KJ Noh, a scholar, educator and journalist focusing on the political economy and geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific, joined us to discuss Emmanuel Macron's visit to China and the diverging interests pulling him in two different directions

🎧Listen to more of Noh’s analysis in our podcast By Any Means Necessary

At Least One Person Killed, Six Others Injured After Tel Aviv Car Ramming Attack

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has confirmed that at least one individual was killed, and that six others sustained wounds in a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv.

All seven individuals were said to be tourists.

Officials stated the assailant was killed by Israeli police shortly after his vehicle overturned. The government has ordered the mobilization of Border Police and IDF reservists.

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KJ Noh, a scholar, educator and journalist focusing on the political economy and geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific, joined us to discuss recent meetings between US officials and Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-Wen and how this fits into recent US provocations over Taiwan

🎧Listen to more of Noh’s analysis in our podcast By Any Means Necessary

📹 “Keep your mouth closed”: Judge Andrew Napolitano gave advice to his friend Donald Trump in an interview with Sputnik

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📹 “The only way President Biden can get reelected is if he runs against Trump”: Judge Napolitano speaks about how the indictment will influence the upcoming election

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▶️ Russian GRAD-M multiple rocket launcher fires against Ukrainian strongholds

The military detect a target, aim and destroy it with salvos of 122 mm rockets with the help of drones.

The gunners follow the rule of "one target, one position", as these technologies ease the destruction of enemy positions and deprive them of any possibility of retaliation, says Russia's Defense Ministry

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📹 Former New Jersey Superior Court Judge Andrew Napolitano describes what will happen next in Trump's indictment

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🇷🇺☄️ In Russian Siberia, a meteorite fell in the Ust-Kutsky district of the Irkutsk region.

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Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University Dr. Kenneth Hammond joined us to discuss how the US government has been demonizing China

🎧Listen to more of Hammond’s analysis in our podcast Political Misfits

China Announces Military Drills Near Taiwan After McCarthy-Tsai Meeting

The Chinese military said Saturday morning that it will hold three days of military exercises in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan.

The announcement comes after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and 17 other American politicians. While the announcement did not mention Tsai or the meeting, it came just hours after her 10-day tour, which included Central America and stops in New York and Los Angeles, California.

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North Korea Tests Underwater ‘Radioactive Tsunami’ Drone for Second Time

North Korea carried out another test of its underwater, nuclear-capable drone this week. According to North Korean state media, the Haeil-2 underwater strategic weapon system was tested from Tuesday to Thursday this week.

The drone reportedly went in an optical and figure eight path in the Sea of Japan for over 71 hours, simulating a 1,000-kilometer journey.

The test comes a few weeks after North Korea first announced it had developed the drone. At the time, North Korea claimed the drone is capable of creating a “radioactive tsunami” by detonating warheads underwater.

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Kiev Planning Provocation in Sumy Region to Accuse Russia of Using Poisonous Substances - Moscow

Kiev is planning a large-scale provocation in the Sumy region with the aim of discrediting Russia and accusing it of allegedly using poisonous substances, Russia's Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response said.

"According to available data, confirmed by several independent sources, under the leadership of the office of the President of Ukraine, a large-scale provocation is being prepared aimed at discrediting the Russian Federation in the international arena," the headquarters said in a statement.

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🗣 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are currently off the table, arguing that Moscow has to show its readiness for "constructive" talks.

▪️ Blinken claimed during his meeting with German press that Russia had to demonstrate its willingness to engage in "constructive negotiations" with the goal of a "just and lasting peace."

▪️ Although the idea of a ceasefire may be "tempting," it will not contribute to a "just and lasting peace" if it means "ratification" of Moscow's control over the territories that joined Russia after the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Blinken said.

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New Leak of Classified Docs on Ukraine, China & Middle East Prompt Pentagon Probe

A new batch of classified documents that gained attention on Friday alarmed Pentagon officials, prompting an urgent effort to find the source.

Citing insiders aware of the development, the New York Times reported that more than 100 documents had been leaked onto Twitter, Telegram and on message board 4chan. The files purportedly included detailed maps and briefing slides on the state of China and the Middle East.

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🏌️ Two huge pine trees fell right during the Masters 2023 golf tournament near the 17th hole at Augusta National

▪️ The incident occurred during the second qualifying round, and was captured on video via live broadcast.

▪️ The Masters confirmed that no one was injured, but "the second round has been officially suspended for the rest of the day. Play will resume Saturday morning at 8:00 am (12pm BST)". A statement from the Masters also stressed that Augusta National Golf Club will continue to closely monitor the weather for the safety and well-being of who attends tournament.

