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❗️LIVE: Vladimir Putin arrives in Harbin, China.

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Attacks against non-mainstream European politicians: Fico is not the only victim

The attempt on the life of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was motivated by political hatred, police say. The attacker, Juraj Cintula, was “aggressively loyal” to the ultra-liberal mainstream dominant in the EU, which is clear from his statements and writings.

Unfortunately, “liberal extremism” stopped to be an oxymoron long ago. Here is the list of politically motivated assassination attempts and life-threatening attacks against “illiberal” politicians committed in the last 10 years:

▪️April 2017. The French special service foiled an assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate Marine Le Pen. Two extremists were arrested on the eve of a rally in Marseille, where Le Pen was due to speak. They planned a shooting attack — a submachine gun and two pistols with ammo were found in their home.

▪️January 8, 2019. A member of Bundestag representing the “hard right” Alternative for Germany (AfD), Frank Magnitz, 66, was attacked in Bremen by several men in hoods and beaten unconscious with heavy sticks, suffering a skull trauma. The AfD declared the attack against the father of six with no commercial interests a “politically motivated assassination attempt.”

▪️December 5, 2021. Eric Zemmour, another French presidential candidate accused of “pro-Russian views,” was attacked and injured in the hand by a lone assailant at his electoral rally.

▪️October 5, 2023. Two men attacked leader of the German AfD party Tino Chrupalla at a party rally, injecting him with a poisonous substance. Chrupalla was admitted to intensive treatment, which saved his life.

All of these “illiberal” politicians have been targets of years-long hate campaigns in the media for such acts as visiting Russian embassy (Chrupalla), meeting personally with president Putin (Le Pen) or saying that Russia “had a point” in its grievances against Europe (Zemmour).

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🔺Putin’s ‘practical and symbolic’ visit to China signals utter failure of US’ sanctions strategy

🔺Fico predicted an assassination attempt on himself back in April

🔺Perfect timing: Aggressive US sanctions and tariffs give Russia and China unique chance to expand partnership

🔺EXPOSED: US ‘gun for hire’ medic bemoans Russian advances on the ground, as situation deteriorates for Ukraine

🔺Attack on Fico: clear warning to EU leaders not to step out of line

🔺Threats towards Georgian MPs expose US hysteria over waning influence

🔺Scott Ritter: Andrei Belousov’s appointment signals ‘revolution’ in Russian military affairs

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The Canadian government imposed sanctions on four Israeli individuals over their involvement in “extremist settler violence” in the West Bank, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said.

"Today’s measures represent a significant step in Canada’s response to this ongoing [settler] violence. The individuals listed below have engaged directly or indirectly in violence and violent acts against Palestinian civilians and their property. These measures will impose a prohibition on dealings related to the listed individuals and render them inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act," GAC said in a statement.


Canada sanctioned David Chai Chasdai, Yinon Levi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit. This is the first time Ottawa has taken measures to list “extremist Israeli settlers,” GAC highlighted.

Attacks by Israeli settlers have "alarmingly escalated" in recent months, leading to a situation that undermines Palestinians' human rights and prospects for a two-state solution. It also poses a significant risk to regional security, GAC added.

In February, US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on four Israeli settlers. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich blasted the action, calling on Israeli banks to ignore the order. Nevertheless, the Bank of Israel announced that financial institutions in the country have to comply with the sanctions.

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Why does new Caledonia matter to France?

France has sent troops to help quell the mass civil unrest raging in New Caledonia.

A state of emergency was declared in the French Island Territory after indignation over Paris-backed changes to local voting rights triggered violent clashes in the capital Noumea.

Sputnik explored the reasons why New Caledonia matters to France.

Firstly, natural wealth:

🔺New Caledonia ranks third among the top nickel producers (11%), putting out 230,000 MT in 2023. Nickel is a crucial component of the energy transition.

🔺There are also large deposits of chromium, cobalt, iron, and magnesium.

🔺Its exports include fuel, shellfish, scrap metal, and fish, with main import partners being France, Japan, Australia, the US, South Korea, Spain, and Belgium.

Secondly, New Caledonia is one of five island territories straddling the Indo-Pacific region that France retains within its fold. Paris views the territory as a regional hub, central to Emmanuel Macron’s ambitions of boosting French influence in the region. His Indo-Pacific strategy relies on French military presence: the New Caledonian Armed Forces have three army bases, the Pointe Chalaix Naval Base, and Air Force and Naval Aviation based at the Paul Klein Air Base.

Thirdly, the developments in New Caledonia come as Macron seeks to recover his reputational losses over the humiliating African debacle. France was ousted from Mali and Burkina Faso; its soldiers finally left Niger in 2023. It is doubtful that Paris would like to see New Caledonia joining this list.

