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Pavel Durov's detention

Telegram founder Pavel Durov shows up in court — news agency

The Paris prosecutor’s office suspects him of complicity in drug trafficking, fraud crimes against children committed through Telegram

Pavel Durov AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana

Pavel Durov

© AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana

PARIS, August 28. /TASS/. Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been brought to court, AFP reported, citing a source.

According to the news agency, the term of his pre-trial detention has expired.

Durov was detained at Le Bourget Airport outside Paris on August 24; his custody was extended to 96 hours the next day. The Paris prosecutor’s office suspects him of complicity in drug trafficking, fraud crimes against children committed through Telegram.

The Russian embassy in France said diplomats had demanded that Durov’s rights be protected and he be provided with consular access. "So far, the French authorities have been evading cooperation on the matter," the embassy added.

Middle East conflict

At least 30 people killed in Lebanon by Israeli air strikes

According to the latest update from Lebanon’s Health Ministry, 3,386 people have been killed and 14,417 wounded since the onset of the Gaza conflict

Russia's newest Su-57 fighter jet superior to China's new J-35 — test pilot

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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

Russian Marines destroy Challenger 2 tank with FPV drone in Kursk Region

Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the enemy lost 10 tanks in the Kursk region in the past 24 hours

Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 430 troops, ten tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, 19 armored combat vehicles, 33 motor vehicles, one Anklav-N electronic warfare station

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

Zelensky announces work on new action plan

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Trump nominates his lawyers to key Justice Department jobs

Emil Bove will be nominated to be principal associate deputy attorney general and Todd Blanche to the post of the US deputy attorney general

Trump suggests Kennedy Jr. as US secretary of health and human services

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Russia could return to international competition once new IOC chief elected — Tarpishchev

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Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Most Russians believe survey results — pollster

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Russian air defenses destroy 51 Ukrainian drones overnight

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

Ukraine and Germany also discussed further defense cooperation

US views Russia as present-day threat, Trump may prioritize containing China — Lavrov

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Hezbollah reports attack on Israeli military intelligence base near Tel Aviv

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Demographic crisis threatens Ukraine’s viability as state — think tank

Ukraine’s "overall population had declined to 29 million people in 2023 - compared to 48.5 million in 2001," Responsible Statecraft writes

Gazprom says EU artificially destroys gas demand to the detriment of its own economy

As for global gas demand, gas consumption in January-October increased by 80 bln cubic meters year-on-year, the company noted

Ukrainian forces shell Energodar in Zaporozhye Region, five hits registered — official

Vladimir Rogov noted that data about injuries is currently being updated, and called on residents to seek shelter

Over 7,400 attacks on healthcare facilities registered worldwide since 2018 — WHO

Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that over the past three years frequency, scale and impact of attacks on healthcare has increased

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Swedish minister in charge of gender equality suffers from bananaphobia

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Reuters wrote with reference to anonymous sources that the sides would also discuss what Trump’s return to the Oval Office could mean for the world

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Football fans clash during France vs Israel football match in Paris

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Daniil Medvedev loses chances of reaching semifinals at ATP Tour Finals

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All weapons pledged by Biden to Kiev to be delivered before he leaves office — Pentagon

Department’s Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh expects that for the 'next coming months of this administration'

India increases imports of goods from Russia by 8.8% in April — October

Russia has become India's fourth largest trading partner after the US, China and the UAE

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Court sentences ‘Russian Volunteer Corps’ members to life in prison in absentia

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Su-57 fighter jet shows exceptional performance in Russia’s special op, senior official

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Security Service of Ukraine operated ‘concentration camp’ in Kiev in 2022, lawmaker says

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Erdogan praises Russia, China for backing arms embargo on Israel

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Press review: US to maintain aid to Israel while Kiev regime faces challenge to retain it

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Talks out of question: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, Ukraine lost more than 400 servicemen and 29 armored vehicles

Israeli strike on southern Lebanese village leaves at least six dead

Four of the victims were rescue workers

Russia’s Vityaz, Viking air defense systems attract major attention at Airshow China

Russian surface-to-air missile systems have demonstrated their value in the special military operation in Ukraine, Vyacheslav Dzirkaln noted

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IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Israeli troops have detected the movement's use of Syrian-produced weapons in its attacks on Israel

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Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

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Vyacheslav Gladkov noted that the windows of 11 apartments in six apartment buildings were damaged in Belgorod

