14 Apr, 15:22

Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket takes all-female crew on debut tourist trip

The capsule landed safely after taking the six-woman team on a 10-12 minute trip into suborbital space

NEW YORK, April 14. /TASS/. Blue Origin has successfully completed its tourist flight into space as part of the NS-31 mission, according to a Blue Origin website broadcast.

It was the 31st launch of the New Shepard rocket, which consists of a reusable booster and a capsule for passengers, and the first rocket to go into space with an all-female crew since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963. American pop singer Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez, the fianc·e of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, TV host Gayle King, former rocket scientist at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aisha Bowe, bioastroonautics specialist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Keriann Flynn were all on board the automated flight.

The capsule landed safely after taking the six-woman team on a 10-12 minute trip into suborbital space. During the flight, the participants experienced several minutes of weightlessness and were able to observe the Earth against the blackness of space.

Blue Origin is Bezos’ answer to Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, offering a chance to travel into space for $600,000. The exact ticket price for New Shepard has not yet been disclosed.

Cargo Dragon freighter docks with ISS

The journey from Earth to the orbital outpost took about 28 hours

Erdogan’s son confesses he ‘enjoys coming to Russia’

Necmeddin Bilal Erdogan said he had been to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi and Yakutsk

Russian, Bangladeshi naval crews hold joint maneuvers in Indian Ocean

After finishing practical training, the Russian vessels continued to perform tasks as part of their long-range cruise plan, according to the Pacific Fleet

Russian troops take precautions to prevent civilian casualties in Kursk Region settlement

The Ukrainian army lost a total of over 200 troops during fighting in the area

Russia’s grain harvest in 2024 among top five best in history — minister

"It is enough to feed ourselves and feed 160 countries of our world more," Oksana Lut said

Trump’s plan to resolve Ukraine crisis to feature in new history textbooks — Kremlin aide

Vladimir Medinsky noted 'the extraordinary efforts being taken by the new US administration in an attempt to find a reasonable solution to the Ukraine conflict'

EU’s demands to leaders not to come to Moscow on May 9 show depth of West’s descent

"It's shameful that on the other side our adversaries dare to issue warnings to those who want to come to Moscow," Alexander Grushko said

Russian army advances near Pokrovsk despite massive attacks by Ukrainian drones

According to military expert Vitaly Kiselev, the Russian troops are still making gains under these challenging conditions

RTS Index falling after official rates released by Bank of Russia

The MOEX Russia Index was traded at 2,941.54 points, up 0.65%

Pope Francis’ peace efforts rejected by Zelensky, NATO — Hungarian activist

According to Endre Simo, the head of the Roman Catholic Church "sought compromise between East and West, because he believed that the opposing sides should extend a hand to each other for the sake of harmonious coexistence of peoples and nations"

Mediators offer Israel, Hamas truce for 5-7 years — media outlet

Meanwhile, Hamas has signaled its readiness to relinquish control in the enclave and hand over governance of Gaza to another Palestinian political force, such as the Palestinian National Authority or some new organization

Yesterday, 09:10

Houthis claim strikes on two US aircraft carrier groups

"Missile forces and drone units launched two cruise missiles and two drones at the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its associated ships in the northern part of the Red Sea," the movement said

Press review: US could rally 70 countries against China and EU targets Russia before May 9

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, April 17th

Trump to travel to Rome on April 25 to attend funeral of Pope Francis

The funeral is scheduled for April 26

Grain exports to Africa via Baltic Sea up since year start reaching 698,000 tons

As for volumes of shipped grain and processed products, the ports of the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg are the leaders in the Northwestern Federal District

15 Jan 2024, 13:38

US hindered probe into COVID origin, Pfizer, Moderna harvested profits — Russian military

According to Igor Kirillov, the list of people involved in COVID-19 relief fraud also includes top managers from a number of US contracting organizations, namely Nita Madhav, who was CEO of Metabiota, and Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance

Ukrainian troops blow up historical buildings at monastery in Russia’s Kursk Region

According to the Russian security forces, the monastery sustained major damage

Hyundai registers at least eight trademarks in Russia — patent authority

All trademarks registered are in Class 12 of the International Classification of Goods and Services, which covers cars, as well as spare parts and accessories

Zoo employee dies after tiger attack in Mariupol

The incident occurred around midday when an employee came in to feed the animal

Slovaks not to forget who liberated them from fascism — PM

Robert Fico also reminded that in 1944, some of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War took place in the vicinity of the Dukla pass near the Slovak-Ukrainian border

