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Middle East conflict

Nabatieh mayor, 5 city council members killed in Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon

According to Asaad Diya, the central part of the city has been heavily damaged

BEIRUT, October 16. /TASS/. The Israeli Air Force’s fighter jets launched a massive strike on the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, hitting the city center and several residential buildings in the outskirts with missiles, the director of the regional House of Russian Culture, Asaad Diya told TASS over the telephone.

"The mayor of the city, Ahmed Kheil, and five members of the municipal council, who were in the city hall building where humanitarian aid is being collected, were killed," the director said. "The attack lasted for several minutes, everything around was shaking from powerful explosions."

According to him, the central part of the city has been heavily damaged.

On Monday, the Israeli aircraft struck an ancient market in Nabatieh, killing six residents.

Middle East conflict

Any Israeli ‘adventures’ to be met with tough response, says Iran’s top diplomat

Abbas Araghchi appealed to Antonio Guterres to "use all capabilities" of the organization "to stop the aggressions" of Israel and to organize the supply of humanitarian aid to the afflicted areas

Russia requests electricity imports from Azerbaijan, Georgia — Inter RAO

The company has not yet received answers

Sanctions won’t achieve their goal — Russian Prime Minister

Mikhail Mishustin recalled that at the July summit in Astana, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that in the current conditions, when rapid and irreversible changes are taking place in the world, the SCO, along with BRICS, is becoming the backbone of the emerging new world order, and the SCO's active proactive position in international affairs is undoubtedly in demand

Ukrainian General Staff says situation difficult along entire frontline

According to the General Staff, the majority of clashes have been registered on the Kurakhovo direction

Hezbollah changes its tactics of anti-Israeli actions — deputy leader

According to Naim Qassem, in compliance with these "new tactics," Hezbollah is delivering strikes on Tel Aviv, Haifa and other Israeli territories "further from Haifa"

Hezbollah says it has recovered, ‘reestablished governance’

"Our party is strong. Developments on the battlefield only prove this," Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general Naim Qassem stressed

Putin says new world order reflecting diversity is emerging

The Russian leader pointed out that new powerful centers of economic growth, financial and political influence are now emerging, primarily in the Global East and South

Kiev realizes liberation of Kupyansk inevitable — official

According to Vitaly Ganchev, this is not the first time that the Ukrainian authorities have carried out a mandatory evacuation

Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits eastern Turkey

According to the report, the quake struck 47 kilometers east of the city of Malatya which has a population of some 441,000

Russian weapons outpace NATO weapons provided to Ukraine — official

Viktor Yevtukhov added that "the key task currently is to meet the Russian Armed Forces’ needs to make sure that they achieve their main goal"

US to avoid shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine as afraid of war — media

It is reported that several representatives of US President Joe Biden's administration also expressed a similar view

Russian army about to breach Ukraine’s logistics in Zaporozhye Region

"Russian forces are operating along three sections of the Vremevsky area," Vladimir Rogov said, adding that Russia’s quick advance in this area was a surprise for Ukrainian troops

US expects Zelensky to discuss territorial compromises — former ambassador

According to Valery Chaly, Ukraine's partners, including the US, plainly said that they are not ready to allocate $100 billion annually for the next few years, a minimum amount required to balance out Russian spending on the special military operation

Israel obstructs Gaza ceasefire deal — Qatari premier

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani added that Qatar will continue its efforts aimed at resolving the conflict

US, Europe recognize insufficiency of Zelensky's plan — media

Meanwhile, "there’s a fracturing consensus among Western governments about how much of Zelensky’s 'wish list' should be granted," Ishaan Tharoor noted

BRICS Kazan summit to challenge Western, US hegemony — Angolan newspaper

The US may soon "leave the stage" since the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East lead to "an overload of Washington’s capabilities," the media said

North Korea blows up roads connecting it to South Korea, Seoul says

"The military is closely monitoring the North Korean military's activities and maintains a firm readiness posture amid strengthened surveillance under South Korea-U.S. cooperation," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said

Kiev upset about West’s refusal to open ‘second front’ against Russia

Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the chief of staff of the Ukrainian president’s office, expressed hope that anti-Russian sanctions will be stepped up

Russian premier to attend SCO events, hold bilateral meetings in Islamabad

SCO member States will be represented by the Prime Ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as the First Vice President of Iran and the External Affairs Minister of India

Russian military seizes logistics center south of Chasov Yar

The situation in the outskirts of Chasov Yar has been deteriorating for the Ukrainian unit, according to the source

Russian army’s control of highway prevents Ukrainian rotations in Kupyansk area — official

"We have control over the Kruglyanovka area, which is almost the Kupyansk suburbs, just to the south along the Oskol River," Vitaly Ganchev said

Russia’s UN envoy calls for pressure on US-led coalition to stabilize situation in Yemen

