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Coronavirus pandemic

Iranian parliament suspends work over coronavirus fears

According to official data, there are 388 cases of COVID-19 in Iran

© AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi

TEHRAN, February 28. /TASS/. The Iranian parliament will suspend its hearings next week amid an outbreak of the coronavirus in the country, member of the parliamentary presidium Mohammad Ali Vakili said on Friday.

Read also

Four Iranian MPs test positive for coronavirus

"The presidium has made the decision not to hold hearings next week due to the risk of the spread of coronavirus," ISNA News Agency quoted him as saying. According to the lawmaker, "consideration of the budget will be postponed, possibly for a week".

On February 19, the Iranian Health Ministry reported first cases of novel coronavirus in the country in the city of Qom. According to official data, there are 388 cases of COVID-19 in Iran, with at least 34 recorded deaths.

On December 31, 2019, Chinese health officials reported a cluster of cases of acute respiratory illness to the World Health Organization in Wuhan, an economic and industrial metropolis with a population of 11 million. The virus - now named COVID-19 (2019-nCoV), otherwise known as the novel coronavirus - was identified on January 7, 2020.

Apart from China, 52 countries, including Russia, have reported confirmed coronavirus cases. According to the latest data, the overall number of people who contracted the novel coronavirus in China has exceeded 78,800, as many as 2,788 people have died and over 36,100 have recovered.

Nord Stream gas leak investigation

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Global community condemns use of terrorists in geopolitical struggle — Russian official

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev noted that the heads of foreign delegations expressed sincere condolences to the Russian people over the casualties of the attack on a concert hall outside Moscow

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Ukraine had to negotiate agreements with Russia with ‘three masters’ — Russian envoy

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Russian diplomat accuses US of coordinating Ukraine’s terrorist attacks

Earlier, US President Joe Biden signed a package of bills approved by Congress, which total some $95 bln and include about $61 bln to help Ukraine and $26 bln to support Israel

US government prepares to sign $6-bln contract for arms deliveries to Ukraine — Politico

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Russian defense chief points to West’s double standards on right to self-defense

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Earlier, demonstrators in several regions of Armenia tried to block highways, including international ones

Russian foreign minister to meet with Bolivian counterpart in Moscow

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Staff shortage cannot be covered by labor migration — Putin

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China, US free to have their own friends, partners — President Xi

Beijing sticks to the principle of non-alignment with any blocs, the Chinese leader said and called on Washington "to refrain from teaming up in small groups"

Russian court arrests in absentia four foreign agents charged with terrorism

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Promotion of Russian brands gives good return — Putin

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Tensions "have reached a peak where the slightest imbalance can lead either to a serious, high-profile and large-scale provocation or a conflict," Pavel Muraveiko stressed

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NATO bears direct responsibility for Ukraine crisis — Chinese Foreign Ministry

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Bank of Russia keeps key rate at 16% per annum again

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

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

"Neither these missiles nor other weapons can help defeat the Russian Federation," Anatoly Antonov said

Kiev confirms pulling back US-made Abrams tanks due to vulnerability to Russian UAVs

Thirty-one American tanks have become "unfit for the classical deployment," Maxim Buzhansky said

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

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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"

French neo-Nazi ringleader liquidated near Avdeyevka — sources

There is confirmed evidence of his connections with French secret services

Venezuelan foreign ministry, Russian embassy hold joint conference in Caracas

The event brought together almost 200 diplomats, foreign ministry staffers and experts in international relations

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

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Ukraine turns into testing ground for future world order, says Belarus president

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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"

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The Houthis also confirmed that the movement will "continue its military operations, impeding the navigation of Israeli vessels in the Red Sea, the Arab Sea and the Indian Ocean"

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The cosmonauts fulfilled their tasks way faster than planned, spending four hours and 36 minutes in space

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Russian troops destroy 89 Ukrainian UAVs, 5 boats in Kherson area over past day

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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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Blinken’s visit to China meant to shatter Russian-Chinese ties — senior Russian diplomat

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

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The countries will jointly announce the time of this trip, Dmitry Peskov said

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

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Russia says its battlegroup West seized better positions

The Russian forces also foiled a counterattack of an assault group of the Ukrainian 80th mechanized brigade in the vicinity of the Krasnoye settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic

European Parliament urges EU states to regard Russian presidential vote as illegitimate

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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

Russian troops wipe out military train with Western armaments in DPR over past day

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Dardanelles temporarily closed due to fire on board of dry cargo carrier

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

Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV production workshop over past day

The Russian forces improved their frontline positions and inflicted casualties on five Ukrainian army brigades in the Donetsk area over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Russia to hold next international security meeting in 2025 — top security official

The date and location will be announced later

Russian, Chinese militaries interacting stabilizes world processes — top defense official

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun noted that he wanted to discuss "the most fundamental issues" with his Russian counterpart, given the constraints of time and place

Russia warns US, NATO against harming its security — diplomat

Maria Zakharova stressed that "the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers"

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

Ivan Tertel said various methods were being considered, up to "instigating a forceful seizure by illegal armed groups" being trained in the West and Ukraine

Pelosi's remarks about US protesters undemocratic, Russian diplomat says

On April 25, US police said at least 127 people were arrested during large-scale protests on American university campuses against Israeli actions in the Palestinian enclave

Fatah accuses Hamas of actions that led to Israeli control of Gaza — report

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"

One more suspect in Crocus City Hall terror attack arrested — police

The detention was reported earlier by the media, which said that police had captured Tajik national Djumokhon Kurbonov

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

Situation at ZNPP remains unpredictable — International Atomic Energy Agency

The situation can take a sudden turn for the worse from one minute to the next, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said

Russia needs to boost production of goods based on domestic technologies — Putin

The President undescored that Russia did not plan to produce absolutely everything domestically

Kremlin unconcerned by European Parliament’s resolution on Russian election

The resolution that European Parliament members passed at a plenary session in Strasbourg "urges the member states of the European Union and the international community not to recognize the outcome of the Russian presidential election"

Ukraine to cease to exist unless it enters into talks, Belarusian president warns

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky should have realistic expectations

Press review: Belarus' new national security strategy and Russia, US butt heads at UN

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 26th

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

Over 3,100 foreign mercenaries fight for Ukraine, most of them from US

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Polish leader cautions NATO allies against provoking Russia

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