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Biden signs new Covid relief bill worth $1.9 trillion

The bill was earlier approved by US Congress

US President Joe Biden AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

US President Joe Biden

© AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

WASHINGTON, March 12. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden has officially signed the new package of measures aimed at stimulating the American economy to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic worth $1.9 trillion into law Thursday, US news networks were broadcasting the event in the White House live.

"This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation, working people, middle-class folks, the people who built this country, a fighting chance," he said.

The bill was earlier approved by US Congress. The initiative is based on Biden’s program of overcoming economic ramifications of the pandemic. The package stipulates allocation of around $400 billion directly to fight the pandemic. Meanwhile, about $1 trillion will be earmarked to help Americans and the rest will be spent to stimulate the national economy.

Preliminary estimates of the International Monetary Fund show that the new measures can boost the US GDP by 5-6% in the next three years.

Russia's ice cream exports rise by 27% in 1H 2026

Russia exported ice cream to more than 50 countries worldwide in 2026

Russia, Brazil sign agreement to increase uranium processing by 25% — Rosatom

According to the Russian state nuclear corporation, this shows that cooperation is not only continuing but is gradually expanding

US tariffs have failed as foreign policy tool and impoverish Americans — expert

Ksenia Bondarenko argued that US tariff policy "resembles not a well-thought-out trade strategy but rather an attempt to repair an airplane in mid-flight while parts are visibly falling off, presenting the mere fact that it has not yet crashed as proof of good piloting"

US helps about 1,000 ships pass through Strait of Hormuz since early May — CENTCOM

500 million barrels of crude oil passed through the narrow waterway

US redirected 20 vessels since resumption of naval blockade of Iran — CENTCOM

CENTCOM has disabled two vessels, the Central Command of the US Armed Forces siad

Moscow Military District training grounds hold over 9,000 combat drills this summer

During the drills, service members are practicing the full cycle of air defense and the protection of critical facilities from air attack weapons

Zelensky seeks to provoke World War III by attacking Iranian ships — Finnish politician

Armando Mema believes Iran can take retaliatory measures in accordance with international law

Israeli PM declines to meet Zelensky as both visit Washington — daily

A source said that Vladimir Zelensky’s office had contacted Netanyahu’s office to arrange a meeting and that "the Israeli side never responded"

Russia sanctions bill passes second procedural vote in US Senate

84 senators voted to launch debates on this document

US military aircraft that has been in service for 66 years flying over Persian Gulf

According to a source in the Middle East’s air traffic control services, a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker is flying a circular route at an altitude of around six kilometers the immediate vicinity of the border of the airspace controlled by Iranian air traffic controllers

US launches another wave of strikes against Iran — media

Axios and Israel’s Channel 12 correspondent Barak Ravid said he had received this information from a US official

US to retaliate against Iran for shelling of Jordan — Trump

The US president still said he is willing to continue negotiations

Russia may designate Telegram as terrorist, but not because of Durov charges — lawyer

According to Maria Yundina, if formal charges are brought under the article related to terrorism, the chances that the operating legal entity will be recognized as a terrorist organization are objectively high

Around 800,000 weapons intended for Ukraine end up on black market — newspaper

Palermo Prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia told the anti-mafia commission that most of these weapons end up on the European market

Over 60,000 children in Gaza become orphans due to conflict since October 2023

The enclave’s Health Ministry reported that the death toll from the escalation in Gaza has reached 73,335 people, with over 174,000 Palestinians sustaining injuries

After liberating Svetloye in DPR, Russian forces about to liberate Vodyanskoye — expert

According to Andrey Marochko, after Svetloye’s liberation, Russian forces have gained control of more than ten square kilometers of territories that had been occupied by Ukrainian troops

Russia’s FSB charges Telegram co-founder Durov with facilitating terrorist activities

Russia’s Federal Security Service said that an international warrant for Pavel Durov's arrest has been issued

Trump supports bill on sanctions against Russia and Iran

The US president added he did not see the need for the House of Representatives to interrupt the parliamentary recess in August to review the sanctions bill promptly

Su-34 fighter, high-explosive aerial bombs work in symbiosis — Rostec

High-explosive aerial bombs of 1.5-ton, 500-kg, and 250-kg weight classes are used with the universal gliding and correction module, demonstrating high effectiveness against dispersed targets, concentrations of equipment, and field fortifications

Ukraine purges intelligence service over failed terrorist attack against Yermolayev

