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EXPLOSION IN BEIRUT

Lebanese PM’s family and advisers hurt in blast in Beirut — media

Several advisers to the prime minister have also been hurt, according to Al Arabiya TV

CAIRO, August 4. /TASS/. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s wife and daughter have been hurt in a powerful explosion that rocked an area near Beirut’s seaport, Al Arabiya TV reported on Tuesday.

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Thousands injured after massive explosions rock Lebanese capital

Apart from that, according to the television channel, several advisers to the prime minister have also been hurt. Damage has been done to Baabda Palace, the official residence of the president of Lebanon. The shock wave damaged many buildings in the city, including that of the Russian embassy.

A powerful explosion rocked an area of Beirut’s seaport near a Lebanese naval base on Tuesday. According to a TASS correspondent, the shock wave reached the city’s dwelling quarters, causing serious damage to buildings. Al Arabiya TV reports numerous casualties, with at least ten people being killed. The blast was followed by fire, which has not yet been put out.

Military operation in Ukraine

Biden administration to send $1.25 bln in military assistance to Kiev — AP

The new package of aid to Kiev includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system, the agency said

Russian MFA denies reports of talks with Baku, Astana on plane crash near Aktau

It also indicated that specialized agencies are investigating the causes of the crash

NATO considers use of ATACMS missiles in Ukraine reckless, indiscriminate — NYT

The newspaper notes that, since Ukraine received an authorization from the UK and the US, Kiev carried out at least six missile strikes, using 31 ATACMS and 14 Storm Shadow missiles

Russian fighters advance in Volchansk in Kharkov Region, force Volchya River — expert

Andrey Marochko added that Russian servicemen "start preparing the way for further advancement southwest of this locality"

Russia to press for progress on line of engagement — Putin

The President stressed that Moscow would move on in accordance with the plans it had outlined

Turkey working on infrastructure of Istanbul gas hub — Energy Ministry

Earlier, Bayraktar announced plans to open a gas trading center in Istanbul in 2025 with the participation of the Turkish company Botas and Russia's Gazprom as part of the international gas hub project

Russian sailors from Ursa Major freighter departed from Spain to Russia

Earlier, the embassy’s consular department provided them with all necessary papers

Pentagon mum on F-16 fighter jet downed in Zaporozhye Region

The US Department of Defense "has no statement or information to provide," a department’s spokesperson said

Press review: Putin discusses EU gas supplies and Russia open to Ukraine talks with Trump

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, December 27th

Putin forms scientific advisory board under Russian Security Council

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu will lead the board

Georgian PM sees US sanctions on party founder as reward for protecting national interests

"This is just a reward for the defense of our country's national interests," Irakli Kobakhidze said

US disrupts payment of Russian contribution to ICRC budget — Foreign Ministry

This is another example of a harmful impact of unlawful restrictive measures, the ministry said

New Syrian authorities do not intend to annul agreements on Russian military bases

On December 9, a TASS source said that Russia has commenced the negotiations with the new Syrian authorities on the continued presence of its military bases

Contract for gas transit to EU cannot be renewed before New Year — Putin

According to the Russian President, an option of concluding contracts for delivery through third parties - Turkish, Hungarian, Slovak, Azerbaijani companies - is possible

MOEX, RTS indices fall by 0.33-1.62% on Friday

The yuan exchange rate rose by 0.37% over the day to 13.45 rubles

Syrian army’s weapons seized by terrorists — Iraq’s PM

Mohammed Al Sudani stressed that Baghdad respects the will of the Syrian people, hoping for progress toward a comprehensive political process

Archaeologists discover fossilized remains of palm-sized cat in China

The animal was similar in size to the smallest of its modern relatives, the black-footed cat

What is known about Russia’s retaliatory strike on Ukraine after attack on Rostov Region

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported the fires in Solomensky and Shevchenkovsky districts

Russian cancer vaccine to be free of charge — top oncologist

It is planned to launch it in general circulation in early 2025

Plane crash in Kazakhstan claims 38 lives

29 people had been hospitalized

Spanish coordination center orders Norwegian captain not to take Ursa Major sailors

Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center in Cartagena ordered not to take crew from vessel in distress on board as their rescue boat was on the way to the scene

Oreshnik missile systems still few, but they are enough — Putin

According to the head of state, the system's serial production has begun

Scholz says he would like to hold phone talks with Putin again

The German chancellor emphasized that he didn’t plan to "send German servicemen to this war"

Osamu Suzuki, who headed Japanese carmaker for 40 years, dies at 94

Osamu Suzuki joined the company in 1958, when he married the daughter of one of its founders and took her last name

