Iran says it has developed a long-range hypersonic missile capable of reaching any of the US regional military bases in the area.

What is known so far? Read here

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Why Western Sanctions Against Russia Failed

While an influx of Western sanctions against Russia over its special military operation in Ukraine continues, more analysts seem to agree that Moscow has repeatedly managed to withstand the pressure.

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Woman Who Returned Lady Gaga's Dogs Suing Singer For Not Paying Her $500,000 Reward

The lawsuit claims that McBride has suffered compensatory damages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life as a result of being "defrauded" by Lady Gaga.

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Russia Not Leaving New START 'Very Important', Ex-Pentagon Advisor Says

The advisor spoke a day after Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the new START Treaty during his address to the Federal Assembly on February 21. Putin cited Washington’s efforts to “inflict a strategic defeat” on Moscow and help Ukraine launch drone attacks against Russia’s strategic deterrent while “absurdly” calling for more nuclear inspections.

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🇷🇺 Krasnodar Region in Southern Russia is now home for more than 12.5 thousand civilian evacuees from Kherson, Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Lugansk regions. More than 10 thousand are living in hotels of Anapa - a resort city on Russia's Black Sea coast.

95% prefer to stay in Krasnodar, others will move further to other Russian regions.

I spoke with two families from Kherson and Genichesk. They are safe now, their kids are attending school, and one of the two families has received a housing certificate in Russia.

Neither of the two families wants to live under Ukrainian rule again.

The US military aid to Ukraine will soon reach $50 billion, Russia's ex-President Dmitry Medvedev said.

💬 "During the special operation, Ukraine received more than enough from the US to prolong military actions as much as possible. This included at least 40 mobile multiple launch rocket systems HIMARS and ammunition, eight NASAMS air defense systems, 31 M1 tanks, 45 T-72B tanks, 109 Bradley combat vehicles, 300 M113 and 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers, over 1,600 Stinger man-portable air-defense systems, over 8,500 Javelin anti-tank missiles and over 50,000 other anti-tank systems," Medvedev explained.

He noted that much of the supplies took place during the special military operation in Ukraine, but intensive arms deliveries to Kiev began as early as August 2021. Russia is now confronted by a coalition of about 50 countries which want "to wipe it off the map," but unlike Ukraine, it "has no bosses" and "needs no behest or charity" to be able to defend its people and sovereignty on its own, according to Medvedev.

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❗️EU agrees on new package of sanctions against Russia

❗️5.3 magnitude earthquake hits Turkish province of Nigde

❗️New EU sanctions against Russia include Sputnik Arabic and RT Arabic broadcast and distribution ban – statement

❗️Russia’s MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️The Russian Army eliminated about 180 Ukrainian troops in the Krasny Liman direction;

▪️Ukrainian losses in the Kupyansk direction amounted to 60 soldiers;

▪️Russian troops destroyed two Ukrainian ammunition depots in the DPR and Zaporozhye regions;

▪️Russian air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 in the Kherson region;

▪️Russian forces eliminated more than 120 soldiers and destroyed two howitzers in Donetsk direction;

▪️The Russian Aerospace Forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-24 and a MiG-29 fighter in the DPR.

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Joe Biden said he sees nothing in China’s proposed peace plan for Ukraine that would benefit any country but Russia

Earlier, China released a 12-point document noscriptd "China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis," promoting, among other things, respect of the sovereignty of all countries, the cessation of hostilities and the resumption of peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

The Russian Foreign Ministry in response to the proposal said Russia values China's sincere desire to contribute to the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

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Light Pollution Threatens to Rob Humanity of Starry Skies, Astronomers Say

This situation appears to be the result of factors such as urbanization and the use of LED lights for illuminating the outdoors, not to mention the growing number of satellites orbiting our planet.

Not only does light pollution ruin people’s ability to enjoy gazing at starry skies, it also “interferes with the daily cycle of light and dark that plants and animals use to regulate sleep, nourishment and reproduction,” the scholars point out.