Vasily Nebenzya reiterated Russia's unchanged support for the safety of international navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the rest of the water areas

Qatar will not allow using its territory for attacks on other countries — premier

The remarks came in response to a question about whether the Al Udeid Air Base, considered to be the largest US military facility in the Middle East, is being used by the United States in its support the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip

Kaspersky Lab sales surge 23% in MENA in H1 2024

The rise in company’s sales in the region is driven by high rates of the IT sector development, corporate business director of the company Timur Biyachuev said

Russia, unlike West, does not interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs — Kremlin

"We see indiscriminate attempts by Western countries to put pressure on the current Georgian authorities and to directly influence the course of the election campaign," Dmitry Peskov stressed

Putin to hold meeting with Cabinet tomorrow — Kremlin

The meeting was scheduled earlier for October 9 but did not take place

City beach in Australia closed after mysterious black balls washed ashore

They suggested that the discovery may be "tar balls which are formed when oil comes in to contact with debris and water, typically the result of oil spills or seepage," the officials said

Russia informs Israel of concerns about its military operations in Syria, envoy says

"We use the relevant channels to convey our deep concern about the ill-considered and insufficiently thought-out actions of Israeli forces," Anatoly Viktorov said

Ex-Ukrainian security officer says Zelensky okayed terror attacks on Russia

According to Vasily Prozorov, the SBU organizes much more of these kinds of operations than the GUR, although the latter "is far ahead in terms of hyping its activities"

Russian diplomat says US 'can’t wait to see' things flare up in Korean peninsula

Maria Zakharova was commenting on the US State Department's appeal to North Korea to stop actions that increase the risk of conflict on the Korean peninsula

Israeli troops force captured Palestinians to carry out life-threatening tasks — newspaper

According to the report, captured Palestinians were forced to scout the tunnel networks where fighters could still be still hiding and enter buildings rigged with mines to find hidden explosives

Erdogan says Palestinians view Israel's founding in 1948 as 'catastrophe'

"The so-called State of Israel is the only UN member country with vague official borders," Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted

Russian Airborne Force snipers daily destroy Ukrainian manpower in borderline Kursk area

Sniper pairs pay special attention to camouflaging their positions

UN gives ‘bureaucratic reply’ to note about US sanctions on Russian media — diplomat

In the comment, published by the Russian mission's official Telegram, Gatilov said Russian diplomats requested Turk "to properly assess how Washington's sanctions against the Russian media and journalists align with the US international human rights obligations, and to publicly respond"

Russia to give military help to North Korea if it comes under attack — senior diplomat

Andrey Rudenko said clauses to that effect are contained in the treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea that was submitted to the State Duma for ratification the day before

Burkina Faso wants more Russian military instructors, weapons — PM

"Russia is an ideal partner in anti-terrorist fight" and is capable of "resisting the West as a military power," Joachim Kyelem stressed

Ukraine kills nearly 400 in terror attacks on Russia’s borderline areas — commissioner

Tatyana Moskalkova emphasized that "shooting civilians, including women, children, the elderly, in their own homes, during evacuation attempts, is a gross violation [of the rules] of treatment of civilians in an armed conflict zone"

China, Russia, Mongolia ready to boost mutual trust, cooperation — premier

Li Qiang emphasized that this cooperation aligns with shared aspirations and the prevailing global trends

Bookmakers give Trump 53.7% chance of winning US election

However, the latest opinion polls show that Harris, who is running for the highest office from the Democrats, is ahead of Trump

Russia’s Su-25 attack aircraft disrupt rotation of Ukrainian forces in Kursk region

After the use of aviation weapons, the crews performed an anti-missile maneuver, releasing decoy flares, and returned to their airfield of departure

Prisoner of war says Ukraine has no missiles for anti-tank systems

Yevgeny Khotenko noted that he did not want to cross into the Kursk Region

Russian forces liberate two communities in Donbass region over past day

Battlegroup Center units liberated the settlement of Krasny Yar in DPR and battlegroup West units liberated the settlement of Nevskoye in LPR as a result of active offensive operations

Russian Office of General Prosecutor sues Shell for one bln euro

The lawsuit claims that Shell did not meet its obligations in the Sakhalin Project, and therefore must pay damages

NATO disintegration is just a matter of time, says Politico

It is reported that the only real question the election will resolve for Europe’s security is the timing of NATO’s collapse

Tula engineers deliver 4,000 kamikaze drones with computer vision to Russian troops

The drone features a remote detonation function, a self-destruct system and a payload-loading multilayered protection system, the People’s Front specified

Russian helicopter strikes Ukrainian infantry, equipment in Kursk region

The attack was carried out with air missiles on reconnaissance enemy targets

EU's 'Potemkin armies' leave Europe vulnerable — Bloomberg

The number of ground troops in NATO’s European member countries declined by 61% in 1994-2024, from two mln to 784,000

