🇹🇷 The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was formally inaugurated on Thursday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin joining his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a ceremony of the loading of fuel into the plant’s first reactor, built by Rosatom.

“Today, no other company undertakes such complex and long-term projects, because this project will last at least 60 years, taking into account the construction and operation of the station. Therefore, this is extremely beneficial for Turkiye, because it removes a lot of issues, like, for example, the construction of a spent nuclear fuel storage facility, the acquisition of competence for the disposal of radioactive residues after the plant’s closure, and so on. For these reasons, Ankara will continue to expand cooperation with Russia in the nuclear sector, and most likely, will not limit it to the construction of the four reactors at Akkuyu,” says Alexey Anpilogov, an energy expert and head of the Osnovanie Research Center.

For more of his analysis, click here.

🔺Another pack of provocations: the US plans to send a nuclear ballistic submarine to South Korea, triggering China
🔺What’s at stake? France is losing its dominance in West Africa
🔺No free press in the US? We’ll discuss the new Twitter Files, media coverage of the Nord Stream sabotage, as well as the Tucker Carlson erasure

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The video clip shows how Russian forces obliterated a Ukrainian army vehicle and three Kiev regime militants.

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Bye Bonhomie? Panda Ambassador of Friendship Returns to China From US Zoo

🐼 Chinese netizens accused the American zoo of mistreating the animal, fearing that Ya Ya was not served proper food and was living in poor conditions. They demanded that the poor animal be returned to China as soon as possible.

What happened to the panda? 👉 Find out on Sputnik

🇫🇷 Three French protesters facing prison for flipping Macron the finger

The protesters are facing up to a year in prison and a €15,000 fine. None of the protesters have a criminal history. A fourth person was also arrested but the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.

When Macron arrived in Selestat he was met with a crowd demanding his resignation and a chorus of boos. Macron’s approval rating in the country has been plummeting since he decided to move forward with pension reforms despite massive monthslong protests around the country against the reforms.

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🇺🇸 Donald Trump mocks Joe Biden’s frequent spells of disorientation and confusion during his first campaign appearance since the incumbent US president launched his reelection bid

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Russia 🇷🇺 defence chief Sergey Shoigu has arrived in New Delhi for 🌐 SCO defence minister' meet

The meeting will be chaired by India's Rajnath Singh.

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❗️Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was urgently hospitalized, local media report.

No further details about Vucic's condition are provided.

❗️The West's true goal in the conflict in Ukraine to inflict strategic defeat on Russia, create threat to China, maintain monopoly position in the world, Shoigu says

💬 "Today, Washington and its accomplices are implementing their strategic plan, which consists in provoking other countries into a military confrontation with ... primarily with Russia and China. A clear confirmation of such a criminal policy is the conflict in Ukraine. Its true goal is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, threaten China and maintain its monopoly position in the world," Sergey Shoigu said at a regular defense ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states.

The US seeks to reformat the system of interstate relations by creating controlled regional alliances, using blackmail and threats, the minister added.

Key statements from 🇷🇺 Russian Defence Minister at SCO meet New Delhi 🇮🇳:

🔸 West's primary goal in conflict in Ukraine is to inflict strategic defeat on Russia, target China 🇨🇳 and secure its hegemony;

🔸 the US 🇺🇸 and their allies are implementing strategic plan to provoke other nations to military confrontation with Russia and China;

🔸 Washington seeks to reformat the system of interstate relations by creating controlled regional alliances, using blackmail and threats;

🔸 weapons supplied to Ukraine turn out on the black market and then — in the hands of terrorists;

🔸 NATO states should take main responsibility for post-war reconstruction in Afghanistan 🇦🇫, they are to be blamed for the current situation there;

🔸US and its allies trying to restore their military presence in Central Asia under pretext of helping in fight against terrorism.

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