Armenia's opposition intends to prevent Pashinyan's participation in 2026 elections

Leader of the opposition Sacred Struggle movement Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan stated that the PM doesn't have the courage to run in the elections

New Syrian authorities do not intend to annul agreements on Russian military bases

According to the source, the parties are holding negotiations to ensure that circumstances of force majeure, including military actions and regime changes in the republic, do not become a pretext for canceling the agreements

Germany seen defenseless against Russia’s Oreshnik missile system — report

Bild said the German Foreign Ministry commissioned an internal government analysis on defense from ballistic missiles

France made several requests to Russia on Ukraine topic through private channels — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, Paris proposed "to assist and facilitate dialogue on the Ukrainian issue"

Houthis say attacked US aircraft carrier in Red Sea, shot down US fighter jet

According to the Houthi spokesman, the strike on US vessels was delivered with the use of "eight cruise missiles and 17 drones"

Press review: Middle East may host Putin-Trump talks as experts probe Kazakhstan crash

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, December 26th

Two crew members of Ursa Major yet to be located — vessel’s owner company

The Ursa Major bulk carrier sank in the Mediterranean Sea

Mobilized Ukrainian troops poorly trained, army chief admits

In this regard, the Ukrainian military command considers extending the term of preparing recruits for warfare from six to eight weeks, Alexander Syrsky said

Russia’s 2,000th R-7 rocket delivers Resurs-P remote sensing satellite into orbit

Resurs-P satellites are designed for the Earth’s remote sensing and for regional and local monitoring of its surface

EU to impose new sanctions on ‘Russian shadow fleet’ over Baltic Sea incident

In addition, the European Union is strengthening protection of the bloc's undersea cables

Azerbaijan Airlines plane tried to land twice at Aktau airport before crash

The Aktau air traffic controller promptly performed all necessary measures for the aircraft’s landing

Russia practically eliminates remnants of Ukraine’s Air Force — source

The source said that attempts to recruit more pilots in Poland and other Eastern European countries were not particularly successful

Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia fail to agree on moving Geneva talks — Russian MFA

Since 2008, international discussions on security and stability in the South Caucasus have been held in Geneva, with the participation of Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, the United States, and South Ossetia, mediated by special representatives from the UN, the EU, and the OSCE

Politics discussed on board of ISS, but unlike on Earth crew members mingle — cosmonaut

According to Oleg Kononenko, there was no forbidden issues for the crew on board of the ISS

Foreign powers seek to provoke mass riots in Syria — source

On December 27, security forces formed by the new Syrian government blocked districts of the city of Tartus, where Alawites organized riots

Investigative Committee opens case against US mercenary who invaded Kursk Region

In August 2024, armed with automatic firearms, large-caliber weapons, explosive devices, and military equipment, Ryan O'Leary illegally crossed Russia's state border

Ukrainian troops struggling to escape being trapped in Lozovaya in Kharkov region — expert

In general, "quite active hostilities" are taking place near Dvurechnaya and Lozovaya in the Kupyansk sector of the line of engagement, Andrey Marochko noted

Europe must be punished, US ignored after hybrid war between West, Russia — Medvedev

According to the politician, Europe "became the primary stronghold of Russophobia globally," undermined the Istanbul agreements, initiated the sanctions campaign, and fueled the most extreme war factions without considering the losses suffered by both sides of the conflict

Russian MFA lists nine countries set to become BRICS partners from January 1

It is reported that Brazil’s BRICS chairmanship will announce the countries’ acquisition of the partner status as soon as it receives their confirmation

Kazakhstan’s Aktau Airport was aware of oxygen cylinder blast before plane’s crash

KazAeroNavigation’s flight director immediately notified all emergency services

CIA station in Kiev targeted in recent Russian attack, military expert reveals

According to Alexander Stepanov, strikes are systematic efforts to gradually wipe out the military capabilities of Ukraine

Scholz could make unexpected steps in relations with Russia amid German crisis — analyst

According to the analyst, Scholz's recent phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin came out of left field for the German political community

IN BRIEF: Putin talks to reporters about Oreshnik missile, natural gas transit

The president noted that the most important thing in the coming year is "the well-being of the Russian people, standard of living, stability"

Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet returns back to Baku shortly after takeoff

"The passenger aircraft landed at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport at 10:13 a.m. local time [6:13 a.m. GMT]," the statement noted

Houthis report attacking Santa Ursula vessel in Arabian Sea

The container ship Santa Ursula, sailing under the flag of Denmark, is bound from Spain’s Algerciras to the Omani port of Salalah, Marine Traffic data showed

Zelensky defines essence of next summit on Ukraine in four-letter explicit word — Lavrov

