22 Mar, 00:07

Militants kill over 40 people in southwestern Niger

The government has pledged to find and bring to justice not only those who committed the crime but also their accomplices, sponsors, and supporters

RABAT, March 22. /TASS/. A group of armed militants attacked the village of Fonbita in the rural Kokorou Region of southwestern Niger, killing at least 44 civilians.

Extremists surrounded a local mosque and carried out a massacre, according to the republic's Interior Ministry, as reported by AFP news agency. While retreating, the militants set fire to the market and nearby residential buildings.

Preliminary reports indicate that 44 people were killed and 13 others were wounded. The country has declared three days of mourning.

The government has pledged to find and bring to justice not only those who committed the crime but also their accomplices, sponsors, and supporters.

The village of Fonbita is located in the so-called "zone of three borders," near Mali and Burkina Faso, where militants from the terrorist groups Islamic State and al-Qaeda (both banned in Russia) have been operating for a long time. They frequently attack the military, security forces, and civilians alike.

5.5-magnitude earthquake rocks Chile

The epicenter was reportedly located 39 kilometers north of the city of Coquimbo, home to about 160,000 people

Issue of dividing Ukrainian territories being discussed right now — Trump

On March 3, Donald Trump described Vladimir Zelensky’s remark about the conflict being far from over as "the worst statement that could have been made"

Russian, US delegations set for negotiations in Riyadh on March 24

The Russian delegation will be represented by Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin and Advisor to the Director of the Federal Security Service Sergey Beseda

Yesterday, 14:12

Politicians interested in peace to emerge in Europe at some point — Kremlin

VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin recalled the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who remarked in early February that US leader Donald Trump would quickly restore order among European elites, saying they would soon "stand at the master's feet and wag their tails."

'Train has left the station' for Western companies whose niches already filled — Putin

"There will be no privileges or preferences for those returning," the Russian leader went on to say

Belgian PM warns confiscating Russian assets to be 'act of war'

The European Union, Canada, the United States and Japan froze $300 billion worth of Russia's assets after the start of the special military operation

Two days ago, 11:58

Serbian authorities will not allow western services to orchestrate ‘color revolution’

Vulin expressed his gratitude to Shoigu and to Russian President Vladimir Putin for their "attitude and position" amid the ongoing events

Two days ago, 00:54

Envoy Witkoff 100% certain Russia has no plans to attack Europe

US Presidential Special Envoy noted he finds the claims that 'the Russians are going to march across Europe' odd

Two days ago, 19:10

German official calls for working to restore relations with Russia

However, according to prime minister of the German state of Saxony Michael Kretschmer, Russia poses a threat at the moment

US Secretary of State Rubio, Israeli PM Netanyahu discuss Israel’s offensive in Gaza Strip

The Secretary discussed Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, and efforts to help release the hostages and bring them home

21 Aug 2024, 13:41

IN BRIEF: In Kursk Region, Ukraine forces regroup, suffer losses

A total of more than 4,400 Ukrainian servicemen have been destroyed during the hostilities

Indonesia to place country stand at SPIEF 2025 — Roscongress

Joint work at SPIEF will give impetus to the development of long-term mutual dialogue between Russia and Indonesia in a wide range of areas, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation Anton Kobyakov noted

Putin orders to establish separate airspace class for drones

The Russian leader also tasked to ensure creation of an efficient state governance system in the unmanned aviation sphere

Yesterday, 06:34

Air defense systems downed 59 drones at night

The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 29 drones over the territory of the Rostov Region, 20 drones over the Astrakhan Region, three drones over the Voronezh Region, three drones over the territory of the Volgograd Region, two drones over the territory of the Republic of Crimea, and one drone in each of the Kursk and Saratov Regions

Yesterday, 05:21

Year of 2025 can be among top warmest in history — expert

"This is because recent years are becoming increasing warmer under influence of growing concentration of greenhouse gases," Research Director of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia Roman Vilfand said

Yesterday, 05:15

EU does not understand meaning of independence — Russian diplomat

The European Union’s office in Ukraine informed that it would allocate further 10 billion euro to Kiev to finance "independent media

