🇷🇺🇻🇪 Surprise hug from behind! Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez warmly greets Russian FM Sergey Lavrov during his tour of Latin America

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Kiss Cash Goodbye? Paper Money to Become 'Less Useable' in Future, BoE Predicts

In light of this trend, it is imperative to be prepared for that eventuality, and develop an electronic version of the pound sterling, the Bank of England’s deputy governor told the Innovate Finance Global Summit 2023 at London’s Guildhall.

💬 "Cash is likely to decline further and cash itself will become less useable in everyday transactions, for example if internet commerce grows and if merchants increasingly accept only digital payment," Sir Jon Cunliffe said.

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Kiev regime’s mortar attack on Kherson Region’s Novaya Kakhovka kills one, injures two

Hospitals, ambulance stations, and the city market were targeted in the shelling, local authorities revealed. A section of the city was disconnected from the power grid due to a damaged power line from the attack. Ukrainian troops used 120mm mortars, according to Vladimir Saldo, the acting head of the Kherson Region.

Earlier in the day, local authorities said that Ukrainian forces had intensified their assault on the city and nearby villages and urged citizens to take cover.

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💸 Ukraine's sovereign debt might reach record-breaking $173 billion by the end of 2023, former Ukrainian PM Mykola Azarov said

💬 "In absolute figures, by the end of the year a total amount of the public debt can reach record-breaking 6.4 trillion hryvnia - $173 billion. Even though a part of western assistance comes as grants, the most part of the money from the US, the EU, and other countries and organizations are just credits. And they will need to be paid sooner or later," Azarov said.

Ukraine's state budget is formed on the basis of the Western help, which allows to estimate the debt at 120% of the country's gross domestic product, he added.

💬 "But if we look at our pure profits, the debt will be 300%. Yes, a group of creditors granted Ukraine a deferral on the external debt payments until 2027. But the deferral does not mean that the debt will not need to be paid. Along with the debt, Ukraine's expenditures on the debt service also grow. This year they will double," Azarov added.

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Iceland Authorizes Service Visits of US Submarines Not Carrying Nuclear Arms

Reykjavik informed Washington that "it is a condition for the arrival of allied warships in the country that the governments of the respective countries both know and respect the provisions of Iceland's national security policy that Iceland, and its territorial waters are declared free from nuclear weapons, subject to international commitments ... The submarines that are permitted to make service call do not carry nuclear weapons according to US policy and are not equipped to do so," said in a statement on the website.

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❗️Latest statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

▪️Moscow expressed regret over the president of South Korea's statement regarding the possibility of arms supplies to Ukraine, saying that it would "indirectly mean" Seoul's involvement in the conflict;

▪️Western media was wrong again in accusing Russia of preparing to sabotage energy facilities in Europe.

▪️Russia strongly condemns the actions of the Ukrainian police trying to block the entrance to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra;

▪️It cannot be ruled out that there may be provocations against Minsk from Kiev after the meeting of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko with the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin;

▪️The Kremlin believes that the trilateral agreements between the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia are the most realistic basis for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-Azerbaijani conflicts;

▪️The Kremlin has taken note of Kiev's decision to recall its ambassador from Minsk.

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❗️The visit of the Chinese defense minister to Russia demonstrates the independence of cooperation between the two countries' armies and the deepening of mutual trust between Moscow and Beijing, the Chinese defense ministry said.

Catch our Fault Lines show, where we provide updates and analysis on all the most vital stories! Here's our line-up for today:

🔺To kick things off, we’ll be discussing what’s behind the accusations of China having a “secret police station” in New York City
🔺Next, we’ll talk about the scandal surrounding Governor DeSantis and Disney
🔺Finally, we’ll speak about why European countries are banning Ukrainian grain

More trending stories coming your way! Tune in to Radio Sputnik at 7am EST|4am PST|1pm CET via the website or app!

📻Also in the United States at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

Kremlin slams claims about 'Russian sabotage' at energy facilities in Northern Europe

A joint investigation by journalists from Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden said that Russia was allegedly preparing possible sabotage at energy facilities in the Nordic countries.

💬 "These media outlets of the mentioned countries, they made a mistake in their investigation. They again unreasonably prefer to blame Russia for everything. We would prefer that they pay more attention to the topic of the terrorist attack on Nord Stream and the need for a transparent, urgent, and broad international investigation of these unprecedented terrorist acts of sabotage," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

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🇬🇧🍲 UK inflation rate falls by fraction of percent — but food prices soar

Inflation in the UK fell less than forecast in March, while the rise in food prices accelerated to a 46-year high.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics showed the Consumer Price Index rate dropped from 10.4% in February to 10.1% in March — confounding economists predictions that it would fall to 9.8%.

But food and non-alcoholic drink price inflation hit 19.1%, the highest since August 1977. The statistics agency blamed the rise on high commodity and production costs — both of which are linked to sanctions and embargoes on Russian fuel, grain and fertilizer exports.

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🎥 240 years ago Catherine the Great signed a historical manifesto which led to Crimea’s accession to Russia

☝️Here’s how it happened

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⚡️The Russian Ministry of Defense says that airborne troop units have blocked Artemovsk from the northern and southern outskirts. Assault squads, supported by artillery, have liberated three blocks of the city, and efforts by Ukrainian troops to mount a counterattack have been quashed.

Taliban calls on Afghan media to fight western propaganda 🚫

🇦🇫 Abdul Kabir, a leading member of the Taliban* and third deputy PM of Afghanistan on Wednesday called on the Afghan press agencies to "present the true image of Afghanistan to the people and the world by exposing false propaganda" in the West.

* under UN sanctions for terrorism

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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏃‍♀️ Easy ride: Scottish ultrarunner disqualified for using a car during marathon

Dr Joasia Zakrzewski, the 47-year-old GP from Dumfries had been caught at the M2L Ultra marathon after tracking data revealed that she reached a top speed of 35 miles per hour. Moreover, data showed that she took the main road rather than the race route.

The M2L Ultra is a 50-mile race from Manchester to Liverpool in England's North-West and part of the GBUltras. It is a challenging ultra-marathon that takes runners on a scenic journey between the two major cities along the Trans-Pennine trail, the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey.

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