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2018 FIFA WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA

Fans pour into Moscow ahead of World Cup kick off

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 14 with the opening match in Moscow between hosts Russia and the national team from Saudi Arabia

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A fan on the eve of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Manezhnaya Square, Moscow

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

Colombian fans on the eve of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

A young man kicks Telstar 18, the official match ball of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, in Moscow

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

Fans pose with an Egyptian flag in Manezhnaya Square

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

Brazilian fans hold a copy of the World Cup soccer tournament trophy near the Kremlin in Moscow

© AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky

Colombian soccer fan poses for photos ahead of the 2018 soccer World Cup in downtown Moscow

© AP Photo/Felipe Dana

Fans hold the Portuguese national flag as they attend the opening of the FIFA Fan Fest on Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills)

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Peruvian fans on the eve of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Manezhnaya Square

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

A Colombian fan on the eve of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Manezhnaya Square

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

Football fans seen in Moscow's Nikolskaya Street

© Artyom Geodakyan/TASS

Peruvian fans on the eve of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Nikolskaya Street

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

A Mexico fan wearing a tradition Mexican hat, cheers as his team, the Mexico national soccer team, boards a bus after training session at the 2018 soccer World Cup, in Moscow

© AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 14 with the opening match in the Russian capital of Moscow between hosts Russia and the national team from Saudi Arabia. Fan fest areas will be open in all the host cities during the tournament. They will entertain the visitors with live coverage of the games and, on top of that, with entertainment programs and shows.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara. The matches will be played from June 14 through to July 15. Two stadiums in Moscow - Luzhniki and Spartak - will host some of them.

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2018 World Cup in Russia

Russia's Rublev suffers second defeat at 2024 ATP Finals in Italy

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US missile defense base in Poland to defend US, Europe alike — Polish foreign minister

Radoslaw Sikorski also expressed hope that the base will never go into action

Kiev wants to mobilize 160,000 people to survive until Trump's inauguration — MP

According to Alexander Dubinsky, the authorities in Kiev are primarily focused on securing more of the funds allocated to them

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Press review: Trump forms foreign policy team and Europe sets course for militarization

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US shells for handful of Kiev’s Pion howitzers no game-changer — expert

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Russia keeps positive dynamics of agricultural production — ministry

The production index of foodstuffs was 104.2% in January - September against the like period in 2023 and the index for beverages was 109.8%

West to face 'devastating' response if it allows Kiev to strike deep into Russia — MFA

According to Maria Zakharova, Ukrainian social media accounts are meanwhile speculating that the Zelensky regime plans to present the received Western missiles as Ukrainian, changing the labels to use the weapons to attack Russia

Russia has written off $20 bln worth of African debts — MFA

Mikhail Bogdanov added that it allows using those debts "to implement socio-economic projects directly in the country"

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Israel delivering strikes on refugee camps in Gaza — TV

At least ten people have been killed, Al Jazeera reported

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Kalashnikov holding starts supplies of civilian drones

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The ministers will discuss the current status and future prospects of bilateral cooperation in political, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian fields

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"At the initial stage, it is planned to encourage entities within the Ukrainian civil society under their control, through US 'democratization' foundations and think tanks, to come up with a corresponding initiative," the statement reads

Kiev's Western allies begin to acknowledge need for territorial concessions — report

The diplomats see this approach as "land in exchange for Ukraine’s security"

Russian Su-34 bomber strikes Ukrainian troops in borderline Kursk area

Russian tactical aircraft pilots conduct sorties at any time of day or night in any weather conditions, using various armament

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"We hope that by the time when Syria becomes a BRICS member, a decisive line will be drawn under the Syrian settlement and we will be glad to admit Damascus as a member of this outstanding organization," Alexander Lavrentyev said

US administration always seeks to weaken Russia — Lavrov

The foreign minister pointed out that the Americans had long declared the idea that "there should be no country in the world more influential than the United States"

Russian diplomat hails Odessa woman as defender of truth after flag protest

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The ministry provided live-recording footage showing direct hits on Ukrainian military vehicles

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Denis Pushilin added that "it is almost impossible to find an undamaged building"

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Maria Zakharova emphasized that the Baltic Sea "will always be a common space for all of the region’s countries without exception"

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Dan Scavino, one of Trump’s longest serving and most trusted aides, will be assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff

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Russian politician condemns destruction of dam on Kurakhovo reservoir as Kiev’s terror act

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Ukraine aims to call up 1 mln people in eastern areas by end of 2024 — official

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At least ten Ukrainian troops were killed

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Japan remains ready to sign peace treaty with Russia — top diplomat

After Tokyo imposed anti-Russian sanctions over the situation in Ukraine, Russia halted consultations with Japan on a peace treaty

Russia open for contacts with Trumps’ team on Syria — Russian diplomat

Alexander Lavrentyev stressed that all parties to the conflict must be involved in talks so that a lasting peace in Syria could be achieved

There is chance to stop war in Middle East under Trump — Russian diplomat

"It is too early to talk about this because we should wait at least for the president’s inauguration," Alexander Lavrentyev noted

Venues for intra-Syrian talks offered by Oman, Egypt, Iraq — Russian diplomat

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According to the report, the Russian army is "attacking from three sides"

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Ukraine and Germany also discussed further defense cooperation

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According to Rumen Radev, Europe wants the conflict in Ukraine "to finish as soon as possible"

Trump 'demonstrates affinity' for Russian President Vladimir Putin — newspaper

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According to Irina Volk, police are also clamping down on groups and individuals that help bring people into the country illegally, leading to a 2.5-fold increase in the detection and preliminary investigation of such crimes

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Alexander Lavrentyev noted that despite the fact that the exact date of the summit has not yet been agreed upon, meetings in the Astana format are held regularly at other levels

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Also, two cars were destroyed as the Ukrainians fired four projectiles on downtown Energodar, with the facades and balcony glazing in buildings being damaged, according to the statement

Israel achieves its goals in conflict with Hamas, time to 'end the war' — Blinken

"Israel, by the standards it set itself, has accomplished the goals that it set for itself," the US Secretary of State noted

Finnish government requests EU sanctions exemption for Russian owners of sports arena

Finland's Foreign Ministry will need to obtain unanimous approval from EU countries

Borrell calls on EU to play ‘military role’

"Trump's re-election should make it clear to us that Europe should bolster its security and take its destiny into its own hands," EU’s outgoing top diplomat said

Two injured in bridge collapse in Crimea

"A car and a truck were on the bridge at the moment of collapse. Russian Emergencies Ministry rescuers retrieved two injured people," the ministry said

Scholz calls for doing everything to prevent escalation of Ukraine conflict

According to Scholz, Ukraine should have "good prospects" and not be left alone

Too early to talk about meeting between Assad, Erdogan — Russian diplomat

"Certain communication is maintained between the defense ministers, in the four-lateral format," Alexander Lavrentyev said

US State Department insists DPRK troops engaged in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region

Patel also insisted that "Russian forces have trained the DPRK soldiers in artillery, in UAV, and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, which are critical skills for frontline operations"

Russia inks first deals to deliver Su-57 fifth-generation fighter to foreign customers

Alexander Mikheyev also explained the expectations and effect of the demonstration of Russian military hardware at Airshow China in Zhuhai

Russia to ensure parity in response to US missile defense system in Poland — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov emphasized that by placing the missile defense system in Poland, the United States is bringing its military infrastructure closer to Russia in an attempt to curb its potential

Turkey invited to join BRICS as a partner state, says minister

Omer Bolat recalled that at the last BRICS summit in Kazan, the sides "considered the applications of Turkey and several other countries"

Russia supports new UNSC draft resolution on Gaza — envoy

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya noted that Resolution 2735 was only a tool to gain time for Israel

West attempted to prevent Russia-Africa ministerial meeting, diplomat says

African countries realized that "this pressure contradicts their own national interests", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said

54 countries vote against resolution on combating ne-Nazism

116 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Serbia, and Syria, supported the document

Trump’s return to power unlikely to change US approach to Ukraine crisis — Lavrov

Washington will always seek to control everything that is happening within NATO’s orbit, especially on NATO territory, the Russian foreign minister said

Next-gen Su-57 shows strength of Russia’s defense sector — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that military experts had praised the "unmatched capabilities" the plane displayed at the Airshow China in Zhuhai

Police revokes citizenship of 1,300 foreigners since year’s start

According to Irina Volk, these measures have contributed to a decrease in crime rates among foreigners in Russia