Yesterday, 14:54

Turkish Interior Ministry suspends Imamoglu from office

The heads of Istanbul’s Beylikduzu municipality, Mehmet Murat Calik, and the head of the Sisli district, Emrah Sahan, have also been suspended

19 Dec 2023, 15:12

Many in Western Ukraine want to become part of Poland, Romania, Hungary — Putin

"The people living there - many of them, at least, I know it for certain, 100% - they want to return to their historic homeland," the Russian president noted

Yesterday, 12:24

Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu calls on population to go to rallies after his arrest

Speaking about voting, Imamoglu was referring to the primaries organized on Sunday by the opposition Republican People's Party to approve his candidacy for participation in the upcoming presidential elections

Yesterday, 12:46

Protests in Serbia may be ‘radicalized’ in coming days — Deputy Prime Minister Vulin

The Deputy Prime Minister also stressed that the security forces of Serbia are "strong enough to protect the country "

Press review: Moscow forms delegation for US talks as EU fails to approve aid for Kiev

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, March 21st

Yesterday, 16:35

Macron's remarks on nuclear umbrella highly dangerous — Kremlin

In early March, Macron announced in an address to the French people that he would initiate discussions with allies about placing European countries under the protection of France's nuclear deterrent

23 Feb 2020, 16:46

Russia’s Navy tracks movements of US guided-missile destroyer in Black Sea

US naval ships regularly sail into the Black Sea

Yesterday, 13:24

Yemen's Houthis report attack on US Harry Truman aircraft carrier in Red Sea

The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that the strikes continued for several hours

Yesterday, 14:57

Kiev shows unready for peace initiatives by attacking energy facility in Zaporozhye

Ukrainian troops attacked a power substation in Pologi, leaving more than 11,000 subscribers without electricity

Yesterday, 18:30

Russian delegation comes to Riyadh for consultations with US — senator

The Russian delegation will be led by Karasin and Sergey Beseda, an advisor to the FSB director

Yesterday, 14:47

Europe trying to multiply root causes to Ukraine conflict — Kremlin

Peskov expressed bewilderment that Europeans are questioning where to find €800 billion - not for healthcare or infrastructure development, but for militarization

Yesterday, 11:28

Russian troops liberated settlement of Sribnoye in DPR — Defense Ministry

Russian troops hit military airfield infrastructure, unmanned aerial vehicle operator training centers, their production workshops and storage sites, as well as concentrations of manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 138 districts over the past 24 hours, the ministry added

Federal Customs Service says pays $78.2 bln into Russia’s coffers in 2024

Valery Pikalev noted that this number was 11% higher than in 2023, but 1% short of its projected target

Istanbul Exchange suspended deals again due to BIST100 Index dip

Analysts link the situation at the Istanbul Exchange, where trading was suspended several times over the last three days, with the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu

NATO plotting major smear campaign against Zelensky — Russian intelligence

Thus, according to the SVR, it is planned to "make public information that the 'president' personally and his team have misappropriated more than $1.5 billion only from funds meant to buy munitions"

Russia’s top security official thanks North Korea for solidarity on Ukraine

Sergey Shoigu emphasized that "Russia highly values the achieved level of strategic relations between the countries and is committed to deepen them"

Press review: Russia prepared for US ties as EU blocks Ukraine resolution

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, March 17th

Key rate increase probability becomes lower — Bank of Russia

Regulator's governor Elvira Nabiullina said that "next decisions will depend on whether the pace and stability of inflation decline are enough for its return to 4% by 2026"

11 Nov 2024, 14:27

Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

Yesterday, 18:23

Imamoglu supporters reconvene for mass rally near Istanbul City Hall

Protests in support of him take place in front of the city hall every day

Russia receives slew of people’s requests for resettlement from West — Zakharova

The Russian diplomat stressed that for most countries, Russia is becoming a "pioneer" that strives to defend vital things regardless of sanctions and restrictions, because they are universal

