🇮🇱🇵🇸 Israel blocks food aid for 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza, UNRWA says

"A food shipment for 1.1 million people is stuck at Israeli port due to recent restrictions from Israeli authorities. 1,049 containers of rice, flour, chickpeas, sugar & cooking oil are stuck as families in Gaza face hunger and starvation," the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said on social media.

The UN agency said this week that Israel had rejected half of UNRWA aid mission requests to northern Gaza this year after accusing some of its staffers of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack.

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❗️ Rheumatological drugs had been tested for several years on patients of the Mariupol hospital's psychiatric ward at the request of major Western pharmaceutical companies and with the assistance of Ukrainian officials, according to documents seen by Sputnik.

The documents belonged to the psychiatric ward of the hospital and were drafted in 2008-2016. According to the initial inspection of the documents, it can be seen that certain drugs with numbers and without proper noscripts were tested on humans.

The primary purpose of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug in relation to the proportion of patients who achieved the response according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Such companies like Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Celltrion, Novatris International AG, IQVIA, Sanofi, Galapagos NV, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, AbbottLaboratories, Covance, Merck KGaA, CentocorBiopharmaceutical and a pharmaceutical branch of Samsung were mentioned in the documents.

In addition, boxes containing many ready-made envelopes from logistics companies and containers for biomaterial with recipient addresses of laboratories in Switzerland, the UK and the US were found on the site of the hospital.

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❗️ Infants were used by major Western pharmaceutical companies for testing drugs during experiments that were held on patients of the psychiatric ward of the Mariupol hospital, according to documents seen by Sputnik.

The list of patients who were administered one of the drugs included infants under one year old. The drug was also administered to children aged from one to 11 years.

The documents were discovered by builders in the basement of hospital No. 7 in Mariupol during its restoration.

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Pentagon head Lloyd Austin handed over his duties to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, due to hospitalization, the press service of the Pentagon reported.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that Israel was carrying out strikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Reuters reported, citing the organization.

At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had carried out strikes on targets in the Shaboura area of the city of Rafah.

"The IDF conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip. The strikes have concluded," the IDF said on Telegram.

Israel has been pounding Rafah for several days in preparation for a ground offensive that aims to root out Hamas. The city is the last refuge for over a million Palestinians who were told to relocate south during the past four months of the Israeli military operation in the enclave.

The US, Canada, Germany and other Western allies of Israel have criticized the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ordering a ground operation in the packed city, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster.

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The number of people killed as a result of Israeli strikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip has risen to 100, Al Mayadeen broadcaster reported on Monday, citing medical sources.

Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had carried out strikes on "terror targets" in the Shaboura area of the city of Rafah. Later, Al Jazeera broadcaster reported that strikes claimed the lives of 63 people.

Over 230 people received injuries due to Israeli strikes, the report added.

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President Joe Biden cautioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a military operation in the city of Rafah if that operation did not include the evacuation of civilians in the area.

“A military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there,” the president reportedly told Netanyahu, signaling a growing impatience the White House feels towards the Israeli leader.

Hamas has warned Israel that an invasion of Rafah would “torpedo” hostage exchange negotiations. Rafah may be one of the last safe zones for Palestinians fleeing the war with well over half of Gaza’s population now living there in refuge.

Egypt has also threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if Israeli troops are sent into Rafah. The country is afraid that Palestinians may be pushed into the Sinai Peninsula which would then force Gaza’s main aid supply route to close.

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A new tourist zone is being built in the DPRK to receive Russian tourists, the government of Primorye (in the Far East of Russia) reported.

The new Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is located on an area of 2.8 square kilometers, includes 17 hotels, 37 hotels, 29 different shops, a four-kilometer beach. It is expected to become operational "in the coming years".

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🇰🇵 North Korea developed a new guided projectile and control system for MLRS, according to DPRK state media.

The North Korean Academy of Defense Sciences has developed a new guided missile and control system for multiple launch rocket systems, the North Korean state news agency KCNA reported.

The academy has already conducted test-firing of 240mm shells to assess their accuracy, the report said.

The development of the projectiles and their ballistic control system will "qualitatively change" the composition of the country's multiple launch rocket systems, the report added.

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Russia unveils neural network for drones to identify Ukrainian military equipment

The Russian company Hardberry-Rusfactor has developed a multipurpose neural network for all types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which will make it possible to identify Ukrainian military objects and equipment in the special operations zone, General Director Alexey German told Sputnik.

He explained that his company has developed the NAKA software, which, in particular, is capable of accurately detecting the Ukrainian army's Western-supplied military hardware, such as Leopard tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.

According to him, the network's software is installed on the equipment that receives video from Russian drones equipped with special cameras.

