❗️ The EU will introduce the ninth package of sanctions against Russia significantly later than it initially planned due to "sanction fatigue" among member states and a limited amount of pressure tools, an EU source told Sputnik.

🗣"There is already some sort of sanction fatigue between the member states, and also there is not much left to sanction, when it comes to sanctions against Russia, as most of the tools have been used in this field," the source said, when asked about reasons for the delay in the introduction of new sanctions against Russia.

▪️Earlier in the day, a high-ranking EU official told reporters in Brussels that the bloc might approve new sanctions against Russia by the end of 2022.

▪️In a separate statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the Kremlin sees a growing understanding that sanctions have failed to destabilize the Russian economy.

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❗️The Netherlands will ship 20,000 tons of Russian fertilizers stuck in the port of Rotterdam due to sanctions, British media says. At the request of the UN, the cargo will go to Malawi.

⛰ Chinese scientists have been trying for more than a decade to protect the biodiversity in the pan-Himalayan region. According to their research, 20,000 out of 300,000 species of plants on Earth, can be found in the pan-Himalayan region.

🔬 Research since 2010 has already helped to collect 150,000 specimens and to discover more than 115 new plant species.

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💬 “I remember very well in the first weeks of March, many EU governments were easy to jump on the sanction [bandwagon] banning Russian coal. I remember that the German government then was promised, explicitly promised by the commission, maybe also by the US, but it was all about Brussels, the European Commission. Everybody gets along with the coal then, but all the other energy use commodities such as oil, gas or uranium will not be touched. And that's why, for instance, Germany in the first place agreed on the coal ban, even so 50% of its coal import comes from Russia and said, yes, we can easily deal without coal but be aware we will never be able to deal without oil and gas.”

❗️Sputnik's interview with former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl

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🇨🇳🇺🇸 Washington has reportedly reached out to allies to tell them that an escalation with China over Taiwan could cause up to $2.5 trillion in global economic damage.

The curious warning comes months of efforts by the White House and Congress to undermine the 'One China Policy' and America's long-held 'strategic ambiguity' toward the island.

👉 READ FULL STORY HERE

🚨 US Republican Congressman James Comer said on Thursday that in the event Republicans win a majority in the House of Representatives an investigation into the alleged illegal business affairs of US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, will be initiated.

💬 “Newsweek came out with a poll that said 52% of Americans want to see an investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings, so that’s what we are going to provide in a Republican majority,” Comer said in an interview with US media.

He also said that Joe Biden himself was involved in his son's illegal activities, including tax evasion and influence peddling.

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📹 Russia’s Defense Ministry has published footage showing Uragan MLRS crews in action

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🌵🇬🇧 British troops are training with their US counterparts for a conflict in Europe and the Pacific with a wargame in the Mojave Desert, British media reports.

▪️Some 450 soldiers, including members of the British Army's crack Rangers unit that was formed just last year, have flown to the 1,000-square-mile Fort Irwin site in California for the Project Convergence exercise.

▪️According to the report, they, along with US and Australian counterparts, will test new combat techniques developed from lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine — on plains resembling the country's steppes.

▪️NATO and its member states have insisted they are not involved in the conflict in Ukraine. But the US, UK and others have supplied large quantities of arms, intelligence, military planning and training for Kiev's forces — both before and after Russia launched its special military operation on February 24.

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🇺🇸 After ensuring a crushing victory in Florida's gubernatorial election on Tuesday, Ron DeSantis is being touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread among many Republicans, and is even seen by some as a contender who could challenge Donald Trump in the presidential primaries two years from now.

But what's the politician's background, and what kind of leadership would he show if he were 'leader of the free world'?

👉 Sputnik investigates.

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‼️Henichesk to become temporary administrative capital of Kherson region - authorities

▪️The city of Henichesk will temporarily become the administrative capital of the Kherson Region, a spokesman for the deputy chairman of the regional government told Sputnik.

▪️"As of today, the temporary administrative capital of the Kherson region is Henichesk. All the main authorities are concentrated there," Alexander Fomin said.

🚨Biden to Raise North Korea With China's Leader During Talks - Sullivan

▪️US President Joe Biden is going to raise the issue of North Korea with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a bilateral meeting on Monday ahead of the G20 Summit in Bali, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday.

▪️"The president will certainly raise the issue of North Korea with the Chinese president," Sullivan told journalists aboard Air Force One en route to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, when asked whether Biden will discuss the issue with Xi.

‼️Air raid warnings issued in parts of Ukraine - ministry data

Twitter Pauses Paid ‘Blue Checks for All’ Scheme as Wave of Impostors Wreak Havoc Online

▪️Twitter has put a pause on its program offering “verified” blue check marks to users willing to fork over $7.99/month after a number of pranksters made use of the symbol to satirize various celebrities, corporations, and political lobbying groups.

▪️As of Friday, the Twitter Blue subnoscription service was no longer available on the iOS store. The move seemingly came in response to a number of paying users who took advantage of the scheme to mock public figures and brands.

💬 “I think that there are several people now waking up, maybe with a little delay, but they are waking up to the fact that given that there's not enough affordable energy for the European industry, we are losing the remaining parts. There was not much left and we're losing whatever was left, like the automotive industry, like parts of the petrochemical industry, because there is not anymore cheap energy around. And yes, the US can re industrialize to the detriment of its EU allies. This is happening. And there's a certain astonishment. It has not yet arrived on the level of the true public debate, but it's there.”

❗️Sputnik's interview with former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl

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🚨Trump sues Jan. 6 panel to block subpoena for documents and testimony

Lawyers for the former US president noted in the late Friday suit that Trump retains immunity as former commander-in-chief.

The filing also indicates that subpoenas issued by the panel are "invalid" because they do not advance any legislative purpose and infringe on Trump's First Amendment rights, among other alleged offenses.

‘Tramp Stamp’ Tattoos Were Used by Ancient Egyptian Women for Protection During Childbirth

▪️Despite the more recent stigmatism of the so-called "tramp stamp," researchers have recently determined that the the tattoo has been around for thousands of years, and at one point, served as a protection for women.

▪️Researchers studying several ancient mummies found in tombs at the site of Egypt's Deir el-Medina since 2019 have found at least seven 3,000-year-old mummies at the excavation site sporting what appeared to be tattoos.

▪️The first lower back tattoo discovered was on the preserved left hip of a woman who had died when she was middle-aged. Found next to her body was a bowl—a symbol of a postnatal ritual, along with depictions of Bes, an ancient Egyptian deity of music and childbirth. The partially existing tattoo, if symmetrical at the time when the woman was still alive, would have run along her lower back.