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Cuban leaders receive Russia’s top diplomat in Havana — newspaper

Earlier, Lavrov held talks with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla

HAVANA, April 20. /TASS/. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and leader of the Cuban Revolution Raul Castro received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Havana on Thursday, the Granma newspaper reported.

Earlier, Lavrov held talks with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla who thanked Moscow for assisting Havana in dealing with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and supporting Cuba’s demand for the lifting of the trade and economic embargo that Washington imposed on Cuba in 1962.

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Sergey Lavrov Cuba

Middle East conflict

Israel delivering strikes on refugee camps in Gaza — TV

At least ten people have been killed, Al Jazeera reported

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Dmitry Peskov described the Washington Post and Reuters reports about the alleged telephone conversation as "the most remarkable example of the quality of the information that is published nowadays, sometimes even by quite respected outlets"

Nearly 4,000 people cross into Syria from Lebanon in past day — Russian military

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Attempts being made to drag Syria into armed confrontation in Middle East — diplomat

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Japan remains ready to sign peace treaty with Russia — top diplomat

After Tokyo imposed anti-Russian sanctions over the situation in Ukraine, Russia halted consultations with Japan on a peace treaty

Lavrov likens proposals to freeze Ukraine crisis to worse version of Minsk agreements

"The Minsk agreements were final. If anyone had bothered to realize at the time that they were exactly that. We were talking about a small part of Donbass, if we are being totally honest," the minister continued

Ukraine moves medics, non-combat personnel to infantry to counter Russian advance

According to a Ukrainian army spokesperson, more medical personnel is being sent to the frontline, although pilots and military engineers "remain in their specialized positions"

ISS orbit raised by almost 5 km before launch of Progress MS-29 spacecraft — Roscosmos

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People evacuated from Brazil’s Supreme Court after blast nearby — agency

According to Reuters, Brasilia’s military police confirmed that a body was found near the court building

Russia has written off $20 bln worth of African debts — MFA

Mikhail Bogdanov added that it allows using those debts "to implement socio-economic projects directly in the country"

Russia keeps building defense capacity despite conflict in Ukraine — Polish general

According to Wieslaw Kukula, if the conflict in Ukraine ends soon, Russia will be able to build up its defense capacity to the point that it could take on all of NATO

US State Department insists DPRK troops engaged in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region

Patel also insisted that "Russian forces have trained the DPRK soldiers in artillery, in UAV, and basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, which are critical skills for frontline operations"

Medvedev suggests that Elon Musk launch campaign to amend US Constitution

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Scholz promises to transfer sixth IRIS-T system to Kiev by yearend

Ukraine and Germany also discussed further defense cooperation

Russian forces gain foothold near Kupyansk as Kiev begins to retreat

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Czech intelligence warns of crime surge after Ukraine conflict ends

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Earlier, the entrepreneur opined that the bloodshed in Ukraine would end soon

Russia says its FPV drones disrupted Ukrainian troops rotation in Sumy Region

The ministry provided live-recording footage showing direct hits on Ukrainian military vehicles

Trump 'demonstrates affinity' for Russian President Vladimir Putin — newspaper

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Kiev wants to mobilize 160,000 people to survive until Trump's inauguration — MP

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Press review: Mutiny trips West’s nuclear alarms and Kiev’s terror talk hides attack plans

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Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya noted that Resolution 2735 was only a tool to gain time for Israel

54 countries vote against resolution on combating ne-Nazism

116 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Serbia, and Syria, supported the document

DPR head Pushilin visits Ugledar, says town badly destroyed

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Russian stock indices mixed on Wednesday — market data

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Medvedev warns that EU behavior in struggle with Russia fraught with 'bad scenario'

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Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

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Trump does not rule out he may run in next US presidential election

Trump's participation in the next US election would be against the Constitution

White Helmets remain serious factor of instability in Syria — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed to a report by the Foundation for Research of Democracy Issues, titled "The White Helmets. Terrorist Accomplices and a Source of Disinformation"

Almost 80 killed, over 120 injured by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in past 24 hours

The Baalbeck-Hermel Province in northeast Lebanon reported two people killed and 11 injured

Ukraine's Kurakhovo Reservoir dam blast to help, not hurt Russian troops — expert

At least ten Ukrainian troops were killed

Explosion of Kurakhovo reservoir dam disrupts water supply

Roman Pukalov noted that the blast killed many fish in the reservoir, washed away fertile soil, and inundated potentially hazardous sites, including cemeteries, cattle burial grounds, and fertilizer depots

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The prosecutor general stated that following the incident, four Abkhazian residents were detained: Garry Kokaya, Almaskhan Ardzinba, Omar Smur, and Ramaz Dzhopya

Russian diplomat hails Odessa woman as defender of truth after flag protest

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There is chance to stop war in Middle East under Trump — Russian diplomat

"It is too early to talk about this because we should wait at least for the president’s inauguration," Alexander Lavrentyev noted

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Earlier, military sources told TASS that Ukrainian forces sank their own positions in a low-lying area near Kurakhovo as they blew up the dam, killing at least 10 Ukrainian soldiers

US shells for handful of Kiev’s Pion howitzers no game-changer — expert

Ukraine ran out of the Soviet-made ammunition for this type of artillery pieces back in 2022

Trump's planned key appointments

Trump appointed Congressman Michael Waltz (Republican, Florida) as national security adviser

First S-550 air defense systems enter service in Russia — source

The source described the new system as "an absolutely new and unrivalled mobile system of strategic missile defense"

Turkey invited to join BRICS as a partner state, says minister

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Lavrov to hold talks with visiting Colombian foreign minister

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Erdogan praises Russia, China for backing arms embargo on Israel

