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Middle East conflict

Khaled Mashal becomes new Hamas leader after Sinwar’s death — website

According to Lebanon's LBCI news website, he is now responsible for communication with the key parties involved in talks on the release of Israeli hostages

© AP Photo/ Majdi Mohammed

BEIRUT, October 18. /TASS/. Khaled Mashal, chief of the Hamas office abroad, has taken the helm of the Palestinian organization following the killing of Yahya Sinwar, chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, Lebanon’s LBCI news website reports, citing sources.

The sources confirm that Mashal has taken on the role of acting Hamas leader and is now responsible for communication with the key parties involved in talks on the release of Israeli hostages. The sources added that "the Hamas leadership has informed Turkish, Qatari and Egyptian officials of Sinwar’s death in an operation in Tel al-Sultan and stressed that after his death, talks on exchanging prisoners and ending the war will become increasingly difficult."

The Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday that Sinwar had been killed in an Israeli military operation in southern Gaza on October 16.

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Palestine Israel

US Navy cruiser mistakenly downs F/A-18 fighter over Red Sea

According to US Central Command, the incident occurred during airstrikes on Houthi facilities

Mourhaf Abu Qasra becomes top Syrian defense official in transitional government — TV

According to Al Watan newspaper, Abu Qasra was the commander of the military wing of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement

Possible arrival of new Russian envoy before Trump’s inauguration depends on US — diplomat

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US defense companies capitalize the most on Ukraine conflict — Russia’s UN envoy

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Oreshnik test launch forces London to take a step back — Russian ambassador

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Putin meets with Federation Council Speaker Matviyenko in Kremlin

The upper chamber of the parliament wrapped up its autumn session

ISS orbit raised ahead of launching Soyuz manned spacecraft

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Turkish president calls on West to stop Israel in Syria before it’s too late

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Embassies of 12 countries closed in North Korea amid shortage of goods

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Airborne troops from Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr wipe out enemy position in Kherson region

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Civilian industrial complex supplies Russian army with over 65 types of units — top brass

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov praised the new mechanisms for accelerating the introduction of advanced weapons and equipment developed by the civilian defense industrial complex in the interests of the Russian army

Russia to retaliate against Ukrainian strikes, just as Putin said — Kremlin

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BRICS is approaching G20 format, Brazilian foreign minister says

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Magdeburg attacker may be charged with murder of 5, attempted murder of 205 — prosecutor

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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the comment following a statement on the subject by Vladimir Putin

Scholz, German Interior Minister booed during visit to terrorist attack site — newspaper

A protest broke out during the chancellor's and minister's visit, with demonstrators whistling and shouting "Get out!"

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Assad allegedly hands list of military targets over to Israel before leaving Syria — media

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Biden signs bill to fund US government until March 14, 2025

The US Senate and House of Representatives approved the bill a day before

Yemeni capital city subjected to massive airstrike - TV channel

According to the Al Hadath TV channel, at least three strikes hit Ansar Allah military facilities located in Sanaa, including rebel locations

Damage to Portuguese Embassy in Kiev caused by Ukrainian air defense — Russian diplomats

Reporters are ramping up Russophobia, distorting the facts while writing on this matter, the Russian Embassy in Portugal said

Russian cancer vaccine to be free of charge — top oncologist

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IN BRIEF: Magdeburg Christmas market attack kills 11, injuring roughly 80 others

TASS has compiled the key facts behind the deadly attack

Arkhangelsk nuclear submarine ready to join Russian Navy — Sevmash Shipyard CEO

Project 885M nuclear-powered submarines carry Oniks and Kalibr-PL cruise missiles as their basic strike weapons

Russia’s first two helicopter carriers to be laid down in Crimea in spring 2020 — sources

The first helicopter carrier will be delivered to the Russian Navy by the end of 2027

Ukraine's refusal to transit Russian gas will hit EU economies hard — French expert

According to Jacques Sapir, the decision not to extend transit contracts was no surprise given the political landscape

Mother of missing US reporter thanks Putin for promising help in locating her son

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Russian missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov to become world’s strongest warship after upgrade

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Three of eight drones that attacked Kazan targeted defense industry facilities — head

The Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov also noted that all operational services worked well when dealing with the aftermath of the drone attack

Press review: Who benefits from Russian general's murder as Trump lacks Kremlin strategy

