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Trump scores landslide win in first-in-nation US voting during Iowa’s Republican caucuses

Among other GOP candidates, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who came in fourth with 7.7%, announced he was calling an end to his quixotic presidential quest and planned to endorse Trump in the upcoming general election in November

NEW YORK, January 16. /TASS/. Former US President Donald Trump secured a landslide victory in the Republican caucuses (gatherings of party activists) in the key Midwestern farm state of Iowa, according to the results published on the Iowa Republican Party’s website.

With all ballots counted, Trump scored 51% of the vote. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came in second with 21.2%, while former South Carolina Governor and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley placed third with 19.1%. Haley did succeed in one of Iowa’s 99 counties in outdoing the vote count of Trump, in whose administration she served.

Among other GOP candidates, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who came in fourth with 7.7%, announced he was calling an end to his quixotic presidential quest and planned to endorse Trump in the upcoming general election in November.

The January 15 caucuses in Iowa mark the start of the Republican Party’s process for selecting its nominee to go up against the eventual Democratic Party nominee, who it is widely assumed will be incumbent President Joe Biden, in the November presidential vote.

The US will hold its 60th quadrennial presidential election on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Biden officially launched his campaign to seek a second term in the White House on April 25, 2023. His predecessor, Trump, announced his own comeback re-election bid in November 2022. He is regarded as the runaway favorite to win the Republican Party’s nomination, which would be Trump’s third time in a row at the top of the GOP ticket.

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Armenian ruling party says PM Pashinyan will not resign

Grass-roots protests against the delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan in the Tavush region and ceding four villages to Baku are coordinated by the Tavush for the Homeland movement

Russian envoy slams Washington’s allegations of Moscow posing threat to US elections

Anatoly Antonov emphasized that US intelligence agencies had failed to provide any evidence

European Council suspends broadcasting activity of four Russian media outlets

According to the Council, this ban does not apply to any activities other than broadcasting

Top brass sees possibility of US warships provocatively entering Northern Sea Route

Igor Kostyukov noted that NATO was stepping up its military activities in the Arctic region

Zelensky admits reserves redeployment to Kharkov from other areas

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Putin to visit Harbin on second day of visit to China

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Russian deputy minister sees possibility of downgrading diplomatic ties with US

This will happen "if the West chooses the path of escalation," Sergey Ryabkov said

Russia and China plan to sign contract on Power of Siberia-2 in near future — Deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak mentioned the construction of a gas pipeline with a capacity of 50 billion cubic meters of gas through the territory of Mongolia

Putin, Xi sign statement on deepening relations

The document was signed after extensive Russian-Chinese negotiations

Russia expels UK defense attache from Moscow in tit-for-tat move — Foreign Ministry

Adrian Coghill "must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within a week," the ministry said

Czech president speaks out in favor of halting hostilities in Ukraine

Petr Pavel believes it is "naive" to imagine that Kiev will be able to regain territory taken by Russia in the foreseeable future

Russia ready for talks with Ukraine, but needs to know who is trustworthy there — Putin

The Russian leader stressed that it was politicians in Kiev who "withdrew from the negotiation process" as soon as troops were pulled back from Kiev

Woman, her four-year-old son killed by kamikaze drone near Belgorod

Another drone attempted to attack a filling station near the village of Bessonovka near Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said

Putin says Russians, Chinese 'brothers forever'

The audience, listening first to the Russian speech and then to the Chinese translation, applauded the Russian president's words

Slovakia’s PM in 'very serious' condition, president-elect says

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Putin says discussed Olympic truce issue with Chinese leader Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping said at talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris earlier this month that Beijing supported the initiative of the Olympic truce for the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games

Hungary vetoes Council of Europe resolution on Ukraine — top diplomat

Peter Szijjarto said he had asked the Council of Europe to include alternative peace plans to the resolution but that his proposal had been declined by a majority vote

Russia developing thermal imager for Black Sea Fleet to repel night naval drone attacks

The devices help detect targets at a distance of over 1 km

Zelensky admits possibility of Ukraine losing Kharkov

The Ukrainian president asked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide two Patriot systems to defend Kharkov, but the US diplomat did not give him an unequivocal answer

Current Kiev regime rooted in coup — Putin

The Russian leader blamed Kiev’s sponsors in the West for organizing this coup, saying they escalated it into an armed conflict

Ukrainian troops leave most positions in Netailovo near Avdeyevka, says DPR

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Russia, Iran working to create single BRICS currency — Iranian ambassador

Kazem Jalali pointed out that the United States uses the dollar to create restrictions, and therefore the use of national currencies in mutual settlements is on the agenda

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IAEA said its experts examined the nuclear site’s perimeter and "other buildings, which they are permitted"

Russian-Chinese heavy helicopter project implemented on schedule — First Deputy PM

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov noted that "the contract implementation stage is already underway"