Hamas confirms death of senior official Barhoum in Israeli airstrike on hospital in Gaza

The TV channel reported earlier that Barhoum, who was in charge of Hamas's financial assets in Gaza, was killed

US makes exception for Hungary from sanctions against Gazprombank — Szijjarto

The exception from sanctions against Gazprombank for Hungary will be effective until May, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said

Shoigu hands over message from Putin to North Korea’s Kim

The Russian Security Council secretary stressed that Vladimir Putin pays the utmost attention to the implementation of agreements reached with the North Korean leader

Brazilian president to visit Russia in May, his aide confirms

Lula da Silva will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Yesterday, 17:16

The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh to host Russia-US talks

A representative of The Ritz-Carlton told a TASS correspondent that the meeting will be held "behind closed doors."

Yesterday, 09:39

Putin and Trump could have other contacts alongside with official ones — Kremlin

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also noted that the meeting between the two presidents must be carefully prepared and requires difficult technical negotiations first

Two days ago, 13:42

Envoy delivers Trump’s portrait commissioned by Putin to US president

Witkoff said in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson that the two leaders had sent signals to each other of their readiness for dialogue

Russia to speak separately with brands that quit leaving loopholes — Medvedev

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council opined that those companies would most probably want to get back

Yesterday, 20:53

Opposition nominates Imamoglu as Turkey's presidential candidate

Chairman of Turkey's opposition Republican People's Party Ozgur Ozel also called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to hold early presidential elections

Two days ago, 11:39

Russian forces hit Ukrainian military airfields, ammunition depots in 135 districts

At the same time, Russia’s air defense systems have shot down a MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry reported

Almost whole Kursk Region has been liberated — Russian commander

Russia’s military advance gave strong results, with almost all settlements taken at once, and the enemy’s personnel destroyed, Akhmat Special Forces Commander Lieutenant General Apty Alaudinov added

Yesterday, 10:20

Serbian Deputy PM says plotters against Trump behind protests in Serbia

According to Aleksandar Vulin, "same actors are behind attack on president Dodik and Republika Srpska"

Rosatom CEO expects Putin-Trump dialogue to strengthen nuclear safety

Commenting on the prospects of joint exploitation of the Zaporozhye NPP by Rosatom and Ukraine’s Energoatom, Alexey Likhachev emphasized that he saw "no point in it"

12 Sep 2024, 09:38

Ukrainian troops execute comrades attempting to surrender in Kursk — army

Major General Apty Alaudinov added that getting captured Ukrainian soldiers out of the combat zone is no easy task

Israel gears up for major ground offensive in Gaza Strip — WSJ

Benjamin Netanyahu believes that capturing and holding swathes of territory will allow them to finally defeat the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas, the newspaper writes

Yesterday, 19:24

US, Ukrainian delegations take break at talks in Riyadh

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that the delegation includes "energy experts as well as military representatives from the naval and air components."

Current price growth rates going down — Bank of Russia

The price growth slowdown affected "the segment of durable goods - motor vehicles, domestic appliances and furniture," Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina noted

Two days ago, 12:45

Serbia withdrew its vote on anti-Russian UN resolution, not wanting to ‘offend friends’

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin also noted that Serbia has not joined Western sanctions against Russia and will continue to adhere to this stance

Abrau-Dyurso holds firm on two-million-bottle export target for 2025

Abrau-Dyurso exported about 1.5 mln bottles in 2024

5 Dec 2022, 18:36

US commercial satellites surveyed Russia’s Engels airstrip ahead of Kiev’s strike attempt

Earlier, it was reported that, on Monday morning, Kiev attempted to strike the two airstrips with Soviet-made jet drones in order to disable Russian long-range aviation planes

Yesterday, 13:22

Pope Francis appears in public for the first time in five weeks

Several hundred people gathered in front of the hospital, and the Vatican News portal broadcast the event live

Yesterday, 05:42

Biden’s administration authorized Chevron to make payments to Venezuela — Bloomberg

A supplement to the sanction carve-out issued in November 2022 enabled Chevron to remain within the framework of laws when paying taxes and royalty to Venezuela, the news agency said