The first Kiev-initiated conference on Ukraine was held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on June 15-16

Russia offers safe haven for people trying to escape Western liberal ideals

Under the document, such foreign nationals will have the right to apply for temporary residence in Russia "outside the quota approved by the Russian government and without providing documents confirming their knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and basic laws"

Oboronlogistics company blames loss of its ship Ursa Major on terrorist attack

The Ursa Major dry cargo ship wrecked in the Mediterranean Sea

Ukraine’s General Staff admits tense situation along entire frontline

The Ukrainian army reported earlier on Friday that its forces were retreating to the border of the Dnepropetrovsk Region from the Kiev-controlled territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic "to the last defensive line" in that area

Finnish president says situation 'under control' after cables damage in Baltic Sea

According to Alexander Stubb, the cables were "significantly damaged"

Flydubai cancels flights to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi until January 2 and 3, respectively

Flydubai advised passengers to contact the airline's contact center or relevant travel agents for information on rebooking or refund options for cancelled flights

Ukraine's national debt reaches record $159.74 bln

In October, the national debt was $155.37 bln, which was also a record

Press review: US, Israel aim to curb Turkey’s gains while Moscow, Tehran strengthen ties

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, December 24th

Norwegians who refused to rescue sailors from Ursa Major acted like non-humans — senator

Konstantin Kosachev noted that the West was in the habit of discussing values, but the true Western values are not about legalizing same-sex marriage or overthrowing unwanted regimes or supporting Ukraine

Biden administration to send $1.25 bln in military assistance to Kiev — AP

The new package of aid to Kiev includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system, the agency said

Alfa-Bank analyst estimates potential for diamond price increase at 30-40% in 2-3 years

India's average diamond imports over 10 years amounted to $15 billion, and in 2024 they totaled $12 billion, while this year diamond prices fell to $125 per carat, according to Tolstykh's presentation

Serbia’s Vucic suggests Trump may bring ceasefire in Ukraine closer

Aleksandar Vucic also believes that, under Trump, the White House "will not provide as much financial support to Ukraine as the current administration" of outgoing US President Joe Biden

German president dissolves parliament, schedules early elections for February 23

Frank-Walter Steinmeier also said that he had consulted with the leaders of all the parties represented in the Bundestag before making the decision and concluded that neither the current nor the new government, in any composition, would win a majority in the current parliament

Transnistria must become part of negotiations on Ukraine — Foreign Minister of Moldova

The authorities of Transnistria call on the Moldovan leadership to intensify the negotiations on all platforms

Astana, Baku to closely cooperate in investigating plane crash in Kazakhstan

According to the statement, Tokayev assured the Azerbaijani president that the Kazakh side would make every effort to ensure a thorough and objective investigation of all circumstances of the incident, and briefed him on the progress of the work of the special state commission tasked with investigating the crash

No confidence vote, Bundestag's dissolution, early elections: political crisis in Germany

Germany faces an acute crisis after the ruling coalition clashed on budgetary and economic policies, including aid to Kiev and easing the "debt brake" rule

Parliament impeaches South Korean acting president

The impeachment was supported by 192 delegates with at least 151 votes required

Russia persuades most states it is essential to address causes of Ukrainian crisis — MFA

"This position was conveyed to the leadership of a number of NATO and EU countries, including Austria, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, the United States, Turkey, and Germany, as well as the Vatican and Switzerland in direct contacts with them at the highest and highest levels," the commentary says

Lavrov sees ceasefire in Ukraine as road to nowhere, calls for reliable agreements

The top Russian diplomat pointed out that those accords should first and foremost address the root causes of the Ukraine crisis

Russia says it carried out 38 strikes with high-precision weapons over past week

Russia’s Battlegroup West has repelled 25 Ukrainian counterattacks over the past week, wiping out over 3,080 enemy servicemen and destroying a German-made Leopard tank

Russian forces break through Ukrainian defense lines in Kharkov Region — expert

Marochko added that the operation allowed Russian troops to "expand their zone of control" in the area

Russian gas is most profitable for Europe in terms of price and logistics — Novak

In conditions of competing China, Europeans pay significantly more for US LNG than for Russian gas, the official noted

Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

Russian troops destroy over 18,500 military drones in Ukraine operation — top brass

The Ukrainian military lost roughly 390 troops and 2 armored vehicles in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past day, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported

FSB foils series of assassination attempts on senior Russian defense officials

The bombs intended for killing high-placed Russian Defense Ministry officials were disguised as a power bank and a document folder, the FSB press office specified

Russian security official says Poland gave Ukraine unusable helicopters

It is reported that corrupt Ukrainian officials will probably get their kickback from Poland, in another move that helps Ukraine’s downfall