Russia to view seizure of its property as robbery — Russian MFA on Estonia’s move

Maria Zakharova added that "the Western puppeteers exploit the Baltic countries as a 'testing ground' to test the waters concerning various kinds of anti-Russian ideas"

Ex-Polish judge says international warrant for his arrest coming soon

Tomasz Szmydt noted that he had not received any official notifications or messages yet even though he’s open to dialogue and available on social media

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According to Roman Shkurlatov, two Patriot systems will not make Kharkov safe

West should assess risks of Russia's response to asset confiscation — Foreign Ministry

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin noted that retaliatory measures "can be both symmetrical and asymmetrical in a variety of instruments, including legal, financial, and administrative"

Russian troops destroy 600 combat aircraft in Ukraine operation — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost over 520 troops in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past day, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported

China expects peace to recover on European continent shortly — Xi Jinping

The Chinese leader added that Beijing "is ready to play its constructive role"

China offers to provide security guarantees on Ukraine, West not ready — Lavrov

The Russian foreign minister specified that Beijing has "an absolutely correct position, essentially, to sort out root causes and collectively remove them"

Russia ready to provide incentives, technological base to investors from China — Putin

The president noted that major projects are already being implemented in the field of industrial cooperation

Hezbollah drones attack Israeli military base some 50 km from border with Lebanon

"The operation was carried out in response to the killing of field commander Hussein Makki near Tyre", Hezbollah said on its Telegram channel

Putin says up to Ukraine’s judicial system to decide on Zelensky’s legitimacy

"It’s a matter of assessment. And this assessment should primarily be made by the Constitutional Court and the political system in Ukraine itself," the Russian president reiterated

Senior Russian diplomat calls rumors about plans to attack NATO 'nonsense'

"This not even disinformation, this is a malicious and evil attempt to put a twist to the very essence of our policy and the logical foundation for all our actions, which our government has repeatedly explained to the West on many occasions, both publicly and behind closed doors," Sergey Ryabkov said

Confiscation of Russian assets by Estonia for transfer to Ukraine is theft — MFA

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin stressed that Russia considers this "a violation of international law"

North Korea launches ballistic missile toward Sea of Japan — Yonhap

Previously, North Korea launched a short-range missile on April 22

Russia urges US to respond to its prisoner swap proposals — diplomat

"We call upon them to focus on a realistic search for solutions on the basis of Moscow’s proposals, which they are well aware of," Sergey Ryabkov said

Press review: Putin embarks on state visit to China and assassination attempt on Slovak PM

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, May 16th

Washington’s anti-Russia policy makes strategic stability talks impossible — diplomat

Sergey Ryabkov pointed out that such a conversation should be equal and based on an attentive and respectful approach to Russia’s position

US sanctions against Russia 'terrible stupidity' — Putin

"This situation, when one country dictates its will to the rest of the world, including in the political sphere, using financial and economic instruments, is unacceptable," the Russian president stressed

Four people killed, two injured in Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk

Four women died on the Petrovskogo Street

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Americans undermine trust in dollar, its role as reserve currency themselves — Putin

The Russian leader noted that solutions on how to make payments are possible and do exist

Russia’s Strategic Missile Force builds up combat capabilities with new missile systems

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Russia and China to set up commission for development of Northern Sea Route — Rosatom CEO

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US sanctions on Russian, Chinese goods to backfire, spiking inflation at home — Putin

The Russian president noted that sanctions are elements of economic war and are nothing new

Russian Northern Fleet’s naval group embarks on long-distance deployment

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Russian diplomat says US authorities remind him of 'rampaging street mobsters'

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Russia mulls supply of powerplants for joint aircraft project with China — First Deputy PM

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Russia, China set up joint academy of fundamental sciences

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Ukrainian servicemen complain about heavy losses due to shortage of equipment, munitions

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Yemeni Houthis claim delivering missile strike on US destroyer

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King of Bahrain announces intention to boost cooperation with Russia

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said he was grateful to Russian President Vladimir Putin for sending his envoy to the Arab League summit, and commended his "desire to strengthen relations with Arab countries"

Ukrainian troops preparing for defense in northeastern Sumy Region, says top commander

Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky said that he "inspected all the units"

Russian Aerospace Forces destroy three militant bases in Syria — Defense Ministry

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Putin arrives in Harbin to open Russia-China Expo

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Starlink’s failure helps Russian army take Kiev forces by surprise in Kharkov Region — WP

In addition, Ukrainian forces were facing ammunition shortages due to a stalled US aid package

Born out of love: Putin hears heartwarming tale of panda Katyusha’s birth

Svetlana Akulova noted that the mama panda turned out to have very strong maternal instincts

Russia has no plans today to seize Kharkov, says Putin

The current Kiev regime is to blame for ongoing battles in the Kharkov direction, the Russian leader stressed