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Russian citizenship approvals down 44% since January — ministry

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The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Russian frigate carrying hypersonic weapons embarks on first deployment in distant waters

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Russia elected to UN Committee for Program and Coordination

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Bulgarian president calls for using all diplomatic opportunities to end Ukraine conflict

According to Rumen Radev, Europe wants the conflict in Ukraine "to finish as soon as possible"

Trump plans to appoint special envoy on Ukraine to hold peace talks with Russia — TV

According to the source, the job is not expected to be a salaried role

Ukrainian artillery attack on Energodar, home to Zaporozhye nuke plant, kills one

Also, two cars were destroyed as the Ukrainians fired four projectiles on downtown Energodar, with the facades and balcony glazing in buildings being damaged, according to the statement

West attempted to prevent Russia-Africa ministerial meeting, diplomat says

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Trump announces appointment of senior White House officials

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Next-gen Su-57 shows strength of Russia’s defense sector — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that military experts had praised the "unmatched capabilities" the plane displayed at the Airshow China in Zhuhai

Ukraine aims to call up 1 mln people in eastern areas by end of 2024 — official

According to the plan, 360,000 people are to be mobilized in October; 325,000 and 300,000 in November and December, respectively

West to face 'devastating' response if it allows Kiev to strike deep into Russia — MFA

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Iraqi Shiites say they attacked ‘vital targets’ in Israel

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Russia to ensure parity in response to US missile defense system in Poland — Kremlin

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What is known about Sevastopol car blast

Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev did not rule out the possibility that the incident was the result of sabotage

Russia set to deepen cooperation with China in law enforcement — top security official

Russia is seeking to consolidate efforts toward fighting extremism, terrorism and transnational crime both bilaterally and multilaterally, Sergey Shoigu specified

Russian Su-34 bomber strikes Ukrainian troops in borderline Kursk area

Russian tactical aircraft pilots conduct sorties at any time of day or night in any weather conditions, using various armament

Trump’s return to power unlikely to change US approach to Ukraine crisis — Lavrov

Washington will always seek to control everything that is happening within NATO’s orbit, especially on NATO territory, the Russian foreign minister said

Countries will line up for Russian gas when US stops exporting LNG — Serbian president

According to Aleksandar Vucic, Washington will use LNG "for the growing consumption of artificial intelligence, electric charging stations and everything else"

Scholz calls for doing everything to prevent escalation of Ukraine conflict

According to Scholz, Ukraine should have "good prospects" and not be left alone

Businessmen in Germany, Russia again eager to interact more, says executive

Ulf Schneider expressed his gratitude to representatives of the Russian business community for their continued efforts to involve Western businessmen in work in Russia despite the challenging political climate

Russia open for contacts with Trumps’ team on Syria — Russian diplomat

Alexander Lavrentyev stressed that all parties to the conflict must be involved in talks so that a lasting peace in Syria could be achieved

Kalashnikov holding starts supplies of civilian drones

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Russian diplomat doubts EU economy could rebound unless policy toward Moscow changes

According to Maria Zakharova, the magnitude of the EU's economic problems is "directly proportional to the degree of their complaisance and servility in relations with the US"

Ukrainian losses, Sudzhansky district head retirement: situation in Kursk Region

Units of the battlegroup continued offensive operations, defeating Ukrainian formations in the areas of the settlements of Daryino, Leonidovo, Malaya Loknya, Nikolayevo-Daryino and Novoivanovka

Russian delegation at COP29 in Baku is first carbon-neutral

The settlement will be at the expense of carbon units received as a result of implementing the climate project on energy efficiency increase at Sibur-Neftekhim

Kiev's Western allies begin to acknowledge need for territorial concessions — report

The diplomats see this approach as "land in exchange for Ukraine’s security"

US plans to remove 'arrogant' Zelensky and stage 2025 elections in Ukraine — SVR

"At the initial stage, it is planned to encourage entities within the Ukrainian civil society under their control, through US 'democratization' foundations and think tanks, to come up with a corresponding initiative," the statement reads

US missile defense base in Poland to defend US, Europe alike — Polish foreign minister

Radoslaw Sikorski also expressed hope that the base will never go into action

Bridges across Orontes damaged after Israel’s attack on Syria

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Two injured in bridge collapse in Crimea

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Medvedev characterizes Great Britain as eternal adversary of Russia

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Finnish government requests EU sanctions exemption for Russian owners of sports arena

Finland's Foreign Ministry will need to obtain unanimous approval from EU countries

Israel achieves its goals in conflict with Hamas, time to 'end the war' — Blinken

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Trump to end NATO’s obsession to get on Russian territory — White House ex-strategist

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Baltic Sea will never turn into 'NATO lake' — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova emphasized that the Baltic Sea "will always be a common space for all of the region’s countries without exception"

Russian troops liberate Rovnopol community in Donbass region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North destroyed an UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) production workshop of the Ukrainian army and inflicted roughly 110 casualties on enemy troops in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day

US administration always seeks to weaken Russia — Lavrov

The foreign minister pointed out that the Americans had long declared the idea that "there should be no country in the world more influential than the United States"

Bank of Russia sets dollar rate at 98.37 rubles for November 14

The official yuan rate is fixed at 13.60 rubles

Russia inks first deals to deliver Su-57 fifth-generation fighter to foreign customers

Alexander Mikheyev also explained the expectations and effect of the demonstration of Russian military hardware at Airshow China in Zhuhai

Russia to hold Astana-format summit in 2025 — Russian diplomat

Alexander Lavrentyev noted that despite the fact that the exact date of the summit has not yet been agreed upon, meetings in the Astana format are held regularly at other levels