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Issue of air service between Russia and UK under control

According to the anti-coronavirus crisis center, all decisions on that matter will be announced when taken

© Sergey Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. The issues of air service with the United Kingdom, where a new coronavirus mutation has been detected, is under control, a spokesman for the anti-coronavirus crisis center told TASS on Sunday.

"The situation is under control of the anti-coronavirus crisis center. All decisions on that matter will be announced when taken," the spokesman said.

Air service between Russia and the United Kingdom was resumed from August 1. Regular flights between Moscow and London are performs by Russia’s Aeroflot and British Airways.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on December 14 that a new variant of the coronavirus had been identified by British researchers and that this newly-identified variant "may be associated" with the faster spread in the south-east of England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news conference on Saturday that, according to preliminary data, the new strain could be by 70% more transmissible, adding however that no evidence to its bigger lethality were available.

On Saturday, the United Kingdom’s death toll from the coronavirus infection exceeded 67,000, Europe’s second highest mortality after Italy, and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded two million.

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Sergey Ryabkov noted that such problems exist for Russians using Turkish Airlines flights to other Latin American countries

Hungary sees Ukraine conflict entering new phase, NATO involvement rising

According to the minister Gergely Gulyas, the North Atlantic Alliance "wants to provide financial assistance, as well as supply weapons and train Ukrainian soldiers"

Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

"It is obvious that the upcoming combat training on the territory of Finland is part of a hybrid war against our country," Maria Zakharova said

Transfer of US ATACMS missiles to Ukraine cannot be justified — Russian ambassador

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Senior Russian MP dubs pervasive gender reassignment in West 'human tragedy'

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Reinforced Ukrainian battlegroup fails to break through Russian defenses in DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko added that the Ukrainians have also intensified artillery and drone attacks at Russian positions

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State trials of S-500 are under way at a testing range in southern Russia

West prepares puppet structures in case of coup in Belarus — KGB

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Fatah also said Hamas is currently seeking to become part of the Palestine Liberation Organization, but is doing this "only to preserve itself and survive"

Azerbaijan, Armenia have installed 20 border markers so far

Expert groups from the two countries continue their work

Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

Andrey Babenko said that after a crash course in Britain he had been sent to the frontline near Liman

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Bank of Russia keeps key rate to prevent inflation from being double-digit, Putin says

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West views Europe as potential theater of military operations — Lukashenko

The number of operational and combat training activities in Poland and the Baltic states increases every year, the Belarusian President noted

Russian cosmonauts begin first spacewalk in 2024

Oleg Kononenko and Nikolay Chub are expected to spend 6 hours and 52 minutes outside the orbital outpost

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Positive agenda promotion mechanisms should appear in Russia, SMI2 CEO Yury Belousov said

US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

"The impression is that Warsaw is maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff," Maria Zakharova added

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Konstantin Gavrilov also noted that the "manic efforts" of some Western OSCE member countries to isolate Russia "are futile and will backfire on their initiators"

Kremlin announces creation of blockchain-based payment system in BRICS

Work will continue to develop the Contingent Reserve Arrangement, primarily regarding the use of currencies different from the US dollar," the Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov pointed out

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Country’s leader Kim Jong Un said the systems feature advanced technologies and "will contribute to strategic changes in the process of strengthening the artillery forces."

West bends sanctions rules when it suits them — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that, "according to some parameters, companies in Europe and other regions can hardly maintain their competitiveness if they completely abandon our products"

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French neo-Nazi ringleader liquidated near Avdeyevka — sources

There is confirmed evidence of his connections with French secret services

US military advisers, if sent to Ukraine, won’t come close to frontlines — Pentagon

"United States has no intent of conducting combat operations inside of Ukraine, nor are these forces going to be anywhere near the frontlines," Patrick Ryder said

Kiev violates diplomatic relations convention by recruiting mercenaries abroad — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed to media reports, according to which Ukrainian embassies in a number of countries are openly campaigning local citizens to join the so-called International Legion of Ukrainian Territorial Defense

Swiss conference on Ukraine undermines European security — Russian diplomat

In Maxim Buyakevich words, neither the talks nor their outcome can change the existing political and territorial realities

Potential nuclear facilities in Poland to be military target for Russia — senior diplomat

According to Sergey Ryabkov, discussions around the deployment of NATO nuclear facilities in Poland are an "unfolding story"

Right to secession from USSR was ‘time bomb’ under its statehood — Putin

The text of the Declaration of the Creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the subsequent 1924 USSR Constitution contained the right of free secession from the Union, the Russian President pointed out

Industrial Development Fund will get additional capitalization of 300 bln rubles — Putin

The head of state stressed that companies implementing projects can already use special support measures, and the state will expand these business opportunities

Casualties reported after Ukrainian strike on residential house in Zaporozhye Region city

The rescuers are involved in efforts to clear the rubble of a five-story house on Kuibyshev Street

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Rescue craft were promptly sent to the ship, fire extinguishing started, the crew was evacuated

Europe should be prepared to build relations with Russia post-Ukraine conflict — Macron

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Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

The US businessman commented on remarks by Gad Saad, a Canadian professor of Lebanese origin, who insisted that "the path that the West is taking will result in civil war"

All-Belarusian People's Assembly adopts new military doctrine, security concept

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Iran calls on BRICS states to facilitate ceasefire in Gaza Strip

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza

Russian Embassy to Austria denied participation in ceremony at Nazi concentration camp

The embassy said that the Austrian Mauthhausen Committee had also cautioned the organizations of Russian compatriots in Austria against participating in the event

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Labor productivity requires a significant increase in all sectors of the economy, the President stressed

Armenian police arrests people protesting against demarcation with Azerbaijan

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Kiev troops may strike targets in Crimea with ATACMS missiles — newspaper

The goal "is to put more pressure on Crimea," The New York Times said

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Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV production workshop over past day

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North Korea to take part in SPIEF — Embassy in Russia

The 27th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held on June 5-8, 2024

Bolivarian Alliance countries stand for multipolar world — Maduro

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Foreign delegations show great interest in Russian defense products — security official

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The Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson stressed that "US steps are posing a major threat to security and stability of regional players"

Radioactive cloud from Ukraine’s eliminated munitions drifts to Europe — Security Council

"An increase in radiation levels has already been registered in Poland," Nikolay Patrushev warned

Ukraine could send special forces to capture Zaporozhye NPP — politician

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Number of houses affected by floods in Russia down to 15,280

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US shifted conflict in Europe onto EU, NATO shoulders to weaken Russia, says Lukashenko

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Crocus City Hall attack funded using cryptocurrency, Russian finance watchdog says

Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service head added that the act of terrorism was intricately planned and it took an international network of conspirators to carry it out

US effectively dooms Ukraine by its new decisions, Russian envoy says

"The American aid won’t save Zelensky. New weapons will be destroyed, and the special military operation goals will be achieved," Anatoly Antonov stressed

Russia ready to cooperate with all interested partners to ensure security — Putin

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Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

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Negative trends still on rise in US-China relations — top Chinese diplomat

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ATACMS shipment proves ‘Zelensky’s formula’ needed in US as ‘smoke and mirrors’ — diplomat

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More than 2.5 bln transactions made via Faster Payments System in Q1 — Central Bank

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