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Russian assault aircraft hit a Ukrainian fortified area on the outskirts of Avdeevka in the DPR

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US Libertarian Party Demands Immediate Withdrawal of ‘All’ American Aid to Ukraine

“We support the recently introduced Ukraine Fatigue Bill. All aid to Ukraine must be withdrawn now. This entanglement risks nuclear war, and $100 billion in expenditures is already far more than we can bear,” the party tweeted on Saturday.

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Scholz and Macron Reportedly Tell Zelensky to ‘Start Considering Peace Talks With Russia’

According to the insiders, the French president also said that even though Zelensky "had been a great war leader," he "would eventually have to shift into political statesmanship and make difficult decisions."

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🇸🇸 IMF has backed South Sudan's de-dollarization crusade to improve the economy amid the high volatility of the local currency, local media has reported

🗣"The IMF supports the South Sudan authorities' efforts to ensure that the existing legal framework regarding legal tender for domestic transactions is respected," IMF Resident Representative for South Sudan Guy Jenkinson is quoted as saying.

▪️Last month, the Bank of South Sudan restricted the use of the dollar in local payments in favor of the national currency, the South Sudanese pound (SSP).

▪️According to the country’s central bank, many government and non-governmental organizations, financial institutions and private businesses use foreign currency instead of the local one, which is legal tender. The regulator dubbed it as an "unacceptable practice that must be entirely discouraged."

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The US 7th Fleet announced on Saturday the arrival of its fast-attack submarine USS Springfield at the naval base in the South Korean port city of Busan, in an apparent show of force aimed at the North.

Los Angeles-class submarines make routine port calls in South Korea as part of the US navy's forward-deployed submarine force in the Indo-Pacific. The length of the submarine's stay was not revealed.

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Russian Startup Develops Innovative Face Cream From Spider Web Protein

According to the researchers, this cream heals cuts and burns, removes age spots and rejuvenates the skin in a couple of weeks. The development has already passed in vitro studies and has proven its effectiveness.

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Iran has developed a new “Paveh” cruise missile with a range of 1,650 km that could potentially reach all US military bases in the region, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps aerospace force Amirali Hajizadeh said to Iranian media.

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❗️The EU has published its tenth package of sanctions against Russia:

▪️The Rossiya Segodnya media company, Russian National Wealth Fund, the All-Russia People's Front, the Khrunichev rocket maker are all blacklisted;

▪️Rossiya Segodnya Executive Director Kirill Vyshinsky and Regnum Chief Editor Marina Akhmedova are sanctioned;

▪️Russia’s Alfa bank, Rosbank, Tinkoff bank are blacklisted;

▪️The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's compatriots’ outreach agency Rossotrudnichestvo is sanctioned;

▪️The Russian human rights ombudswoman, the head of the presidential council for human rights are sanctioned;

▪️Russia’s top commercial vehicle maker Gaz is sanctioned;

▪️Russian military commanders Alexei Avdeyev, Mikhail Teplinsky, Sergei Karakayev are sanctioned.

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▪️Several nuclear arms firms affiliated with Russia's Rosatom have been sanctioned;

▪️Russian company Rosatomflot in charge of nuclear-powered icebreakers is sanctioned;

▪️The deputy head of Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor is added to the sanctions list;

▪️The EU sanctions the former head of Ukrainian aircraft engine maker Motor Sich who is in custody in Ukraine;

▪️Russia's Defense Ministry is sanctioned;

▪️Russian foreign intelligence agency SVR is sanctioned;

▪️20 Russian deputy ministers, including trade and economic development deputies, are sanctioned;

▪️Four more Russian lawmakers are sanctioned;

▪️African entities and persons added to EU sanctions list over alleged ties to the Wagner private military company;

▪️The latest round of EU sanctions brings the total number of blacklisted entities up to 205 and individuals up to 1,473.

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