Slovakia’s Fico between life and death, it is loss for Slovakia, Hungary — Orban

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Russia does not trust NATO, feels emotional repulsion — Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov

Sergey Ryabkov underscored that Russia will work with those "who are ready to negotiate on an equal basis"

Some 80% of equipment at two Ukrainian thermal power plants destroyed

Yevgeny Garkavy, the technical director of Ukrainian electric and thermal power generation company Centrenergo, described the damage as "critical"

Serbian president says ready to assist Moscow-Kiev talks

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Emergency blackouts renewed in Ukraine

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Orban sees link between attack on pro-peace Fico, war preparations in West

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During special op, West delivered some 800 tanks, 30,000 drones to Kiev — top brass

NATO's and partners have already allocated than $132 billion for the purpose, including over $63 billion spent by the United States, said Igor Kostyukov

Putin, Xi hold 'very detailed' discussion on Ukraine, Russian presidential aide says

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Russia, China warn US, NATO against setting up military infrastructure in Afghanistan

The leaders of Russia and China also expressed their intention "to boost Afghanistan-related partner interaction both at the bilateral level and on multilateral platforms"

Ukrainian troops shelling civilians in Kharkov Region villages they were driven from

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Different routes for Power of Siberia 2 under discussion, including through NSR — Putin

"You can 'bribe' the tanker fleet and arrange [supplies] along the Northern Sea Route almost like through the pipeline," the Russian leader

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According to the Russian leader, the partnership between Moscow and Beijing "will serve as a model of how ties between neighboring states should be built"

Xi Jinping says ready to maintain close communication with Putin — Xinhua

The Chinese president said "the world is now facing changes unprecedented over the past century and has entered a new period of turbulence and change"

Putin explains Russian army’s operation near Kharkov by need to create buffer zone

Civilians are being killed there as a result of Kiev’s bombardments, which is obvious, the Russian leader noted

Military conscripts in Ukraine to receive barcodes facilitating apprehension of deserters

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Deputy head of Altai region government detained in Moscow

Details are not known, a law enforcement source has told TASS

US presidential election’s outcome to make no difference to Russia — senior diplomat

"There are no prospects for the overall situation to change for the better, given the fundamentally anti-Russian consensus among US elites," Sergey Ryabkov said

China, Russia have means to counter Western pressures — expert

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Slovakia’s PM Fico still in intensive care — TV

According to the report, Robert Fico is in stable but still serious condition

Dnepr battle group destroys 15 Ukrainian boats in one day — Kherson governor

In addition, 23 drone control centers were destroyed and 34 drones shot down or disabled

Commander-in-chief warns Russian troops can circumvent Ukrainian forces in Kharkov Region

Kiev acknowledges that the situation in the Kharkov Region is extremely difficult for the Ukrainian troops

Press review: Day one of Putin's China visit and US stands by Ukraine

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, May 17th

Ukrainian forces use US-made GLSDB munitions against DPR civilians for the first time

DPR head Denis Pushilin said that two civilians were killed and three were injured by Ukrainian strikes on Thursday

'Sanitary zone' near Kharkov and talks on Ukraine: What Putin told the media in Harbin

Even though Vladimir Putin’s visit to China was a state one, "it was a purely working trip"

Russia warns US, EU, Kiev they are playing with fire — MFA about Ukrainian strikes

Maria Zakharova pointed out that behind these barbaric attacks with Western weapons the silhouettes of US and British handlers of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's were clearly visible

US directly responsible for emergence, escalation of Ukrainian crisis — Beijing

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South African president decides not to attend Swiss conference on Ukraine — press office

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Russia to take response measures amid nuclear threats — senior diplomat

"Yet this vagueness has always been typical of the Western group’s doctrinal approaches, including nuclear weapons," Sergey Ryabkov noted

Russia takes control of more land than Ukraine in 2023 counteroffensive — newspaper

Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said, commenting on Russia’s offensive operations in Ukraine, that the goal was to create "a sanitary zone" to protect border areas from shelling attacks

Russian troops use latest Upyr FPV drones in Kharkov push

Russian troops employed the Upyr FPV drone for the first time in the special military operation in Ukraine in May 2023

Russian forces advancing daily in special op, everything going according to plan — Putin

The Russian leader opened his meeting with commanders of troops of military districts by extending his greetings on the occasion of Victory Day

Dedollarization of Russia-China trade will continue — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov also highly praised the cooperation between the regions of Russia and the provinces of China and emphasized its contribution to the development of the Russian territories bordering China

Legitimate Ukrainian president needed to sign any agreements, says Putin

Ukraine was expected to hold its presidential election in March but the vote was canceled because martial law is in effect in the country

Slovak PM Fico’s life out of danger — deputy PM

Robert Fico was wounded in a shooting incident that happened after a government meeting in the city of Handlova in the western part of Slovakia