Businessmen in Germany, Russia again eager to interact more, says executive

Ulf Schneider expressed his gratitude to representatives of the Russian business community for their continued efforts to involve Western businessmen in work in Russia despite the challenging political climate

Trump to end NATO’s obsession to get on Russian territory — White House ex-strategist

Steve Bannon noted that Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement seeks to completely cut funding to Ukraine. According to Bannon, Europe, including Italy, will follow Trump’s lead, and, if "they [Europe and Italy] truly believe what they have been saying in recent years, they should be ready to pay"

Kremlin spokesman denies media reports of phone call between Putin, Trump

Dmitry Peskov described the Washington Post and Reuters reports about the alleged telephone conversation as "the most remarkable example of the quality of the information that is published nowadays, sometimes even by quite respected outlets"

Russian troops liberate Rovnopol community in Donbass region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North destroyed an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) production workshop of the Ukrainian army and inflicted roughly 110 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day

Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Czech intelligence warns of crime surge after Ukraine conflict ends

More than 380,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to the Czech Republic since February 24, 2022

Erdogan praises Russia, China for backing arms embargo on Israel

According to the Turkish leader, Israel "will become more and more aggressive if arms and ammunition supplies continue"

Biden assures Trump of smooth transition

Republican President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in on January 20, 2025

Lavrov likens proposals to freeze Ukraine crisis to worse version of Minsk agreements

"The Minsk agreements were final. If anyone had bothered to realize at the time that they were exactly that. We were talking about a small part of Donbass, if we are being totally honest," the minister continued

Attempts being made to drag Syria into armed confrontation in Middle East — diplomat

According to Alexander Lavrentyev, the top priority today is to prevent such attempts

What is known about Sevastopol car blast

Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev did not rule out the possibility that the incident was the result of sabotage

Russian diplomat doubts EU economy could rebound unless policy toward Moscow changes

According to Maria Zakharova, the magnitude of the EU's economic problems is "directly proportional to the degree of their complaisance and servility in relations with the US"

Russian delegation at COP29 in Baku is first carbon-neutral

The settlement will be at the expense of carbon units received as a result of implementing the climate project on energy efficiency increase at Sibur-Neftekhim

Russia keeps building defense capacity despite conflict in Ukraine — Polish general

According to Wieslaw Kukula, if the conflict in Ukraine ends soon, Russia will be able to build up its defense capacity to the point that it could take on all of NATO

Trump plans to appoint special envoy on Ukraine to hold peace talks with Russia — TV

According to the source, the job is not expected to be a salaried role

Trump does not rule out he may run in next US presidential election

Trump's participation in the next US election would be against the Constitution

Not all Republicans support Trump in refusing further military aid to Kiev — newspaper

According to the news outlet, Congressman Mike Waltz, who is being considered by Trump for the post of national security adviser, is in favor of lifting restrictions on the use of Western long-range missiles to attack Russia

Russian frigate carrying hypersonic weapons embarks on first deployment in distant waters

"The group comprises the frigate Admiral Golovko carrying long-range precision weapons and the medium sea tanker Vyazma," the Northern Fleet’s press office said

Bridges across Orontes damaged after Israel’s attack on Syria

The Sham FM radio station said earlier that Syrian air defense systems repelled an Israeli attack southwest of the city of Homs located some 165 kilometers from Damascus

Russian forces gain foothold near Kupyansk as Kiev begins to retreat

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted two significant blockages of Ukrainian troops near Kupyansk, involving more than 15,000 military personnel

White Helmets remain serious factor of instability in Syria — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed to a report by the Foundation for Research of Democracy Issues, titled "The White Helmets. Terrorist Accomplices and a Source of Disinformation"

Bank of Russia sets dollar rate at 98.37 rubles for November 14

The official yuan rate is fixed at 13.60 rubles

Lebanon deal won't happen unless Israel given right to eradicate Hezbollah — Katz

Israel Katz pointed out that the goals of the war in the north are to disarm Hezbollah, to push its forces past the Litani River deep within Lebanese territory, and to make it possible for the residents of Israel’s north to come back to their homes

Iraqi Shiites say they attacked ‘vital targets’ in Israel

According to the organization, attacks on "vital targets" in the city of Eilat in Israel’s south and in the country’s norther areas were staged with the use of drones

First S-550 air defense systems enter service in Russia — source

The source described the new system as "an absolutely new and unrivalled mobile system of strategic missile defense"