🇩🇪💉 Tino Chrupalla, the co-leader of Germany's conservative populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, was jabbed in the arm with needle containing an unknown poisonous substance, the party said.

The incident took place as people were taking selfies with Chrupalla at a campaign rally. He felt a pain in the shoulder and went to the hospital, the German Prosecutor's Office said.

German officials have been considering banning the party, whose popularity in the polls has surged recently to surpass that of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats. AfD politicians have been outspoken critics of Berlin's lavish financial and military support for Ukraine, and called for measures to normalize relations with Russia.

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🇷🇺🛫🇺🇸 A Russian MiG-31 fighter escorted a US Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft over the Norwegian Sea; no border violations were committed, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.

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❗️Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine for the week

▪️Over seven days, 14 strikes were carried out against Ukrainian military infrastructure, including the Punisher and Fury UAV assembly workshop, as well as HIMARS, Storm Shadow, and SCALP storage depots

▪️Four counterattacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled in the Kupyansk direction, with over 405 servicemen eliminated as well as five tanks and four ammunition depots destroyed

▪️In the Krasny Liman direction, Ukrainian forces tried to restore their lost positions: Russian troops repelled seven attacks, eliminating over 430 troops

▪️In the Donetsk direction, Ukrainian forces continued to strengthen their attempts to attack: 34 attacks were repelled, with more than 1,745 people killed and wounded

▪️In the South Donetsk direction, Russian forces repelled 11 attacks, eliminating 755 servicemen and destroying eight tanks

▪️In the Zaporozhye direction, Russian forces assumed more advantageous positions, repelling two Ukrainian counterattacks and eliminating more than 320 troops

▪️In the Kherson direction, Ukrainian troops unsuccessfully tried to establish a bridgehead on islands on the left bank of the Dnepr River, loosing up to 235 servicemen

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💨Which tank is the fastest?

In the intense competition for tank superiority, battle tanks have come a long way, thanks to the evolving scope of modern warfare, bigger budgets, and advancements in military technology. This article introduces the standout speedster in combat: the metal beast defying all limits.

Sputnik demystifies battle tanks by singling out the fastest ones and understanding the nuances of their speed. This involves comprehensively examining factors and scrutinizing significant contemporary tanks known for their remarkable speed. Through this exploration, we aim to identify the fastest tank and grasp how this trait influences military outcomes.

👉Follow the link to find out more about modern tanks

🇺🇸US political crisis impedes military operations - Pentagon Official

Kathleen H. Hicks, deputy secretary of defense, is worried about a US government shutdown and in-house strife within the nation's capital. She warns of the potential to undermine the readiness of the US Armed Forces.

Hicks said alternative defense funding mechanisms for Ukraine are available, even without Congressional endorsement. She clarified that the Pentagon has not initiated discussions regarding reassigning resources from other designated areas to compensate for the deficit.

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⚛️🇯🇵 A group of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will visit Japan to examine the Fukushima nuclear power plant for the first time since water discharge was launched, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced on Friday.

💬"The IAEA Task Force includes 11 international experts, serving in a personal capacity, from Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Republic of Korea, the Marshall Islands, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam," the ministry said in a statement.

On Thursday, Japan began the second phase of the release of the Fukushima nuclear power plant’s treated water into the ocean. The second phase of the wastewater discharge will last for 17 days, with the expected dumping of about 7,800 tonnes of water.

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🇪🇺Backing Ukraine's bid for EU membership 'simply suicidal' Polish journalist

Ukrainian membership in the EU would fundamentally undermine Poland’s economic interests and constitute a form of political suicide, independent Polish journalist and commentator Lukasz Warzecha has warned.

Pointing to media revelations this week that the EU would have to dole out €186 billion to Kiev to fill the massive holes in Ukraine's budget if it became an EU member, which would turn Eastern European net recipients of EU aid into donors, Warzecha expressed amazement over Polish politicians’ apparent willingness to be led a long like sheep, "without a trace of reflection about the consequences for Poland, to immediately begin to support Ukraine’s admission, which would bring the greatest benefit for Germany."

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🇷🇺Russian Spetsnaz operator explains how drones are changing modern warfare

The Ukraine conflict has shown that small, inexpensive drones have revolutionized modern warfare along with sophisticated uncrewed systems, Altai, a drone operator serving in a Russian Spetsnaz battalion in Donbass, told Sputnik's correspondent Russell Bentley @TXDPR.

💬"You know, in 2018 I understood that the future [of war] is with drones," drone operator with call sign Altai told Sputnik. "Now everybody understands that it's a war of drones. It's not some cyberpunk future fantasy. It's really a reality. One Chinese drone can kill more people than a sniper who really is like a specialist."

👉Follow the link to watch the full interview

🇪🇺EU never discussed strategic consequences of Ukraine's accession, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban stated

💬 "First, we have to consider whether it [Ukraine's accession to the EU] is in our interest or not, and what kind of answers we have to the strategic consequences of that enlargement. We have never done it. So, we don't see any strategic calculations and no major estimation of the consequences. First - strategic approach, second - discussion, third - decision," Orban told reporters on day 2 of the European Political Community summit in Spain's Granada.

Ukraine's potential EU membership raises many questions and doubts, as the EU has never before integrated a country in conflict, the Hungarian prime minister added. The EU does not know where Ukraine's current borders lie and how many people live there; therefore, a strategic discussion is needed that would result in a conclusion put on paper, including from the financial standpoint, the prime minister stressed.

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🇺🇸👨‍⚕️ Kaiser strike symptom of healthcare firms' 'unholy alliance' with the US government

Some 75,000 employees of private medical firm Kaiser Permanente walked out on Wednesday in the biggest single healthcare strike in US history. Staff, represented by a coalition of unions, are angry at the company's below-inflation pay offer, its attempt to force them into a new contract which slashes their bonuses and with chronic understaffing, among other disputes.

Economist Mark Frost told Sputnik that the healthcare sector, which benefits from the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs, was not a free market.

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🇪🇺📉 Eurozone economy on course for recession 'in late 2023' as output mired in 'downturn'

Economic challenges lie ahead for the Eurozone, as it is likely to slide into recession by late 2023, economists have predicted.

While the standard indicator of economic wellbeing for the EU – the HCOB final Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) put together by S&P Global – inched up to 47.2 in September, as compared to 46.7 in August, it is still hovering below the 50-mark. What this indicates is that the Eurozone has witnessed its fourth consecutive month of economic contraction.

In the third quarter, the Eurozone’s economy shrank, with several factors contributing to this, such as decline in demand in the region, higher borrowing costs, soaring prices, and consumer spending stifled as households grapple with the cost-of-living crisis. Specifically, demand plummeted at the fastest pace in almost three years, as per S&P Global data.

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🎙 With the Valdai Club having closed on October 5th, enjoy the latest AfroVerdict podcast episode from Sputnik Africa to get an analysis of the discussions held at the event.