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"A call was made to the international community to contribute to the achievement of this goal," Maria Zakharova added

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Steve Bannon noted that Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement seeks to completely cut funding to Ukraine. According to Bannon, Europe, including Italy, will follow Trump’s lead, and, if "they [Europe and Italy] truly believe what they have been saying in recent years, they should be ready to pay"

Hamas ready for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, official says

According to Basem Naim, the last "well-defined, brokered deal was the deal of July 2"

US oil reserves rise by 2.1 mln barrels over week — Department of Energy

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Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 450 troops, two tanks, three IFVs, two M113 armored personnel carriers, 33 armored combat vehicles, five artillery pieces, including a Krab self-propelled howitzer, a Crotale multiple rocket launcher, and 49 motor vehicles

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Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Baku

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Most Ukrainian soldiers drafted against their will, from rural areas

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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"

Lavrov arrives in UAE to take part in Sir Bani Yas Forum

The forum kicks off on November 15

US-led coalition's aircraft violate Syrian airspace nine times in past day

In a separate development, a total of 3,516 people crossed into Syria from the territory of Lebanon in the reported period

Pilot lauds thrust, aerodynamics of smooth-flying Su-57 fighter jet

According to Sergey Bogdan, this fighter jet flies smoother than anything out there today

Israeli practices ‘consistent with characteristics of genocide’ — UN committee

The document points out that 'civilians have been indiscriminately and disproportionally killed en masse in Gaza'

Most Russians say special op doesn't bleed into their daily life

While public anxiety remains high, the percentage of Russians who view the situation as catastrophic or as a crisis has noticeably decreased, and the share of citizens who accept the current circumstances as a new normal is rising

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

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

US missile defense site to defend Poland from Russia too — Polish minister

At the same time, the official evaded a direct question of whether the facility is capable of protecting country from missiles

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

Dmitry Peskov emphasized that by placing the missile defense system in Poland, the United States is bringing its military infrastructure closer to Russia in an attempt to curb its potential

Crimean amateur astronomer discovers new comet in solar system

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Russian troops secure ground near Novodarovka, Rovnopol in Zaporozhye Region — official

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Gagauzian public figure sees possibility of early parliamentary polls in Moldova

Mihail Vlah told TASS in an interview that the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity 'has started urgent preparations'

Putin discussed Ukraine with Saudi crown prince — Kremlin

"The sides indeed touched upon the topic of the conflict. We have nothing more to say," Dmitry Peskov said

Russian troops storm into Kupyansk outskirts in Kharkov Region — military expert

Troops from various Russian army units are engaged in battles in the outskirts of Kupyansk, Andrey Marochko said

Iran will never try to build nuclear weapons, president tells IAEA chief

Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US of derailing the agreements around Iran's nuclear program

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

At least ten Ukrainian troops were killed

Western efforts to vilify Russia climax, Moscow fights back — MFA

"We are witnessing the culmination of the Anglo-Saxons' systematic efforts to vilify our country, exerted over decades, and maybe even centuries," Maria Zakharova said

France wraps up training of new Ukrainian brigade — minister

The brigade is equipped with French weapons

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

Kamala Harris’s campaign team continues fundraising efforts after election defeat — TV

Republican candidate Donald Trump defeated current US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s contender, in the November 5 presidential election

US denies possession of extraterrestrial technologies

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

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South Korea to support Ukraine in response to Russia-North Korea alliance — president

As Yoon Suk Yeol said, the reported dispatch of North Korean servicemen to participate in Russia’s special military operation "poses a serious security threat not only to the Korean Peninsula and Europe but also to the entire world"

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

Musk, Iran’s UN envoy discuss ways to ease tensions between Iran, US — NYT

According to the report, the meeting took place in New York on Monday and lasted for more than an hour

Presidential election in Abkhazia to be held within legal period — president

The country’s opposition said the election may take place in January 2024

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

Biden to discuss support to Kiev with EU colleagues before Trump’s inauguration

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Trump to zero in on fragmenting BRICS, Ukraine to take back seat — expert

According to the political scientist Boris Mezhuyev, in all likelihood attempts to replace the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela, and pit India, Russia and China against each other are coming

Russian forces liberate Voznesenka community in Donbass region over past day

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Explosion heard in Damascus suburb

The circumstances of the incident are being established at the moment

Israeli anthem booed before start of football match in Paris

Prior to the event, leftist politicians and activists staged a protest at a square in Paris’ northern suburb of Saint-Denis