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Georgian opposition to rally in Tbilisi demanding ex-president’s release

Saakashvili was arrested on October 1

TBILISI, October 10. /TASS/. The opposition United National Movement party, founded by former Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili, will organize a rally in the capital Tbilisi to demand his release from custody, party leader Nika Melia said on Saturday.

In a speech in the Georgian city of Zugdidi, broadcast live on Facebook, Melia called upon other opposition parties to join the rally, scheduled for October 14.

Melia and his supporters are protesting against vote recount at a polling station in Zugdidi, which caused his party to lose its majority in the city legislature.

On October 1, Saakashvili wrote on Facebook that he had returned to his homeland eight years after his departure. Later, he published a video claiming he was in Georgia’s Batumi. After a couple of hours, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced that Saakashvili had been detained and taken to a detention facility. He is currently in the prison of Rustavi, a city not far from Tbilisi.

Saakashvili served as President of Georgia from January 2004 to November 2013. In 2013, he left the country a few days before the expiration of his presidential term. Following that, four criminal cases were opened against him with verdicts returned on two of them. In January 2018, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Saakashvili in absentia to three years behind bars for the 2006 murder of Sandro Girgvliani, an employee of the Georgian United Bank. In June 2018, the court sentenced him to six years in prison for the 2005 assault of lawmaker Valery Gelashvili.

Saakashvili has been living in Ukraine of late, he has Ukrainian citizenship.

Russian border guards to leave Tavush once border delimitation is done — Armenian PM

This means that we don’t have a line of engagement but a border, while a border is a sign of peace, Nikol Pashinyan said

Iran has no plans to immediately retaliate to attack on its soil — agency

"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

Two people killed in borderline Belgorod Region in Ukrainian drone attack — governor

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Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

Military commanders of Ukrainian army brigades "lack both personnel and the required amount of equipment" while Russian troops enjoy a considerable superiority, especially in artillery, Sergey Krivonos noted

Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

The conference will take place from April 23 to 25 in St. Petersburg

US gives nod to Israeli operation in Rafah in exchange for canceling major attack on Iran

According to the media outlet, "the US administration will support the plan for a military operation in Rafah put forward earlier," which provides for dividing the city into numbered sectors that will be mopped up one by one

Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

Ahmad Haghtalab said on April 18 that Tehran has identified the location of Israel's "nuclear centers" and will be ready to destroy them in case the Jewish state responds to the recent Iranian attack on Israeli military facilities

Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

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Armenia has to define CSTO’s zone of responsibility on its territory, says Lavrov

On March 12, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Yerevan asked its CSTO partners to answer where the CSTO's zone of responsibility in the republic was

Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

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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

Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

Air defenses repel Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Smolensk Region — governor

Vasily Anokhin urged local residents to remain calm and refrain from filming air defenses in operation.

Russia's revenues from oil exports remain high despite price ceiling — IMF

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

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West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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North Korean agriculture committee’s delegation sets off on visit to Russia

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North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

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Lavrov says Borrell let it slip that Europe ‘fighting against Russia’

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

Russia views the West’s encroachment on its assets as "a blatant and shameless theft for the purpose of lining its pockets," Maria Zakharova noted

Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

According to the news agency, one PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded

Kremlin spokesman offers condolences over death of Izvestia war correspondent

Dmitry Peskov pointed out that the Ukrainian armed forces were deliberately targeting Russian journalists

Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

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Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

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Drones downed over Isfahan cause no damage, says Iranian foreign minister

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Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

All the presented drones and payload were created from domestic composite materials and elements

Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,550 troops, four tanks and five armored combat vehicles in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported

FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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US agrees to withdraw troops from Niger — Washington Post

The decision was sealed in a meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Niger’s prime minister, Ali Lamine Zeine

Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

According to the foreign minister, Russia has decided not to depend on the West in all spheres, including those in which it can limit the country's development

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

According to the top Russian diplomat, the leaders who rule countries where they claim to be from while holding foreign passports "will not enjoy support and authority for long"

Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

According to Al Jazeera, air strikes hit the towns of Deir al Balah and Rafah

Grossi ignores ‘elephant in the room’ in Zaporozhye nuke plant situation — Russian envoy

Dmitry Polyansky noted that the IAEA chief is being very cautious about the issue of attacks on the nuclear facility

US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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Russian stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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UN secretary general urges Azerbaijan, Armenia to normalize relations

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Ararat Mirzoyan also said that Yerevan is currently making efforts to expand cooperation with the European Union and the United States

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Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

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Ukrainian shelling kills pregnant woman in Russia’s Belgorod Region — governor

Vyacheslav Gladkov added that the attack had shattered the windows of several houses and damaged their facades and roofs

Number of flooded residential buildings in Russia drops to 16,200

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Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

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NATO discussing transfer of ‘deep precision strike capabilities’ to Ukraine — Stoltenberg

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has visited a testing ground in the Moscow Military District where new models of small arms developed with the participation of snipers who carried out missions in the special military operation zone were presented

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According to the Russian Defense Ministry, an Aerospace Forces’ Tu-22M3 bomber crashed after completing a combat mission while returning to the airfield

Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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More explosions reported across Ukraine

Another explosion rocked the Kiev-controlled city of Zaporozhye

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US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

Bentley came to Donbass from the United States in 2014

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World’s anti-doping agency WADA still waits for Russia’s 2023 financial contribution

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KazMunayGas, Sibur, Sinopec sign protocol on plant construction in Kazakhstan

Construction of the plant in the Atyrau region is planned to be completed by 2029

BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that BRICS nations have already established a special channel for information exchange between their central banks

US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

It cannot be ruled out that the House of Representatives may pass this package as early as Saturday

Russian LNG exports to China rise by 2% in first quarter of 2024 — Chinese customs

Russia was the fourth largest LNG supplier to China after Australia (6.3 mln tons)

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

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French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

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Explosions reported in several Ukrainian regions

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Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

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CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

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Moscow demands international organizations condemn killing of Russian war correspondent

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

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Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

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Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

This measure is not a prohibitive one and will make it possible to make competitive conditions equal for Russian producers, the ministry said

BRICS’ expansion makes it much stronger — senior Russian diplomat

Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia, became full-fledged members of BRICS from January 1, 2024

Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

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Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

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Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

Infrastructure is required to implement the investment project, both power transmission lines and the railroad, Andrey Chibis noted

S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

He also revealed that some weapon batches contained anti-armor systems whose service life had expired

Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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China’s Russian oil imports rise by 13% in first quarter of 2024 — customs

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Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

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Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

There is still no full clarity regarding the future of Ukraine's western regions, the Russian foreign minister went on to say

North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

A power test of a super-large warhead designed for "Hwasal-1 Ra-3" strategic cruise missile was held as well

American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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West close to sending military to Ukraine, this would 'drag Europe to bottom' — Orban

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