American Nolan Arbo, who has a Neuralink implant, shared with Sputnik that he made the decision to undergo the surgery after discussing it with family and friends. He was also convinced by arguments involving Elon Musk.

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Netanyahu’s ‘Abraham Alliance’ is rehash of old plan and detached from reality - analyst

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hopes to bring Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and perhaps Egypt into a new Israeli and US-led, NATO-style pact dubbed the Abraham Alliance is not only unrealistic, but not original, either, Georgetown University Qatar professor of government Dr. Mehran Kamrava told Sputnik.

“I don’t think that [an alliance between Israel and the Gulf States] is a realistic assumption because Saudi Arabia normalized relations with Iran…Bahrain and Iran have been in conversations about a rapprochement, and the UAE, despite having maintained its relationship with Israel, has also maintained a relationship with Iran,” Kamrava pointed out.

The Abraham Alliance proposal is “not new, incidentally,” the observer said, noting that Netanyahu has “been advocating this for a number of years,” with Israel’s push to normalize ties with its Gulf neighbors seen as the first step in this direction.

Today, Israel can only dependably rely only on United States Central Command and Washington for weapons and other support, Kamrava said. That’s because “the Israeli lobby is quite powerful in the United States, particularly in Congress,” with both parties and all of its major figures, from presidents Biden and Trump to vice president Harris, declaring themselves Zionists or otherwise voicing “strong support” for Israel.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, remains mired in a “deep” political mess, Kamrava said, facing “pressure from [his] left that want the hostages back…pressure from the Israeli army, which has said that it is unable now to bring the remaining hostages home through continued use of force and the continuation of the war,” and “pressure from the right that want a complete eradication of Palestinians.” In this situation, only a continuation of the war and playing up the the “Iranian boogeyman” can save him, the observer concluded.

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◻️ Biden’s bitter legacy signals ‘culmination of betrayal’ of post-Cold War hopes for peace

◻️ Netanyahu’s NATO-style anti-Iranian alliance proposal threatens to unleash '20 years of mayhem' in Mideast

◻️ Netanyahu and Assad's diplomatic missions: contrasting agendas in Middle East

◻️ ASEAN – one of Russia’s key economic partners in Southeast Asia – is gaining geopolitical clout amid growing US presence

◻️ Russia is always ready for negotiations — UN envoy

◻️ Flying ace and war hero: who is the new deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces?

◻️ US aims to counter Russia and China: Blinken's Asia-Pacific tour prepares ground for new strategy in region

◻️ Russian Iskander strike on foreign mercenaries in Kharkov

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Australian Olympic cycling team robbed in Paris

Australia’s Olympic cycling team has been robbed in Paris, with their van broken into and all their belongings stolen. The incident occurred shortly after their arrival in Brussels en route to the Paris Olympics.

The Olympics have become a great opportunity for local criminals to take advantage of the increased number of visitors unaware of Parisian "hospitality."

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Biden’s ‘Orwellian’ speech on why he quit 2024 race packed to the brim with lies - observer

💬 “I think nearly everything he said was a lie. He did not drop out of the race because he wanted to give up his selfish ambitions and put America first, but rather because he was forced to give up his plan to become America’s president for life,” former US Department of Defense officer-turned politics and security affairs commentator David Pyne told Sputnik, commenting on President Biden’s Wednesday night address to the nation in which he explained his decision not to seek a second term.

◻️ Biden “did not admit he was blackmailed to end his presidential campaign for health reasons or even that he was dropping out of the race for health reasons,” Pyne pointed out, suggesting that “the only true thing he said was the he was dropping out of the race to unite the Democratic Party and end the Democrat civil war between himself and the Democrat faction led by former president Barack Obama that succeeded in their palace coup of forcing [Biden] out of the race.”

◻️ Biden also “lied about the US not being at war,” the observer added, referring to the president’s claim that he was “the first" US leader "of this century” to be able to say "that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world.”

◻️ “Every time [Biden] and other Democrat leaders say democracy is at risk, what they are really saying is the one-party Democrat dictatorship over America is at risk. It was all very Orwellian,” Pyne suggested, adding that Americans aren’t used “to having such…[an] authoritarian regime that seeks to rig elections and imprison opposition party leaders” in charge.

