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Georgia’s New President Sworn in Amid Political Showdown

This is Beirut, 2024-12-29 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Georgia inaugurated a ruling party loyalist as president in the midst of a political showdown on Sunday, moments after Tbilisi's outgoing pro-EU leader declared herself the "only legitimate president". The inauguration of former footballer Mikhail Kavelashvili is set to further escalate a months-long political crisis that has seen huge ...

Putin Denies Responsibility, Offers Apology to Azerbaijan After Fatal Plane Crash

This is Beirut, 2024-12-28 16:07 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Russian leader Vladimir Putin told his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, on Saturday that Russian air defense systems were active when an Azerbaijani Airlines plane attempted to land in Grozny before it crashed, according to the Kremlin. Putin called Aliyev as speculation grew that Russian air defense may have accidentally shot down the ...

Zelensky Claims That Several North Korean Soldiers Were Killed in Ukraine

This is Beirut, 2024-12-27 22:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that "several" wounded North Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukrainian forces, as he accused Russia of throwing them into battle with "minimal protection." "Today there were reports about several soldiers from North Korea. Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were ...

Russia Missile Suspected in Azerbaijani Plane Crash, Moscow Warns Against 'Hypotheses'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-26 22:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Azerbaijani and US officials believe a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the deadly crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet, media reports and a US official said Thursday, as the Kremlin cautioned against "hypotheses" over the disaster. The Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, an oil and gas hub, on Wednesday after ...

What We Know About Crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Plane

This is Beirut, 2024-12-26 18:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The official cause of the crash of a Russia-bound Azerbaijani plane in Kazakhstan on Wednesday that killed 38 of the 67 people on board is still unknown. But, pointing to apparent shrapnel damage on the wreckage, experts have said the plane could have been accidentally shot down by Russian air defense. Russian and Kazakh authorities have warned ...

Russia Accuses France of Excluding Kyiv in Ukraine Talks

This is Beirut, 2024-12-26 15:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said France had tried to establish "dialogue" with Moscow on Ukraine but without Kyiv's participation -- a claim that was dismissed by Paris as "intemperate". Western countries have called for a united front in support for Ukraine and have constantly said that no decisions could be taken without ...

Russia Sentences US Man to 15 Years in Prison for 'Espionage'

This is Beirut, 2024-12-24 13:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A Russian court on Tuesday sentenced a US man to 15 years in a penal colony for "espionage", Russian news agencies reported. Russia has detained and sentenced a number of US citizens and dual-nationals in recent years, some of whom have been freed in prisoner exchanges. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage in ...

Russia's Shadow Looms Over Estonian Border Town

This is Beirut, 2024-12-24 09:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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In heavy snowfall and high winds, around 200 people wearing rain ponchos and fur hoods queued in the Estonian border town of Narva to cross into neighboring Russia. Arriving at the crossing in taxis or buses, some dragged suitcases through thick snow, and others walked up and joined the line with just a single plastic shopping bag. Checks have ...

Russia Claims Capture of Two More East Ukraine Villages

This is Beirut, 2024-12-22 12:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Russia said Sunday it had captured two more villages in east Ukraine, the latest territorial gains for Moscow's advancing army. The defense ministry said on Telegram that its troops had "liberated" the villages of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region and Krasnoye, called Sontsivka in Ukraine. The latter is close to the resource hub of ...

At Least 100 North Koreans Killed While Fighting for Russia

This is Beirut, 2024-12-19 10:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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At least 100 North Koreans deployed to support Russia's war effort in Ukraine have been killed since entering combat in December, South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong-kweun told reporters Thursday. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce the Russian military, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory ...

Russia Detains Suspect in Killing of Chemical Weapons Commander

This is Beirut, 2024-12-18 12:08 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Russia has detained a suspect in the killing of the head of the army's chemical weapons division, investigators said Wednesday, a day after the general and his aide were killed in a brazen blast in Moscow claimed by Ukraine. Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed when an explosive device attached to a scooter went off Tuesday morning ...

Ukraine Claims Killing of Russian Military Official in Moscow

This is Beirut, 2024-12-17 09:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The killing of a senior Russian military official, Igor Kirillov, in Moscow on Tuesday was a "special operation" by Ukraine's SBU security service, a source inside the agency told AFP. Kirillov is the most senior Russian army official to be targeted on Russian territory, killed with his assistant when an explosive device attached to ...

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