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Coronavirus pandemic

Every 100th person on Earth already contracted coronavirus

The United Nations Population Fund estimated the planet’s population at 7.795 billion people in mid-2020

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. The overall number of novel coronavirus cases worldwide exceeded 77.95 million, or more than 1% of the Earth’s population, according to TASS calculations based on data from authorities, experts and media.

The United Nations Population Fund estimated the planet’s population to be at 7.795 billion people in mid-2020. Therefore, every 100th person on the Earth has already contracted the virus.

The biggest percentage of infected citizens was registered in countries where the overall population is relatively low, such as Andorra (9.9% of the population, or 7,633 cases), Luxemburg (7.3% or 44,809) and Montenegro (7.2%, or 44,542 cases). In the United States, which has the world’s biggest number of cases and fatalities, a total of 5.6% of the population have contracted the novel coronavirus (over 18.2 million people). In Russia, the figure stands at about 1.9%, or 2.9 million people.

The pace of the infection continues to increase worldwide. Before the second wave of the disease broke out in many countries, about 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 were registered every day. The numbers doubled by October, reaching a daily average of approximately 600,000. The all-time high daily number of coronavirus cases was registered on December 20, when 800,000 new cases of the infection were reported worldwide.

At the same time, mortality slightly declined compared to the first wave of the pandemic, when fatalities accounted for 6-7% of all confirmed cases. At present, the overall number of coronavirus-related deaths worldwide stands at more than 1.7 million, or 2.2% of all registered cases.

Middle East conflict

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According to the report, the Israeli military struck a vehicle of the Quds News Network, parked outside the al-Awda hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp

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According to Joost Niemoller, Israel is the main winner from the changes in Syria, while Iran seems the biggest loser

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Benjamin Netanyahu promised that "this lesson would be learned throughout the Middle East"

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The top Russian diplomat expressed disappointment that virtually none of the Western nations have joined Russia’s condemnation of these attacks, including the leaders of international organizations like the UN, OSCE, or UNESCO

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According to Kazakh Transportation Minister Marat Karabayev, in total, 67 people were onboard the plane

Russian forces increasing pressure on Ukrainian troops near Belogorovka in LPR — expert

Unfavorable weather has made things worse for the enemy in that sector of the line of engagement, Andrey Marochko said

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Russia to donate 1 million euro to UN Climate Convention

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Russian MFA sees reports of potential deployment of EU troops in Ukraine as provocation

According to Maria Zakharova, for a peacekeeping force to participate in any conflict it requires the consent of all participants and a decision of the UN Security Council

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The experiment that allowed testing the supercomputer prototype took place on December 19, the Moscow State University said

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Russia says Su-35S fighter jets provide cover to Aerospace Forces in Kursk Region

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Biden tasks Pentagon with boosting military aid to Kiev

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The attack resulted in the deaths of three individuals, with a fourth victim passing away from injuries at the hospital shortly afterward

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The rest of the passengers in the vehicle did not get injured

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The capacity of the new gas pipeline should be 45 billion cubic meters per year, Alexander Novak said

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

Azerbaijan Airlines plane made 2 circles near Kazakh airport before crashing — official

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Syrian authorities introduce curfew in Latakia, Homs after Alawite protests

Previously, a curfew was imposed in another large Syrian city, Homs, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. local time

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Previously, nine law enforcement officers were killed by gunfire during an operation to detain a high-ranking former officer of the previous government

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Six people were hospitalized with injuries of varying degrees

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Putin's principles of Ukrainian settlement stem from international law — Lavrov

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Former Austrian minister believes EU ignored message Russia sent with Oreshnik missile

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Oil slick monitoring zone in south Russia expanded

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Russian MFA says West could try to pull off some military 'scheme' in Belarus

A presidential election campaign is starting in Belarus on January 1, with the election scheduled for January 26

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

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Maria Zakharova also highlighted the fact that the Middle East turned into "the concentration of a large amount of corrupt interests and ambitions" of Western countries with their negative consequences being "hard to even compare to anything"

Russia doesn’t need ceasefire in Ukraine, it needs legally binding guarantees — Lavrov

According to the foreign minister, these agreements should be aimed at eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict

Shelling on Donetsk decreases as frontline shifts — DPR head

Denis Pushilin noted that shelling in Donetsk’s Kirovsky and Petrovsky districts is expected to diminish further once Kurakhovo is liberated

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According to Vladimir Rogov, actions by the Russian Armed Forces will compel the garrison of the Ukrainian armed forces in Velikaya Novosyolka to face difficulties with supplies and reinforcements

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Cardboard boxes caught fire at the plant

Sandu regime may seize Moldavan power plant in Transnistria — Russian Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova noted that "under such a scenario, the Russian peacekeeping presence in the region will be jeopardized"