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, December 18th

Perm sub with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles to enter service with Russian Navy in 2026

Test launches of the Tsirkon missiles from the Project 885 Sverodvinsk submarine were conducted in the White Sea on October 4, 2022

What is known about Russia’s retaliatory strike on Ukraine after attack on Rostov Region

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported the fires in Solomensky and Shevchenkovsky districts

Baltic states threaten mass deportation of Russians, take lead in Russophobia — statement

The Foreign Ministry noted that the facts of discrimination and persecution of Russians are often ignored by the official leadership of countries and international human rights agencies, leading many victims to remain silent

Putin sends greetings on Russia’s Energy Industry Worker’s Day

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Banks find opportunity to work under sanctions — Central Bank chief

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Putin agrees 'Russian world' now faces war

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Putin responds to question about Russia's weakness by quoting Mark Twain

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Russia manages situation in Ukraine, while West in big trouble — US political scientist

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CIA station in Kiev targeted in recent Russian attack, military expert reveals

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Persecution of Orthodox Church to come back to haunt Ukraine — Putin

"The ongoing situation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a gross violation of human rights, religious freedoms," the Russian President noted

Brazil unveils BRICS logo for 2025

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Press review: Putin outlines Russia's future goals and Tehran faces energy blackout riots

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, December 20th

Trump appoints TV producer Burnett as special envoy to UK

The new special envoy will be in charge of trade and investment issues, as well as the cultural exchange between the two countries

Putin grants Russian citizenship to Italian opera icon Giancarlo del Monaco

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Maximal costs of Nord Stream pipeline repair to be 633 mln euro

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Magnitude 5.3 earthquake rocks South Africa

No injuries or damage were reported

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Russia-US dialogue on Ukraine can be conducted on different platforms — senior diplomat

Everything depends on its content and the approach of the team of US President-elect Donald Trump are important, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said

Eight people killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza Strip — TV

According to Al Jazeera, Israeli forces shelled a residential building in Deir al-Balah and a downtown Khan Yunis

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Series of explosions rock central Kiev — eyewitnesses

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Slovak PM to visit Moscow for talks with Putin, Serbian president says

"Robert Fico will travel to visit Putin as a European countries leader," Aleksandar Vucic said

Novak assumes price of US LNG at least 30-40% higher than of Russian pipeline gas for EU

Russia’s Energy Minister adding that the US LNG is "uncompetitive as of today"

Syria's new authorities appoint Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister

The SANA news agency said al-Shibani previously headed the political department of the National Salvation Government

IN BRIEF: What is known about drone attack on residential buildings in Kazan

TASS has gathered the main information about the incident

Proposal to duel with West response to claims of Oreshnik missile vulnerability — Kremlin

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin thus meant that the Oreshnik missile is a generation ahead of all existing weapons, while not being a nuclear weapon itself

Civilian manufacturers ramp up drone production to 40,000 units per month

The Russian Defense Ministry has also purchased more than 100,000 units from small design bureaus and civilian manufacturers, the statement said

US confirms strikes on Houthi command posts in Yemen

CENTCOM forces also shot down several Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea

Kremlin mum on reports about Slovakian prime minister's plans to visit Moscow

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said earlier that the Slovak prime minister intended to hold talks with Putin on December 23 amid Vladimir Zelensky's refusal to extend gas transit through Ukraine

NATO prepares for war with Russia, Moscow takes these risks into account — senior diplomat

According to Alexander Grushko, NATO's general course poses a danger both to Russia and to the entire architecture of global and regional security

Syrian armed groups to merge into one under auspices of the country's Defense Ministry

Ahmed al-Sharaa, the militant leader of the main group driving the Syrian armed opposition, met with the leaders of the armed groups and discussed with them the new format of the Syrian army

Russian troops liberate 10 communities in Donbass region over week — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 3,610 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed six enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the week

Putin challenges West to try to intercept Oreshnik missile in Kiev

"Let them choose a target, say, in Kiev, and amass their air and missile defense systems there, while we will launch an Oreshnik missile at the target," the Russian leader said

Eight people killed in Israeli strike on school in Gaza Strip

According to the TV channel Al Jazeera, the refugees were housed at a school in the Al-Daraj neighborhood

Trump wants NATO countries to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP — FT

