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Developments in Afghanistan

Taliban encircles Kabul, enters Afghan capital’s airport

The Taliban announced earlier on Sunday it was controlling the entire territory of Afghanistan

© AP Photo/Mohammad Asif Khan

CAIRO, August 15. /TASS/. The Taliban radical militant group (outlawed in Russia) has completely encircled Kabul and is entering the territory of the Afghan capital’s airport, the Al Arabia TV Channel reported on Sunday.

The Taliban has pledged that all foreigners wishing to leave Afghanistan will be able to do so without any hindrance, taking use of Kabul Airport. Those who wish to stay will be required to be registered with representatives of the Taliban, the TV Channel said.

The Taliban leadership has informed that educational, healthcare and other publicly significant institutions in Kabul will continue operating as normal. The Taliban has also pledged that it will not allow militants to hold any victorious processions in the city.

The Taliban announced earlier on Sunday it was controlling the entire territory of Afghanistan.

The Taliban launched an offensive on Kabul from all directions on Sunday morning. Acting Afghan Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal announced in a live broadcast of the Tolo News TV Channel that "the handover of power will be peaceful." Former Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali has assumed the responsibilities of the head of the transitional government in the country, Al Arabiya reported.

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Afghanistan Power transfer in Afghanistan

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India's new ambassador to Russia discusses high-level bilateral visits with Lavrov

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Russia says its forces repel four Ukrainian counterattacks in Kupyansk area

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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

US believes that Russia tested 9M729 missile for range beyond 500 km

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Peacekeepers fully accomplish mission in Karabakh, Russian senator says

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"The defense ministries of Azerbaijan and Russia are taking the necessary measures to implement the decision," Hikmet Hajiyev added

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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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Dmitry Peskov mentioned a recent phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

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

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

Ukrainian president admits Russian troops’ advancement

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

Former Ukrainian PM points to motive behind mobilization exception for law enforcement

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

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

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The Turkish leader slammed Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and said that the only way to ease tension in the region is to stop it

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"

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

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

Russian government approves list of unfriendly countries

There are two countries on the list

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

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

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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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

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According to Wei Dongxu, Tehran's firepower can cover most of the Middle East region, representing a fierce and precise long-range retaliatory means

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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

Press TV reports all of Iran's hypersonic missiles hit intended targets in Israel

The report did not specify which facilities in Israel had been attacked with hypersonic missiles

Iran says it won’t prevent return of Russian sailor from seized ship — MFA

The Russian Embassy in Tehran keeps the issue under special control, Maria Zakharova said

G7 countries to continue examining possible ways of using frozen Russian assets

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

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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

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

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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

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Ukrainian front may collapse this summer — newspaper

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

The President of the United States has made that very clear

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Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, April 16th

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

VTB CEO calls for SWIFT to be fully abandoned in payments

The banker stressed that VTB is working as part of a pilot project for the digital ruble, including in the field of cross-border settlements

Georgia’s parliament approves first reading of foreign agent bill

Protests against the bill have been held outside the parliament building since Monday

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

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

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

Viktor Orban noted that there should be a buffer zone between NATO and Russia and Ukraine could serve as one

Nuclear field turns into dangerous tool of psychological war, Russian diplomat warns

"Basically, attempts to question the maximum security of nuclear facilities must be completely ruled out everywhere in the world," Sergey Ryabkov stressed

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 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

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

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

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"

Both main US parties threatened Telegram, co-founder says

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Russia, CIS partners to hold air defense exercise in 2024

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Ukrainian president signs law tightening mobilization rules

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Russian, Turkish senior diplomats discuss situation in Gaza

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

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

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

The first Konteiner radar went on combat duty in the Volga area region of Mordovia on December 1, 2019

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

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

According to the best case, the Russian car market may soar by 65% to 1.75 mln cars

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

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

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

Kiev’s attacks on Zaporozhye nuke plant result of impunity encouraged by US

Sergey Ryabkov stressed that the attacks on the nuclear facility "must be stopped"

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

According to the minister, Russia is interested in increasing the role of the BRICS states in the international monetary, financial and trading systems, developing interbank cooperation, expanding the use of national currencies and creating its own exchange

Russian state companies invested almost $10.72 bln into digitalization — Minister

The most important is the fact that Russian solutions account for more than 85% of expenses, Maksut Shadaev noted

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

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"

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli barracks in Shebaa Heights

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

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

EU isolated in its 'blossoming garden,' reluctant to let strangers in — Russian diplomat

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

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

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

The Russian defense minister has given his instructions to speed up the introduction of promising weapons that have been tested in the special military operation zone into service with the Russian Army

Slovakia to oppose Ukraine’s NATO membership bid — PM

Meanwhile, Slovakia supports Ukraine’s accession to the European Union

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

In 2022, 16 individuals were convicted of high treason and one was convicted of spying

US retrieves weapons previously banned under INF treaty — Russian ambassador

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