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🗣 International agencies have never taken any appropriate measures against Ukraine over reported cases of torture of captive soldiers of the DPR

💬 "Since the start of the special military operation, we have sent over 320 letters to the UN, the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross], UNICEF [United Nations Children's Fund] with information on the cases of the Kiev regime's war crimes that we documented. These include war crimes against prisoners [of war]. The answer to them is always formal: 'Thank you for the information, we have note of it.' No proper response measures against Ukraine ever followed," DPR Ombudswoman Daria Morozova told Sputnik.

▪️ The ombudswoman's office says that interviews with DPR servicemen returned from Ukrainian captivity and forensic data suggest that nearly all of the soldiers were subjected to torture, beatings, and other forms of abuse by Ukraine's armed formations.

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🇹🇷 Turkiye has initiated the process of introducing legislative amendments for the gas hub project proposed by Russia

▪️ On Thursday, Turkish media reported that the country's parliament had approved changing the structure of state-owned oil and gas company Botas with a view to enabling the creation of a Russia-proposed gas hub project. In early March, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said that the gas hub project would need the parliament's approval as it entails legislative changes.

💬 "We have an opportunity to become an important center of [gas] trade to Eastern European countries. We have taken steps to this end. When our president approves changes to the bill passed by the parliament, new legal measures will be established. The old law regulated the domestic market. It was more restrictive. With the new law, we have ensured greater freedom," Donmez told local TV channel.

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❗️ A missile launched from Ukraine has been shot down by Russian air defense systems over the city of Feodosia in the Crimean peninsula, Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov said on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Aksyonov's adviser, Oleg Kryuchkov, said that air defense systems had engaged in the Feodosia region.

💬 "A missile fired from the direction of Ukraine has been shot down over Feodosia," Aksyonov said on Telegram.

📍 Kryuchkov, in turn, noted that debris from the missile had fallen near one of the settlements of Crimea. There are no casualties or damages reported yet, he added.

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Where Are US Nuclear Weapons Located?

The US has dozens of nukes at military bases across Europe, in line with NATO's so-called nuclear-sharing program.

Since their inception during World War II, nuclear weapons have become a critical component of US military power. Washington has an estimated stockpile of about 3,800 nuclear warheads, deployed on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarines, and strategic bombers. But where are these weapons located?

Find out here

Poland is Losing Big From Escalation in Ukraine and Growing Dependence on Washington

Poland doesn't benefit from the Ukraine conflict; Warsaw is creating further threats to its own security by getting bogged down in the standoff being guided by Russophobic ideology and external influence of its political curators, Mateusz Piskorski, political observer and columnist for the Myśl Polska (Polish Thought) newspaper, told Sputnik.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid an official visit to Poland, which regularly provides substantial military assistance to the Kiev regime, serves as a hub for other arms deliveries, and hosts roughly 1.5 million refugees – the largest number in Europe.

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❗️ Russian MoD’s latest statements on the Ukraine crisis:

▪️ The operational-tactical and army aviation of Russia hit units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkov region and the LPR. More than 30 Ukrainian troops, two vehicles, and a D-20 howitzer were destroyed.

▪️ Russian aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems defeated enemy units in the LPR and the DPR. During the day, up to 80 Ukrainian soldiers, an armored combat vehicle, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, as well as a D-20 howitzer were destroyed in this direction.

▪️ As a result of the actions of the Russian troops, air strikes and artillery fire, up to 370 Ukrainian military personnel and mercenaries, three infantry fighting vehicles, six armored combat vehicles, three other vehicles, as well as self-propelled artillery installation "Gvozdika" in the DPR were destroyed over the past day.

▪️ Enemy losses in the South-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions amounted to 55 Ukrainian soldiers, an armored combat vehicle, as well as D-20 and D-30 howitzers.

▪️ In the Kherson direction, as a result of fire, up to 60 Ukrainian troops, three vehicles, and an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery installation were destroyed in a day.

▪️ Operational-tactical aviation, missile forces and artillery of groups of troops of the Armed Forces of Russia defeated the 92nd Artillery Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 114 districts.

▪️ In addition, three depots of ammunition and missile and artillery weapons of Ukrainians were destroyed in the Donetsk People's Republic, Kherson region and Zaporozhye region.

▪️ Air defense systems intercepted seven rockets of the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket system over the past 24 hours.

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