With local elections looming in May, a constitutional amendment on voter eligibility offered a means to “broaden” the electorate. Congress in New Caledonia currently has a pro-independence leader president Louis Mapou (an indigenous Kanak), and an independence party majority.

“Loyalists” have noted that existing voting restrictions exclude thousands of potentially “pro-France” voters, even though a referendum on the matter is stalled.

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The United States is not planning to send its military instructors to Ukraine for now, Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh said.

“We are training Ukrainians, we have trained thousands and thousands of soldiers as part of our long-term commitment to Ukraine, but I have no information that we are sending trainers to Ukraine at this time,” the spokesperson claimed.


Western countries have been providing Ukraine with military aid since the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. The support evolved from lighter artillery munitions and training to heavier weapons, including tanks and jets.

Russia has repeatedly warned NATO countries that arms supplies to Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. Moscow has accused NATO countries of "playing with fire" by arming Ukraine, emphasizing that such actions hinder the possibility of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.

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US sets sights on co-developing hypersonic weapon interceptor with Japan

The US and Japan are forging ahead with their intention to jointly create weapons that would be able to shoot down incoming hypersonic missiles.

With Russia and China innovating hypersonic weapons on a scale that has left Washington lost in the dust, an ambitious deal was signed on Wednesday between the Pentagon and Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) will be responsible for developing the proposed interceptors, targeting missiles during the glide-phase portion of hypersonic flight. Japan, for its part, would undertake the initiative of creating rocket motors and propulsion components for the hypersonic missile interceptors.

Tokyo’s statement lamented the fact that, “missile-related technologies, such as hypersonic weapons, have improved dramatically around Japan," saying that “strengthening the ability to intercept these weapons is an urgent issue.”

The project is reportedly scheduled for completion in the 2030s.
Reports that the US and Japan plan to allocate more than $3 billion to jointly develop the new interceptor surfaced earlier in the year. Originally, the program was agreed upon by President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in August 2023, during the trilateral summit between the US, Japan, and South Korea.

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The Russian aerospace forces launched a Soyuz-2.1b rocket carrying satellites from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"A Soyuz 2.1b launch vehicle with spacecraft on board was launched in the interests of the Russian Defense Ministry from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome (the Arkhangelsk Region) on May 17, 2024," the ministry said in a statement.


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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico remembers the circumstances of the assassination attempt on him and is shocked by how quickly it unfolded, Slovak President-elect Peter Pellegrini said.

"He remembers, he is shocked by how this happened, how quickly this happened," Pellegrini told Slovak broadcaster Ta3, adding that Fico was conscious when he was taken to a hospital and remembers how he was given first aid.


Earlier in the day, Pellegrini paid a brief visit to the prime minister and had a chance to speak to him for a few minutes. He said that Fico's condition remained "serious."

Fico was shot on Wednesday after a government field-meeting in the city of Handlova located 190 kilometers (118 miles) northeast of Bratislava. The prime minister was taken to a hospital and underwent a five-hour surgery. He remains in a stable but serious condition.

The shooter, Juraj Cintula, 71, was detained immediately following the attack and charged with attempting to commit a premeditated murder. The Slovak Interior Ministry said the attack was politically motivated as Cintula did not agree with the actions of the government, in particular, he was against stopping the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

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Sputnik International
Biden sending $1 billion arms package to Israel in latest flip-flop – report US President Joe Biden is preparing to send $1.25 billion worth of weapons and ammunition to Israel despite putting a separate arms transfer on hold just days ago, The Washington…
The US House of Representatives passed a bill to compel the provision of certain arms to Israel withheld by the Biden administration over a prospective large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah.

House lawmakers passed the bill, dubbed the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, on Thursday in a vote of 224 in favor and 187 opposed.

The legislation condemns US President Joe Biden’s decision to pause the weapons shipments and withholds funds from the State Department, Defense Department, and National Security Council until the arms are delivered.

However, the White House said that Biden would veto the bill if it reaches his desk; US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday that the legislation is “not going anywhere” in Congress.

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Several settlements in Russia's Belgorod region were attacked by Ukrainian kamikaze drones, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported.

A woman and her four-year-old child were killed as a result of the Ukrainian drone strike and the child's father and one other person were injured, the governor said.

“In the village of Oktyabrsky, a [Ukrainian] kamikaze drone attacked a car with a driver and three passengers (a mother, father and child) in it," said Gladkov. "Sadly, as a result of the explosion the woman died at the scene from her injuries... Tragically, a four-year-old boy died in the hospital."