Slovakia ready to host peace talks on Ukraine — Prime Minister

Robert Fico noted that Bratislava would be ready and hospitable

Airstrikes on Yemen’s capital target airport, Houthi military sites — source

Powerful explosions are going off in the city, a Houthi source told TASS

Russian Railways tests robodogs for work on dangerous railway sections

The iron dogs are equipped with cameras and lidars that automatically transmit data to the operator's computer

Azerbaijan Airlines to continue flights to six Russian cities

Azerbaijan Airlines announced the suspension of flights to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, Grozny, and Makhachkala from December 28 following the crash of its plane near Aktau on December 25

Ukraine receives first 100 mcb of LNG from United States

It was noted that this delivery was aimed at ensuring Ukraine's energy security and took place several days before the end of Russian gas transit through the country's territory

Press review: Putin outlines Russia's future goals and Tehran faces energy blackout riots

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, December 20th

Kremlin says no comment on 'highly specialized' issue of Finland’s seizure of oil tanker

On December 25, Reuters reported that Finland’s police and border guards have detained an oil tanker, which flies under the flag of the Cook Islands, suspecting that an anchor of the vessel may have damaged the EstLink 2 cable

Russia ready to assist Syria in organizing elections, top diplomat says

The framework of the election campaign is yet to be agreed upon, Sergey Lavrov said

US believes Ukrainian forces to be pushed out of Kursk Region in few months — Bloomberg

According to the report, Ukraine lacks personnel and Kiev has no confidence in further provision of military aid by the West

Ukraine’s army reports forced retreat to ‘last defensive line’ in Donbass area

Ukraine’s General Staff admitted earlier that the frontline situation remained tense for the Ukrainian army

Grozny airport was closed due to Ukrainian UAVs when AZAL plane crashed in Aktau

Dmitry Yadrov stressed that the plane’s commander tried to land in Grozny twice

Russia to build new aircraft carrier no sooner than 2030 — expert

No less than a decade will be required to build it, given favorable conditions, the expert said

Bank of Russia raises dollar exchange rate for December 28 to 100.53 rubles

At the same time, the official yuan exchange rate was reduced by 3 kopecks to 13.4434 rubles

Decision-making centers in Kiev may be targets of Russia’s strikes, says Lavrov

Moscow selects targets for strikes on the territory of Ukraine, proceeding solely from threats to Russia, the foreign minister stressed

Russia to convene UNSC meeting in January to discuss Ukraine’s crimes against civilians

The report on Ukrainian atrocities in Selidovo will be presented

Trump's words on Greenland escalate tensions in the Arctic — Russian ambassador to Norway

Nikolay Korchunov pointed out that Greenland and Denmark are not the only Arctic Council members feeling pressure on their sovereignty, and are in a difficult position in light of possible moves by the incoming Trump administration

Project 885M latest nuclear-powered submarine Arkhangelsk joins Russian Navy

During the ceremony, the Russian Navy chief handed in the St. Andrew’s naval flag to the submarine commander, Captain First Rank Alexander Gladkov

Russia’s still paying for gas transit through Ukraine — Putin

Pumping also continues through the Sudzha station, where military activities are ongoing

Expert offers to use navy ships to escort tankers after Eagle S incident

Alexander Stepanov believes that NATO intends to lock the Kaliningrad enclave, to lock the Russian trade fleet in Neva estuary and to simultaneously block the Leningrad naval base

Russian-Iranian partnership agreement to be inked on January 17 — ambassador

The comprehensive strategic partnership treaty is expected to mark a significant step forward in the development of relations between Russia and Iran, which are growing rapidly

Finnish police detain oil tanker on suspicion of damaging communication cables

It is also reported that the Eagle S "noticeably slowed down" presumably at the moment when the cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged

US may face bankruptcy if situation with national debt does not change — Musk

The US national debt for the first time climbed above $36 trillion on November 15

Two families with children return to Russia from Syria — commissioner

An aircraft landed in the Moscow Region, Maria Lvova-Belova said

US ramping up biological warfare presence in Africa — Russia’s top brass

Major General Aleksey Rtishchev said that branches of the US National Naval Military Medical Center are stationed in Ghana and Djibouti where active work is carried out in natural disease foci, isolation and sequencing of pathogens

NATO to boost military presence in Baltic Sea following cable incidents — Rutte

Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas attributed responsibility for the Baltic Sea incidents to the tanker fleet transporting Russian oil, even before the investigation concluded

Azerbaijan Airlines states its passenger jet crashed due to external mechanical damage

Azerbaijan Airlines earlier announced the suspension of flights to several Russian cities