⚡️ Trump faces 38 criminal counts, including retention of national security documents. Federal charges against Trump carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison, the indictment says.

🗣️”If American journalists, like the top-level ones, the people at the 'papers of record', have decided that their goal isn't to find objective truth, their goal is to try and push what they believe to be the right side of the narrative, the right side of history, well, then we're doomed”: Bryce Greene, a contributor to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, on the current state of American journalism

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

Italy's industrial production decreases by 7.2% year-on-year in April

Industrial production in Italy experienced a significant decline of 7.2% in April compared to the same period last year, marking the strongest drop in three years, according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat). This decline affected all major industries, with a 12.6% decrease in the energy sector, an 11% decrease in the production of intermediate goods, and a 7.2% decrease in consumer goods production.

Istat highlighted that this sharp decline in industrial production has not been witnessed in Italy for nearly three years.

Experts noted that a similar decline was observed in July 2020, but that was during the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

President of the National Consumer Union Massimiliano Dona described the situation as a severe setback for companies and the country, highlighting the lack of policies aimed at restoring purchasing power for families.

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🗣️”Well, for The New York Times, the problem with Nazi regalia is not Nazism, it's PR”: Dan Lazare, an investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War,” on Nazi symbolism in Ukraine and US media coverage of it

🎧Listen to more of Lazare’s analysis in our podcast The Critical Hour

‼️ UK's Boris Johnson Steps Down as MP Over Partygate Scandal

New head of Chinese army's Joint Staff to contribute to Russia-China military ties

The experience of the new chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of the People's Liberation Army, Liu Zhenli, will contribute to the expansion of military cooperation between Russia and China, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said on Friday.

"I am convinced that your extensive experience will contribute both to the development of the Chinese armed forces and to the expansion of military cooperation between our countries," Gerasimov told Liu during talks via video link.

Russian-Chinese comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are currently at the highest level, Gerasimov said, adding that coordination of efforts of Russia and China in the international arena has a stabilizing effect on the situation in the world.

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The Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld on Friday the decision of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal on the transfer of Scythian gold to Ukraine

"In October 2021, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Scythian gold should be transferred to Ukraine. This decision remains in effect. This is what the Dutch Supreme Court ruled today," the court said in a statement.

The Scythian gold collection, consisting of almost 2,000 artifacts and belonging to several Crimean museums, was exhibited at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam in early February 2014, before Crimea reunited with Russia.

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When could West pull the plug on military assistance to Kiev?

Military columnist and blogger Yuri Podolyaka offered Sputnik his thoughts about the latest developments related to the Ukraine conflict, including reports about Kiev’s counteroffensive, the US’ plans to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and some NATO members’ alleged push to send troops to Ukraine.

Read his full analysis

Belgian Defense Minister says still no response from Kiev on arms used in Belgorod attack

Belgium has not yet received Ukraine's response on the issue of the possible use of Belgium-supplied weapons in a recent attack on Russia's Belgorod Region, Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said on Friday, adding that FN SCAR automatic rifles were identified on the photos from the scene.

"I still have no confirmation... The photos show that it really might be [a rifle] FN SCAR… I sent a letter to my counterpart, the Ukrainian Defense Minister [Oleksii Reznikov], on Monday to receive clarification," Dedonder told Belgian newspaper.

The Belgian defense minister also said that Ukraine was responsible for the use of weapons after Brussels had handed them over to Kiev.

"We expect to receive the data, which would confirm or reject the possibility of our arms being used [in the Belgorod Region] and show us the ways they got there," Dedonder was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

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Western geopolitical engineers prefer to ignore the Nazi essence of the Zelensky regime, Sergey Lavrov said

▪️ He drew attention to the fact that neither in the West nor in the UN secretariat, no one remembers the repeated shelling of the Kakhovka HPP by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

▪️ In addition, the UN secretariat and the IAEA do not respond to regular notes about the shelling of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant by Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Minister stressed.

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📹 Footage showing the destruction of the command post of the unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the crew of a Ka-52 helicopter

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📹 Russia’s anti-aircraft units destroy air targets in Zaporozhye region

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🗣 "I don't think that bureaucrats from Brussels should decide from their lukewarm offices whether Georgia should escalate or not," Georgian Parliament Speaker Papuashvili responded to the words of the EU representative about the resumption of air communication between Georgia and Russia.

▪️ Earlier, MEP Devigne said that the resumption of flights is not a unilateral decision, because it requires the consent of the country in which the plane will land, and also demanded that Georgia impose sanctions against Russia.

💬 “These people have superficial information and thinking with some banal argument. When the discussion in the European Parliament goes to such a childish level, it already shows what we are dealing with,” Papuashvili said.

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Poland may have been used as operating base for Nord Stream sabotage, report says

Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office is investigating evidence that suggests Poland was used as an operating base to organize blasts at the Nord Stream gas pipelines, according to The WSJ.

Investigators are trying to figure out why the yacht that was used to blow up gas pipelines entered Polish waters, the report said. The investigation also showed that Poland could be the center of logistics and financing of the sabotage attack

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Ukraine strikes flood refugees in Kherson Region, killing one

Ukrainian forces bombarded the settlement of Zhelezny Port in Kherson region, killing at least one woman, the head of the region Vladimir Saldo said, noting that Storm Shadow missiles were allegedly used in the strike.

The shelling targeted a hotel hosting refugees who had been displaced by the recent flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam attack.

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Single gas market of Eurasian Economic Union likely to be created by 2025

"There are issues that should be resolved between our countries, we are currently in this process, there is an active phase of negotiations. There are several issues on which we cannot reach a common understanding, but I hope and believe that, by 2025, we should achieve a common energy market," Energy Minister of the Eurasian Economic Commission Arzybek Kozhoshev said on the sidelines of the Eurasian Forum in Sochi.

Kozhoshev also noted that EEU’s members may start paying for gas in rubles in the future.

"We have not yet achieved that all five countries have switched to the ruble, but today this process is underway, and in the future, I think we will come to this," the official said.

In October, Kozhoshev told Sputnik that all members of the Eurasian Economic Union, except for Kazakhstan, had agreed to switch to gas payments in rubles, adding that Astana may also start trading in national currencies.

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Italian special forces prevent 'pirates' from hijacking Turkish cargo ship

A seven-hour military operation that was conducted by Italian special forces to tackle suspected hijackers on board a cargo ship sailing from Turkiye to France is over, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated on Saturday.

The Galata Seaways vessel sailing under a Turkish flag "has now been recaptured and the entire 22-man crew of the Turkish ship is safe," the ministry said, amid reports that some hijackers had been detained, while others "barricaded themselves in the depths of the hold" of the 200-meter-­long ship.

This came after an Italian news agency reported that once onboard, the stowaways were discovered by the crew using security cameras and that they then tried to take some of the sailors hostage inside the bridge using knives. The captain of the bulker managed to send an urgent request to Ankara, which in turn reported the incident to Rome as the ship was navigating off the Italian coast.

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🎥 The result of the destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' equipment in the Zaporozhye direction (video courtesy of Russian MoD)

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🇳🇱 Huge fire engulfs Dutch industrial park

Several buildings have gone up in flames in the Netherlands' western city of Ter Aar.

Some reports suggest the blaze was caused by a solar panel installation, others say forklift gas cylinders exploded.

It's thought the fire could take hours to put out, with no injuries reported so far.

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