Gladkov added that another Ukrainian drone attacked a gas station, saying a tank caught on fire but it was promptly extinguished.

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US Congressman Thomas Massie announced that he introduced legislation to audit and abolish the Federal Reserve and related institutions, citing their contribution to inflation in the United States.

Massie introduced the bill, dubbed the Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act. The legislation abolishes Federal Reserve banks and the institution’s board of governors.

The bill also repeals the 1913 Federal Reserve Act, which created the Federal Reserve System.

"Americans are suffering under crippling inflation, and the Federal Reserve is to blame," Massie said in a statement on the bill. "By monetizing the debt, the Federal Reserve devalued the dollar and enabled free money policies that caused the high inflation we see today."


The bill is cosponsored by 20 other US House Republicans, including Andy Biggs, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Chip Roy, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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A partial blackout occurred in the Russian city of Sevastopol as debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones fell on a power substation, Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said.

Earlier in the day, Russian air defenses repelled a drone attack on Sevastopol and several Ukrainian drones were destroyed, Razvozhayev reported.

"A partial blackout was caused by the shutdown of some equipment at substation "Sevastopol". The debris from downed UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] crashed on the substation. Emergency services will begin restoring power supply after the attack is repelled," the governor wrote on Telegram.


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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will not participate in the conference on Ukraine hosted by Switzerland in June, the president's office told Sputnik.

"Lula da Silva will not appear at the Ukraine summit," the office said in a statement.


In April, spokesman of the Russian embassy in Bern Vladimir Khokhlov told Sputnik that Switzerland did not invite Russia to the Ukraine summit, and Moscow is not planning to participate in any case.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a meeting with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in January, emphasized that Moscow takes into account Bern's departure from neutrality principles and its support for Kiev while shaping bilateral relations.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated in February that Switzerland's potential as an "honest broker" in conflict resolution has been exhausted for Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly signaled readiness for negotiations, yet Kiev has legislatively imposed a ban on them. The West calls on Russia for talks, to which Moscow shows willingness, but Western countries overlook Kiev's consistent refusal for dialogue.

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🇷🇺🇵🇸 Russia is ready to expand humanitarian assistance to residents of the Gaza Strip, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told Sputnik.

"We are already providing it and are ready to expand the provision of such aid. The other thing is that ... humanitarian assistance can be delivered and effectively implemented if there is a ceasefire," Vershinin insisted.


That is why Russia has been advocating a ceasefire since the very beginning of Israel's military operation in Gaza, the Russian diplomat added. He underscored that without a ceasefire, as international humanitarian agencies confirm, sufficient quantities of aid are not reaching people suffering in the enclave.

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Sputnik International
A partial blackout occurred in the Russian city of Sevastopol as debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones fell on a power substation, Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said. Earlier in the day, Russian air defenses repelled a drone attack on Sevastopol and several…
The Russian army has successfully repelled a massive attack by Ukrainian forces on Sevastopol in Crimea, destroying dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and more than five drone ships, Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said.

No injuries were reported per preliminary information, according to the governor. Razvozhayev reported that emergency services are beginning to restore the city's power supply.

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Russian forces have successfully repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on civilian facilities in Russia’s city of Novorossiysk, with Russian air defenses destroying more than ten drones, Krasnodar Territory Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported.

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Russia's first Soyuz-5 rocket to be sent to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Q3 2025 - Progress CEO

The first Soyuz-5 rocket of Russia will be sent to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the third quarter of 2025, Dmitry Baranov, the CEO of the Samara-based Progress Rocket and Space Center, has said in an interview with Sputnik.

"We plan to install the rocket at the cosmodrome in the third quarter of this year. The first launch of the carrier rocket is planned for late 2025. We hope all ground infrastructure will be ready by that moment," Baranov said.


He added that manufacturing of the rocket's components for the first launch is underway. The first stage engine and part of the on-board equipment have already been delivered to the enterprise. In addition, the Soyuz-5 tanks and compartments are being manufactured. Most of the elements for assembly and welding of the tanks are already finished, Baranov said.

A new technology of friction stir welding is used in the production of the rocket's tanks, he said, adding that facilities designed specifically for this process allow to produce, among other things, specific types of welds, such as annular and curvilinear welds.
Soyuz-5 is a new medium-class rocket being developed in Russia. It will be able to launch up to 17 tonnes worth of payload into a low circular orbit. The rockets will be launched from the Baikonur site, which had been previously used for Zenit rocket launches. Russia is building the rocket, and Kazakhstan is modernizing the launch complex as part of a joint project.

Three test launches are expected to take place until 2027. Thereafter, it is planned to carry out at least three launches per year between 2028 and 2039.

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