The sources also told the Financial Times that Donald Trump intends to continue the military aid to Ukraine despite the statements he made during his presidential campaign

Russia to raise issue of Ukrainian strikes on Rylsk at UNSC meeting on Friday — diplomat

Acting Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein said earlier that the town of Rylsk, located some 120 kilometers west of Kursk, had come under Ukrainian fire

NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant

Zelensky actually flips the bird to Trump by insulting Putin, Medvedev says

The politician emphasized that "the president of a major country should be extremely polite and amiable"

Drone attack triggers fire at fuel infrastructure facility in Russia’s Oryol Region

Currently, the Oryol Region is yet again under a massive enemy UAV attack

Four new Russian regions moving toward self-sufficiency at a rapid pace — Putin

According to the head of state, tax revenues have seen a consistent increase in absolute figures

Musk believes Germany’s Scholz should step down after car drives into crowd in Magdeburg

Meanwhile, Scholz will visit Magdeburg to assess the situation later on Saturday

Putin suggests Zelensky may flee abroad, says Russia would take him in

"But he will be taken care of by those people whose interests he is serving now," the Russian leader said

Gaza peace deal closer than ever, Palestinian radicals say

The document pointed out that during the talks in Cairo, representatives of the radical groups "discussed with the mediators the development of indirect negotiations [with the Israeli side] on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a hostage exchange agreement"

Russia is at war not only with Ukraine, but with collective West — Shoigu

Russian Defense Minister stressed that Ukraine had almost run out of its own weapons of Soviet manufacture

Russia’s international reserves up by $3.8 bln to $618.2 bln over week — Central Bank

Russia’s international reserves are highly liquid foreign assets available with the Bank of Russia and the Russian government

Yemen’s Houthis announce hypersonic missile strike at military facility near Tel Aviv

Israel’s Ynet media outlet reports that at least 30 people suffered injuries after a missile fired from Yemen fell in central Israel

Hungarian PM highlights need to lift sanctions on Russia once Ukraine conflict is resolved

Viktor Obran added, however, that only a couple of EU countries shared Hungary’s position

US Navy cruiser mistakenly downs F/A-18 fighter over Red Sea

According to US Central Command, the incident occurred during airstrikes on Houthi facilities

Ukrainian troops struggling to escape being trapped in Lozovaya in Kharkov region — expert

In general, "quite active hostilities" are taking place near Dvurechnaya and Lozovaya in the Kupyansk sector of the line of engagement, Andrey Marochko noted

Almost 20 drones downed over four Russian regions, Black Sea last night

According to Russia's Defence Ministry, attempts to conduct attacks against facilities on Russian soil were thwarted

Ukraine to halt Russian gas transit on January 1, 2025 — Ukrainian PM

The restart of transit via the Ukrainian gas transportation system is possible at a request of the European Commission if this is not Russian gas, Denis Shmygal said

Response to Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Rylsk to come shortly — Russia’s UN envoy

Vasily Nebenzya warned as he denounced the attack as yet another unambiguous step by the Kiev regime toward escalation

Kiev takes out its anger for military defeats on Russian people — diplomat

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also emphasized that Moscow is outraged by the hypocritical silence of the West and its media on the terrorist attacks in Russia

Ukrainian lawmaker slams Zelensky for trying to bribe Slovak PM

The lawmaker believes that the bribe money wasn’t meant to come from Russia’s frozen funds but Zelensky "could have brought it in a suitcase"

Ukrainian shelling of Russia’s Rylsk damages 12 buildings — governor

Three of them are not subject to restoration, Alexander Khinshtein said

Kremlin spokesman clarifies Putin’s statement about Oreshnik 'duel'

"It is very important to talk about these statements by the president in the context of the question he was asked," Dmitry Peskov pointed out

Press review: South Korean president impeached as Ukraine turns to foreign mercenaries

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, December 16th

Ukraine loses over 300 troops, two Bradley vehicles in Kursk Region in past day

Eight motor vehicles and two electronic warfare stations were also destroyed? the ministy added

Russia has confidence in its weapons, senior diplomat says

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also stressed that the recent developments had shown that the US policy of establishing a system of increasingly layered missile defenses was wrong

Aleppo taken by 350 militants while 30,000 gov’t troops retreated without fight — Putin

The Russian president recalled that no Russian land troops had been deployed to Syria, with Russia having only an airbase and a naval base