⚡️TS Fiona in the Atlantic Ocean has intensified into a hurricane, the US National Hurricane Tracking Center (NHC) said on Sunday

⚡️President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pay respects at coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall

📈 The Norwegian Ministry of Finance has stated that the country is likely to face a budget deficit in 2023 due to a sharp increase in energy prices, an influx of Ukrainian refugees, inflation, national insurance, ongoing construction projects and a scheme to subsidize electricity for households.

On Friday, the Norwegian government presented an aid package that includes loans and subsidies to reduce the impact of surging electricity prices for businesses

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😦 A gymnast fell from a height and collapsed into the circus arena during a performance in Omsk, Russia. The moment of the girl's fall was filmed by one of the spectators.

The footage shows that the gymnasts were performing an acrobatic number under the dome, when suddenly the gymnast, unable to hold on to her partner, collapsed on the stage. At that moment, the audience began to shout.

According to eyewitnesses, the girl survived the fall. There is no exact information about her condition yet

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🇨🇳While the Taiwanese military confirmed the drone incursions from Chinese soil, Beijing brushed off the claims as “no big deal.”

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Massive power outages have been reported in Puerto Rico due to TS Fiona

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🚨 JUST IN | Hurricane Fiona makes landfall in Puerto Rico

The latest advisory issued by the US National Hurricane Center indicates the cyclone made landfall at about 3:20 p.m. AST along Puerto Rico’s southwestern coast. The system touched down with estimated maximum sustained wind speeds of 85 miles per hour.

Poland buys $3 billion in military aircraft from South Korea

The country sealed $3 billion in deals with South Korea for the purchase of 48 Korean FA-50 fighters. The two deals for the purchase of Fighting Falcon combat and training planes follow contracts signed last month for the acquisition by Poland of $5.8 billion worth of South Korean tanks and howitzers.

The purchase of the FA-50 fighters will replace the retired Soviet-made MiG-29 and the Su-22 that Poland’s armed forces now have. The light, two-seater planes are made by Korea Aerospace Industries jointly with US company Lockheed Martin, and are compatible with the US-made F-16 fighters that Poland’s air force is equipped with and with the contracted F-35A fighters.

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🗳 Breaches of voting machine data raise worries for midterms

The list of suspected security breaches at local election offices since the 2020 election keeps growing, with investigations underway in at least three states -- Colorado, Georgia and Michigan.

The stakes appeared to rise this week when the existence of a federal probe came to light involving a prominent loyalist to former President Donald Trump who has been promoting voting machine conspiracy theories across the country.

In several of the cases, employees of local election offices or election boards gave access to voting systems to people who were not authorized to have it.

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💵 Treasury recommends exploring creation of a digital dollar

The White House said that after President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling on a variety of agencies to look at ways to regulate digital assets, the agencies came up with nine reports, covering cryptocurrency impacts on financial markets, the environment, innovation and other elements of the economic system.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said one department recommendation is that the US “advance policy and technical work on a potential central bank digital currency or CBDC.” On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have submitted various pieces of legislation to regulate cryptocurrency and other digital assets.

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🇭🇺 EU proposes to suspend billions in funds to Hungary

The European Union’s executive branch recommended Sunday that the bloc suspend around 7.5 billion euros in funding to Hungary over concerns about democratic backsliding and the possible mismanagement of EU money.

EU countries pay around 1% of their gross national income into the budget. Hungary is slated to receive at least 50 billion euros in all from the 2021-27 budget, according to commission estimates.

The commission has for nearly a decade accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of dismantling democratic institutions, taking control of the media and infringing on minority rights. Orban, who has been in office since 2010, denies the accusations.

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🚇 From carmakers to refiners, industries brace for rail strike

A strike could happen if the railroads and unions can’t settle their differences before an early Friday walkout deadline. There are 12 unions — one with two separate divisions — representing 115,000 workers that must agree to the tentative deals and then have members vote on whether to approve them. So far, nine have agreed to tentative deals and three others are still at the bargaining table.

All the tentative deals are based closely on the recommendations of a presidential emergency board US President Joe Biden appointed this summer that called for 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal that’s retroactive to 2020. Those recommendations also includes one additional paid leave day a year and higher health insurance costs.

The unions want the railroads to provide unpaid leave time that workers could use to attend doctors appointments or attend to other personal business without being penalized.

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🗣 What Did Biden Say in His Sunday ’60 Minutes’ Interview?

🔷 US will get inflation under control
🔷 Support to Ukraine is ironclad, US will stay with Kiev as long as it takes
🔷 American troops will defend Taiwan in event of “unprecedented attack” by China
🔷 Biden admits he “intends” to run in 2024 but that a “firm decision… remains to be seen”

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MORE | Asked about the status of COVID-19, the US president conceded that the “pandemic is over.”

🔷 “We still have a problem with COVID,” he said. “We're still doing a lotta work on it. It's … but the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it's changing.”

‼️ Germany renounces special relations with Russia by supplying weapons to Kiev - Ambassador ➡️ LIVE UPDATES

By supplying weapons to Ukraine, Berlin refused special relations with Russia, which allowed Germany to be an intermediary in Moscow's dialogue with the West, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechaev said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"In fact, the German authorities are refusing special relations between our countries and peoples, which were painstakingly built by previous generations and bound us even in the most difficult times. This is what has always distinguished the Germans from the ranks of the collective West, has allowed Berlin to act as a mediator who knows and understands Russia and its interests better than others," Nechaev said.

Nechaev added that for decades Germany had refrained from sending weapons, especially heavy equipment, to zones of armed conflicts.

"There was a broad internal political consensus on this matter. The practice has changed only now and only in relation to Russia. Of course, such a turn will have a negative impact on our bilateral relations. Especially when it comes to the issue of supply of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, which is now being very actively discussed," Nechaev said.