Moscow calls for a “union” to counter the “blackmail” of the West

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“It is necessary to join forces to counter blackmail attempts and illegal unilateral pressure from the West.” Visiting Caracas, Venezuela, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs met on Tuesday April 18 with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and notably mentioned “a bipolar world”. After Brazil, Venezuela is the second leg of the Minister’s tour of Latin America. He must also go to Cuba and Nicaragua. “Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are countries that choose their own path”, assured Sergei Lavrov. Follow our live.

Russian drones fall on Odessa. Russian Shahed-136 drones struck the Odessa region overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday without causing casualties, the Odessa district military administration said in a statement. “Unfortunately a public building was hit”the statement said.

Brazil condemns “the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine”. Under fire from American critics to make “the echo of Russian and Chinese propaganda”Brazilian President Lula on Tuesday clearly condemned the “violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine” by Russia. “Mour government defends a negotiated political solution to the conflict”he added.

Russian and Belarusian basketball players deprived of prequalification tournaments. “The Fiba Executive Committee has decided not to allow the entry of the national teams of Russia and Belarus into the Fiba Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments 2023”, the body said in a statement on Tuesday. These pre-qualifying tournaments, whose draw is scheduled for May 1, are to take place from August 12 to 20.

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