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Coronavirus pandemic

Pandemic peak yet to be reached, says WHO head

According to him, the weekend saw 400,000 infections identified across the world

© EPA-EFE/FABRICE COFFRINI/POOL

GENEVA, July 7. /TASS/. The coronavirus pandemic still has not reached its peak globally, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing in Geneva Tuesday.

According to him, the weekend saw 400,000 infections identified across the world. "The outbreak is accelerating and we’ve clearly not reached the peak of the pandemic," he noted.

"There have now been 11.4 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 535,000 lives have been lost," the WHO head added. "While the number of deaths appears to have levelled off globally, in reality some countries have made significant progress in reducing the number of deaths, while in other countries deaths are still on the rise.".

Israel may have used banned white phosphorus munitions while shelling Lebanon — TV

On Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces press office reported that Israeli fighter jets struck "significant Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure used by the terrorist organization’s aerial defense system" in Lebanon

Russian security chief urges measures against 'ethnic enclaves' in Russia

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Press review: Israel mulls response to Iran's strike and Ukraine plays shot-caller with US

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Georgia’s parliament approves first reading of foreign agent bill

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UN concerned about 'increasingly dangerous rhetoric' in Middle East, official says

On the evening of April 13, Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel in response to what it called "repeated crimes," including an attack on the consular office of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus

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The Russian defense minister "personally tested the special transportation vehicle and its running qualities"

EU leaders urge to adopt proposal on using incomes from frozen Russian assets for Ukraine

The EU, the US, Japan and Canada have frozen Russian assets worth a total amount of around $300 bln

Russian PM signs off on plan for regions to accommodate evacuees from Palestine

The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry is assigned to oversee the process of sending the evacuees to their respective regions in accordance with an annex to the directive

Israel plans to send 'painful message' to Iran in response to attack — newspaper

According to the report, Israel’s war cabinet will meet on April 16 for a third straight day

Hamas grateful to Erdogan for his support — TV

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Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

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Russian Aerospace Forces destroy three militant hideouts in Syria’s Homs

No shelling attacks on Syrian troops were registered over the past 24 hours

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Russian security official vows 'well-deserved' punishment for those behind Crocus attack

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'Iron Dome' can't fully protect from UAV swarms — Chinese expert

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EU vows new sanctions against Iran, calls on Mideast conflict parties to show restraint

The European Union is also poised to impose new sanctions on Iran, related to drones and missiles

Protesters give Georgian government one hour to revoke foreign agents bill

Earlier on Wednesday, Georgia’s parliament passed the foreign agents bill in the first reading

US assured Israel that Iranian drones will be intercepted — US journalist Hersh

He also said that the US military contacted Russia and the United Kingdom while evaluating the potential of the Iranian attack

G7 countries to prevent Iran from producing, purchasing weapons

The G7 finance ministers and Central Bank chiefs also condemned "the unprecedented attack against Israel by Iran"

Ukrainian drone attack damages four houses in Russia’s Voronezh

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Slovakia to oppose Ukraine’s NATO membership bid — PM

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China to act over possible US measures for alleged support of Russian defense sector

"China always opposes the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Liu Pengyu said

Xi Jinping proposes four principles for resolving Ukrainian crisis

The Chinese leader had an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukrainian crisis with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is on an official visit to Beijing

Russia restores gasoline production after decline — Energy Ministry

The increase in motor gasoline production in mid-April is associated with production recovery after a local drop due to unscheduled repairs at refineries

Romania now hosts as many as 11 F-16 jets for training of Ukrainian pilots

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Ukraine turns from sovereign country into Western protectorate, Hungarian PM says

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Press review: US throws Russia New START curveball and Washington's aid balancing act

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Avtostat revises new car sales forecast to 1.5 mln in Russia this year

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DPR leader reports heaviest fighting near Avdeyevka, Chasov Yar

According to Denis Pushilin, it is too early to say when the city could be liberated

Russian industrial producers’ prices up 2.4% in March — statistics

In chemicals production, prices edged up by 26.8% for ethers, organic peroxides, epoxides, acetals and semiacetals and their derivatives

Iranian president warns of 'terrible response' to any action against country

Ebrahim Raisi opined that the UN Security Council and the organization as a whole "failed to fulfill their minimum legal obligations to condemn the [Israeli] attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus"

G7 seeks to accelerate supplying air defenses to Ukraine — sources

The Kiev regime has long insisted on Western partners supplying it with more effective air defenses

US retrieves weapons previously banned under INF treaty — Russian ambassador

Anatoly Antonov emphasized that such steps were another powerful blow to strategic stability

Russian government approves list of unfriendly countries

There are two countries on the list

EU summit urges to provide air defense systems and all necessary military aid to Kiev

The document also says that the EU and its member states will step up humanitarian support and civil protection assistance to Ukraine

Russian, Turkish senior diplomats discuss situation in Gaza

"The meeting focused on the situation in the region," said in the statement

Iran withdraws officers out of Syria due to Israel’s potential strike — newspaper

The report said that the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement is also reducing the number of its officers in Syria

Both main US parties threatened Telegram, co-founder says

"So we got two letters that said: whatever we do, we would be violating the US Constitution," Pavel Durov said

Ukrainian front may collapse this summer — newspaper

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Top British diplomat refused to recognize Voronezh and Rostov as part of Russia — source

After Truss’ statements urging Moscow to move its forces, located on Russia’s soil, away from the border with Ukraine, Sergey Lavrov asked his British counterpart if she recognized Russia’s sovereignty over the Voronezh and Rostov Regions

Israeli Air Force strikes Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

The IDF also said that its soldiers were forced to open fire in the area in order to "remove an imminent threat"