According to the official, the personnel purges are fully coordinated with Vladimir Zelensky, who seeks to remove from military intelligence the people who remain loyal to former head of the department Kirill Budanov

Gold production in Russia up 4.2% in 1H — Rosstat

In June, Russia's gold output increased by 3.6% year-on-year, and 7.4% month-on-month

Ukrainian intel agency oversees scam targeting war widows — Russian security official

All scammers are exempt from military mobilization, which allows them to operate openly on social media

US Central Command confirms strikes against Iran

The authority says that the strikes are a response to attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East

Lawyer sees little chance of Telegram co-founder’s extradition from France to UAE

Pavel Durov is a French citizen, and France does not extradite its own nationals, Kaloy Akhilgov noted

Share of unprofitable organizations in Russia totals 34.4% in January-May — Rosstat

The number stood at 31.1% in the same period in 2025

Top Turkish diplomat reassures new Hamas leader of Ankara’s support for Palestine

A source in the Turkish foreign ministry separately said that Hakan Fidan reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the Israeli government’s actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as attacks on holy sites, "remain on the international community’s agenda"

Ten civilians injured in Ukrainian drone strike on passenger bus

Two women sustained serious injuries, Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People's Republic, said

Rosoboronexport presents its latest missile for Su-57E fighter to global market

The RVV-SDM missile is designed to arm Su-57E fifth-generation fighter jets produced by the United Aircraft Corporation

Russian stocks close in the green on Wednesday

Buyers showed persistence, allowing the MOEX Index to hold above the 2,200-point mark

By taking control of Novaya Sech, Russia expands security buffer zone

The village of Novaya Sech in the Sumy region and its surroundings were used by Ukrainian nationalists as a unified stronghold

Russian corvette, Indonesian frigate enter Sea of Japan for joint drills

According to the Russian Pacific Fleet, the two vessels will practice joint maneuvering, and firing at various targets

F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine

The pilot was forced to eject, the Ukrainian Air Force said

Polish PM says he discusses air defense cooperation with Zelensky

Donald Tusk added that the sides had also discussed Polish investment in Ukraine

Production of Patriot systems in Ukraine impossible due to Boeing's position — TV

Boeing does not transfer licenses for the production of Patriot seeker heads to third countries, which could throw a wrench in those plans

US’ latest strikes on Iran don’t mean resumption of full-scale hostilities — media

A US official separately told The Wall Street Journal that this attack was more powerful than the previous ones

Russia hits Ukraine’s command, deployment points in Kherson and Kharkov Regions

The successful destruction of targets was confirmed by means of objective monitoring in real time

Press review: Logic behind Kiev attacks outside Russia and EU fights for sanctions life

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, July 28th

Czech police find no Metropolitan Hilarion’s fingerprints on drug wraps

According to the metropolitan, the only fingerprints found on the wraps were those of the police officer who claimed to have ‘discovered’ them there

West fights Russia through Ukraine, some countries harder than others — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister said the West did not want society to be calm

Agriculture production in Russia slips 0.8% in 1H

As of the end of June 2026, the cattle population across all agricultural producers was estimated at 16.3 mln heads

Zelensky's reception in US shows he's not seen as leader of sovereign state — expert

According to Alexander Dudchak, Ukraine is being used as a cover for a war with Russia, as an excuse to allocate serious sums for the development of its military-industrial complex, which will be paid for by the Europeans

West’s desire to subjugate Russia, Ukraine as ‘battering ram’: statements by Medvedev

The Russian Security Council deputy chairman emphasized that the only way to preserve Russia is to ensure victory in the special military operation

Moldova to have to talk on task force withdrawal from Transnistria with Russia — Deputy PM

Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri stressed that it is a bilateral Russian-Moldovan issue

US aware of Iran's nuclear developments without Israel — Trump

The US leader stressed that there is no need for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly state that he intends to reveal something on this topic

Annual inflation in Russia totals 5.94% as of July 27 — ministry

In the non-food sector, the rate of price growth slowed to 0.15%

Expert says Gulf monarchies seek to diversify defense ties as US proves unreliable

The current conflict has proven that America’s national security concerns, not the security concerns of the Persian Gulf states, are its primary concerns, Mehran Kamrava said

West saved Nazism, which was destroying USSR; Russia now finishing the job — Lavrov

