💭 "Growth in the euro area nearly stalled in early 2023 and domestic demand remains weak. Activity is being supported by lower energy prices, easing supply bottlenecks and fiscal policy support to firms and households ... Domestic demand, especially consumption, remains weak. Business and consumer confidence indicators point to weak activity in the 2nd quarter and remain lower [than before the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022]," European Central Bank (ECB) chief Christine Lagarde said during a session of the committee on economic and monetary affairs of the European Parliament.

The ECB head also called on EU countries to roll back support measures to boost demand and avoid higher inflationary pressures in the medium term.

At the same time, headline inflation declined from its October peak and stood at 6.1% in May, Lagarde stated, adding that the ECB is determined to "timely" achieve a target of 2%.

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🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia has decided to make additional voluntary cuts amid the OPEC+ bloc sticking to its policy of limiting crude production has sent oil prices up by around 2%. Earlier, in April, the group of crude producing countries agreed to limit output in order to balance the world energy market.

"The latest round of OPEC+ quota cuts are consistent with the organization’s efforts to manage the global oil balance in order to achieve 'budget friendly' oil prices," Michael Rothman, president and founder of Cornerstone Analytics, a US-based consultancy focused on macro-energy research, told Sputnik.

"The decision yesterday is consistent with that policy with the additional production cut proffered by Saudi Arabia reflecting a tactic to mitigate bearish speculative market influences that have caused current oil prices to stay below their fair value based on the state of the world’s supply/demand situation," he added.

How could this affect the global energy market?

Read the full analysis on Sputnik's website

🇪🇺🇵🇱 European court of justice says Poland's controversial justice reform infringes EU law

"Following the adoption, by Poland, on 20 December 2019, of a law amending the national rules relating to the organisation of the ordinary courts, the administrative courts and the Supreme Court (‘the amending law’), the European Commission brought an action for failure to fulfil obligations, asking the Court of Justice to declare that the regime put in place by that law infringes various provisions of EU law ... By today’s judgment, the Court upholds the Commission’s action," the ECJ said in a press release.

The court also stated that member states must comply with the obligations arising from EU law when organizing their system of justice. Concerning the rule of law, EU countries are thus required to ensure that "any regression of their laws on the organization of justice" is prevented, the ECJ added.

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Russia's Rosatom completes pilot operational cycle of recycled nuclear fuel

The regenerated uranium-plutonium mixture fuel, called Remix, was tested for five years ending in September 2021. Remix fuel rods were loaded into a VVER-1000 pressurized water reactor at Balakovo nuclear plant in December 2021 and examined visually in May after 18 months of industrial operation.

TVEL said that the "innovative" Remix fuel, which is made from a mix of spent uranium and plutonium topped up with low-enriched uranium, would allow Russian nuclear reactors to "potentially transition to a closed nuclear fuel cycle both in fast reactors and in classic, thermal-neutron reactors, including Russia-designed VVERs."

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⚡ The upper part of the Kakhovka HPP was destroyed as a result of shelling, the mayor of Novaya Kakhovka has told Sputnik

NATO reinforcements have started to arrive in self-proclaimed Kosovo

"NATO reinforcements started to arrive in Kosovo on Monday (5 June 2023), following the unprovoked and unacceptable violence which left almost 40 KFOR peacekeeping troops injured in clashes last week. Around 500 Turkish service members from Türkiye’s 65th mechanized infantry brigade will make up the bulk of the NATO reinforcements," the North Atlantic Alliance said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Turkish Battalion will be deployed in Kosovo for as long as necessary, whereas an additional battalion of NATO reserve forces has also been put on higher alert to be deployed if required.

On May 29, thousands of Kosovo Serbs came to the local administration buildings in the municipalities of Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok, demanding the withdrawal of Kosovar police and the removal of ethnic Albanian mayors who took office following elections with an extremely low voter turnout of under 3.5% boycotted by the Serbs. 

Troops of NATO's local KFOR contingent, equipped with crowd dispersal devices, were also deployed. Police used tear gas to break up the demonstrations and escort the mayors into town halls.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Anti-Russian plans of the West will never come true

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid an official visit to Tajikistan, where he first attended the 201st Russian military base.

"We are aware of the plans that the West is not just planning, but openly announced in relation to our country... No one doubts that these plans will not come true," stated Lavrov.

Lavrov further indicated that the West is always looking to open a second or even third front against Russia, including in Central Asia.

"The West is constantly looking for additional directions from which to irritate the Russia, open the second and third fronts," said Lavrov, adding that Central Asia is also being considered as a potential front against Russia in addition to South Caucasus.

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📹 Mobile reserves of Russian anti-tank paratroopers on all-terrain vehicles

▪️ After being given the task of destroying the enemy in the forest, the servicemen promptly moved into position to conduct reconnaissance and obliterate the specified targets.

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📹 Footage has appeared online allegedly showing the consequence of shelling on the Novaya Kakhovka HPP

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⚡️Ukraine was preparing a terrorist attack on Russian territory using a dirty bomb

The FSB has disclosed details of the terrorist attack Kiev was preparing with a dirty bomb:

▪️A service was founded as part of the main intelligence department of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, which included light aircraft to supply saboteurs and perform bombing raids on energy facilities.

▪️Coordination of the use of this aircraft was entrusted to military unit No 3449 with the code name "Legion".

▪️A plan was developed for the delivery and laying of dirty bombs with timers - to undermine and render the area uninhabitable.

▪️Since the beginning of the year, this unit has carried out five sorties on Russian territory, according to confessions made by two pilots who were detained.

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⚡ Residents of coastal communities in the Kherson region are on alert to evacuate should the situation worsen because of the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP, authorities have said

▪️14 settlements and 22,000 civilians are vulnerable to possible flooding of the Dnepr, the head of the Kherson region's government has said

More footage allegedly showing the consequence of shelling on the Novaya Kakhovka HPP

📹 Water levels in Novaya Kakhovka continue to rise and the flood zone is expanding, Sputnik's correspondent reports

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⚡ ❗️Ukrainian troops inflict artillery strikes on the area of the Novaya Kakhovka HPP, Sputnik's correspondent reports

⚡ Shelling of the Kakhovka HPP has not posed any security threat to the Zaporozhye NPP thus far, Russian energy company Rosenergoatom says

❗️ There is no threat of flooding in Crimea from the damaged Kakhovka HPP, but there is a risk that the North Crimean Canal will partially run dry, Crimea's leader, Sergey Aksenov, says

NATO is considering expanding its headquarters in Brussels to find room for Finland and other potential future members

According to two unnamed NATO diplomats, a solution the alliance’s leadership considered is constructing an additional building on NATO's campus, which could host the alliance's international staff and agencies. This would be a "temporary solution."

The expansion of the new headquarters with an extra wing, which was planned originally, would be only plan B, NATO diplomats said, adding that such a decision would be “too costly.”

Sweden, along with Finland, submitted its NATO application in May 2022, several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Finland became a member of the alliance in April 2023. Sweden's application is still pending approval from Hungary and Turkey.

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❗️Water continues to flood Novaya Kakhovka and civilians are being evacuated from coastal flooded areas, the head of the administration said

📹 Su-25s flatten Ukrainian fortifications and armored vehicles

Russia’s Ground-Assault aviation crews carried out missile strikes against Ukrainian military facilities and hardware in the area of the special military operation.

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