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Direct Line and Vladimir Putin's Press Conference

Russia’s statutory monthly minimum wage to rise 18.5% from early 2024 — Putin

The statutory monthly minimum wage in Russia has been changed 25 times since 2000

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. Russia’s statutory monthly minimum wage will be increased by 18.5% effective from the beginning of next year, President Vladimir Putin said at his combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference.

"When I spoke about the growth in real incomes, it certainly should be mentioned that our statutory monthly minimum wage will be increased by 18% in one stroke. We do not make [such a hike] very often," the head of state noted.

On November 27, Putin signed into law a bill for raising the statutory monthly minimum wage to 19,242 rubles ($214). Under the new law, the monthly minimum wage hike will represent an increase of 18.5% starting from January 1, 2024. The monthly minimum wage has been at the level of 16,242 rubles ($180.70) in 2023.

The statutory monthly minimum wage in Russia has been changed 25 times since 2000.

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Vladimir Putin Direct Line and Vladimir Putin's Press Conference

NWF amounts to $131.13 bln as of November 1 — Russian Finance Ministry

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Russia’s Medvedev cautions next US leader against adding fuel to fire in Ukraine

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Crowds throw mud at Spanish king during visit to flood zone

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Russian forces liberate settlement of Vishnyovoye in Donetsk People’s Republic

Kiev reports tense situation for Ukrainian troops in Kurakhovsky direction

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Kursk region will be cleared of Ukrainian forces — Putin

He added that victory is impossible without volunteers who support the fighters at the front

Ukraine’s attempt to seize ZNPP threatens global nuclear industry — spokeswoman

The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is well-protected Yevgeniya Yashina added

Azerbaijan, Iran hold joint naval drills in Caspian Sea

The ministry said earlier that the drills involved two ships and more than 100 servicemen of the Azerbaijani Navy

Meta makes AI models available to US government for military purposes

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Russian Air Defense Forces shot down four HIMARS missiles, Hammer bomb, 42 Ukrainian UAVs

Russia’s East battlegroup improves its position, Ukraine loses up to 110 servicemen

Israel steps up readiness for potential Iranian strike — report

The IDF has not ruled out the possibility of an Iranian response from Syria, Yemen, or Iraq, rather than directly from Iran, the newspaper reported

North Korea probably launched ballistic missile, Japan’s coast guard says

The missile, whose type remains unclear so far, fell about 20 minutes after launch, the agency said

Kiev wants to exchange only militants from its nationalist battalions — Russian diplomat

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Ukrainian lawmaker Bezuglaya calls out ‘catastrophic situation’ in country’s army

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Russian Guardsmen uncover Ukrainian arms cache with over 100,000 munitions in LPR

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US election results will bring peace or third world war — Serbian leader

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Kiev strikes on Kursk NPP may cause Chernobyl, Fukushima-like disasters — Russian military

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Russia sends 19 tons of humanitarian aid to Lebanon

The flight was carried out under the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin to accept letters of credentials from 28 new ambassadors on November 5

The ceremony will also be attended by representatives from Argentina, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Finland

Putin meets with visiting North Korean foreign minister — Kremlin spokesman

On November 1, Choe Son Hui held talks with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov

Malaysia rejects US call to 'stop being friendly' with Russia — PM

Anwar Ibrahim said the call came during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the 19th East Asia Summit in Laos

For US losing dollar as a standard of settlements would be like losing a war, Trump says

The Republican presidential candidate criticized the current US administration for allowing the unification of Russia, China, Iran, the DPRK and a number of other countries into one group

Musk slams Harris for false claim about US troops in combat zones

Earlier, Harris had said, "There is not one member of the US military in active duty in a combat zone — in any war zone around the world"

West itself signed death warrant for dollar, turning it into punishment tool — Lavrov

At the same time, the volume of mutual settlements in national currencies in foreign trade between the BRICS member countries reaches around 65%

Russia’s Ionosfera-M satellites successfully put into orbit after launch

Soyuz-2.1b rocket also carried 53 other satellites

Russia does not seek confrontation, hopes Europe begins to cooperate — Putin

"I trust that a rational, balanced approach to cooperation with Russia will prevail once again," the Russian leader stressed

Kiev's violation of agreements means less territory for Ukraine — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister also recalled the Istanbul agreements

Prosecutor's Office deems activities of US-based business society undesirable in Russia

The international company incorporated in the United States has been engaged in promoting the policies of unfriendly states regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and actively supports the LGBT community, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office explained

Former CIA, Pentagon chief describes incursion into Kursk as Kiev’s ‘strategic mistake’

In Robert Gates opinion, Russia is capable of continuing its special military operation in Ukraine until it decides that its goals are met, and underestimating its ability to carry on "is a huge mistake"

Ukraine’s Security Service carrying out sabotage activities against ZNPP employees

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov recalled that shelling attacks on the nuclear plant by Ukrainian troops had been of little concern for the global community

Kiev may look at Qatar-mediated agreement with Russia on non-targeting energy facilities

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Chisinau denies hundreds of thousands of Moldovans in Russia right to vote — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov stressed that the Moldovan election was "neither democratic nor fair" and was "fraught with electoral manipulations"

List of BRICS partner countries agreed, Putin says

According to the Russian leader, the list of potential candidate countries was also agreed upon

Hollywood actors face pressure to endorse Harris or risk career setbacks — Elon Musk

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Ukrainians do not want war with Russia, but US keeps them trapped — expert

According to Professor Ruhollah Modabber, Washington has effectively banned free elections in Ukraine