17 Dec 2017, 16:50

Putin thanks Trump for CIA tip that foiled terror plot in St. Petersburg

According to the Russian president, the CIA alert was enough to expose and arrest the criminals

Ukrainian troops 'cling' to Chasov Yar, unwilling to give up strategic height — DPR head·

"We see that the enemy 'clung' to Chasov Yar, realizing that this settlement is located on elevated ground, the dominant height, and in the future our units will have operational space in terms of advancing in a number of directions: to Kramatorsk, to Slavyansk, to Konstantinovka, so, of course, the enemy is impeded," Denis Pushilin said

More than 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza over past day — TV

According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli military delivered air and artillery strikes

Two days ago, 21:16

Hamas ready to be flexible for reaching agreement on Gaza

Hamas is in discussion with mediators on the plan to resolve the conflict in Gaza proposed by US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif Al-Qanou said earlier

Two days ago, 21:01

US carries out strikes on airport in Yemeni city of Hodeidah — TV

Al Hadath added that Houthi Naval Forces Chief of Staff Mansur al-Sa'adi had suffered injuries in the attack

Two days ago, 16:10

Trump may break NATO up without formal withdrawal — media

According to the magazine, "the White House does, in fact, have many options, if it wishes to undermine the alliance"

24 Jan 2019, 18:05

How Russia’s population changed over the years

Key facts about Russia's population since the year 1897

Yesterday, 05:27

Death toll from new Israeli strikes on Gaza Strip rises to 23 — Al Masirah TV

The Al Jazeera channel reported that the Israeli military struck an ambulance near the city of Rafah in the south of the enclave

21 Feb 2022, 20:17

Russia ready to show what true de-communization means for Ukraine - Putin

Present-day Ukraine was wholly created by Communist Russia, Putin said

Two days ago, 00:28

Ukraine's leadership agrees to hold presidential election — envoy Witkoff

American journalist Tucker Carlson recalled that 'the Russian position is he is not elected,' so one 'can't sign any kind of treaty with him'

10 Feb 2016, 18:30

NATO buildup in Black Sea violates Montreux Convention — Russian deputy

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier on Wednesday that NATO would continue adapting and building up its military capabilities in the Black Sea region

Yesterday, 09:27

Russia’s new Ambassador to US Darchiyev to travel to Washington next week — source

In early March, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Alexander Darchiyev as the Russian ambassador to Washington

Two days ago, 21:45

Hungary not lifting veto on Ukraine’s admission to EU due to situation in Transcarpathia

"Therefore, until such sad situation remains, any progress in talks on Ukraine’s admission to the EU is out of the question," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said

Russian Security Council Secretary Shoigu arrives in North Korea

It is planned that Shoigu will meet with the leader of the DPRK Kim Jong Un and other leaders of the country

Superjet, MC-21 aircraft could be exported to friendly countries — expert

A prototype of the Superjet aircraft equipped with Russia-produced PD-8 engines completed its maiden flight on March 17

Yesterday, 08:20

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu arrested by court order — A haber TV channel

He is charged in two cases related to corruption in the mayor's office and aiding terrorism respectively

Russian stock market in the red on Friday — market data

The MOEX Russia Index lost 0.98% to 3,191.61 points, while the RTS Index edged down by 1.26% to 1,187.89 points

Two days ago, 21:21

Interrogation of detained Istanbul Mayor ended — TV

According to Halk TV, a court decision on pre-trial restrictions for Imamoglu is expected on Sunday morning

Macron looks for excuses for involvement in Ukraine conflict — Russian diplomat

Earlier, Macron stated in an interview with Le Parisien that European countries willing to send a military contingent to Ukraine

Missing plane found crashed in Alaska, all 10 people aboard killed — report

It is unclear yet what caused the accident

27 Jan 2021, 17:31

Aeroflot extends closure of 88 international flights until April 30

The closure refers to destinations without formally resumed air traffic at the moment

Putin calls for technological leadership in unmanned aerial systems within five years

