its allies have been using "color revolutions" as a tool to contain their geopolitical rivals and get rid of those unwanted

Netanyahu ordered to track, kill all Hamas leaders 2 weeks ago — Seymour Hersh

Citing one "well-informed Israeli," Hersh claims that Netanyahu tasked both the overseas intelligence agency and the internal security agency with this mission

Ankara debunks claims that Erdogan had contacts with Israel on Syria

The Department for combating disinformation in the Turkish Presidential Office pointed out that its policy towards Israel in regards to the "policy of genocide," carried out in the Gaza Strip, remains unchanged, and the two countries do not engage in any contacts

Ukrainian troops attempt unsuccessful counterattack in DPR — republic’s head

The adversary attempted a counterattack with several of these attempts resulting in enemy losses

World Rapid Chess Championship in New York ends with triumph of Russian players

During the championship, Russian chess grandmaster Murzin scored 10 points in 13 rounds and secured his first place

Putin apologizes for AZAL airliner incident in Russia’s airspace — Kremlin

The Russian leader conveyed his deep and sincere condolences to the families of the plane crash victims

Russia not satisfied with Trump team’s proposals on Ukraine — Lavrov

At the same time, Lavrov noted that Moscow has not received any official signals from the United States on the Ukrainian settlement at the moment

Putin attends Orthodox Christmas service at church in Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence

The president also invited to his residence families of soldiers, who died in the special military operation

Russian troops liberate Novoelenovka settlement in Donetsk People's Republic

At the same time, the Russian Armed Forces hit energy facilities of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, airfields, storage depots, command posts, and launch sites for attack drones over the day

Over 340 military officials’ cars set on fire in Ukraine over year

According to the report, the majority of these crimes occurred between Spring and Summer this year

Syrian, Russian aircraft strike militant sites in Homs province — Syrian Defense Ministry

The forces killed dozens of terrorists, the ministry said

US to shut down federal agencies, departments on January 9 to honor Jimmy Carter’s memory

Some offices, department and agency facilities will continue to operate on January 9 "for reasons of national security, defense or other public need"

Kiev’s newly built host airfields for F-16s to be wiped out before paint dries — experts

It is noted that the Russian Armed Forces will wait until the construction work reaches a certain point and then carry out strikes to destroy what has been built

Paris prosecutor’s office to make statement on Durov’s detention on Monday

According to the media, the Telegram messenger founder might be charged with terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering and child pornography

Kazakhstan sends AZAL plane flight recorders to Brazil for decoding

"The flight recorders will be delivered to the CENIPA," the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan said

Russia says battlegroups North, Dnepr cause Ukraine to lose up to 160 troops over past day

"Units of the battlegroup North struck manpower and equipment of Ukraine’s mechanized and motorized infantry brigades, a territorial defense brigade and formations of foreign mercenaries near Volchansk, Liptsy, Slatino and Neskuchnoye in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said

Ukrainian forces lose up to 310 servicemen in Russia’s Kursk direction

One infantry fighting vehicle was destroyed, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

Russian figure skater Medvedeva in lead after short program at Autumn Classic in Canada

At the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang, Medvedeva won two silver medals

Kazakh president warns against misinformation, provocations about plane crash near Aktau

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the General Prosecutor's Office and the government commission to conduct an impartial investigation of the plane crash near Aktau

Musk calls idea of Russian NPP on Moon ‘interesting’

US entrepreneur and founder of the SpaceX space technology company Elon Musk has called the prospect of delivering a Russian nuclear power plant to the Moon in 2033-2035 "interesting."

Ukrainian troops leave their positions in Shevchenko near Krasnoarmeysk

"The Ukrainian military has abandoned its positions in Shevchenko. They could not withstand the onslaught of our troops and combined strikes," the sources told TASS

Work on opening Russian center for science, culture in Mali underway — envoy

Igor Gromyko recalled that today there are three partner Russian Houses operating in Bamako and Niamey, the capital of Niger, which are engaged in promoting Russian culture, science and education, reinforcing the position of the Russian language, supporting compatriots and implementing some other projects

Biden announces around $2.5 bln in aid for Ukraine

The American president also said the US Department of Defense is in the process of delivering hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds and thousands of missiles to Kiev

Colorectal cancer vaccine to be able in Russia in 2025

Veronika Skvortsova noted that research is currently ongoing on drugs targeting glioblastomas and melanomas - malignant brain tumors and skin cancers

Participants of anti-government rally in Tbilisi block city’s main street again

The rally participants are demanding to release those earlier detained for disturbances and to hold new parliamentary elections

Foreign aid to Ukraine a money laundering scheme, head of Chechnya says

Ramzan Kadyrov noted that there is no need to worry about hostilities currently happening on Russian territory

Syrian ports of Latakia, Tartus fully resume operations — official

Both ports are now serving ships and handling cargo normally

At least 17 killed in Israeli strike on munitions depot in Damascus Governorate — TV

According to the TV channel, a drone likely belonging to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked a munitions depot near Adra about 25 kilometers away from the Syrian capital

Russian Su-35S jets cover combat aircraft in air strikes on Ukrainian troops in Kursk area

It is highlighted that the Su-35S fighters practiced aerial cover in the designated area for sorties by bombers and attack aircraft and army aviation helicopters in delivering air strikes at Ukrainian armor and manpower

US must make first step to restore ties with Russia — Lavrov

"So we’ll see. If the Americans begin to take our interests into account, dialogue will gradually recover. If not - then everything will remain the way it is," the top Russian diplomat said

Dollar exchange rate surges by almost 6% surpassing 111 rubles on Forex

The euro exchange rate is trading above 109 rubles

Gazprom supplies 42.4 mln cubic meters of gas to Europe via Ukraine to Sudzha

The application for pumping through Sokhranovka was rejected by the Ukrainian side