Kiev hits LPR with UAVs, trying to show importance before London talks — expert

Andrey Marochko suggested that Ukrainian forces might escalate their attacks on other frontline villages ahead of the forthcoming talks

No deal yet with US on further military assistance — Zelensky

Speaking about Kiev’s interest in obtaining Patriot air defense systems, he left the door open that these might be included in a new assistance package, but acknowledged that this would depend on further negotiations

Two Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders detained in Damascus — TV

Al Hadath noted that this is the first time leaders of Palestinian groups have been apprehended in Syria

Farewell ceremony for Pope Francis begins in Vatican

According to the press service of the Holy See, members of the Roman Curia and the Vatican staff are currently paying last respects to the Pope

Zelensky reports explosion at Motor Sich plant

The authorities in Kiev usually do not disclose incidents at military facilities and factories

Emergency introduced in Kirzhach district of Vladimir Region after explosion

Emergency response services are working on the site

Evacuation underway after blast struck village in Vladimir Region

According to the report, all emergency response forces are engaged

China’s ambassador to Kiev summoned to Ukrainian foreign ministry

Kiev claimed that certain evidence was presented to the Chinese side, and "serious concerns" were expressed

Shooting in northern India kills 27 tourists, injures many others

The incident occurred in Pahalgam, a popular destination for tourists in the region

Putin holds talks with Oman’s sultan for first time ever

The sides plan to sign ten agreements following the talks, including documents on the mutual refusal of visa requirements for regular passport holders

New anti-Russian sanctions to influence global oil supply routes — EIA

New sanctions against Russian oil did not significantly influence forecasts on the oil market balance and oil prices, the US Energy Information Administration said

Kiev delegation set to discuss ceasefire during talks in London

According to Vladimir Zelensky, once a ceasefire is declared, Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia in any format

Search operation for foreign climbers on Mount Elbrus suspended until morning

According to preliminary data, two climbers have high altitude sickness

NATO’s aggressive policy based on military planning — senior Russian diplomat

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko noted that Moscow would use all available means to ensure its defense strength amid the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s aggressive aspirations

Yesterday, 16:41

Russian-made SJ-100 jet preparing for maiden flight — company executive

A prototype of the passenger jet with imported systems and domestically-produced PD-8 engines successfully completed its first test flight in March 2025

Visa-free regime will give new impetus to development of tourism with Oman — minister

The Economic Development Ministry stressed that the route network of air traffic with the kingdom is also developing

Russia boost beer exports by 25% in Q1 2025 — Agroexport

"According to preliminary estimates of experts, Russian beer exports surged above 33,000 metric tons during three months of 2025," the federal center said

Yesterday, 16:08

Kremlin aide Patrushev says Russia faces enhanced maritime threats from West

He warned that Western measures will be met with an "adequate and proportionate response" from Russia

Kadyrov says Ukrainian forces tried to cross Russian border in Sumy area, were stopped

According to the official, a Ukrainian armored fighting vehicle exploded on the minefield and was finished off by a precise strike of a fiber-optic drone

Putin offers condolences over terrorist attack in India — Kremlin

The Russian president also expressed readiness to further strengthen cooperation with Indian partners in the fight against all forms of terrorism

Kremlin says is ready for talks with Zelensky, an illegitimate president of Ukraine

"An analysis by our country that has been repeatedly voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin shows that Mr. Zelensky has big problems de jure in terms of his legitimacy, but the Russian side remains open to negotiations even despite this," Dmitry Peskov stated

Yesterday, 15:43

Tariff preference for butter imports to be renewed until end of 2025 in Russia

The decision is aimed at saturating the domestic market and restraining the rise in prices for such products, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development noted

Top Russian human rights defender reveals real reason behind conflict with West

"They fear that the world will not be organized by their rules but by competing principles," Valery Fadeyev pointed out

US to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods, but they will never be at zero — Trump

US president noted that the negative economic effects from increased customs tariffs will be felt in the United States for some time

Witkoff plans to visit Moscow this week, Kremlin aide says

Steve Witkoff most recently visited Russia on April 11 and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg

US to propose that Europe recognize Crimea as Russian — report

According to The Washington Post, the proposal will be part of a possible peace deal

Yesterday, 18:59

First Swedish AWACS aircraft arrives in Ukraine, test flight completed — UNIAN

Sweden promised to supply Kiev with two Saab 340 AEW&C (ACS-890) aircraft

Ukraine conflict taught Russia how to counter Western weapons, senior NATO commander says

French Admiral Pierre Vandier warned that if NATO forces "do not regain their technical and tactical superiority," they could face difficulties during the next conflict

