👀 The United States has been flying surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip with a view to assisting in the release of hostages held by Palestinian group Hamas since October 7, an American newspaper reported on Thursday, citing sources

Hamas is believed to be holding over 240 hostages, with 10 of them likely to be US citizens.

US military officials told the newspaper that MQ-9 Reaper drones, which were first detected through a flight-tracking website last week, have been flying over the conflict area in the Middle East after the events of October 7 to locate hostages and monitor for signs of life.

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❗️ Hamas is ready for a "full compromise" on prisoner exchange, movement’s spokesman stated

❗️ LIVE NOW: Russian FM Lavrov holds talks with Kuwaiti counterpart Al-Sabah

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The volume of the global LNG market will reach 750 billion cubic meters to 800 billion cubic meters by 2030, Russian energy company Novatek CEO Leonid Mikhelson said

The global demand for LNG will grow and only three countries — Qatar, Russia and the United States — will be able to provide it, the CEO said.

Commenting on the latest US sanctions against the Arctic LNG 2 project, Mikhelson stressed that the fact that sanctions were imposed against Russia's project is a testament to its significance, adding that the fewer projects there are, the higher the prices will be.

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Mission сomplete

📹 The Russian military carried out a precision strike, destroying a Ukrainian Armed Forces tank that was firing at Russian positions near the village of Kleshcheevka

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❗️ LIVE NOW: Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and Kuwaiti FM Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hold press conference following talks

🇷🇺🇰🇼 Lavrov and Kuwaiti FM Al-Sabah hold press conference following talks

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Sputnik is a cornerstone of Russia’s soft power in Latin America – research

Sputnik and RT broadcasters are pillars of Russian presence in Latin America, according to research conducted by Elcano Royal Institute, a leading Spanish research center. Sputnik and RT work with opinion leaders and are active on social media, this is the way these news outlets share Russian views on world politics with Latin American audiences.

Sputnik (Sputnik Mundo) is very popular in Latin America and the local audience supports its concept of the Global South as the locomotive of a new world order based on stability and progress.

Latin American audiences generally agree with Sputnik's idea that the collective West, and especially the United States, bear responsibility for most of the region's problems.

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❗️ Israel commits numerous war crimes in Gaza - OHCHR

⚡️ Russia, Kuwait agree to prepare agreement on lifting visa regime, Russian FM Lavrov said

⚡️ Key statements made by Russian FM Lavrov at press conference with Kuwaiti counterpart:

▪️Russia, like Kuwait, categorically condemns both terrorist acts, including the taking of hostages and the violations of humanitarian law.

▪️Russia calls for accelerating efforts to resume peace talks on Israel & Palestine settlements.

▪️Russia is waiting for the early opening of humanitarian corridors for civilians.

▪️Kuwait demonstrates a balanced stance on the situation in Ukraine.

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🗣 Many journalists came to the press conference of Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and Kuwaiti FM Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; the main topic is the conflict between Palestine and Israel

🗣 First, the bloodshed in Gaza must end as soon as possible, and then direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine must begin immediately, exclusively on the international legal basis of the United Nations. A Palestinian state is an integral part of the solution, Russian FM Lavrov said

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❗️ More statements made by Russian FM Lavrov at press conference with Kuwaiti counterpart:

▪️Russia will support an Arab solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue;

▪️Russia is wary of plans to resettle Gaza residents in other countries;

▪️Israeli plans to resettle Palestinians published in the media can only sow grapes of anger that will complicate the situation in the region;

▪️Any idea to relocate Palestinians is aimed at burying the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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📹 Israel carried out a powerful airstrike on a residential area in the Al-Maghazi camp in the central part of the Gaza Strip

There are reports of deaths and injuries

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🇵🇱 Poland will create a new mechanized division in the south of the country

As of now, the Polish army has four fully formed divisions. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said that the country's authorities aim to increase the number of soldiers to 300,000.

"We need a new division. Those who say that 300,000 soldiers is an impossible number do not understand that increasing the army requires a lot of work and it can be done," he stated.

Błaszczak specified that the new mechanized division will also be armed with Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, Krab self-propelled tracked howitzers and rocket artillery.

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