IDF knew of Hamas' plan to kidnap 250 people before the attack on October 7, media report

A newly uncovered document has revealed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) had detailed knowledge of Hamas' plan to infiltrate Israel and kidnap 250 people weeks before the October 7 massacre, according to a report published by Kan News.

The report says that the IDF had precise information about Hamas' intentions, but due to prevailing attitudes in the security establishment and possible negligence on the part of officials, the warning signs were not acted upon.

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Rwanda has disappeared from the list of countries that signed the declaration following the summit on Ukraine in Switzerland. The reasons are unknown, but yesterday the country was on the list.

Earlier, Switzerland said that Iraq and Jordan had been included in the list by mistake

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◾️ Russia supports heroic Korean people in their struggle against a treacherous, dangerous, and aggressive enemy. Key takeaways from Putin’s article ahead of state visit to North Korea.

◾️ Whitewashing the Kiev regime: USAID to spend $1.5 billion to boost image of Ukraine

◾️ Why did major Global South countries refuse to sign the Swiss communique on Ukraine?

◾️ 60 French-speaking mercs arrived at the port of Odessa

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📹 British TV channel Sky News is spreading fake news about Vladimir Putin arriving in North Korea

In fact, the Russian president has not left the country yet, but is on a working visit in the Yakutia region.

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✍️ Putin has signed an order regarding the Strategic Partnership Treaty with North Korea

The day before, presidential aide Yury Ushakov said that the document might be signed during Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea and would take into account, among other things, security issues.

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Sky News has removed a post about Putin's arrival in North Korea that featured footage from Yakutia from its X social media page

The British news outlet, realizing the gaffe, quickly deleted the story and continued to fill its news feed as if nothing had happened.

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💬 The US is deliberately delaying Ukrainian F-16 pilot training, Ukrainian MP and head of the Rada commission for monitoring arms deliveries Oleksandra Ustinova has said.

In her opinion, the training delays are purely due to Washington's political position. According to the lawmaker, by the end of the year, there will be only 20 pilots fully trained to fly F-16s.

The Russian defense minister said earlier that Russia would begin to hunt down Ukrainian F-16 aircraft as soon as they arrive in the country. Vladimir Putin, for his part, stressed that the delivery of F-16s would not change anything for Ukraine.

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💬 "Developing Russia’s Far East throughout the 21st century is undeniably a national priority" Putin said at a meeting with residents of the Far East during his visit to Yakutia.

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Which countries are the top gold producers?

Gold production has been steadily increasing over the years, with annual production reaching 3,039 tons in 2023. The top five gold-producing countries are Russia, China, Australia, the United States, and Canada, which together account for over 50% of the world's total gold production.

In 2023, the top gold producers were China, with 370 tons, Russia, with 322 tons, and Australia with 294 tons.

Other major gold producing countries include Canada, the United States, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Ghana, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Mali, and Tanzania.

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💬 There are no sane forces in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), and the United States commands all processes in Ukraine, Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Security Council deputy chairman, said.

Ukraine has an opportunity to accept Putin's proposals and try to establish peace, but each subsequent proposal will be worse than the previous one, he added.

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What to expect from Putin’s visit to North Korea?

President Vladimir Putin is setting off to visit Russia’s important strategic partner in Asia – North Korea. Putin will arrive in Pyongyang late in the evening on June 18.

◻️ The Russian delegation will include newly appointed Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other top officials.

◻️ There will be a parade at Kim Il Sung Square, gala concert, wreath-laying ceremony at the Liberation Monument in Pyongyang, and a state reception.

◻️ Expanded bilateral format talks and a tete-a-tete meeting between the North Korean leader and the visiting Russian president will take place.

◻️ Discussions will focus on the economy, energy, transport, security issues, and international cooperation. The sides hope to further boost mutual trade turnover, which grew ninefold in 2023 to reach $34.4 million.

◻️ A comprehensive strategic partnership agreement will be signed.

◻️ The North Korean leader will accompany Putin to the airport, with the leaders visiting the Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral on the way.

Putin's visit to North Korea will be his first since 2000. During Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia last September, the sides discussed North Korea's satellite program, communication infrastructure, mutual tourist trips, as well as alternative trade and mutual settlement “not controlled by the West.”

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The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) is introducing a digital rial into public circulation on June 21, allowing customers to make purchases and transfer funds by scanning a barcode, according to the CBI’s public relations department.

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Western hysteria has failed to cancel Russian culture

Despite strong resistance, Russian culture remains one of the most important elements of European cultural life, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova told Sputnik at the opening ceremony of the Russian Seasons international cultural project in Brazil.

"Everyone was talking about how we don't need Tchaikovsky anymore... And at the same time we saw how the great musical theaters of the world continued to stage Russian composers," she said.

