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Middle East conflict

Israel demands release of six hostages instead of three on Saturday — media

According to Ynet, Israel is also preparing to receive the bodies of several hostages who died in Hamas captivity

TEL AVIV, February 18. /TASS/. Israel demands that Hamas release six hostages on Saturday instead of the three stipulated in the current agreement, the Ynet media outlet reported.

According to it, Israel is also preparing to receive the bodies of several hostages who died in Hamas captivity. The bodies will be brought to Israel two days before Saturday’s handover so that there is enough time for identification procedures, Ynet notes.

The Kan radio station, in turn, reported that Israel would receive the bodies of four to five hostages; Hamas is expected to announce their names on the morning of February 20.

On January 15, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to release the hostages held in Gaza and declare a ceasefire in the enclave. The three-phase deal took effect on January 19. During the initial 42-day phase, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

According to Israel, 73 people remain in Hamas captivity.

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Palestine Israel

Pavel Durov's detention

Telegram co-founder Durov leaves France for Dubai with judges’ permission — AFP

A source told AFP that Durov had been authorized to leave France "for several weeks"

Trump says sure that Putin will agree to ceasefire in Ukraine

US President says he knows Russian Leader "pretty well"

Security advisers from Germany, UK and France head to US — report

These consultations will be taking place at a critical time for the talks on a Ukraine ceasefire

Starmer to urge Kiev’s allies to increase pressure on Russia to achieve ceasefire

The British PM accused Russia of attempts to prolong the negotiations on the conditions of the ceasefire

Putin says aware of Trump's call to spare Ukrainian troops in Kursk Region

The Russian leader said that the Ukrainian army had committed crimes against the civilian population in the Kursk Region, which "are classified by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation as terrorism"

G7 threatens Russia with new sanctions in case of rejecting ceasefire initiative

The G7 members "called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully"

Putin’s response to Ukraine ceasefire proposal puts the ball back into US court — expert

Michael Desch, a professor of international relations at the University of Notre Dame expects 'a long diplomatic rally before the match is over'

Putin guarantees life to Ukrainian troops if they lay down arms

The Russian president made the statement as he opened a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council

Kinzhal missile wipes out Patriot air defense system in Kiev — Russian Defense Ministry

On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Russian Armed Forces hit a US-made Patriot system in Kiev with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile

Man shot dead in Odessa helped set fire to Trade Union building in 2014 — report

Ganul is a neo-Nazi and the former security chief of the Odessa cell of Right Sector (designated extremist and banned in Russia), and also the leader of the Street Front grassroots initiative

Danish lawmaker believes annexation of Greenland would cause war against US

Rasmus Jarlov referred to the meeting US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the White House on March 13

No war, so feared by West, in Europe in five years — Lukashenko

The president said the leadership of Belarus would have known about the plans to attack Europe

Ukrainian troops failed to retreat from Sudzha — commando group’s chief

"These groups are currently being exposed, pursued, and eliminated," he said

Western nationals unable to register real properties in Donbass by 2028

This decree expands and complements norms established in December 2024

South Africa wants mutually beneficial relations with US despite expulsion of ambassador

Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared South African Ambassador to Washington Ebrahim Rasool persona non grata, calling him "a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates the US president."

Time running out for Ukrainian troops in Kursk area to lay down arms — Kremlin

Putin thus responded to the call of US President Donald Trump, who offered to "spare" the Ukrainian troops in Kursk Region

Macron's intention to protect everyone with France's '3-4 nuclear bombs' is funny — Lavrov

The minister also noted that Macron is now trying to present the situation as if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not want to implement the 2015 Minsk agreements

Proposal on 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine needs to be discussed — upper house speaker

Valentina Matviyenko stressed that if the mobilization campaign continues and is weapons continue to be supplied, this will not be a ceasefire

Italy’s top diplomat says he summoned Russian envoy after statements by MFA spokeswoman

Maria Zakharova earlier said at a briefing that Italian President Sergio Mattarella’s statements that Moscow allegedly threatens Europe with nuclear weapons are false

Trump expects Russia to agree to Ukrainian settlement deal

The US has had some pretty good news coming out of Russia, the American leader said

Ukraine to eventually come back to Russia, Belarus — Lukashenko

"They will take both black soil and rare earth materials, and God willing, they will not take away everything else," the Belarusian leader emphasized

Kursk Region has transformed into a Kursk fortress — acting governor

According to Alexander Khinshtein, both the Russian military, who are liberating the region, and volunteers, who are assisting residents of border areas, are part of such a fortress