The Russian president also ordered to take measures providing for the use of solutions based on artificial intelligence in manufacturing and operation of drones

Two days ago, 04:24

Envoy Witkoff cites status of five Russian regions as key issue in Ukraine conflict

According to him, 'that's the key issue in the conflict'

Two days ago, 19:07

Russia’s Operation Pipeline triggers panic among Ukrainian troops — newspaper

The situation had already been critical when he and his fellow soldiers heard that Russian forces had broken through Ukrainian lines, Ukrainian Senior Sergeant Zenon Dashak said

5.5-magnitude earthquake rocks Chile

The epicenter was reportedly located 39 kilometers north of the city of Coquimbo, home to about 160,000 people

Around world in 75 years: Sergey Lavrov celebrates milestone anniversary

Back in 2021, the minister said that he had visited about 150 states, but Russia was always the most attractive country for him

Yesterday, 17:39

Ukrainian, US delegations begin meeting on ceasefire terms in Riyadh

On March 20, US special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg stated that the US was eager to hold proximity talks in Riyadh between the technical teams of Russia and the Kiev authorities

Yesterday, 20:55

Israeli strike on southern Gaza kills Hamas senior official — media

The channel said that Barhoum, who was in charge of Hamas's financial assets in Gaza, was killed in an attack on the Nasser medical complex in the town of Khan Yunis

14 Jun 2024, 14:13

Russia makes another real peace proposal to Kiev — Putin

Vladimir Putin emphasized that Russia's plan would mean ending the conflict once and for all, not freezing it

Kiev and allies fear Trump will force them to make peace on Russia's terms — Bloomberg

US president’s critics are concerned that Trump "may offer consessions to Russia without Ukraine’s consent, putting President Vladimir Zelensky in a perilous position"

Yesterday, 15:35

US, Russia to talk cessation of hostilities in Black Sea, trade in Riyadh — advisor Waltz

Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov announced earlier that Russian and US experts would hold consultations in Riyadh on March 24

Britain may be behind explosion of Sudzha gas metering station — Russian politician

The destruction of the gas metering station in Sudzha by Ukrainian forces is a provocation designed to undermine the peace initiatives of US President Donald Trump, Sergey Mironov stated

Yesterday, 15:43

Russia, US to discuss territories, verification at talks in Riyadh — advisor Waltz

US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz noted that the talks will constitute "some type of discussion of territory for permanent and lasting peace."

Yesterday, 11:11

Ukrainian armed forces lost over 190 soldiers in Kursk direction in 24 hours

The Russian Defense Ministry added that units of the Battlegroup North inflicted losses on formations of a mechanized, airborne assault brigade, a marine brigade and three territorial defense brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces in the areas of the settlements of Gogolevka, Gornal, Guevo and Oleshnya during offensive operations

Russia has no plans to attack Germany — MFA on Merz's remarks

"If Berlin makes such claims, it means that Germany may have such plans itself; but in that case, Berlin needs to call things by their proper name," Maria Zakharova stated

Putin requests allocation of extra funds for development of satellites for drone control

The execution deadline is June 1, 2025

BMW's net profit falls by around 37% in 2024

According to the company’s data, the largest share of the group's revenue (42.7%) came from the European market, with Asia (32.7%) and North and South America (22.4%) in second and third place

Yesterday, 16:27

Over 50,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023 — Health Ministry

On March 18, the Israeli army resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip, launching massive strikes on the enclave breaking the ceasefire established in January

Confines of Ukraine deal already there, following contacts with Putin, Zelensky — Trump

The US leader also reiterated that the Ukrainian conflict would have never happened if he had been president in 2022

Yesterday, 05:44

Russian army hit Ukraine’s Azov brigade location

Seven Starlink terminals, 21 drone control points and a field ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army were destroyed, the Russian Battlegroup West spokesman Ivan Bigma added

BRICS New Development Bank’s head Dilma Rousseff confirms her re-election

Dilma Rousseff added that the BRICS countries will continue pushing for the participation in mutually beneficial investment projects