The foreign minister emphasized that Russia should only rely on itself

Russia defeats Ukraine near Krasny Liman to liberate Donbass

According to the Russian officer, the UAV operators are firing at the enemy beyond the settlement to disrupt their logistics and continue Russian offensive towards Slavyansk and Raigorodok

Ukrainian drones attack Wildberries warehouse in Penza Region, one person hurt

Governor Oleg Melnichenko says that around 200 employees were evacuated

Rosoboronexport introduces latest RVV-SDM missile for Su-57E jet to global market

Alexander Mikheyev said that propulsion system power, and operational efficiency had been increased

Lavrov explains how Russia withstands sanctions

The foreign minister said that Russians' main national quality is something that does not exist in the West

Used electric car market rises 40% in 1H 2026 — statistics

The Nissan Leaf consistently leads the rankings for the used electric vehicle market, with 1,567 cars sold over a six-month period

Trump says he urged Zelensky to end war during recent meeting

The US president also said he continued to get along well with both his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Zelensky

US completes series of strikes against Iran — CENTCOM

According to the authority, its forces struck "dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran"

Rosatom finishes building RITM-200 reactors for Leningrad icebreaker

RITM-200 reactor units will fulfill a strategic mission within the next 40 years as part of the crew of the world’s most powerful icebreaker, Alexey Likhachev noted

Durov may be sent to Russia from country with extradition treaty — lawyer

Alexey Sinitsyn noted that Russia is a country with about 100 bilateral agreements

IN BRIEF: What is known about charges brought against Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov

Telegram’s administration has failed to remove numerous channels, chats, and bots on the messaging platform that are actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist and extremist organizations

Air defense forces down 150 Ukrainian UAVs over Russian regions, Black Sea over past day

During the day, Russian air defense forces on duty intercepted Ukrainian drones over 11 regions

Price of Brent oil on ICE up over 8% amid situation in Middle East

By 6:00 p.m. Moscow time, the price of Brent reached $91.06 per barrel

Situation with Fyodorov shows how easily his sponsors can organize protest — diplomat

According to Rodion Miroshnik, there is a system in Ukraine that blocks security forces’ response to civil protests and triggers the protests as such

Austria too sheepish to talk about Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets — Russian envoy

Andrey Grozov called on Australian officials and journalists "to show a public and unequivocal reaction to deadly attacks carried out by the Ukrainian armed forces"

Lavrov responds to Western calls to help with Ukraine: 'we have army' to deal with that

The foreign minister noted that Russia also had its people

Anti-Russian sanctions bill does US disservice — Russian embassy

The diplomatic mission noted that with this bill, US President Donald Trump's fellow party hawks are putting sticks in the wheels of the presidential foreign policy to the satisfaction of the opposition from the Democratic Party

Ukraine loses $70 million daily from downtime of Black Sea ports — paper

Three ports of Greater Odessa accounted for $2.1 billion worth of goods out of total Ukrainian exports worth $3.5 billion in June

US oil inventories down 7.2 mln barrels over week — Department of Energy

The current stock level is 7% below the five-year average typical for this time of the year

US to be very disappointed if China supplied weapons to Iran — Trump

According to the US president, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised in May not to provide military assistance to Iran

Russian tennis player advances to quarterfinals of tournament in Washington

In the quarterfinals, Liudmila Samsonova will play against the winner of the match between Russia's Diana Shnaider and Austria's Anastasia Potapova

Israel to stay in Lebanon, ready to expand security zone if necessary — General Staff

Eyal Zamir stressed that the IDF would not leave the security zone until long-term security is ensured

Netanyahu skeptical about chances for deal with Iran — portal

According to sources cited by Axios, the official also told the US president that Israel would not withdraw its troops from the buffer zone in southern Syria

Boeings carried weapons for Sudanese paramilitary, UN experts find — Reuters

The UN experts found reliable the estimate that from 1,500 to 2,000 Colombian mercenaries fought on the side of the Sudanese rebel movement Rapid Support Forces

Global market displays heightened interest in Su-57E fighter — Russia’s arms exporter

According to Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev, the aircraft has proven its superiority in real combat conditions when countering the most advanced air defense and electronic warfare systems

Russia develops Viverna-Kogot UAV interceptor with speeds of up to 300 km/h

The device is capable of effectively intercepting kamikaze drones and fixed-wing drones at altitudes of up to 3 km

PM calls trips to southern Kuril Islands 'Tokyo’s priority' in relations with Russia