Ukrainian front in Kursk area may collapse within month — Russian commander

"If we observe the events on the entire front, that is, in about ten areas in total, where the units of the Russian Defense Ministry are advancing, we can see that the prospects of the ministry and its units are quite serious and massive," Major General Apty Alaudinov said

Bodies of Russian climbers killed in Nepal evacuated — Russian embassy

According to it, the bodies will be brought to Kathmandu within a day

Press review: NATO postures with nuke drills and Biden's arms control calls miss mark

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, October 15th

Russian military experts set for humanitarian demining mission in Laos

Major General Andrey Kruglov noted that specialists from the center had swept almost 470 acres of land over their first six missions, uncovering and disposing of more than 3,500 explosive hazards

Residents to be obligatory evacuated from Kupyansk in Kharkov Region

According to Oleg Sinegubov, this decision was motivated by "the worsening military situation"

West's endgame to make Moldova part of Romania — Foreign Ministry

"This is a historical battle that has been going on for decades and centuries, and now it has simply reached a new level," Maria Zakharova stated

Russia, China share views on situation in world — top defense official

Andrey Belousov pointed out that thanks to the efforts of the leaders of the two countries - Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin - the states have built a strategic partnership

Trilateral Russia-Mongolia-China meeting at prime ministers’ level begins in Islamabad

This is the first meeting at the level of heads of governments in this trilateral format

Eyewitnesses say not only Ukrainians fighting for Kiev in Kursk Region

It is also reported that the Ukrainian armed forces fired "everything they could" - assault rifles, machine guns, artillery

Zelensky’s so-called victory plan has two secret annexes that won’t be made public

The public part of the third provision spoke about the deployment of a kind of "comprehensive non-nuclear strategic deterrence package" on the territory of the country

Domestic problems should not make US stop support to other states — Harris

"America should never pull ourselves away from our responsibility as a world leader," US Vice President said

Russia urges Argentina not to support Kiev by attending Ottawa conference — envoy

Dmitry Feoktistov pointed out that Russia views the conference as a "blatantly anti-Russian project"

Ukrainian troops sent to areas seized by Russia to become 'cannon fodder,' POW says

According to the soldier, retreating from the settlement of Karlovka was especially hard for him and his fellow servicemen

US pushes Ukraine to allow mobilization from age of 18 — Ukrainian official

In March 2022, Ukrainian general mobilization applied to men aged 27 years to 60 years, but in April 2024 the permitted mobilization age was reduced to 25 years

Former Ukrainian militant wants to become Russian citizen, serve in Russian special forces

The detachment led by the commander with the call sign Shustry is liberating the Donetsk People's Republic in the area of Chasov Yar

Iran tells US it wouldn’t respond to 'limited' Israeli strike — report

According to the media, the "behind-the-scenes" message from Iran to the US differs from the Iranian public statements, which threaten a painful response to a possible Israeli strike

Forces behind 2003 coup want another uprising in Georgia - politician

"They once again resort to lies, propaganda and false symbols to seize power in a divided and conflict-ridden society and bring about the same misfortunes that we have already experienced," Bidzina Ivanishvili said

Ukrainian troops preparing to retreat from Russia’s borderline Kursk Region — blogger

Russian forces continue operations to destroy Ukrainian army units in the borderline Kursk Region

Russia-China cooperation on the rise despite external pressure, PM says

Moscow and Beijing are also creating new international transport corridors and paying special attention to agriculture and strengthening food security in Russia and China, Mikhail Mishustin noted

Saudi Arabia’s status to be clear after BRICS summit — Kremlin spokesman

The BRICS summit will be held in Kazan from October 22 through 24

IN BRIEF: Enemy losses and surrendering troops: situation in Russia’s Kursk Region

IRGC confirms destruction of numerous Israeli F-35s in Iranian missile strike

It was earlier reported that more than 20 Israeli Air Force F-35 aircraft were hit during an IRGC missile strike on Israel

Over 20 attacks on healthcare facilities registered in Lebanon since September — WHO

According to the World Health Organization, 72 people were killed and 43 wounded

Brazil wants BRICS countries to trade dollar for national currencies in global trade — MFA

The country will continue negotiating a further increase in the share of national currencies in trade with members of the integration, Brazilian Foreign Affairs Secretary for Asia and the Pacific Eduardo Paes Saboia added

Musk spends over $1 billion to fund failed coup in Venezuela — Maduro

"The US government was behind the attempt, there is a constant conspiracy by the 'North American empire,'" the Venezuelan president stressed

EU, Persian Gulf leaders to discuss conflicts in Ukraine and Middle East

The first EU-GCC summit will be co-chaired by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as the rotating President of the GCC

