Walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon could be produced by Japanese ICOM

"We cannot rule out the possibility that they are fakes, but there is also a chance the products are our IC-V82 model," Icom CEO Yoshiki Enomoto stated. 

Icom stopped producing the model of IC-V82 radios reportedly used in recent blasts in Lebanon in 2014, the company stated.

"The IC-V82 is a handheld radio that was produced and exported, including to the Middle East, from 2004 to October 2014. It was discontinued about 10 years ago, and since then, it has not been shipped from our company. The production of the batteries needed to operate the main unit has also been discontinued, and a hologram seal to distinguish counterfeit products was not attached," ICOM said in a statement.

It sold around 160,000 units of the model domestically and abroad before closing sales in 2014.

A wave of pager explosions took place in Lebanon this week, claiming the lives of twenty and wounding more than 4500 people. This has already been attributed to the Israeli intelligence, although Tel Aviv has not commented on the deadly blasts in Lebanon so far.

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❗️The Russian Armed Forces hit a major special radio communications center of Ukraine’s military Main Intelligence Directorate and critical airfield infrastructure - Russian Defense Ministry

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Fake crowdfunding: EU seeks to astroturf ‘public’ arms tax to ‘support Ukraine’

The European Parliament is seeking to push EU member states to astroturf crowdfunding and a ‘voluntary’ public arms tax to fund arms for Ukraine in an upcoming resolution.

A vote on this resolution will take place during the plenary session on Thursday, September 19. In the document, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) express "deep regret" over the decrease in military aid provided by member states.

The resolution commends and acknowledges the public efforts and citizen crowdfunding initiatives in several member countries, which have helped ensure a consistent supply of weapons for Ukraine. It further encourages similar initiatives throughout the EU to promote solidarity and public engagement in this vital cause.

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🇷🇺🪖More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Tsentr repelled nine counterattacks, with Ukrainian forces losing over 510 militants.

◻️ Russia’s Battlegroup Zapad formations have strengthened their positions along the front line. The enemy lost as many as 420 soldiers.

◻️ Russian Battlegroup Sever hit three enemy formations, including a foreign legion, Ukrainians lost over 195 servicemen.

◻️ Russia's Battlegroup Vostok formations have strengthened their positions along the front line and defeated the manpower and equipment of two Ukrainian brigades.

◻️ Ukrainian losses reached a total of 95 troops in Battlegroup Vostok’s area of responsibility.

◻️ Russian Battlegroup Dnepr struck the reserves of two Ukrainian brigades in the Zaporozhye region.

◻️ Enemy losses in Russia’s Battlegroup Yug combat zone came to 690 troops.

◻️ Russian Battlegroup Yug struck the reserves of seven Ukrainian brigades in its combat zone.

◻️ Russian air defenses shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over the past 24-hour period.

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📹 Israeli warplanes carried out a series of raids on the towns of Khiam, Tayibe, and Meiss El Jabal in southern Lebanon - Sputnik correspondent 

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❗️ Russia’s military has liberated the village of Georgievka in the Donetsk People's Republic - Russian Defense Ministry

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Powerful US labor union delivers blow to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign with endorsement opt-out

One of America’s most influential labor unions that has endorsed every Democratic candidate since 2000 will not be supporting Kamala Harris.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents over 1.3 million workers, has announced it will not be backing any candidate ahead of November’s presidential election. The board of the US transportation workers union voted against an endorsement after internal national polling showed the teamsters had selected Republican Donald Trump by 58% for endorsement over 31% for sitting vice president, Democrat Kamala Harris.

“Unfortunately, neither major candidate was able to make serious commitments to our union to ensure the interests of working people are always put before big business,” its president, Sean O’Brien, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The union lent its organizing muscle to the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

The endorsement opt-out is a blow to Harris, as the teamsters wield credibility among half a million blue-collar workers in key swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. Wooing the undecided voters of battleground states frustrated with inflation, skyrocketing prices and the dismal state of the economy under Biden-Harris just got a good deal harder for the VP.

Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck among likely voters in swing states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, a Marist Institute for Public Opinion poll showed on Thursday.

A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted in August found that in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Trump was 13 points ahead of Harris in a head-to-head matchup among the white non-college-educated voters.

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❗️The death of Russian war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky and the attempted assassination of Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin are connected financially - investigation

Prilepin's attempted assassin, Alexander Permyakov, received money from the same person as Daria Trepova, who killed Russian war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky, a Sputnik correspondent has reported from court.

On April 2, 2023, Russian war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a blast at a St. Petersburg cafe.

A month later, a bomb attack on writer Zakhar Prilepin took place on May 6. Prilepin was wounded, while his driver didn’t survive.

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BRICS Urban Future Forum kicks off plenary session on 2nd day with Moscow mayor’s address

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin opened the plenary session on the second day of the 2024 BRICS Urban Future Forum – Cloud City, welcoming participants to the event at Zaryadye Hall, a popular venue in Moscow.

Sergey Sobyanin expressed hope that the forum and the city had made a positive impression on attendees, encouraging them to become frequent visitors. He remarked on the intriguing name of the event, noting that while "Cloud City" might sound appealing in English, in Russian, it can evoke a sense of the surreal.

However, he emphasized that cities are working hard to excel in all aspects of development and become beloved by their residents.

Sobyanin highlighted the importance of the forum in sharing development experiences and tackling challenges facing cities and nations, thanking participants for their presence in Moscow.

Sputnik is the forum’s general information partner.

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❗️ Number of casualties from yesterday's walkie-talkie explosion in Lebanon has risen to 25, the country's health ministry says, adding that 608 people have been injured.

In total, 20 people have died and more than 4,500 people are reported to have been injured following a wave of pager explosions that took place in Lebanon this week.

The incident has been attributed to Israeli intelligence services, although the country has not made any comments so far.

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❗️Ukrainian forces lost more than 300 military personnel, a tank, and three pontoon bridges in the Kursk region during the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

🇷🇺🪖 Key highlights from the Russian Ministry of Defense's daily briefing on the situation in the Kursk region:

◻️ Russia's Battlegroup Sever has repelled enemy counterattacks in the direction of the settlements of Borki, Kremenoye, Lyubimovka, and Obukhovka.

◻️ Russian forces have entrenched themselves in the previously liberated settlements of Nikolayevo-Daryino, and Daryino in Kursk Region.

◻️ Russian forces thwarted three attempts by Ukrainian troops to breach the state border near Novy Put, Medvezhye, and Malaya Obukhovka.

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📹 Vladimir Putin inspects samples of Russian drones in St. Petersburg

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the site of the “Special Technology Center” in St. Petersburg, where drones and radio-electronic warfare systems are manufactured.

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