White House confirms Witkoff to travel to Russia this week

Kremlin Foreign Policy Aide Yury Ushakov earlier said Witkoff plans to visit Moscow this week

Russia negotiating with US on Ukraine, tense work underway — Kremlin

According to Dmitry Peskov, the process is difficult and time-consuming

Russian army breaches second line of Ukrainian defenses near Konstantinovka

Advisor to the DPR head Igor Kimakovsky noted that intense fighting is ongoing in the Chasov Yar area, where the enemy is attempting to hold strategic heights to prevent the Russian Armed Forces from gaining control of the region

Political firestorm around Pentagon reshuffle aimed at hurting Trump agenda — Hegseth

The US defense secretary reiterated that the fired officials were deemed to be responsible for several high-profile information leaks

Russian painter of Trump portrait describes his work as priceless amid current tensions

According to Nikas Safronov, he depicted a collection of important symbols

US basketball legend Michael Jordan is world’s highest-paid athlete of all time — portal

According to the US-based sports business web portal, adjusting for inflation, Jordan, the 62-year-old six-time NBA champion, has earned $4.15 billion

IMF forecast update reflects current trends in Russia's GDP growth — experts

Earlier, the International Monetary Fund released a report in which it raised its forecast for Russian economic growth in 2025

Kremlin unaware about contents of Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine

According to Dmitry Peskov, Russia continues communication with the US through all available channels

Trump’s approval rating slides to 42%, latest poll shows

The poll surveyed more than 4,300 US adults on April 16-21

Yesterday, 14:25

EU cannot support Ukraine in military conflict without US — Kneissl

According to the former Austrian foreign minister, "France is now very upset that Germany and Poland are buying weapons from the United States, and not from France"

Ukrainian troops intentionally destroy Gornal monastery — Russian envoy

Rodion Miroshnik stressed that the monastery will be rebuilt

Premature to talk about results of negotiations with US on Ukraine — presidential aide

"We are holding serious and substantial discussions on Ukraine and I believe the dialogue will continue this week," Yury Ushakov emphasized

Pope did not allow his court to set him against Russian Orthodox Church — Patriarch Kirill

He noted that Pope Francis’ attitude towards Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church will not be forgotten

Trump’s plan may include deployment of European troops in Ukraine — newspaper

According to the newspaper, the negotiators are now considering "a separate peacekeeping force to monitor any ceasefire, which would look like a ‘joint commission’ of Russians, Ukrainians and a third, non-NATO country"

Mining ban can be introduced in three more Russian regions — ministry

The Energy Ministry does not have information thus far whether the ban is a complete one or is introduced for the heating season

Yesterday, 11:56

Putin ratifies agreement on strategic partnership with Iran

The agreement sets out the legal framework for further development of cooperation between Moscow and Tehran for the long-term perspective

ECB warns Brussels of potential crypto apocalypse over Trump’s actions — Politico

European officials fret that several major financial market reforms the US president has touted will "undermine efforts to become strategically independent" as the EU tries to revamp its financial sector, the newspaper said

US overestimates own power in attempt to squeeze China out of global trade — newspaper

Washington's blatant coercion of negotiating parties to "pick sides" and its open attempt to contain and isolate China lay bare its arrogant and hegemonic intentions, representing a blatant defiance and disruption of the global economic and trade order, the paper wrote

Ukraine uses special op experience to train British military on drone warfare — The Times

According to the British Defense Ministry, British instructors have trained 50,000 Ukrainian troops between February 2022 and November 2024

Russian servicemen liberate Gornal monastery in Kursk Region — sources

According to the Russian servicemen, the Ukrainian military considered the monastery a military facility

Yesterday, 18:57

Russia must repay moral debt to residents of Donbass, Novorossiya — Putin

The president noted that restoration of Donbass and Novorossiya is a complex but gradually advancing process

Zelensky fails to comment on Russian proposal to stop hitting civilian infrastructure

The first attempt to get him to respond to the proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin came from a Politico reporter

Iran plans to build 19 more nuclear reactors, top diplomat says

According to Abbas Araghchi, Tehran has never opposed scientific and technological cooperation with Washington

Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Russia and Algeria sign cooperation agreement

The document pays special attention to the development of cooperation at the regional level and the active participation of business circles in congress and exhibition activities

Rubio won’t attend Ukraine talks in London

US President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg will attend the discussions

Press review: Vatican adjusts after Pope’s death as Moscow eyes Afghan projects post-ban

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, April 22nd

Trump to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE on May 13-16 — White House

In March, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS that Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet in Saudi Arabia at some point, but as of today, no concrete plans have materialized