Japan's Sanae Takaichi said this is a humanitarian issue

Death toll from earthquake in Japan up to 28

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara says the number includes those whose deaths are thought to be linked to the aftermath of the earthquake

Imperative Russia stay independent — Lavrov

According to the foreign minister, as an independent power, Russia is interested in cooperation with the two other major powers, China and India, as equals

Russia delivers weapons faster than foreign competitors — Rosoboronexport

Alexander Mikheyev noted that the company first and foremost catered to the needs of the Russian Armed Forces for weapons and military equipment

US Federal Reserve keeps rate in 3.5-3.75% range

According to the authority, economic activity is expanding at a solid pace despite heightened uncertainty, partly driven by the conflict in the Middle East

Ukraine to lose its Western territories sooner or later — Putin

It may not happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, It may take one year, two years, 10 years or 15 years, Russian President said

Fires at Wildberries facilities, 258 drones: aftermath of attacks on Russian regions

According to preliminary information, one person was injured in the Penza Region

IRGC says will deliver retaliatory strikes against US facilities

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated "the aggressor will be punished"

PR for Zelensky's terrorism, pride in Russians, 'healthy anger': Lavrov's statements

The Russian foreign minister added that people need to understand the gravity of a situation where essentially the entire West is against Russia

Trump, Saudi defense minister discuss conflict with Iran — media

No further details were provided

Russian troops liberate two communities in Ukraine operation over past day — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 200 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy tank and an armored personnel carrier in its areas of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Russia’s Molniya-PVO interceptor can ram Ukrainian drones without using warhead

The Molniya-PVO’s standard range is about 15 km, when diving on a target, it can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h

Retail trade turnover in Russia up 7.3% in June — Rosstat

According to the agency, the share of food products and tobacco products in the structure of retail trade turnover was 46.8% in June 2026

Inflation in Russia equals 0.04% from July 21 to 27 — Rosstat

Consumer prices in Russia have grown by 0.64% since the beginning of July

Russia confidently advancing on Dobropolye tactical direction — Defense Minister

Courageous and selfless warrior-guardsmen continue to fulfill their military duty to protect Russian people and land from the enemy, Andrey Belousov stated

FACTBOX: What is known about last night's massive strike by Russia on targets in Ukraine

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the strikes hit military airfields, defense industry enterprises, military telecommunication and logistics centers of Ukraine

Anonymous news channels become serious weapon against Russia

Yevgeny Poddubny underscored that in traditional media, correspondents were personally responsible for each published material

Kiev cannot compensate for loss of Odessa export routes — expert

Ilya Grashchenkov described the situation around the Odessa ports not as a blockade per se, but rather as a de facto halt to shipping

Zelensky facing problems with changing defense minister as it is lucrative post — diplomat

Rodion Miroshnik separately said that Vladimir Zelensky wanted to get rid of the now former prime minister, Yulia Sviridenko, as she "wouldn’t be able to get anything new from the "Western partners"

Gulf monarchies likely to resume dialogue with Iran after conflict — expert

Mehran Kamrava did not rule out that Iran and Oman could "come to some sort of mutual understanding over the Strait of Hormuz whereby they would jointly exercise administrative control over the strait"

Iran’s Shadegan comes under US missile attack

The Khuzestan province’s deputy governor told Fars that a missile strike was delivered on areas in the vicinity of the city

‘Christian Corps’ plans punitive operations in Ukraine — Russian security official

According to available information, it includes members of the Tradition and Order group, the Stugna special unit and the Belarusian Volunteers group

Trump says no plans to end Iran war because of strikes on US bases

The US president added he would "always hit back"

Trump's meeting with Zelensky lasts about hour — White House press pool

According to the journalists, the head of Kiev regime had left the White House

Senate Committee postpones vote on confirmation of Trump’s nominee for US Attorney General

Donald Trump appointed Todd Blanche as acting US Attorney General in April

Press review: Trump, Zelensky hold dubious meeting as Netanyahu tries to kill Iran truce

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, July 29th

Europe has no alternatives to Ka-32 firefighting helicopter — Rostec

The state corporation noted that Europe has no other highly maneuverable aircraft capable of carrying large volumes of water and delivering it accurately onto fires

Jordanian air defenses down five Iranian missiles — news agency

According to reports, no one was injured as a result of the incident

CPC reports drone attack on two more tankers near its terminal in Black Sea

There were no injuries or casualties among the personnel or contractor staff, and no oil spill occurred