❗️ Russia will rely on reliable partners in energy policy, including China and India, but not on the West - Lavrov

MI5 Sat on Info That Could Have Prevented Manchester Arena Suicide Bombing, Inquiry Finds

The UK's counter-terrorism agency, MI5, could have prevented the deadly Manchester Arena suicide bombing on May 22, 2017, had it responded more promptly to crucial information, according to a public inquiry led by retired Judge Sir John Saunders.

The suicide attack carried out by Salman Abedi, the son of religious extremist immigrants from Libya, at an Ariana Grande concert had left 22 people dead, and hundreds injured.

Read more

❗️ China makes representation to US over approval of possible $600mln arms deal with Taiwan - defense ministry

▪️ In addition, China demands Washington stop all military contacts with Taipei and arms sales to Taiwan

Hungary to Send Delegation to Sweden With Stockholm's NATO Bid on the Line

"In recent years, lies and fake news about Hungary have been spread by government officials in Sweden, quite regularly," Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said.

A delegation of Hungarian lawmakers plans to visit Sweden on 7 March to discuss the Nordic country's bid to join NATO against the background of Budapest's grievances against Stockholm.

Read more

Tornadoes leave over 200,000 people without electricity in Texas, tracker shows

As of 23:40 Central Standard Time on Thursday, a total of 206,676 customers experienced power failures, according to data from the monitoring service Power Outage.

Meteorologists linked the natural hazard to the same that caused heavy snow in the western state of California in February.

Bad weather conditions also led to the cancellation of up to 462 flights in Texas on Thursday night, according to FlightAware data.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

💬 ‘’Biden mentioned a mother that has lost her two sons to fentanyl ... He seemed to laugh and the mother demanded an apology, wondering whether he was aware how he came across’’, a reporter said

💬 ’’ ... He expressed sympathy for her last night ... His words had been misinterpreted by someone who regularly strives to discredit the president," Karin Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, answered.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️The FSB has released a video clip showing the aftermath of the Ukrainian terrorist attack in Russia’s Bryansk Region. The footage shows victims of the bombing, damaged cars and explosives.

📹 MiG-31 jet fighters on sorties as part of the special military operation (video courtesy of Russian MoD)

MiG-31 crews carry out missions in the designated area of the special military operation in Ukraine.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️Latest statements by Dmitry Peskov on the Ukrainian terrorist attack on Russia’s Bryansk region:

▪️An investigation into the terrorist attack is underway, conclusions will be drawn based on the results;

▪️Measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future;

▪️No decisions have been made yet regarding the introduction of martial law in Russia's border areas with Ukraine;

▪️The US is continuing its policy of increasing arms supplies to Ukraine and encouraging EU countries to do the same.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

“Nobody calls on Zelensky asking when he is going to negotiate:” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaking at the Raisina Dialogue forum in New Delhi on a settlement of the Ukraine crisis

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Russia will not allow the West to blow up any more gas pipelines: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaking at the Raisina Dialogue forum in New Delhi on how the Ukraine crisis has affected Russia’s energy interests

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

❗️Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, urges Volodymyr Zelensky to surrender Artemovsk (Bakhmut) and allow Ukrainian forces to leave the city.

💬 “Whereas earlier the professional Ukrainian Army was fighting us, today we are witnessing more and more old people and children. They fight, but in Bakhmut [Artemovsk], their life is short, just a day or two. Give them the opportunity to leave the city. The city is in fact surrounded,” said Prigozhin.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

⚡️Moscow: Bryansk terror committed using NATO weapons, leading to question of alliance's culpability

❗️ Russian Foreign Ministry’s statements on the terrorist attack in Russia's Bryansk region:

▪️Kiev has repeatedly acknowledged that all its actions are carried out with the approval and support of the United States and other NATO countries, the murders in the Bryansk region were committed using NATO weapons;

▪️In this respect, the question arises about whether these states qualify as accomplices in such crimes and as sponsors of terrorism;

▪️The US continues to implement its plans to destroy the Russian Federation, pumping Kiev with weapons;

▪️Kiev's sanctions "for 50 years": Apparently reflects Kiev's assessment of how long the conflict will last.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt

Ukrainian forces shell ZNPP security staff: Russia's nuclear energy corp.

Security staff at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant were shelled by the Ukrainians, Renault Kharchaa, a spokesman for Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of the Russian state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, said on Friday.

"Our security staff, who ensure the process of meeting International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, literally came under gunfire... I think that Russia will issue a protest on this matter. In our opinion, it is absolutely impossible not to respond to such armed provocations," Karchaa told to Russian media.

Even representatives of the Ukrainian side who participated in the rotation process "did not understand what was going on," which indicates a "complete lack of control" at this section of the line of contact, the official added.

Subscribe to @SputnikInt