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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🎤 ‘Leneeen! As they say in Rush-ah’: Trump quotes Lenin on vote counting

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❗️Serbian President Vucic exclusively to Sputnik: "I'm fine. I'm going on a tour of Serbia today."

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💵 “Surprising”: Lexus from the infamous prankster duo, Vovan and Lexus, reveals details about their latest escapade involving Fed chair Jerome Powell

Alexey "Lexus" Stolyarov told Sputnik that he found it “surprising” that the Fed chairman was so “optimistic” about the current state of the economy, notwithstanding his comments about the US being on the brink of recession, including “if there is some kind of unexpected event in Ukraine.”

💬 “I think this is just a very self-confident bureaucrat, and that he understands that whatever happens to the economy, it will not affect him personally. And, first and foremost, he understands perfectly that this will affect Ukraine and Europe. The United States, even if they suffer, are unlikely to face any serious consequences,” the prankster said.

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VIDEO: 🇷🇺 Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu meets his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu 🇨🇳 during the SCO defence ministers' meet in New Delhi 🇮🇳 on Friday

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📹 Russia's tank crews provide fire support to motorized riflemen, ensuring the advance of Russian troops in the zone of the special military operation

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❗️BBC Chairman Richard Sharp resigns amid report on his appointment by former PM Boris Johnson

🇺🇸US media reported this week that the loss of America’s sole operational black powder plant in Louisiana in mid-2021 has left the defense sector lacking a component that’s critical for bullets, bombs, mortar and artillery shells and missiles.

Former US Army HQ Staff Officer and veteran national security expert David T. Pyne says the resolution is little more than chest thumping.

💬“That is a very naïve and foolish resolution because it has no basis in foreign policy reality. These House members are engaging in little more than political posturing to try to show how tough they are on Russia at a time we should be pursuing a policy of strategic partnership with Moscow rather than continuing to transform it into an adversary. As I have been saying from the beginning of the war, Ukraine has no possible chance of defeating Russia let alone retaking Russia’s new territories or Crimea.”

For more of Pyne’s analysis on the causes and consequences of the US’s arms click here

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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 Tucker Carlson breaking his silence with a new monologue after departing from Fox News, as well as Biden’s cheat sheet with vetted question
🔺Next, we’ll continue monitoring the ongoing disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, where people are still suffering from the aftermath of the February train crash
🔺Finally, we’ll touch upon rumors circulating about President Erdogan’s health

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

❗️Moscow has urged the US and South Korea to abandon any actions that may undermine strategic stability, particularly in light of the recent Washington Declaration. The agreement between the US and South Korea on joint use of nuclear arms will only serve to destabilize the situation in the region and the world, the Russian Foreign Ministry says

⚡️ Ukrainian rocket attack on shuttle bus in Donetsk kills seven

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📹🇷🇺🔧 Russian military repair units from the Western Military District carry out round-the-clock repair work on equipment used in Russia's special military operation in Ukraine

In addition to maintenance specialists, tasks are carried out with the help of soldiers and volunteers. Special attention is paid to the maintenance and repair of weapons and special military equipment for troops operating at a significant distance from temporary deployment points.

Qualified servicemen perform restoration work of any complexity with the help of modern maintenance and repair vehicles.

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