US Senate approves bill to extend government funding until September 30

A simple majority of votes was required for approval

Kursk situation under Russia’s control, Ukrainian battlegroup blocked — Putin

"This is full isolation and full gunfire control," the Russian leader stressed

Crew Dragon ship with Russian cosmonaut Peskov on board on its way to ISS

The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Saturday evening

White House says peace in Ukraine closer than ever before

US President Donald Trump wrote on the Truth Social network on March 14 that a "very good and productive" conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin took place on March 13

Russian troops complete clearing of woods west of Kurilovka — security agencies

Russian marines note that the remaining Ukrainian forces are putting up fierce resistance, as many servicemen are still unaware of the defeat of the Ukrainian grouping in the occupied territories

Ukraine's long-term security can only be discussed in future — Rubio

He believes that the negotiations should take into account "not simply the views of the United States, but other countries that are involved," including Europe

Bloomberg links strengthening of anti-Russian sanctions to Treasury Secretary’s position

This refers to License 8L of the US Treasury that authorized transactions of such kind by March 12 of this year

Ukrainian army committed crimes against civilians in Kursk Region — Putin

"As I have already said, these acts are classified by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation as terrorism," the head of state said at a meeting with members of the Security Council

Peaceful settlement in Ukraine going well — Trump

He admitted however that "it's a very complex situation"

Many residents of liberated villages in Kursk Region need medical assistance — sources

Russian servicemen continue to evacuate civilians

Any possible ceasefire in Ukraine must be respected — G7

The foreign ministers also promised "to coordinate economic and humanitarian support" to Kiev, to promote the early recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will take place in Rome on July 10-11, 2025

Ukrainian troops in Kursk Region will be destroyed, if refuse to surrender — Medvedev

The politician noted that the coming hours will show whether the Kiev regime will use the chance to save its soldiers

Iraqi security forces eliminate one of world's most dangerous terrorists — PM

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the terrorist held senior positions in the extremist group

'Oreshnik' in Belarus, Trump 'bulldozer': Lukashenko addresses upper house

Belarusian leader stressed that Moscow and Minsk "seamlessly complement each other" in industry despite differences in resources

Novgorod-made FPV drone Prince Vandal causes $300 mln damage to NATO

Earlier, the CEO of the research and production center Ushkuynik, Alexey Chadayev, said that the drone for the first time would begin to be manufactured in several regions of Russia

Russian forces start demining border areas of Kursk Region

The ministry also said that the sappers have a lot of work to do

Traffic in Belgrade paralyzed, thousands of protesters arrive in city center

The protesters are carrying Serbian flags, using drums, vuvuzelas and whistles

Kursk operation turns into a ticking time bomb for Kiev, Russian official says

Igor Kimakovsky explained that the deployment of Ukrainian forces to the Kursk Region had made it possible for Russian troops to advance in the most tactically crucial areas

Trumps says was sarcastic when promising to settle Ukrainian conflict in 24 hours

During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly said that he would settle the conflict in Ukraine in 24 hours

Moscow ready to host peace treaty signing for Armenia, Azerbaijan — Russian MFA

The statement came as the countries wrapped up negotiations to finalize the text of their peace agreement

Chechen leader says Operation Pipeline near Sudzha was daring, incredibly effective

Kadyrov also shared a video featuring the Akhmat units’ commandos moving through the gas pipeline as they advanced into enemy territory

South Africa to act through diplomatic channels in situation with envoy to US — spokesman

Earlier, Rubio declared South African Ambassador to Washington Ebrahim Rasool persona non grata, calling him "a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates the US president."

China successfully launches Siwei Gaojing remote sensing satellite

The Changzheng-2D carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China at 12:11 a.m. local time

Russia’s S-500 missile defense system seen as top-notch by US analysts — media

The S-500, produced by the Almaz-Antey defense manufacturer, was designed to destroy all existing and future aerospace attack weapons of a potential enemy across the entire range of altitudes and speeds

Trump says Islamic state’s leader eliminated in Iraq

US President also noted that the operation was conducted in coordination with the government of Iraq and the authorities of the Iraqi Kurdistan

Ukraine, Russia’s potential concessions yet to be seen — Rubio

According to the top US diplomat, there can be "no military solution" to the hostilities in Ukraine

Trade war between US, China may adversely affect Sino-Russian trade — expert

US duties in respect of Canada, Mexico, China and the EU may lead to GDP growth deceleration in these countries and across the globe in general, CEO of US-based Navigator Principal Investors Kyle Shostak said

Western leaders' meeting on Ukraine kicks off

Starmer cited three main goals for today's meeting: "to strengthen Ukraine, to be prepared to defend any deal ourselves through a ‘coalition of the willing,’ and to keep that pressure on Russia at this crucial time"

Five Russians were onboard ship that collided with tanker off UK coast — embassy

"They did not sustain any injuries in the accident and their health is out of danger," the statement reads

Ukrainian forces destroy 48 churches, architectural monuments in Russia’s Kursk region

According to Alexander Khinshtein, not a single war criminal who committed atrocities on the Kursk land should escape deserved punishment

Birth rate in Russia up 7.3% in January 2025 — statistics

The number of contracted marriages increased to 48,334 or by 28.7% against the like period of the last year, the Russian Federal Statistics Service, Rosstat, reported

Russian, Belarusian citizens to face significant limitations of entry to US — newspaper

According to The New York Times, Washington will not close its borders for Russians and Belarusians completely

Britain does not want peace in Ukraine because of its interest in Odessa seaports — expert

Vladimir Karasev further elaborated that the British authorities were also interested in Ukraine's resources, which have been handed over to them by Vladimir Zelensky under a 100-year agreement

Russian forces destroy platoon of Ukrainian troops redeployed to Donbass from Kursk

Ukrainian troops are making attempts with the support of reserves to counterattack in that frontline area, the source specified

Security forces detain Ukrainian soldiers disguised as Russian troops in Kursk border area

"They immediately inform the Russian military about suspicious persons," the source said.

Belarus will not join Russia in the near future — Lukashenko

The Belarusian leader believes that the unification of the two states could have occurred back during Boris Yeltsin's presidency

President Putin says situation with Russia-US relations is 'on the move'

"We will be dealing with this issue today. We have two reporters on it and they are [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergey Lavrov and [chief of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service] Sergey Naryshkin," the Russian leader said

Putin invites Maduro to Moscow on May 9

"Supplies of Venezuelan fuel and lubricants, sent to our country through the lend-lease system, ensuring the operation of aviation and other military equipment, were crucial," the Russian leader said

Trump calls discussions with Putin on Thursday 'very good and productive'

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Putin met visiting US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff late on Thursday but did not say what the two were talking about

Russia understands Trump's call to "spare" Ukrainian troops near Kursk — Putin

"We understand President Trump's call to be guided by humanitarian considerations in relation to these servicemen," the Russian leader said

EU offers Kiev membership for ongoing conflict with Russia — Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban elaborated that Ukraine’s rushed accession to the EU would cause irreparable damage to European countries in areas such as the economy, labor market, healthcare, public security, and border protection

Trump concedes NATO at war against Russia in Ukraine

US president made the statement at a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin

Europe at risk of ‘engaging in civilizational suicide’ — US vice president

According to JD Vance, the policy of open borders and the limitations of citizens’ rights are becoming a serious issue for European countries

FACTBOX: Russia liberates settlements in Kursk, charges Ukrainian mercenaries

Over the past day, the enemy lost more than 260 military personnel, five armored personnel carriers, two armored combat vehicles, five automobiles, four artillery pieces, two mortars, as well as three unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control sites

Ukrainian troops suffering heavy losses near Sudzha in attempt to evacuate NATO equipment

The Ukrainian army has repeatedly attempted without any success to break through into the Sumy Region on armored personnel carriers, armored combat vehicles and pickup trucks

Engineering troops begin demining liberated areas of Russia’s Kursk Region

According to the acting regional head Alexander Khinshtein, the Ukrainian armed forces continue to shell settlements in the Kursk Region using cluster munitions fired by multiple rocket launchers

UK police charge Russian captain involved in recent ship collision — report

He is charged with gross negligence and manslaughter

US discussing with Ukraine what territories it will concede — Trump

In the US President's words, "phase one [in the reconciliation process] is the ceasefire"

“Windows” on Belarusian-Ukrainian border enable cooperation — Lukashenko

According to the Belarussian President, an exchange of wounded is also underway

Belarus ready to put into service 2 Oreshnik launchers by end of year — Lukashenko

According to the president, it has not yet been decided where in Belarus to deploy the systems

US restarting trade relations with all foreign partners — Rubio

Washington is not aiming at waging trade wars, said Secretary of State

Trump accuses CNN, MSNBC of being corrupt, acting illegally

The US leader criticized the media for coordinating between each other, saying that they influence judges and change law

US cautiously optimistic about cooperation with Russia on Ukraine — Rubio

"Suffice it to say, I think there is reason to be cautiously optimistic," the US Secretary of State said

US contacts Russia on possible cooperation with Gazprom — Bloomberg

It is reported that negotiations between the American and Russian sides on this issue are at an early stage

Finland, as in 1930s, becomes springboard for aggression against Russia — Patrushev

Nikolay Patrushev pointed out that Moscow had not taken any aggressive actions towards Helsinki in the late 1930s until the very end, even offering a territorial swap

Press review: Putin backs ceasefire but calls for talks as Russian army shifts Kursk front

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, March 14th

Russian strikes on logistics, not US, behind halt in Ukrainian ATACMS attacks — politician

Belarus’s Lukashenko mentions clandestine foreign phone calls to Putin

"As long as Vladimir Vladimirovich chooses to remain silent, I do not have the authority to speculate," Alexander Lukashenko said

Kiev should order military near Kursk to surrender — Putin

"In order to effectively implement the call of the US president, an appropriate order is needed from the leadership of Ukraine to its military units to lay down their weapons and surrender," the Russian leader said

Top US diplomat declares South Africa's ambassador persona non grata

The top US diplomat accompanied his post with a link to the Breitbart news outlet, which cites the South African diplomat's outbursts against the American leader

Trump sees no threat of Russia attacking NATO

"I think what this [the special military operation in Ukraine] gets done, it’s done. They're going to all want to go home and rest," the US president added

Russia’s retaking of Sudzha deals blow to Kiev’s reputation, expert says

The Russian Defense Ministry has said the Battlegroup North retook Sudzha on March 13

Trump’s special envoy for hostages to resign — news portal

According to Axios, the resignation was planned and is linked to the Trump administration's intention to grant Boehler broader powers in a different position

Russian troops liberate 33 communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,585 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 19 enemy artillery guns and 15 electronic warfare stations in its area of responsibility over the week, the Defense Ministry reported

Kiev tried to pass off Ukrainian army’s panic escape from Sudzha as regrouping — expert

"And, naturally, after such slaughter, they would hardly want to continue their service under the direction of the Ukrainian military command and Zelensky," Andrey Marochko said

Rusal negotiates buying up to 50% in alumina refinery in India

The capacity of the refinery is 1.5 mln metric tons per year

Biden administration guilty of worsening US-Russian relations, Trump says

On March 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded to media inquiries by expressing gratitude to former President Trump for his involvement in the peace negotiations and endorsing the idea of a ceasefire

US envoy Witkoff already left Moscow, TASS source confirms

Earlier, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Witkoff would take place when everything’s ready for it

Russian forces start liberating Shcherbaki in Zaporozhye Region — politician

Earlier, Rogov told TASS that the Russian armed forces had advanced in the Zaporozhye Region, approaching the settlements of Shcherbaki and Malye Shcherbaki from the south

Britain opposes any increase in the availability of nukes, PM Starmer says

"On the question of nuclear weapons, obviously our position is that we will do everything we can to prevent any increase in the availability of nuclear weapons," Starmer said

Trump signs decree on cuts to structure in charge of foreign policy outreach

Trump, jointly with the Department of Government Efficiency, has been carrying out massive layoffs of federal employees

It is becoming impossible for Kiev troops to break out of encirclement near Kursk — Putin

"They are leaving their military equipment behind, because there is no way to evacuate it," the president added

Kursk Region’s border buffer zone should be at least 20-30 km wide — expert

Oleg Ivanov also highlighted that the Russian military had already made significant progress in establishing a security zone by liberating populated areas in the Sumy Region from enemy control

Russian forces hit energy facilities that support Ukraine's military-industrial complex

According to the ministry, Russian air defenses shot down seven JDAM bombs, three HIMARS rockets and 170 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones

Russian forces liberate Rubanshchina, Zaoleshenka in Kursk Region

The ministry also emphasized that the Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 67,600 servicemen in total during the fighting in the Kursk Region

Putin doesn’t expect restoration of relations with US to be easy process

The Russian president recalled that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump over the phone and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had had first contacts with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Civilian death toll in clashes in western Syria reaches 1,500 — TV

The highest death toll was recorded in the Latakia governorate in northwestern Syria

Russia sentences at least nine foreign mercenaries for a role in Ukraine’s Kursk incursion

British national James Scott Rhys Anderson, arrested in the Kursk Region, was given 19 years behind bars following a court trial

ECHR finds Ukraine guilty of failing to take steps to prevent 2014 tragedy in Odessa

Also, it is said that the Kiev authorities did not conduct a proper investigation of the events