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A Palestinian groom's wedding despite the bombing and destruction

Social media circulated scenes of a Palestinian groom’s wedding in the albasatat market in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

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Europe will face aftermath of uncontrolled weapons market — ex-Austrian Foreign Minister

Europe will be forced to face the consequences of an uncontrolled weapons market in Eastern and Central Europe, Austria's former foreign minister Karin Kneissl said on Thursday.

“Europe will have to face the aftermath of an uncontrolled weapons market in Eastern and Central Europe,” Kneissel told the UN Security Council members during a meeting on Ukraine.

In addition, she added that the consequences will be "tougher" than during the war in Yugoslavia.

Western countries have provided hundreds of billions of dollars worth of aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. Aid shipments began in 2022 with artillery munitions and training and have escalated to include tanks, advanced air-defense systems, missiles and cluster munitions. The Kremlin has consistently warned against the West's continued arms deliveries to Ukraine, saying that they only prolong the conflict.

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A jet ski loaded with explosives was found on a beach in Istanbul. It is believed to belong to the Ukrainian Navy, according to the Turkish news agency IHA.

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US, western allies instructors 'legitimate targets' for Russian Air Force — envoy to UN

Western instructors have also become legitimate targets for the Russian Air Force given their increasing presence, the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday.

"Meanwhile, given the absolute unwillingness of Ukrainians to fight and die for Western geopolitical interests, the United States and its allies are forced to become involved more and more in this conflict, sending not only their mercenaries but also instructors, who of course become legitimate targets for the Russian Air Force," Nebenzia said during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

A recent Russian airstrike killed 18 British Special Air Service personnel, a fact that NATO confessed to, Nebenzia said.

European countries are also increasingly upset about the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, forming political coalitions to oppose additional funding and weapons supplies to Ukraine.

In June, the Hungarian Fidesz, the Freedom Party of Austria and the Czech Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO) announced the formation of Patriots for Europe. With the addition of a number other parties, Patriots for Europe became the third largest alliance within the European Union.

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Russia hammers foreign mercs and Ukrainian troops in Chernigov

Russian forces hit a deployment point for Ukrainian personnel in the Chernigov region, with up to a dozen foreign mercenaries among the casualties, Sergei Lebedev, coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, told Sputnik

"At 1:15 AM (Moscow time) in the town of Nezhyn explosions sounded. A blow was struck at a hostel where Banderites* had set up a deployment point," Lebedev said.

More than a dozen ambulances headed to the area of the strike, where artillerymen were living. Among the victims are up to 10 foreign mercenaries. According to the underground network, mercenaries from Latin American countries are present in the city.

In addition, Russian forces hit a warehouse in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kramatorsk, where long-range missiles were being stored, among other things, Sergei Lebedev stated.

*followers of Ukrainian Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera

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Sputnik is live from Vientiane, Laos, where Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov takes part in the post-ministerial meeting of ASEAN - the political and economic union and security forum of 10 Southeast Asian nations.

👉 Watch live in our Telegram or on Sputnik's website

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Russia hammers another deployment point of foreign mercs in special op zone

US, Western instructors 'legitimate targets' for Russian Air Force – envoy to UN

’Nearly everything he said was a lie’ – prominent political observer ponders on Biden’s speech

’Russia beat Hitler, Napoleon,' Trump warned Zelensky during phone call

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German man sentenced to death in Belarus worked for Ukrainian special services

German citizen Rico Krieger, who has been sentenced to death for terrorism in Belarus, said that he acted on behalf of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). During his interrogation, he admitted that he had photographed Iskander launchers, the coordinates of which he had received from the SBU.

Krieger was charged under six articles, including terrorist acts, mercenary activity, and espionage. He pleaded guilty only to the last one, and was sentenced to death on June 24.

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The hacktivist group RaHDit (often referred to as “Evil Russian Hackers”) has exposed over 3,200 foreign mercs fighting as Ukrainian soldiers.

Some of them are of US origin, and some have a gruesome criminal record, including child molestation.

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