📌 Here are the key points of the article by Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov about the prospects for Russian-African relations as he prepares for his visit to African countries:

▪️Russia stands for strengthening Africa's position in a multipolar world, "welcoming the development of such structures as the African Union, the East African Community" and others;

▪️The relations between Africa and Russia don't depend on the political situation;

▪️Russia has always supported African countries "in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression", has respected "the inalienable right of African countries to determine their own development paths";

▪️Russia appreciates the "balanced position of Africans" regarding the situation in Ukraine and respects the different countries' independent foreign policy on the issue;

▪️Russia will fulfill its obligations under international contracts that it has assumed regarding the export of food, fertilizers, energy, and other vital goods to Africa against the background of "Russia's hunger export" which is groundless propaganda from the West and Ukraine

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📹Sputnik footage from the hall where documents on the grain issue will be signed

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Since October, more than 326,000 illegal migrants have been detained by the US Customs and Border Protection - almost 120 percent more than in the same period a year earlier - leading Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber to describe the situation as going “from worse to real bad”.

Schmerber has thanked Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott, who sent thousands of state police officers and National Guard soldiers to support federal and local law enforcement agencies struggling with human resources, while slamming the Biden administration for its inaction.

🗣 "I'm a Democrat, but I'm disappointed," Schmerber said. "The Governor of Texas [Greg Abbott], he's a Republican, but he's been helping us a lot. He took action."

The sheriff noted that it seems as though the Biden administration is not interested or concerned and now the situation is "out of control". According to Schmerber, the only way to stop the border crisis is to take measures “by doing something such as a zero tolerance [policy]” referring to the Trump administration's restrictions on illegal immigration

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⚡US issues license to allow swaps auction on Russian bonds, Treasury says

❗Guterres urges all sides to spare no effort to implement their commitments under newly reached grain deal

❗Safe corridor in Black Sea to start operating in coming days - Erdogan

⚡⚡Russia signs grain deal with UN, Turkey in Istanbul, Sputnik correspondent says

❗UN estimates grain deal to ensure monthly export of 5mln metric tons of grain from Ukraine

Sputnik video of the signing of documents on the grain deal in Istanbul

📹Human shields: the Ukrainian military intentionally dug trenches near civilian houses in Lisichansk (the last city in the LPR cleared of Ukrainian troops before the full liberation of the republic)

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Sputnik correspondent video: Ukraine's minister of infrastructure is leaving the place where the grain deal was signed

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The Russian delegation is leaving the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul, where the grain deal was signed. A bus with Russian journalists is also seen in the Sputnik correspondent’s video

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📹Before leaving, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approached Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and thanked him

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Grain deal signed in Istanbul

▪The deal regulates the export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea from three ports (Odessa, Chernomorsk, Yuzhny) and the export agreement is valid for 120 days and can be extended

▪The ports won't be cleared of mines, ships will travel along safe fairways

▪The agreement does not stipulate military escort of ships

▪A coordinating center will be created in Istanbul to monitor the process and resolve any possible incidents: its members are Russia, Turkey, Ukraine

▪Vessels going to Ukraine will be inspected for carrying weapons

▪Full-fledged movement of ships to and from Ukrainian ports for the export of food may begin in a couple of weeks

▪The Ukrainian side assures that the routes agreed on in the deal are safe

▪Before the agreement was signed, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and signed a memorandum on facilitating the supply of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets

🐝Drake's personal hater? A bee attacked the rapper when he was on vacation in St. Tropez, with the artist needing help to cope with the insect

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🛸Is the Pentagon afraid of UFOs? A new office responsible for investigating the nature of UFOs near secret US military sites is about to open

💬Nuland says grain deal very well structured in terms of monitoring and channels product has to get out