Ukraine’s Zelensky rules out territorial concessions in his so-called settlement plan

Other key provisions of the plan include inviting Ukraine to join NATO, allowing the country to strike deep into Russia, increasing arms supplies to Ukraine

US unlikely to supply Ukraine with THAAD systems — military analyst

According to Igor Korotchenko, if the THAAD missile defense system "was to be destroyed by the Russian armed forces, it would mean a huge loss of image for the United States"

Astana format meeting on Syria to be held before end of year — senior Russian diplomat

Astana format talks in the capital of Kazakhstan have been held since 2017, with a total of 21 meetings so far

President of Nicaragua sees Zelensky as 'spawn of Hitler' for fighting Russia

According to Daniel Ortega, Hitler also believed that his attack on the USSR would be successful, but he underestimated the resilience of the Soviet people

Ukrainian forces near Kupyansk face encirclement — retired Ukrainian officer

Oleg Starikov also said Russian forces could then continue their advance toward Kharkov

One in five munitions used by Ukrainian troops fails — defense minister

According to the report, Kiev "developed a procedure, which will make it possible not only to dispose of dangerous items, but use them to benefit" the troops

Court fines Telegram $41,244 for refusal to delete banned information

In August 2024, Telegram was also fined four million for the similar administrative offense

Ukrainian nation fragmented, politician says

According to Viktor Medvedchuk, Ukrainian draft officials take advantage of the army’s combat failures "to extract money from male civilians"

Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

The Russian military must encircle and eliminate the Ukrainian servicemen operating in the Kursk Region, Major General Apty Alaudinov stressed

Pentagon urges not to compare US support to Ukraine, Israel

US Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said that the two conflicts require different capabilities and approaches and "it is a little bit of apples and oranges here"

Ukraine fatigue very 'real' in West — Finland’s Foreign Ministry

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has diverted both attention and resources away from Ukraine, Elina Valtonen stated

Russian, Chinese sailors practice maritime rescue in East China Sea

In accordance with the scenario of the drills, sailors responded to a mayday call issued by a civilian vessel in the vicinity

French-formed Ukrainian brigade no match for Russia’s military might — expert

"The brigade will not change the course of the conflict as it will be defeated by Russians who use powerful artillery and equipment and have crucial dominance in the air," Alain Corvez pointed out

New NATO command center for Ukraine to 'make real difference' on battlefield — Rutte

The new NATO headquarters in Wiesbaden is being established based on a decision made during the NATO summit in Washington

US ditches project for next-gen Patriot missiles due to high costs

US Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano added that the United States would focus on "a tighter coupling between the THAAD system and the Patriot system"

Kazakhstan not ready to join BRICS — presidential spokesman

According to Berik Uali, Kazakhstan "follows with interest the development of BRICS and supports the calls to the founding member states to work on the establishment of a just, democratic world order, free from hegemony and superpowers"

North Korea says South Korean military behind drone flights over Pyongyang

"The instigators will pay a tough price," Kim Yo Jong noted

Press review: Kim Jong Un dynamites Seoul links and NATO, US lay plans to deter Russia

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, October 16th

Zelensky wants West to deploy 'non-nuclear strategic deterrence package' to counter Russia

The Ukrainian president proposed to "conclude a special agreement on joint protection of Ukraine's critical resources and joint use of its economic potential"

Press review: Kiev's allies getting ready to bail and US, EU hit Iran with sanctions

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, October 14th

Investigation into former Defense Ministry's personnel chief case extended until 2025

Kuznetsov was detained and placed under arrest in May on suspicion of receiving a plot of land and a house as a bribe

EU contributions to Kiev to be voluntary, Hungary won't participate — top diplomat

Peter Szijjarto also noted that Hungary is against sending Western military instructors to Ukraine to train the Ukrainian army

Slovak prime minister predicts imminent end of Ukrainian conflict

Robert Fico also noted that "there are talks again about the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO"

China voices concern about situation on Korean peninsula — MFA

Mao Ning also emphasized that "China’s position on maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and promoting a political solution to the peninsula issue remains unchanged"

Russian forces pummel Ukrainian army, equipment in 129 areas over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 590 casualties on Ukrainian troops in its area of responsibility over the past day

Disabled man missing three fingers, unable shoot gun forced into Ukrainian army

"The command sits in the rear, playing their war games," Vladimir Gavroshenko told the ministry

Poles shocked by Ukrainians’ luxurious lives — defense minister

Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz expressed support for Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s idea to cut social benefits to Ukrainians of draft age living in the EU

Russia, DPRK show opponents that strategic treaty 'not a sheet of paper,' expert says

Commenting on the rumors that have been spreading after Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership with North Korea to the State Duma for ratification, Alexander Vorontsov pointed out that "the demonization of both countries has been going on consistently and for a long time"