🗣️ On US social cutbacks:

“The US is following the path of austerity. I suppose Joe Biden can say that he's not in control of the House and so he wanted to spend more money and increase social programs, but the Republicans won't let him… The Biden administration is saying that their policies are working until they stop working. Then they'll have to shift to another explanation for why things are bad. And that explanation will be 'the Republicans have done it,” Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, told Sputnik.

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

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🗺 What is G20?

Ahead of the G20 Summit due to take place in Delhi on September 9-10, let's take a closer look at the purposes and features of the organization.

Check out Sputnik's article to find out more about G20

📹 Check out a new video from Grand Skate Tour 2023 in Moscow

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On Tuesday, the father of one of the 13 US service members killed in the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing told Congressmen that President Joe Biden should be held to account for the massacre which occurred after he reneged on predecessor Donald Trump's peace treaty with the Taliban*.

Mark Schmitz, the father of US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that Biden a "disgrace" and an "a**hole."

*The Taliban is an organization under UN sanctions for terrorism.

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❗️ Russian air defense foiled the attack of Ukrainian terrorists as a drone was shot down over the Bryansk region, Governor Alexander Bogomaz said. The thwarted strike did not cause any injuries or damages.

🇺🇸 US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been medically evaluated and given the go-ahead to continue with his schedule as normal, the attending physician for Congress said in a statement on Thursday after the senator a day earlier again froze due to lightheadedness.

"I have consulted with Leader McConnell and conferred with his neurology team. After evaluating yesterday's incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned," the attending physician said in the statement.

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🔭 According to American media, some of the US' most powerful telescopes have been disabled since August 1 due to suspicious cyber-activity in their systems.

The telescopes in question are the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii and the Gemini South telescope in Chile, as well as a number of minor telescopes.

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🇳🇪 The Nigerien military leadership has reportedly called for the temporary suspension of UN agencies and NGOs from working in military zones.

The announcement was said to be made through the country’s Interior Ministry via a statement broadcasted on national radio.

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❗️ The airspace control post in the Pskov region undertook measures to neutralize a single unidentified object, Governor Mikhail Vedernikov has said

🇬🇧 The UK authorities have ordered the closure of more than 100 schools in England days before the start of the academic year amid a high risk of collapse due to the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their construction, the UK government said on Thursday.

This type of concrete was widely used in the construction of one- and two-story public buildings in the United Kingdom in the 1950s through the 1990s. The material is similar to normal concrete, but it is lighter, less durable and more susceptible to deterioration from moisture. As a result, there are now concerns about the durability of dozens of schools and hospitals, among other structures.

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🇺🇸 Pentagon awards $192mln contract to Raytheon to produce medium-range missiles as part of Ukraine aid budget - statement

🔺 One-China policy no more? Biden approves military supplies for Taiwan under program normally used for sovereign states
🔺Winds of change in Africa: Is Gabon following Niger’s example?
🔺US plan to flood the Pacific with AI-driven drones risks uncontrollable escalation with China

The Critical Hour will cover these and more stories! Tune in to Radio Sputnik at 6pm EST|3pm PST|12am CET via the website or app

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🇯🇵 Department store employees' first strike in 60 years is taking place at one of Japan's largest and best known department stores, SOGO/SEIBU, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Thursday.

The outlet, one of the largest and most profitable of the chain, is located in Tokyo's Ikeburo district. Passers-by constantly stop and take pictures of the closed windows with the word "SEIBU" on them, as strikes are extremely rare in Japan.

Around 900 workers have gathered in front of the now closed entrance to the store, explaining their position to customers and apologizing for the inconvenience caused.

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🇺🇸🇷🇺 The US deployment of F-35s and nuclear weapons to the UK is being cast as a response to tensions with Russia, but is in fact a consequence of long-established US plans to revive a Cold War-era strategy of nuclear standoff as a way to assert US power, a retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, a former analyst for the US Department of Defense, told Sputnik.

Chek out his full interview

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🇺🇸 The Biden administration has approved an $80 million military package for Taiwan, an island considered by Beijing as China's inalienable part.

The package comes within the framework of the State Department’s foreign military financing (FMF), which is usually instrumentalized when Washington wants to disburse aid to a sovereign country.

What's behind the move and the island's militarization?

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Early Thursday, Ben Wallace informed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about his decision to step down from his post as defense secretary, explaining in his resignation letter that he is now intent on focusing his attention on "invest[ing] in the parts of life that I have neglected, and to explore new opportunities."

So, what's behind the latest reshuffle within the Sunak government?

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🇨🇳🇺🇸 China's commerce minister has urged the US to drop "discriminatory" sanctions against his country and give "equal treatment" to Chinese firms.

Wang Wentao's spokeswoman said the minister had told his US counterpart Gina Raimondo on her visit earlier this week that Beijing wants a level playing field for Chinese companies doing business in the US.

"China demands the US give equal treatment to Chinese enterprises investing in the US in terms of market access, regulatory enforcement, public procurement and policy support," said Shu Jueting. "China expressed serious concerns about the U.S.' discriminatory [Section] 301 tariffs."

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❗️ An analysis of the captured American Bradley infantry fighting vehicle has showed it is completely inferior to the BMP-3 in terms of combat effectiveness, a developer told Sputnik

🇬🇧 The UK's Defense Ministry (MoD) may struggle to secure the resources it needs due to the limited defense expertise of its newly appointed chief, Grant Shapps, former Chief of the British General Staff and member of the House of Lords, General Richard Dannatt, said.

Earlier, the UK's Defense Minister, Ben Wallace, resigned from his post after four years in office. He was replaced by Grant Shapps, who previously headed the UK's Department of Energy.

"We now have a new defense secretary who knows very little about defense, and it's a complex portfolio, so he's going to have to spend a lot of time getting up to speed. ... I think there's a danger that debates about defense resources will stagnate, at least until Grant Shapps gets a grip on the situation," Dannatt explained on British television.

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🇨🇭Former NATO Military Committee Chairman and Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces Harald Kujat on Thursday warned Switzerland against the rapprochement with NATO.

"I will say this as a former chairman of the NATO Military Committee: Switzerland has a history of maintaining its security through its neutrality. For Switzerland, the future in security and freedom means the need to maintain neutrality," Kujat said in an interview with Swiss media when asked whether Switzerland should get closer to NATO in the present environment.

"This situation could become very unpleasant for Switzerland. I am for eliminating these blocs, not strengthening them so that we come to a multipolar world in which every country is secure and free instead of being tied to another country that pursues other interests and goals. Switzerland has its own goals and interests," Kujat added.

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US President Joe Biden is asking Congress for an additional $24 billion in security, economic, and humanitarian assistance to get Ukraine through next year, although Republicans in the House are opposing sending more aid to Kiev.

Resistance in Congress, depleted stockpiles, among other constraints on US military assistance, could be decisive factors in the Ukraine conflict, with both sides committed to winning and no diplomatic path in sight, experts told Sputnik.

👉 Check out the full analysis

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