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Developments in Afghanistan

Russian Security Council secretary to visit India for multilateral meeting on Afghanistan

The consultations will involve high-level security officials from Pakistan, China, Iran, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan

MOSCOW, November 9. /TASS/. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev will visit India on November 10, the Security Council said in a statement on Tuesday.

"While in New Delhi, Patrushev will take part in a multilateral meeting of security council secretaries on the situation in Afghanistan," the statement reads.

Indian Ambassador to Moscow Bala Venkatesh Varma said earlier in an interview with TASS that New Delhi expected Patrushev to participate in the November 10 consultations on Afghanistan that would also involve high-level security officials from Pakistan, China, Iran, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Tags

Power transfer in Afghanistan

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Turkey, Egypt coordinating efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza — top diplomat

According to the Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the West’s support for Israel is one of the key reasons behind the current tensions in the Middle East

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

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

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

Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

The IMF states that the restrictions led to the need to rebuild the economy

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

According to the embassy, the delegation is expected to hold talks with the Russian agriculture minister and meet with officials from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision and the Federal Agency for Fishery

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

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

According to the official, flood waters receded from 1,117 homes and households in the Urals region of Orenburg in the past day, which is the highest number recorded in the flooded regions

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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

The first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the special military operation took place in early March 2022 in Belarus, but they did not bring tangible results

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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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

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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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

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

The Security Service of Ukraine announced earlier that in a joint operation with law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Poland it thwarted an attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

Hungarians in western Ukraine should get their rights back, Budapest says

"The Hungarian community’s opportunities to use its native language in the fields of education, culture, media and self-governance have been significantly limited," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto specified

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

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Russian stock indices rising on Friday

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

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

Earlier in its report on the development of the world economy, the IMF noted that Russian oil is sold on the world market mainly above the price ceiling that the West tried to set

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

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

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

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

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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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

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

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

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

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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

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

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

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

Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

The group contains US finance and justice ministers, representatives of Australia, the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, France, Japan, as well as the European Commission

Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

Donald Tusk said that German Chancellor’s call to send more air defense systems to Kiev had no relation to Poland, provided the country's geographical position near the frontline

Participation in ‘Columbine’ movement may result in life sentence — Prosecutor General

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Explosions reported in several Ukrainian regions

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

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

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The plane crashed in a field in the Krasnogvardeysky district of southern Russia’s Stavropol Region

Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli security forces have killed at least five people over the past 24 hours

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

Court arrests another man accused of blowing up car of former SBU officer in Moscow

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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

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

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Russian Cabinet expands list of perfumery, cosmetic products subjected to import duty

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BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

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

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

According to Faustin-Archange Touadera, since becoming the president, his actions have been guided by the need "to modernize the army and take into account new challenges"

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

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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

Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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

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

"This military whirlpool can drag Europe to the bottom. Brussels is playing with fire and angering God," the Hungarian prime minister said

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

On April 10, the vehicle was also spotted when the North Korean leader visited Kim Jong Il Military and Political Academy

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

Water level of Ishim River in Russia’s Tyumen Region surpasses dangerous mark

It has reached 911 centimeters

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.

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

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Ukraine’s new ethnic minorities law insufficient to protect Magyars — Hungarian president

According to Katalin Novak, Hungary’s call for the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia to be respected should be viewed as a common European demand

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

Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

In 2023 the Russian economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience and growth, Alexey Overchuk said

No plans for pauses in fighting if talks on Ukraine begin, Lavrov says

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that the situation on the ground had changed significantly

Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

Evacuation campaigns are regularly organized by the Kiev government, under the pretext of security issues

UN secretary general urges Azerbaijan, Armenia to normalize relations

Stephane Dujarric noted that the secretary general "encourages the parties to continue the delimitation and demarcation of the remaining sections of the border and tackle all outstanding bilateral issues toward achieving full normalization of relations."

Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

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

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

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Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

Two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government army by the Jabhat al-Nusra groups were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Minister noted that "Ukrainian negotiators came and said that, for example, on the issue of maneuvers with the participation of third countries, let's replace the wording 'if all guarantor countries agree' with 'unless the majority agrees'"

Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

Russia urges the International Monetary Fund to resume the effort of improving the global monetary and financial system, Anton Siluanov noted

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

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

The top Russian diplomat referred to a swindling trick used by a thimblerigger who puts a small round object, such as a ball or pea, under one of three thimbles or cups and asks the player to guess under which the object is, while unfairly manipulating this object

Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

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

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

One crew member of jet crashed in Stavropol Region killed, search for another continues

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

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

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

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

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