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FIFA Ballon d'Or 2014 awards

Cristiano Ronaldo was named the winner of the 2014 Ballon d'Or, German national soccer team head coach Joachim Loew received FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football award

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Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo (left) received the FIFA Ballon D'or World Player of the Year 2014 award at the FIFA Ballon d'Or gala held at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland, 12 January 2015

© EPA/ENNIO LEANZA

German soccer player Nadine Kessler received the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year 2014 award

© EPA/WALTER BIERI

German national soccer team head coach Joachim Loew (right) was named FIFA World Coach of the Year 2014 for Men's Football award

© EPA/WALTER BIERI

James Rodriguez (right) of Colombia received the FIFA Puskas Award 2014 for the best goal of the year

© EPA/WALTER BIERI

Manuel Neuer, Sergio Ramos, Philipp Lahm, Toni Kroos, Andres Iniesta, Arjen Robben, Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with their trophies after winning the FIFA FIFPro WORLD XI Award of the Year 2014

© EPA/ENNIO LEANZA

Munich's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer

© EPA/MAURIZIO GAMBARINI

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos

© EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA

Paris Saint Germain player David Luiz

© AP Photo/Michel Euler

Paris Saint Germain's Thiago Silva

© EPA/IAN LANGSDON

Bayern's Philipp Lahm

© ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin

Real Madrid player Toni Kroos

© AP Photo/Andres Kudacki

Barcelona's midfielder Andres Iniesta

© EPA/ALEJANDRO GARCIA

Manchester United's Angel Di Maria

© EPA/KIERAN GALVIN

Arjen Robben of Munich

© EPA/ANDREAS GEBERT

Real's Cristiano Ronaldo

© AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, files

Barcelona's Argentinian striker Lionel Messi

© EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ

Cristiano Ronaldo was named the winner of the 2014 Ballon d'Or, beating Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer to the honour in Zurich. German national soccer team head coach Joachim Loew received FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men's Football award. FIFA Team of 2014 consists of Manuel Neuer, Sergio Ramos, Philipp Lahm, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Toni Kroos, Andres Iniesta, Angel Di Maria, Arjen Robben, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Awards announced at the FIFA Ballon d'Or gala - in photo gallery by TASS.

World Triathlon allows Russian juniors to compete under their own flag, anthem

The decision took effect immediately, so in April Russian athletes will be able to enter World Triathlon events in Spain and Uzbekistan

Thirty casualties of plane crash over Crimea: what is known about missing An-26 aircraft

The An-26 military transport aircraft crashed into a cliff

Belarus does not want war, but is preparing for it — Lukashenko

"We cannot speak of any real peacetime,"

Russia, Ukraine are working hard on prisoner exchanges ahead of Easter — ombudswoman

Tatyana Moskalkova revealed that an agreement had been reached with Ukrainian authorities prior to the holiday to ensure that prisoners of war can observe Easter in a manner that honors their traditions

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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that the move would violate international maritime law

Russia is selling gas to Armenia much cheaper than European prices — Putin

The Russian president emphasized that the difference is huge

US says France can't use America's GMLRS missiles with domestic MLRS — Euractiv

The French are now considering the creation of two new missile systems

Iranian ambassador to Russia outlines Iran’s demands to US, Israel

Kazem Jalali said the Islamic Republic of Iran "has always welcomed any constructive and sincere efforts to establish stability and security in the region"

Turkey rejects compromise on Montreux Convention — Turkish Defense Ministry

Turkey’s approach to Black Sea security is based on maintaining the balance and stability ensured by the convention and on the leading role of the Black Sea littoral states, the ministry noted

Few reasons for cargo to transit through Armenia if Moscow has no interests there

Armenia’s ability to negotiate the direction of the cargo flow after the Meghri section is limited, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said

Grain supplies to Egypt, helping bring peace to Middle East: Putin’s statements

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Moldovan Parliament approves withdrawal from CIS core treaties

The decision was enacted through a two-thirds majority vote during a session livestreamed on the legislative body's official website

Ordinary Armenian consumers will pay for Western data centers — Overchuk

The Russian deputy PM noted that the West was shifting the burden of costs onto other countries

Putin to hold phone call with Saudi Crown Prince — Kremlin aide

The conversation will take place after the Russian president’s talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty

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The Russian president expressed hope that local political processes in Armenia amid the election campaign would not harm relations between the two countries

EC to transfer €1.4 bln in revenue from Russian assets to Ukraine — statement

The funds will be directed "to sustain the Ukrainian State, preserve essential public services" and support the Ukrainian military

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Dmitry Peskov said the current situation in the Middle East should be "shepherded to the peace track" as soon as possible

Gulf countries considering new oil export routes — FT

The region is discussing the expansion of existing capacity, including the Saudi Arabian East-West oil pipeline

European officials believe NATO ‘falling apart’ over US threats — Politico

European officials are discussing "how to handle the US president’s threats to quit NATO and what they would do if he followed through," the newspaper said

NATO readies for clash with Russia, Kiev truce ploy: Foreign Ministry statements

As Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted, the NATO report again names Russia as the most significant threat to security, peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region

German gas importer urges Cabinet to interfere in storages filling situation

VNG CEO Ulf Heitmueller said that things are not moving in the right direction

Iran’s IRGC claims attack on Amazon’s computing center in Bahrain

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7.4-magnitude quake recorded off coast of Indonesia

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Abdul Malik al-Houthi is convinced that the Iranian operations were accompanied by "heavy losses among officers and soldiers" of the armies of the United States and Israel

FACTBOX: What is known about new drone attack on TurkStream compressor station

The holding company clarified that the attack was carried out by three fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles

Russia develops long-range KVN-35 drone delivering warhead at distance of up to 35 km

The drone is capable of delivering a 3-kilogram warhead

Military presents Trump with plan to seize Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles — newspaper

According to sources cited by the newspaper, the plan could require the airlift of "hundreds or thousands of troops and heavy equipment"

Iranian diplomat slams Washington's demands on Tehran as ‘irrational’

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says that the republic does not participate in direct negotiations with the US

First patient in Russia receives personalized domestic cancer vaccine — Health Ministry

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Iran denies Trump’s statements about destroying Iranian military capabilities

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Russian Alexander Nevsky Brigade UAVs down 14 Ukrainian drones in one day

Over the past month, Russian air defense crews have shot down 102 large enemy UAVs

Russia’s Shoigu pushes for collective efforts to resolve Middle East conflict

According to the Russian Security Council secretary, everybody is extremely concerned about the situation in the Middle East

US puts NATO at arms length as Brussels pushes escalation with Russia — expert

"The US is distancing itself from NATO, but continues its persistent militarization through its assets in the European military-industrial complex," Alexander Stepanov said

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According to Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin, the geography and currency of payments changed over that period

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US close to achieving its key objectives in operation against Iran — Trump

The president says that the US armed forces "have been extraordinary"

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The money is to be sent to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko says

Iranian supreme leader’s advisor seriously injured in shelling — TV

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Rostec noted that the Krasnopol-M2, actively used in Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, is highly effective and boasts exceptional accuracy even at extreme ranges

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Sources told the newspaper that in response, several countries issued a joint statement on March 19, pledging to support efforts to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz

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The minisry highlighted that there had been no disruptions in regional supply

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Alexey Pushkov noted that the question of whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will use nuclear weapons in Iran has been actively discussed on American television in recent days

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Official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Mao Ning also called on the parties concerned to "work together to de-escalate the situation and prevent further negative effects of regional instability on global economic and energy security"

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There were no casualties

Iran’s actions are measured response, not start of war or aggression — Pezeshkian

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The mission is scheduled to last 10 days

Iranian MFA confirms US uses PrSM missile with tungsten pellets in strike on sports hall

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As Yury Ushakov added, Moscow sees that the Ukrainians are also actively negotiating with Washington

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On April 2, 1996, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed in Moscow a treaty establishing the Community of Russia and Belarus, which envisaged the creation of a politically and economically integrated association

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Russia’s LNG exports to Europe hit record high in March as Middle East supplies suspended

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Iran’s judiciary chief killed in attack on Tehran, says Al Hadath

The government has not commented on the information

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Iran attacks US steel plants in UAE, Bahrain, strikes Israel's Rafael plant

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US Gaza settlement plan remains declaration — Russia’s Security Council deputy secretary

Yury Kokov said that no practical steps had been taken to implement it

Zelensky plea for Easter truce yet another PR stunt — Russian MFA

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