Situation with air service between Russia and Dubai stabilizing — air transport agency

Domestic airlines completed about 30 flights between airports in Russia and Dubai

Ukraine to lose at least 10 mln citizens over mobilization law — political scientist

According to Andrey Zolotarev, domestically, the population’s confidence level in President Vladimir Zelensky and state authorities will plummet

Almost 3,000 shots fired at Russia’s Kursk Region during military operation

The region's governor Roman Starovoit said 50 apartment buildings, 975 single-family homes, two stores, seven social and cultural buildings have been restored in the region since the beginning of the special operation

Georgian protests against foreign agent bill reek of US influence — Medvedev

"The experienced and all-too-familiar Hollywood touch can be seen behind these rallies," the politician pointed out

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In February-March 2024, the Military Aerospace Defense Academy held training of CIS specialists in counter-drone fight

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Vladimir Zelensky asked his country’s supporters to provide "everything that helps to hold the frontline," including shells, military vehicles and drones

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"Ambassador Vinay Kumar paid a courtesy call on [Russian] Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov," the embassy said on its X page

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Iran has the region’s largest arsenal of ballistic missiles, estimated to number in the low thousands, Behnam Ben Taleblu noted

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Israel planned to strike back at Iran on April 15, but decided to postpone, Axios reports

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Vasily Nebenzya also pointed at the European Union’s double standards with regard to refugees from Ukraine and the Global South

Turkish foreign minister urges West to stop Israel, prevent war in region

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Roscosmos chief notes high quality of Vostochny space center’s construction

Yury Borisov said that the space facility’s launch pad bore practically no visible signs of the recent Angara-A5 carrier rocket’s launch

Shoigu visits presentation of over 30 promising weapons, including robotic vehicles

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Number of people convicted of high treason in Russia last year revealed

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Shoigu calls to urgently launch production of medical robots

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Humanitarian efforts in Gaza doomed without durable ceasefire — Russia’s UN envoy

Vasily Nebenzya is convinced that the work of the UNRWA is indispensable under these circumstances

Crimea, Donbass to forever remain within Russia, Slovak PM tells national parliament

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

New US bill calls for $26 bln in assistance to Israel

The bill also includes a proposal to earmark $2.4 billion to fund US Armed Forces operating in the Middle East in response to threats against Israel

Annual inflation in Russia gearing up to 7.83% over week — Economy Ministry

Prices slowed down to in their growth to 0.1% during the reporting week

US not going to be in armed conflict with Russia — official

The President of the United States has made that very clear

Lavrov states West’s growing concern about BRICS plans to develop own financial tools

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No snap elections before delimiting borders with Azerbaijan, Armenian PM says

Nikol Pashinyan said about it, replying to a question from a resident of the borderline village of Berkaber about the necessity to hold snap elections before delimiting the border with Azerbaijan

Israel says its jets attacked Hezbollah air defense site in eastern Lebanon

I"DF soldiers recently carried out strikes to eliminate "an immediate threat" in the Qawqaba area in southern Lebanon," Israel Defense Forces said

Erdogan once again denounces Israel as terrorist state that committed genocide

The Turkish reminded that Turkey does not consider the radical Palestinian movement Hamas terrorist

Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

Investigators have established that the funds that were received through commercial organizations, such as the oil and gas company Burisma Holdings operating in Ukraine, have been used to carry out terrorist acts in Russia and abroad

US deliberately fuels tensions in Asia — Russian envoy to Washington

According to Anatoly Antonov, the United States are creating new closed groups and military-political alliances in the Asia-Pacific region and this way "are trying to return the world to the worst times of the Cold War and brinkmanship on the brink of a nuclear conflict"

Press review: Iran fires back at Israel and Russia, West spar over AI rulebook

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, April 15th

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli barracks in Shebaa Heights

Anti-tank guided missiles hit an artillery battery in Al-Samak in the Kfarchouba hills

Russian software sales soaring over last four years — Minister

The number of employees in IT companies increased by 1.5 times over four years, Maksut Shadaev said

Gasoline output in Russia up 12.1% week-on-week on April 1-7 to 845,900 tons — statistics

The statistics service does not provide the year-on-year dynamics of gasoline production

Georgian president says she will veto law on foreign agents

According to Salome Zourabichvili, she is certain that the parliamentary majority will override her veto

Ukrainian president signs law tightening mobilization rules

According to Rada Deputy Speaker Alexander Korniyenko, some of the law’s provisions will take effect after its publication, while most of them will enter into force in a month

Peacekeepers fully accomplish mission in Karabakh, Russian senator says

According to a statement signed by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on November 9, 2020, a Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian forces pummel Ukrainian army, equipment in 133 areas over past day

Russian troops took better frontline positions in the Donetsk area over the past day, the ministry reported

Russia assumes that Security Council will soon return to Gaza ceasefire issue — diplomat

"Ramadan has passed, and the question of a long-term ceasefire is once again very acute," Vasily Nebenzya said

Russia to scrap moratorium on intermediate missiles if US deploys them anywhere — MFA

Sergey Ryabkov said the US seeks to maintain military superiority in a great variety of areas

Putin points to high risk of new epidemic outbreaks

The Russian president pointed out that Moscow’s "program of assistance to the African countries in sanitary and epidemiological well-being provides for the delivery of ten mobile high-containment biological laboratories"

Former Ukrainian MP sees Zelensky turning into 'usurper' after his term expires

The legitimacy of the authorities is a hot button issue in Ukraine, where parliamentary and presidential elections are prohibited during martial law

Funding needs to be restored to UNRWA before end of investigation — Russia’s UN envoy

"Investigation should be objective and based not only on data provided by Israel but also on Palestinian information", Vasily Nebenzya said