❗️The Russian Federal Security Service has opened criminal cases against American journalist, Nick Peyton Walsh, as well as Ukrainian correspondents, Olesya Borovik and Diana Butsko.

The foreign reporters illegally crossed the border and filmed in the Sudzha area. They face up to five years in prison.

A similar case was opened over the weekend against two Italian journalists.

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📹🇷🇺The Russian tricolor was solemnly raised in Lugansk on the national flag day, which is celebrated today.

The head of the Lugansk People's Republic attended the ceremony.

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Unprecedented double railway halt to hurt Canada's economy

Canada's two major railways have been brought to a halt after Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) began lockouts of nearly 9,000 workers on August 22, having failed to reach an agreement with a major labor union.

The unprecedented rail stoppage could negatively affect the Canadian economy and cross-border trade with the US. The CN and CPKC carry a combined $740,000 of goods every day, per the Railway Association of Canada.

Thirty-two thousand commuters in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, will also be affected by the impasse, the Canadian press says.

The union claims the railway companies are seeking to boost efficiency and cut costs at the expense of employees who "would be forced to stay awake even longer, increasing the risk of derailments and other accidents." In response, CPKC argues that the union makes "unrealistic demands that would fundamentally impair the railway’s ability to serve our customers."

CPKC has reportedly urged the government to step in and impose binding arbitration on the matter, while CN has taken a more cautious stance, calling for resuming contract talks which began last September. 

Canadian Federal Labor Minister Steve MacKinnon had earlier rejected the railway companies' call to interfere. The New Democratic Party, which backs the liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons, warned, "For too long, we have seen Liberals and Conservatives interfere in these types of labor disputes to the advantage of the employer."

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❗️Russian troops liberated the settlement of Mezhevoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed.

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❗️The Russian Vostok Battlegroup struck four brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the enemy losing up to 130 militants.

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

▪️Air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian MiG-29;

▪️In the Russian Yug Battlegroup's combat zone in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Ukrainian forces lost up to 765 militants, along with a Grad MLRS combat vehicle and seven field ammunition depots;

▪️Units of the Russian Zapad Battlegroup improved their tactical positions, with the Ukrainian forces losing up to 440 militants;

▪️Air defense systems intercepted three Hammer bombs, 11 HIMARS missiles, and 91 Ukrainian drones;

▪️The Russian Tsentr Battlegroup inflicted losses of up to 640 militants on the Ukrainian forces;

▪️The Ukrainian forces lost up to 80 militants in the Russian Sever Battlegroup's combat zone in the Kharkov region.

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🇷🇺"Victory will be ours"

Five thousand people gathered at the Russian VDNKH park to celebrate the Day of the National Flag of Russia.

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The head of the FBI has warned of an unprecedented number of threats to US security. 

The FBI is facing an increasing terrorist threat "both domestically and internationally", as well as intellectual property theft and cyberattacks on electoral infrastructure, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Associated Press.

"The country is facing heightened threats from many corners at a time when law enforcement agencies are struggling," he added.

 🤔Do you feel pity for them?

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💬Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on the situation in the Russian border regions

First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and regional leaders are present at Putin's session

The first deputy prime minister said that 115 thousand people have already been evacuated from the border areas.

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❗️Latest statements by the Russian Defense Ministry on Ukraine's attack on the Russian Kursk region:

▪️Kiev regime lost more than 4,700 militants and 68 tanks during an operation in Russia's Kursk region, according to the Russian Defense Ministry;

▪️Ukrainian loses amounted over 300 militants in Kursk region over the past day;

▪️Russian forces repelled Ukrainian attacks near two Kursk villages and thwarted attacks in the direction of five more. Ukraine lost more than 45 troops.

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🇮🇩 Mass protests have broken out in Indonesia following amendments to the regional election law. 

The Indonesian Parliament recently set a minimum age of 30 years at the time of inauguration (rather than voting) for regional election candidates, despite a ruling by the Constitutional Court. This change would allow President Joko Widodo's son to run in the elections.

On Thursday, protesters in Jakarta tore down the gates of Parliament (as seen in the video), preventing the ratification of the new law for now.

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❗️Ukranian forces tried to attack the Kursk nuclear power plant at night, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin expressed hope that the IAEA specialists would be sent to assess the situation at the plant.

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