Russian flag hoisted on nuclear-powered icebreaker Yakutia in St. Petersburg

It is reported that the vessel is equipped with a twin-reactor nuclear power plant RITM-200

EAEU leaders approve 17 documents following summit in Leningrad region

These include an agreement on the single customs transit system, a decision on the entry into force of the free trade agreement with Iran, and an order on the functioning of the single services market within the EAEU

IN BRIEF: Putin talks to reporters about Oreshnik missile, natural gas transit

The president noted that the most important thing in the coming year is "the well-being of the Russian people, standard of living, stability"

Biden administration to send $1.25 bln in military assistance to Kiev — AP

The new package of aid to Kiev includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system, the agency said

Ukraine opens second front in Africa — envoy

Igor Gromyko noted that in August, Mali's transitional government announced the termination of diplomatic relations with Ukraine

Ukrainian forces attack Kherson region hospital with drone, chief doctor seriously injured

His deputy was killed, Head of the region Vladimir Saldo reported

Conference on Syria’s future to take place in Damascus in early January — report

The conference will involve 1,200 people, who will represent all segments of the society, as well as various religious and ethnic groups

Ukraine’s army reports forced retreat to ‘last defensive line’ in Donbass area

Ukraine’s General Staff admitted earlier that the frontline situation remained tense for the Ukrainian army

Lukashenko pardons 20 people convicted of extremism

The Belarusian president last granted pardon to more than 30 individuals convicted of extremist offenses in November of this year

Kiev signs deal with World Bank on $15 bln loan from US using Russian assets

The agreement will include funds from the PEACE in Ukraine project and part of the $20 bln US contribution to the G7 initiative, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal announced

Press review: EU preps for gas cuts via Ukraine as China boosts naval and air power

Top stories from the Russian press on Saturday, December 28th

Russia ready to modernize Belarusian combat helicopters

The Belarusian Army operates 12 Russian-made Mi-8MTV-5-1 military transport helicopters

Russia open to talks on Ukraine, agreement must be ironclad — Lavrov

"I would like to particularly emphasize that this can only be about reliable, legally binding agreements which must remove the root causes of the conflict and enshrine the mechanism of the impossibility to violate them," he explained.

Putin grants Russian citizenship to Italian opera icon Giancarlo del Monaco

Over the course of his career, del Monaco has directed more than 100 operas in major theaters around the world

US may face bankruptcy if situation with national debt does not change — Musk

The US national debt for the first time climbed above $36 trillion on November 15

South Korea to inspect all Boeing 737-800s after Jeju Air plane crash

The country has declared a week of mourning

Russian forces liberate DPR’s Novotroitskoye — top brass

The battlegroup East has eliminated up to 170 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the military emphasized

Russian cancer vaccine to be free of charge — top oncologist

It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025

Putin establishes scholarship for Olympic athletes, coaches

The size of the scholarship depends on its category; its maximum size stands at $555 every month

Bank of Russia sells yuan for $78.5 mln with settlements on December 27

The Bank of Russia carries out foreign currency purchase and sale operations on the domestic market in the currency section of the Moscow Exchange in the "yuan - ruble" instrument

Scholz polling increasingly worse as German chancellor candidate — Bild

For comparison, ahead of the 2021 election, the CDU/CSU bloc enjoyed the support of 27% voters in opinion polls and came ahead of Scholz’s party by just a 9.5% margin

Russia shortens temporary stay term for foreigners to 90 days — Foreign Ministry

In some cases, the temporary stay term is being prolonged in accordance with the abovementioned federal law

Former Armenian defense minister detained in Moscow

Arshak Karapetyan has been put on the international wanted list under a number of articles of the Criminal Code, law enforcement bodies told TASS

Baku demands Moscow admit guilt, punish those responsible for AZAL plane crash

Russian, Azerbaijani presidents hold telephone conversation on Aktau plane crash

Recruitment for unauthorized rallies aims to destabilize Russia — strategy

It is specified that to this end, various ways of manipulating public opinion and spreading unreliable information are being increasingly used

Foreign Minister of Syria to make his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia

Hassan al-Shaybani said that the new Syrian authorities hope to build strategic relationships with Riyadh in all areas

Putin congratulates foreign leaders on New Year and Christmas

The list did not include the leaders of the UK, Germany, the US, France, Japan, and other large states unfriendly to Russia

Russian Railways tests robodogs for work on dangerous railway sections

The iron dogs are equipped with cameras and lidars that automatically transmit data to the operator's computer

INTERVIEW: US applies Ukrainian scenario to pressure China — Lavrov

"We do not make assumptions about the plans of the future US administration", Russian Foreign Minister said

Press review: BRICS challenges existing security concepts and Europe's economy in trouble

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, September 13th

Experts to assess damage to black box following South Korea plane crash

Earlier reports indicated that one of the two black boxes - the flight data recorder - had sustained damage by the time it was discovered

Decision-making centers in Kiev may be targets of Russia’s strikes, says Lavrov

Moscow selects targets for strikes on the territory of Ukraine, proceeding solely from threats to Russia, the foreign minister stressed

Illegal migrants must leave Russia or legalize their status until April 30 — decree

The deportation requirement will not be applied to foreigners, who want to stay on legal grounds and have met several preconditions

Ukrainian Armed Forces attack settlements in Russia’s Belgorod region over 50 times

One person was injured, the region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported

Expert offers to use navy ships to escort tankers after Eagle S incident

Alexander Stepanov believes that NATO intends to lock the Kaliningrad enclave, to lock the Russian trade fleet in Neva estuary and to simultaneously block the Leningrad naval base