Russia continues special military op because Ukraine refuses talks — Kremlin

"It is important for us to achieve all the goals that we face in ensuring the security of our country," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

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No reports of damage or casualties have been received so far

Russia’s oil industry to be 90% independent of technology import in 2-3 years — Deputy PM

Alexander Novak noted that Russia will achieve leadership in a number of areas, including the extraction of hard-to-recover gas deposits

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The Russian emergencies minister, Alexander Kurenkov, added, that weather anomalies are becoming more and more frequent

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The spokeswoman went on to say that the stalemate began when Western countries de-facto blocked the work in this format

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The spacecraft, taking 75 mice and 1,500 drosophila flies, as well as plants and microorganisms to space, was initially planned to blast off on September 1, 2024

Inflation decelerates to 0.33% in Russia over week — statistics

Inflation was 0.35% a week earlier, from December 10 to 16

Serious conflict between Israel, Turkey possible — Russian expert

"It’s important to note that the primary development in this context is the markedly increased role of non-Arab states in the region, particularly two key players," Vitaly Naumkin said

Georgia became inconvenient for 'friends' after rejecting Ukrainian scenario — official

According to Kakha Kaladze, the country faced unprecedented pressure because of this

Houthis strike military facility near Tel Aviv with hypersonic missile

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Plane crash in Kazakhstan claims 38 lives

29 people had been hospitalized

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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

Russian investigators initiate criminal case into terror attack on borderline town

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

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Finnish company says power cable’s emergency shutdown due to sabotage

Finland and Estonia are connected by two sets of high-voltage submarine cables

Mother, her 11-year-old son among victims of Kazakhstan plane crash — authorities

The emergencies ministry has published the official list of Kazakh citizens who perished in the crash

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According to the Kazakh Transport Ministry, the plane belonged to Azerbaijan Airlines

Russian troops liberate Novy Trud community in Donbass region over past day

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In the food sector, prices growth rates declined to 0.76% during the reporting week

Twenty-eight people survive passenger plane crash in Kazakhstan — Emergencies Ministry

It is confirmed that two children were injured

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Azerbaijan Airlines suspends flights from Baku to Grozny, Makhachkala

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

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

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West plans to destabilize situation in Serbia — Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman

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Azerbaijan Airlines says its ill-fated jet underwent full examination in October

The aircraft’s crew chief, Igor Kshnyakin, clocked more than 15,000 hours of flight time

Former Austrian minister names 4 suspect countries in connection with Nord Stream sabotage

Asked what countries could be behind the attack, Karin Kneissl replied that, like in an Agatha Christie novel, "there are many suspects in this imaginary room"

Putin offers condolences to Azerbaijani president over plane crash near Aktau

"Overall, we are expressing deepest condolences to those who lost their near and dear in this air disaster," Dmitry Peskov said

Nine killed in shootout with law enforcers in Syria’s Tartus — TV

According to the report Al Hadath, the operation was aimed at detaining a high-ranking former officer of the previous government

Russia expects from Abkhazia to honor obligations on Russian investments

"And we hope that in conclusion of early presidential election, and it is set in Abkhazia for February 15, 2025, a leader will be elected that will continue working on progressive development of Abkhazia and bilateral relations with close ties with our country," Zakharova added

Around 29,400 square meters of Kerch Strait waters treated with sorbent after oil leak

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Russian embassy refutes reports on Sudan’s refusal to host Russian base

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Ukraine’s General Staff reports tense frontline situation

The most difficult situation for Ukrainian troops is observed in the Krasnoarmeisk (Pokrovsk), Kurakhovo and Vremevka frontline areas

Production of passenger cars in Russia up 25% in November to 80,400 units — Rosstat

11M 2024 production totaled 679,000 passenger cars

Ursa Major freighter was not overloaded, owner says

The vessel carried 2 portal cranes, 2 crane kibbles, 2 ship bilge covers, one 20-foot container with spare parts for the covers and 129 empty containers

Trump’s son posts image showing father buying Canada, Greenland on Amazon

"We are so back," Eric wrote for a caption

Russian cancer vaccine to be free of charge — top oncologist

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

Australia contacts Russia regarding captured mercenary — diplomat

Maria Zakharova emphasized that "Canberra obediently follows in the footsteps of the collective West, which pursues a Russophobic policy"

Azerbaijani president on his way back home from Russia after AZAL plane crash

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Nothing new in US statements on strategic stability dialogue — MFA

"By declaring on the one hand the intention to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, and on the other hand, the readiness to discuss ways of maintaining stability, Washington deprives the hypothetical dialogue of a meaningful basis," Maria Zakharova said