"For example, an UAV transmits a relevant footage to the operator’s console, where NAKA highlights a certain area of the terrain in green and writes: This is a Leopard tank (or a Bradley vehicle)’ with the 85 percent accuracy," German said, adding that the network can also determine the exact location of the aforementioned vehicles.

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▪️For several years Ukraine's officials have been testing medical drugs on patients of the Mariupol hospital's psychiatric ward including infants under one year old

▪️Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, who had previously been criticized for concealing information about his hospitalization, was again moved to critical care unit due to bladder problem

▪️Israel carried out strikes in Rafah, the Palestine Red Crescent Society reports

▪️Ukraine and Israel aid bill without border control measures has passed a procedural vote in the US Senate

▪️Polish farmers spilled Ukrainian grain on the road in a protest against unchecked Ukrainian food imports

▪️Finland’s Alexander Stubb won the presidential race in the newest NATO member

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▪️Davos globalists see Putin and Trump as threat – Wall Street analyst told Sputnik

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In a procedural vote, the US Senate backed a bill to provide aid to Ukraine and Israel. What it means:

▪️ The vote took place on the day of the NFL Super Bowl - the most popular sports event in the US. In light of this, some Republicans accused their colleagues of trying to distract Americans.

▪️ It is still unclear when the final vote on the draft will take place. Even if the senators support the project, the House of Representatives is ahead and the opposition is stronger there.

▪️ In this regard, the New York Times notes that the "critical obstacle" has been overcome, but recalls about Trump - congressmen allegedly incited by him may ultimately vote against.

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Hamas has blamed the United States and its President Joe Biden personally for the Israeli Air Force strikes on the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, which caused numerous casualties, according to local media.

Hamas also called on international organizations, including the UN Security Council, to take urgent measures to stop the "Israeli aggression and genocide" against the civilian population of Gaza.

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💥Russian crews of T-80 tanks smashed the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk region.

In a few minutes the fortifications were destroyed and the enemy's advanced units, having suffered losses, were forced to retreat.

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❗️Two ports and the Black Sea shipyard were hit by Russian strikes on Nikolayev on the night of February 11, Sergei Lebedev, coordinator of the underground, told Sputnik.

Another wave of strikes hit the Nikolayev oil depot and the Zorya-Mashproekt plant, which manufactures military products.

In addition, on February 10, in the Kirovograd region, a strike was held at the Alexandria railway station, where convoys of military equipment and fuel were being transported.

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A joint IDF, ISA (Intelligence Support Activity) and Israel Police operation in Rafah overnight rescued two Israeli hostages, Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on 7 October, the IDF said.

"Both are in good medical condition and were transferred to Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital for medical examination," the IDF added.

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"The main thing for us is that they got acquainted with it," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on the emotional reaction of the leaders of Germany and Britain to Putin's interview with Tucker Carlson.

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President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov urged Washington not to interfere in the internal affairs of the republic.

"I regret to note that the contents of your letter have signs of interference in the internal affairs of our state," reads the message distributed by Zhaparov's press service to Blinken.

Earlier, the US Secretary of State sent a letter to the President of Kyrgyzstan expressing concern about the draft law "On Non-Profit Organizations" being considered by the parliament of the republic.

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A secret financial organization, the International Institute of Banking Research, has been operating in Europe for more than 70 years, writes the Financial Times.

It is an exclusive secret club where bank chiefs communicate with all kinds of guests - from presidents and prime ministers to members of royal families and central bank executives.

The organization was founded in 1950 by the heads of banks in France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The FT writes that its meetings are held in luxury hotels and palaces, where a variety of sensitive topics are discussed, including global politics.

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❗️Russian forces struck troops and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 109 districts.

🇷🇺🪖 Other statements from the Russian Defense Ministry briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️In the Donetsk region, Russian troops repelled 13 attacks and total losses of the Ukrainian forces amounted to up to 240 soldiers, a tank, 2 M777 artillery systems and a D-20 howitzer. In south Donetsk. the enemy lost more than 165 soldiers.

▪️Near Krasny Liman, Russian forces improved the positions along the front edge ans repelled two attacks. Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 290 soldiers;

▪️In Kupyanks area, Russian troops repelled three attacks. Ukrainian forces lost up to 60 soldiers;

▪️Russian air defense destroyed 33 Ukrainian drones in a day.

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🤖 Russia's new unmanned cleaning robots are now used in Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin says.

These are not the first robots in use in Russia; earlier, footage of delivery robots moving in a large column, as well as the world's first regular electric river trams, appeared online.

Against the backdrop of Western sanctions, Russian developments in the field of robotics have not stopped, but are increasingly being introduced into people’s daily lives.

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