Beijing condemns US indictments of Chinese persons on fentanyl-related charges

Beijing has denounced the arrest and indictment of Chinese nationals and companies on fentanyl-related charges and has voiced a strong protest to Washington, the Chinese embassy in the United States said in a statement on Monday.

"US law enforcement personnel ensnared Chinese nationals through "sting operation" in a third country and blatantly pressed charges against Chinese entities and individuals. This seriously infringes on the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese nationals and companies concerned," the statement said. "China strongly condemns this move. The Chinese embassy in the United States has lodged serious démarches and strong protest to the US side."

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🔺Sudan’s left is skeptical of US-Saudi-led peace talks: Will they find a resolution?
🔺Is the US driving a wedge between India and China?
🔺Macron wants to attend the BRICS meeting: Will the member states consider it appropriate?

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Virgin Galactic has announced that its first commercial space flight will take place on June 29 with an Italian crew

During an hour-and-a-half suborbital flight, three Italians as part of the Galactic 01 mission are going to conduct a series of experiments related to biomedicine and the development of innovative materials in microgravity.

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🇷🇺🇺🇸 The US Embassy in Moscow has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry to discuss the diplomatic mission's security in connection with the events surrounding the Wagner PMC in Russia, an informed source told Sputnik on Monday.

"The embassy contacted [the ministry] by e-mail," the source said when asked if US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry over the embassy's security in connection with the events around Prigozhin.

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📹 Sergey Lavrov on the hypocrisy of the West regarding coups in countries around the world

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Back to normal: what’s going on in Moscow & beyond after Wagner’s aborted mutiny gamble?

An armed mutiny plot staged over the weekend by PMC Wagner ended up being aborted, and now life is returning to normal in and around Moscow, as well as the other Russian regions, where temporary restrictive measures were in place.

So what is precisely happening?

Denmark to speed up transfer of NATO's F-16s to Ukraine

The Danish Air Force will replace its F-16 aircraft with F-35 jets two years ahead of schedule, allowing for the earlier transfer of F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Originally planned for 2027, the transition to F-35s will now be operational from 2025, according to the Danish Defense Ministry.

Acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that the accelerated introduction of the F-35s enables the phased-out F-16s to be retired sooner.

The decision by the Defense Ministry paves the way for the transfer of F-16 fighters to Kiev, as Danish authorities anticipate Ukrainian pilots to begin training on the jets in August.

However, Poulsen's statement contradicts NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's recent remark that NATO has yet to decide on the timing of delivering F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

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Ukrainian armoured vehicles destroyed in Zaporozhye direction

Ka-52 reconnaissance attack helicopter detected the movement of Ukrainian armoured vehicles and destroyed an enemy armoured personnel carrier, including the crew, with a guided missile.

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🗣️”The US big weapon is always that 'We are going to sanction you, we are going to isolate you from the world economy, and then you are going to have to come crawling back with the begging bowl in hand, giving us whatever we want and giving up whatever independent policy or whatever it was that you were doing, it was offending the US'”: Justin Podur, associate professor at York University, author of America's Wars on Democracy in Rwanda and the DR Congo, and co-host of the Anti-Empire Project, told Sputnik

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

Germany will send 45 anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine by the end of the year, said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock

The minister also stated that it is important for the EU to continue to support the Kiev regime and military assistance to it will be increased by €3.5 billion.

Earlier, it was reported that the Leopard tanks, which Berlin was going to transfer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, were planned to be scrapped.

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📹 A tactical flight exercise of fighter aircraft is being held over the Baltic

The crews of the Baltic Fleet Su-27s fired their weapons at cruise missiles and mock enemy aircraft.

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US security services are trying to recruit Russian diplomats working in Russia's Permanent Mission to the UN

"The updated information presented by us indicates that the US keeps purposefully applying an entire range of measures and restrictions to our Permanent Mission and its employees aimed at reducing the effectiveness of our interaction with the UN, but moreover, at the provision of psychological pressure on Russian diplomats," Deputy Permanent Representative Maria Zabolotskaya said.

“How else to explain more and more intrusive recruiting approaches by local security services who approach employees on the street and at the airport,” she said.

Zabolotskaya said contextual advertising is used in social networks, search engines and at video hosting sites, for example YouTube, to demonstrate calls to cooperate with the FBI.

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📹 Russian Pacific Fleet's marine corps crush Ukrainian convoy of foreign military vehicles

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Russian FM Sergey Lavrov: The Russian-Chinese trade and economic cooperation continues to expand

Russia-China trade grew by 29.3 percent to a record $190.271 billion in 2022, according to China's customs authorities, .

"The trade and economic interaction of Russia and China keeps expanding despite attempts by certain states to interfere with this," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video message at the opening of the conference "Russia and China: Cooperation in the New Era" in Beijing, which has been held annually since 2015.

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Sweden has adopted a new humanitarian aid package for Ukraine worth $35.5 million

"The government is allocating a new package of humanitarian and recovery aid for Ukraine. The package worth 380 million Swedish kronor [$35.5 million] aims to meet the most urgent needs and highlights the important role of civil society organizations," the government said in a statement.

Earlier, Bulgaria had also adopted a new military aid package for Ukraine.

The European countries continue to expand support for Ukraine despite warnings from the Russian side that it only exacerbates the conflict.

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🇧🇾 Belarusian President Lukashenko said that he has given orders to bring the army to full combat readiness against the backdrop of the events in Russia

🌍 BRICS praised as 'champion' of Global South

🗣 The group, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is 'definitely championing the interests of the global south and ensuring a more inclusive, multilateral environment for every country of the world system," said South African Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco)’s Ben Joubert.

According to Joubert, South Africa is going to use its position as this year's BRICS chair to champion global reforms

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The case of the armed mutiny was dismissed on June 27, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says