Japan unpacks historic first: Electric suitcase driver bagged for not having license

The driver was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, admitting she had never considered the necessity of a license.

Electric suitcases, gaining popularity among the leisurely (and lazy) in Japan, are not compliant with safety regulations, making public use illegal.

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💬 "Julian should never have spent a single day in prison": Assange's wife condemned her husband's persecution as a blatant assault on journalism and the public's fundamental right to access the truth.

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Russian prankster Lexus about ex-UK PM Cameron: 'It's funny how he preened before the call'

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron had a peculiar conversation with Russian pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov, alias Vovan, and Alexey Stolyarov, alias Lexus, who impersonated former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko.

Lexus sat down with Sputnik to discuss the prank:

🔸 "It's interesting how the British press will react to this. Cameron has already said that he 'realized it was a prank,' that it was an element of 'Russian disinformation'. So I would ask him what exactly he considers 'disinformation'. Was it that he said what he thinks? Or what else could it be?"

🔸 "We actually tried to reach out to him 10 years ago, when he served as the [British] prime minister,” Lexus said. “It seems to me that he has wised up a bit. At least he was allowed into the inner circle of British politics.”

“He is a representative of the so-called "deep state',” the famous prank caller added. “I can't call him a stupid person. But he behaved ridiculously [during the talk]. It can be seen [in the video]. It was funny how he preened before this conversation."

🔸 "Many people still want to communicate with Poroshenko,” Lexus said, explaining why they used his identity. “Cameron was one of those who approved Poroshenko for the role of President of Ukraine."

🔸 "Yes, we put on make-up. We talked live, via a video link. We have a clever disguise."

🔸 "We had questions that we wanted to ask him. He answered them. Everything went according to [our] plan."

During his call with Vovan and Lexus, Cameron said that Ukraine would not be invited to join NATO at the military bloc's summit in July, and that the Kiev regime should not argue with that decision.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that Cameron may have deliberately used the opportunity to tell Ukraine it is not welcome in NATO. She said she does not believe that the British minister was completely unaware he was being pranked.

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Australians would prefer Assange released with all charges lifted - lawmaker

Australians would rather prefer if WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was let free with all the charges lifted, a lawmaker for Australia's city of Port Hedland, Adrian McRae, told Sputnik.

"For the 1st time in many years, Australia is almost united as a people as we welcome home Julian. Of course, we'd prefer he was let free without charge, however, his sacrifice this last 14 years has been more than most of us could shoulder," McRae said.

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💬 Russia is ready to follow the path of restoration of diplomatic relations with Georgia and supports such initiatives of Tbilisi, Russian FM spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said

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❗️ Hungary has blocked an EU common statement condemning Russia's retaliatory measures against the Western media

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♥️ Dear readers, as a social media channel, it is crucial for us to have a deep understanding of our audience in order to provide you with the content you truly desire.

Last time we asked you where you read us from, but now we want to find out the age range of our audience.

So, calling all doomers, boomers, and zoomers: it's your time to shine!

Assange's father: supporters of his cause are victorious

Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange have won and will be rewarded for their support, Assange's father John Shipton told Sputnik on Wednesday following the journalist's release.

"We have prevailed together, us supporters [of Assange's freedom]. To the supporters goes the victors wreath and all the accolades of achievement. This I believe and swear," Shipton said.

Assange was released from London's Belmarsh high-security prison on Tuesday after agreeing to a plea-bargain deal with the US Department of Justice. He arrived in his native Australia on Wednesday.

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What the West wages war for: Ukraine’s minerals

Ukraine is rich in mineral resources, with diverse deposits of fossil fuels, metals and industrial minerals. The country is a major producer of iron ore, coal, natural gas and oil, among others.

“They’re sitting on 10 to $12 trillion of critical minerals in Ukraine... If we help Ukraine now, they can become the best business partner we ever dreamed of, that $10 to $12 trillion of critical mineral assets could be used by Ukraine and the West,” US Senator Lindsey Graham said in June.

Graham is treating Ukraine as a future colony of the US with his comments on the ownership of the country's natural resources, Vladimir Dzhabarov, official of the Russian Federation Council, commented on that.

"The fate of the colonies is always the same: the Americans will scoop up all the natural resources of Ukraine in exchange for 'the great honor of being a friend of the United States'," he warned.

Take a look at Sputnik's infographics to see Ukraine's mineral resources that the West cotes so much.

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Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo accused Macron of "spoiling the celebration" of the Olympics by calling a snap election.

"Why spoil this beautiful moment and hold elections on short notice without consulting anyone?" she said.

But the two events do not clash: The French parliamentary elections will be held in two rounds on June 30 and July 7, while the Olympic games will take place from July 26 to August 11.

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Putin has arrived at the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, where "Holy Trinity" icon by 15th-century Russian artist Andrei Rublev was installed over the weekend

Earlier, Patriarch Kirill arrived at the Lavra.

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📹 Dozens of Palestinians rush to a humanitarian aid truck in the Gaza Strip amid a severe shortage of clean water and food

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Ever wanted to ask a cosmonaut what life in space is like? Now you have the opportunity

RT and Roscosmos have launched a series of programs where ordinary people will be able to ask questions to Russian cosmonauts live from the International Space Station (ISS).

The project is international and includes five BRICS member-countries: Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa. Residents will be able to communicate with the ISS crew — a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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