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❗️The Russian Armed Forces hit a Ukrainian brigade's warehouse, from which unloading of Western military supplies was underway, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry’s daily briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

◻️ Units of the Russian battlegroup Sever repelled two Ukrainian counterattacks; Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 130 militants.

◻️ Units of the Russian battlegroup Zapad occupied more advantageous positions and repelled four counterattacks; Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 455 militants.

◻️ The Russian battlegroup Yug improved their position on the front line; Kiev's losses amounted to up to 66 militants and a field ammunition depot.

◻️ Ukraine lost up to 80 militants in the responsibility zone of the Russian battlegroup Dnepr.

◻️ The Russian battlegroup Tsentr improved their tactical position, repelled four UAF counterattacks, and the enemy lost up to 355 militants.

◻️ Fighters from the Russian battlegroup Vostok occupied more advantageous positions and inflicted defeat on the UAF in the Zaporizhzhia region and in the Donetsk People's Republic.

◻️ The Russian Armed Forces destroyed a radar station and two S-300 SAM launching installations, as well as a strike UAV production workshop in Ukraine.

◻️ UAF losses in battles with units of the Russian Battlegroup Vostok amounted to up to 155 militants.

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National treasure trove: Putin has arrived in Russia’s largest region of Yakutia

President Vladimir Putin arrived in Yakutsk, capital of Russia’s Sakha Republic (Yakutia) before setting off on a state visit to North Korea. Putin will inspect the Far East's cluster supporting creative industries, such as IT, media, digital content and artificial intelligence.

Here’s what to know about Russia’s Yakutia:

◾️ Part of the Far Eastern Federal District, Yakutia is bigger in size than Argentina. Its total continental and island territory spans 3.1 million sq. km, making up almost 1/5 of Russia.

◾️ The distance from Yakutsk to Moscow is 8,468 km.

◾️ Over 40% of the republic, located in the northeastern part of the Eurasian continent, is within the Arctic Circle, lying completely in the permafrost zone and spanning three time zones.

◾️ Yakutia is a leader in Russia in industrial production growth. In January-February 2024, it registered a growth spurt of 12.9%. The industrial production index in 2023 was 100.8%.

◾️ Since 2018, the Republic has consistently shown record growth in key economic indicators. Over five years, growth of the republic’s GRP amounted to 28%, with industrial production increasing by 1.4 times.

◾️ Gross regional product growth traditionally comes from industry (63.2%), of which 59.5% is mining. Its volumes for 2023 were: tin – 567 tons, silver – 163 tons and iron ore – 450 thousand tons.

◾️ 1,823 deposits of 58 types of mineral raw materials have been officially registered in the region.

◾️ Yakutia’s share of national mineral resource potential is: diamonds – 82%, gold – 17%, uranium – 61%, antimony – 82%, iron ores – 5%, coal – 5%, tin – 28% and mercury – 8%. There are also significant reserves of rare earth elements, silver, lead, zinc and tungsten.

◾️ Yakutia produces 95% of Russia's diamonds, and accounts for 25% of the world's diamond production.

◾️ Yakutia accounts for 47% of proven coal reserves, 35% of natural gas and oil in Eastern Siberia and the Far East.

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😡Ukrainians melt down over Adele's Russian dress

British singer Adele performed at a concert in Las Vegas on Sunday wearing a dress from the Russian fashion house of Valentin Yudashkin.

Following this, the singer faced a torrent of criticism on social media from users unhappy with her choice of attire of Russian origin.

Over the weekend, representatives from Yudashkin's house told Sputnik that the suggestion to stylize Adele's look came from the singer's team. The dress took about two months to make.

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UK media personality Katie Hopkins says she enjoys watching the "Ukraine narrative" losing popularity

"We're now watching the collapse of the Ukraine narrative in real time, and it's a glorious thing to watch, particularly through popular culture. Rod Stewart in Germany tried putting up a massive Ukraine flag and images of the powder-sniffing Zelensky, at which point the German crowd erupted into boos and hisses and it was fun to see. In the football, Romania just thrashed Ukraine and the crowd went wild. Listening to the Romanian anthem was a terrific thing, and perhaps we can see a little less now of Ukraine being forced put into everything," she said.

She said Western leaders would rather see a nuclear Armageddon than listen to Vladimir Putin's proposals on Ukraine.

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Proposals to deepen diplomatic ties with Russia have disappeared from the website of Marine Le Pen's National Rally party ahead of the French parliamentary elections, Politico has noted.

Sections on the need to stop joint projects with Germany and on withdrawal from NATO’s integrated command were also removed.

Politico believes the moves are related to the desire to soften the controversial points of the program before the elections and strengthen its credibility.

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