Russian stock indices up as trading on Moscow Exchange closes

The yuan-to-ruble rate rose by 2 kopecks to 11.15 rubles

Patriarch of Serbia thanks Putin for his position on Kosovo, Republika Srpska

Patriarch Porfirije said that "without Kosovo and the Republika Srpska, the Serbian people have no future

Top Russian diplomat, Laos deputy prime minister discuss trade, economic cooperation

"The sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest on the regional and global agenda," the Russian Foreign Ministry said

Kremlin dismisses idea of placing rushed deadlines on Ukraine conflict resolution

As Dmitry Peskov stressed, the issue of the Ukrainian settlement is "extremely complex"

Houthis report another attack on US aircraft carriers

According to the Houthi spokesman, these operations were carried out 'in the context of resisting America’s aggression against Yemen and supporting the Palestinian people'

Two days ago, 02:53

Japan may increase rice imports from the US — newspaper

Japan is also considering an opportunity to offer simplified access of US vehicles to the country’s market, Nikkei reported

Suzuki issue recall of over 3,700 vehicles in Russia due to vacuum pump malfunction

The pump valve may swell and partially block the negative pressure channel to the brake booster, which in turn may lead to an increase in the required force to press the brake pedal and the appearance of extraneous sounds when pressing the brake pedal, the technical regulator explains

Plane flying from St. Petersburg to Kirov makes emergency landing in Moscow

The flight operator, Pobeda Airlines, said later that the pilot of flight DP513 made a decision to land in Moscow after a hydraulic system gauge signaled a malfunction

Yesterday, 13:15

West incapable of competing in trade on legal grounds — Russian Foreign Ministry

Improvements in the state of global economic relations are not expected in the near future because the West has historically engaged in trade and sanction wars, Maria Zakharova noted

FACTBOX: What to know about explosion at Russia’s military unit

According to Governor Alexander Avdeyev, first responders are working at the scene of the explosion in the region’s Kirzhach District

Four people hurt in blast at munitions depot in Vladimir Region — governor

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, a fire at a Russian military unit set off a detonation of munitions at the unit’s depot

Ukrainian reserves near Krasnoarmeysk running low amid new Russian successes — politician

Igor Kimakovsky recalled that the Ukrainian army attempted to "cut off" Russia's advance by drones

Yesterday, 11:14

Earth trembles at Russia’s tallest active volcano

Continued activity may affect low-flying aircraft

Yesterday, 15:51

Russia has no intention to get into naval arms race — presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev drew attention to the "increased competition" between the United States and China in the naval sphere

Yesterday, 10:46

Nazis whom Zelensky made welcome in power to sacrifice him whenever possible — politician

Viktor Medvedchuk emphasized that Zelensky had long ago become a pawn in both foreign and domestic politics

Russia to reduce import duty on French perfumes, eau de toilette, hair products to 20%

In general, the list of countries subject to increased duties on imports of perfumes, cosmetics and household chemicals into Russia has expanded

Russia to impose 35% duty on import of perfume, eau de toilette from unfriendly countries

As the Industry and Trade Ministry notes, the updated list of goods subject to duty was determined jointly with the business community

Yesterday, 14:45

Kiev was 'prompted' to accept Russia's Easter ceasefire proposal — Putin

The Russian president noted that initially Ukraine issued a statement dismissing the proposal "as a game with people’s lives"

Yesterday, 15:42

Putin explains strike on Sumy congress center by Ukrainian military award ceremony

The Russian president exemplified that in restaurants, the Ukrainian military personnel "hold some gatherings, meetings, conferences"

Putin to take part in SPIEF 2025, Foreign Ministry says

The forum will be held on June 18-21

Kiev blocks every effort to take bodies of Ukrainian soldiers from battlefields near Kursk

Russian security officer told TASS that Russian servicemen came under attack as they attempted to take the bodies of Ukrainian troops from areas near Guyevo and Nikolayevo-Daryino to mortuaries

Switzerland imposes sanctions on eight Russian media outlets

The restrictions will take effect on April 23

Hungarian PM casts vote opposing Ukraine's admission to the EU in national referendum

The Hungarian government intends to take the results of the referendum into account during talks with the EU leadership

Russia, Oman to improve efficiency of transport links for passenger transportation

Russia’s Transport Ministry said that "a memorandum of understanding in the field of transport and transit between the transport ministries of the two countries was signed"

Over dozen countries declare mourning over Pope Francis’ death

Francis made history as the first Latin American pontiff

Russian troops liberate Sukhaya Balka community in Donetsk region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 310 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported