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Venezuelan president laughs off US sanctions against him as ‘something to be proud of’

The US Department of the Treasury earlier announced the decision to slap sanctions on Nicolas Maduro

© EPA/MIRAFLORES PRESS

MOSCOW, August 1. /TASS/. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has said that the US will not be able to intimidate him by slapping sanctions on him, describing them as a something to be proud of.

"If they impose sanctions on me for convening the Constituent Assembly, that’s what they say, I am proud of being sanctioned, Mr. Emperor [Donald] Trump," he said speaking at an event, broadcast by the Venezolana de Television network.

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Referendum in Venezuela: Government's reaction and opposition's demands

The US Department of the Treasury earlier announced the decision to slap sanctions on Maduro.

On July 30, Venezuelan authorities held the elections to the Constituent Assembly, despite pressure from the international community and the biggest protests in recent years. The assembly, which has 545 members, will convene for an August 2 meeting in the same building where the country’s National Assembly controlled by the opposition who is strongly opposed to the constitutional convention works.

The Constituent Assembly can reform the public administration system and amend Venezuela’s Constitution. Maduro’s decree on convening this body without holding a preliminary referendum signed in May led to tensions swiftly spiraling out of control in the country, which at that time was already rocked by large-scale anti-government protests.

To date, more than 110 people have been killed and thousands were injured during protests staged by the opposition. The authorities arrested about 4,900 protesters, nearly 1,400 of them are still in custody.

Middle East conflict

Israel’s new defense chief sees return of hostages from Gaza as top priority

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Hollywood actors face pressure to endorse Harris or risk career setbacks — Elon Musk

The US presidential election is set to take place on November 5, with voters also selecting a third of the Senate, the entire House of Representatives, and governors for 11 states and two territories

Former CIA, Pentagon chief describes incursion into Kursk as Kiev’s ‘strategic mistake’

In Robert Gates opinion, Russia is capable of continuing its special military operation in Ukraine until it decides that its goals are met, and underestimating its ability to carry on "is a huge mistake"

NATO’s aircraft conducts numerous flights over border — Belarusian Defense Ministry

According to Major General Vladimir Kupriyanyuk, significant numbers of effective troops are already stationed in Eastern Europe, including in Poland and the Baltic states

Russia’s Rublev joins 2024 ATP Finals in Italy after Djokovic withdraws due to injury

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Granddaughter of Cold War-era Soviet leader dies after being hit by train near Moscow

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SpaceX Cargo Dragon spacecraft docks with ISS

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AI predicts Harris’ victory over Trump

The forecast predicts Trump has a 73.3% chance of winning Arizona, a 62.1% chance in North Carolina, and a 61.8% chance in Georgia

Russian property seizures not affecting church — spokesperson

On October 29, the Helsinki Court informed TASS that movable and immovable Russian properties in Finland had been seized by a judgment dated August 13, following claims from six Ukrainian companies

This year's US election 'will be the last real election' if Trump loses, Musk says

The entrepreneur further added that the US has ceased to be a "real state" because of its lack of border security

Lukashenko says he will not be Belarusian president under new constitution

Commenting on an initiative to hold parliamentary polls on party tickets and, hence, establish parties, he said such steps are fraught with a split in society

Georgian opposition has no resources to achieve success via protests — PM

On the contrary, in the past 4 years, their support has decreased compared to the previous elections, Irakli Kobakhidze said

West seeking to entangle Georgia in war with Russia — expert

Vaso Kapanadze predicted that the situation could change if the ruling party secures victory in the parliamentary elections in Georgia on October 26

Man threatens to burn down voting station in New York

When the man was turned away, he got angry and started threatening to burning the station down and to return with a firearm

Russia says Т-80 tanks of battlegroup East disrupt Ukrainian attack in South Donetsk area

According to the statement, following the combat mission, the tank crews quickly left their firing positions and returned to the waiting area to evade retaliatory fire by enemy artillery

Germany ‘shamefully resigned’ itself to destruction of Nord Stream — Lavrov

Lavrov also drew attention to the fact that "reckless proposals" are being made about strikes with Western long-range systems deep into Russian territory

Musk slams Harris for false claim about US troops in combat zones

Earlier, Harris had said, "There is not one member of the US military in active duty in a combat zone — in any war zone around the world"

Lukashenko says Belarusian KGB has proof of Poland’s interference in Belarus’ affairs

The president stated that Warsaw had carefully monitored the events in Belarus, aiming to create "an artificial crisis" in the country

Vote count in Iowa may take longer due to voting machine malfunction

"It is not stopping anyone from casting a single ballot," Ashley Hunt Esquivel, a spokesperson for Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, said

US entrepreneur Musk casts ballot near SpaceX launch pad in Texas

Musk did not disclose who got his vote, however, he has been actively supporting Republican candidate Donald Trump since summer

Press review: Trump, Harris clash in swing states as EU likely to keep sanctions on Russia

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, November 5th

West itself signed death warrant for dollar, turning it into punishment tool — Lavrov

At the same time, the volume of mutual settlements in national currencies in foreign trade between the BRICS member countries reaches around 65%

Special airspace class to be allocated for drones — Russian regulator

head of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency Dmitry Yadrov said that the authority is also developing new airworthiness standards making it possible to simply the certification procedure for certain areas of drone use

Medvedev says any new uprising in Ukraine would seek to execute current leaders

The Russian politician said the goal of Zelensky and his team is to stay in power in the country as long as possible

Court fines Apple $36,810 for failure to delete banned information

This is not the first time when Apple is fined for failures to remove the prohibited content

29 settlements in southern Lebanon totally ruined by Israeli army — newspaper

The media cited military analyst General Hassan Juni as saying that such actions reveal Israel’s plans to create a "3-5-kilometer deep lifeless buffer zone in Lebanese territory"

Putin reiterates Russia’s willingness to engage in talks with Ukraine

Nearly three hours of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on March 29, 2022, yielded principles for a potential agreement, including Ukraine's commitment to maintain a neutral, non-aligned status and its pledge to refrain from deploying foreign weapons, including nuclear weapons, on its territory

Trump admits he may lose election

The US general election is being held on November 5, 2024

Russian forces display ingenuity and unconventional tactics in liberating DPR — official

Donetsk People’s Republic head Denis Pushilin also emphasized that the enemy should not be underestimated, so as not to diminish the significance of Russian forces' achievements

Russian Defense Ministry presents slideshow of Ukrainian plot to capture Kursk nuke plant

Ukraine planned to engage 20,000 troops, 27 tanks, 50 units of armored hardware, 30 units of tube artillery and five multiple launch rocket systems

Israel hits Hezbollah weapons depots on Syrian-Lebanese border

"Hezbollah, with the support of the Syrian regime, continues to endanger the safety of civilians by establishing its terrorist infrastructure within civilian areas," the IDF said

Ukrainian National Guard troops with vehicles deployed on Belarusian Border — General

According to the report, "reconnaissance operations of all kinds continue against Belarus, including mobile signals intelligence teams and drones"

Treaty between Russia, North Korea corresponds to geopolitical situation — senior diplomat

The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the Russian head of state’s visit to Pyongyang in June

Trump has 61% chance of winning US election — bookmakers

The US general election is being held on November 5, 2024

Trump expects major victory in 2024 presidential election

"Make sure you get through and vote, and we are going to have a big victory tonight," Trump said

Russia responds to Western sanctions with benefit for itself — MFA

Maria Zakharova noted that Moscow did everything to fulfil the potential of bilateral economic ties with European countries

Americans were on the Moon but footage may have been filmed in advance — Russian cosmonaut

Sergey Prokopyev pointed out that the fact that US astronauts did land on the Moon "is confirmed by automatic probes and cannot be subjected to doubt"

Ukraine admits number of deserted soldiers from Armed Forces of Ukraine surpasses 100,000

Earlier, military lawyer from the Center for Support of Veterans and Their Families Roman Likhachev said that more than 100,000 servicemen had voluntarily left their units

NATO intends to fight 'defensive battles' thousands of miles from its territory — Lavrov

According to Lavrov, all reasonable observers understand "that this is a road to nowhere"

NATO prepares for open armed confrontation with Belarus and Russia — top brass

According to Major General Vladimir Kupriyanyuk, "the collective West continues to demonstrate an increase in the intensity of activities aimed at early preparations for military action"

Malaysia rejects US call to 'stop being friendly' with Russia — PM

Anwar Ibrahim said the call came during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the 19th East Asia Summit in Laos

Two children were inside when their apartment caught fire after drone attack on Belgorod

Ukrainian troops staged a drone attack on a residential area in the borderline city of Belgorod

Israel hits Hezbollah oil storage facilities on border with Syria

According to the report, at least seven missile strikes were delivered

West’s erroneous course and preventing major war — what Putin told foreign ambassadors

Russia remains ready for talks with Ukraine, the Russian president noted

Mass fraud reports not confirmed by Philadelphia police — TV

According to the CNN report, Donald Trump "has for years made baseless claims about election cheating in Philadelphia"

Unable to counter Russian tactics, Kiev’s forces may retreat to Dnieper — Ukrainian expert

"The opponents are now using tactical techniques that we still have nothing to counter with," Oleg Starikov said

Kiev capable of staging provocation with use of nuclear fuel — Defense Ministry

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Musk to keep Trump company while following US election results — NYT

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Israel steps up readiness for potential Iranian strike — report

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Enemy plans to seize Kursk NPP, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

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US military base in Syria attacked by Iraqi Shiite units

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NYSE trading session closes in the green amid US presidential election

The Dow Jones gained 1.02% (or 427.28 points), reaching 42,221, the S&P 500 added 1.23% (70.09 points), to 5.782.77 points, the Nasdaq index surged by 1.43% (259.2 points), to 18,439.82 points

US authorities brace for ‘little fires everywhere’ if Trump loses — WP

"Collectively they could become a massive firestorm that is more difficult to contain because the embers have been burning throughout the nation," said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson

Russia supports fair relations in economy — Putin

According to the head of state, Russia follows a constructive course in its foreign policy that addresses both its interests and global trends

US National Guard mobilized in 15 states for Election Day — CNN

Personnel has been mobilized in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia, CNN said

Guterres’ concern over rumors about DPRK soldiers in Russia duplicitous — MFA

"While professing support for peace efforts and referring to the UN Charter, he forgets about the inadmissibility of a discriminatory approach to its goals and principles, which must be observed in their entirety, totality and interrelation," Maria Zakharova stressed

Man with torch and flare gun arrested on Capitol Hill

Public tours of the Capitol were cancelled for the remainder of the day, while the investigation is ongoing

Prosecutor's Office deems activities of US-based business society undesirable in Russia

The international company incorporated in the United States has been engaged in promoting the policies of unfriendly states regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and actively supports the LGBT community, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office explained

Russia does not seek confrontation, hopes Europe begins to cooperate — Putin

"I trust that a rational, balanced approach to cooperation with Russia will prevail once again," the Russian leader stressed

Kremlin spokesman denies Russia ships explosives across EU

"We have never heard any official accusations," Dmitry Peskov said

No difference for Russia who wins presidential election in US — diplomat

According to Maria Zakharova, if Washington's policy shifts after the election, Russia will be ready to consider any US proposals that do not contradict its interests

FBI detains man threatening mass shooting in case of Trump’s victory — report

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West’s trying to polarize society in Moldova — Russian MFA

Maria Zakharova wished the residents of Moldova to find a way out of the deadlock they have found themselves in due to the policies of Maia Sandu and the West

For US losing dollar as a standard of settlements would be like losing a war, Trump says

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Trump ahead of Harris in most of swing states — RealClearPolitics

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Over 4,300 people cross into Syria from Lebanon in past day — Russian military

"Over the past day, as many as 4,315 people crossed Syria’s border from Lebanon via the checkpoints of Al-Arida, Al-Jawasiyeh, Al-Dabousiyah, Jisr Qamar, and Jdaidet Yabous," Oleg Ignasyuk said

Russian stock indices rising on Tuesday — market data

The ruble-denominated MOEX Russia Index surged by 0.85% to 2,616.51 points

Yerevan receives Baku’s response on peace treaty proposals — Foreign Ministry

Previously, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan and Baku have negotiated the peace treaty by 80% and offered Azerbaijan to sign these points

Voting station in Michigan shut down over gas leak — report

The voting station was closed at noon, and the voters were redirected to another place in suburbs of Detroit, Associated Press said

Russian Railways repaired 4,600 km of tracks year-to-date

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Soyuz-2.1b blasts off from Vostochny spaceport carrying 55 Russian, foreign satellites

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Work of two polling stations in Georgia extended amid technical issues — CBS

The extensions are unrelated to bomb threats received by several polling stations in the same state earlier, the report says

Kiev reports tense situation for Ukrainian troops in Kurakhovsky direction

In late October, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov informed that the Russian Armed Forces continued to make solid progress in the Kurakhovsky direction

Attempts to capture ZNPP lead to pointless deaths of mobilized Ukrainians — governor

Yevgeny Balitsky noted that the safety of the ZNPP and its perimeter is reliably safeguarded by the Russian military, and that "the power plant's personnel are performing their duties"

Situation dire for Ukrainian troops along entire frontline, says DPR head

Meanwhile, the potential of Ukrainian armed forces should not be underestimated, Denis Pushilin cautioned

Press review: Russia strengthens nuclear triad while Ukraine awaits US strike approval

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Trump's campaign office does not expect election results this night — CNN

The campaign office also views the possibility of Trump’s remarks to the press

No military alliance provided for in Russia-DPRK partnership treaty — senior diplomat

According to Andrey Rudenko, Russia openly tells this to "all North Korea’s neighbors who sometimes and, lately, very often, express certain concerns"

Almost 75% of Americans negative about domestic situation — NBC News exit poll

Only seven percent were enthusiastic about the domestic situation and another 19% were satisfied with it

Dollar-based system cannot be reformed — expert

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Russian structure of X5 says ready to pay compensation to the Dutch holding

In accordance with the requirements established by the law, PJSC X5 Corporate Center is obliged to pay compensation within three months from the date of receipt of the claim, the company added

US State Department says 10,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia’s Kursk Region

They "could enter combat in the coming days," Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman said

Russian Finance Ministry to use $894.8 mln to purchase currency on November 7 - December 5

The daily volume of transactions will amount to the equivalent of $42.95 mln, the Russian Finance Ministry said in a statement

Democrats expect ‘fatigue of Donald Trump’ to affect US election outcome

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White House host, no matter he or she, should focus on US problems — Foreign Ministry

"We wish the American people to overcome the crisis in democracy and the division in society," Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added

Daily death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon stands at 11 — health ministry

According to the ministry, 61 more were injured

Kursk region will be cleared of Ukrainian forces — Putin

He added that victory is impossible without volunteers who support the fighters at the front

Elon Musk claims war mongers back Kamala Harris’ 'puppet regime'

According to Elon Musk, those within the US administration who support Vice President Harris "profit off of wars," a situation he described as "insane"

Harris has 4-point lead over Trump in final PBS election poll

An earlier poll conducted by Research Co. revealed that Harris was ahead of Trump in swing state Pennsylvania by one percentage point

NATO number one threat to global peace, says French politician

It is stted that NATO considers the EU as "a registration office of its members"

Presidential election voting kicks off in most American states

Some swing states, including Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have already begun voting

US election results will bring peace or third world war — Serbian leader

The United States presidential election is set to be held on November 5

Nearly 90 people missing following Spanish floods

So far, 211 deaths have been reported

Upper house committee supports ratification of Russia-DPRK partnership treaty

According to the document, if either signatory is subjected to an armed attack, the other will immediately provide military and other assistance

Russia hammers Ukraine’s missile armament workshops, military airfields over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 510 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported

Chisinau denies hundreds of thousands of Moldovans in Russia right to vote — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov stressed that the Moldovan election was "neither democratic nor fair" and was "fraught with electoral manipulations"

Trump says confident in his victory at presidential election

The US is holding election on November 5, with voters choosing the president, governors in 11 states and two US territories, a third of the Senate, and all members of the House of Representatives

Trump says will acknowledge defeat if election is fair

US Republican presidential candidate also called those who believe that he won't concede if he loses this election as "crazy"

List of BRICS partner countries agreed, Putin says

According to the Russian leader, the list of potential candidate countries was also agreed upon