"The success of the Russian media confirms the failure of the West's attempts to impose its opinion," Freddy Nanez, Vice President of Venezuela, Minister of Communications and Information, said during the ceremony of signing the communications agreement with Sputnik.

"Sputnik's social media performance is impressive compared to long-established and outdated media outlets such as EFE, AFP or AP," he pointed out.

This shows that people are "terribly tired of the same insipid narrative, and they are showing increasing interest in discovering new points of view," Nanez concluded.

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🔸Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, Lebanese residents start returning home

🔸Biden secretly asks Congress for another $24 billion for Ukraine

🔸How foreign powers meddle in the Israeli-Lebanese peace process

🔸F-35 is modern Rube Goldberg machine, Musk is right to criticize it – former Pentagon analyst

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Key statements by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service:

💬The United States doubts the irreversibility of Armenia's course towards rapprochement with the West, believing that "money-counting" Armenians are aware of the impending damage;

💬The United States does not abandon plans to impose "democratization", aiming to completely subjugate Armenia, but this practice is destructive

💬Pro-Western parties in Armenia are tasked with countering the authorities if they try to follow the example of Georgia

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🇷🇺🤝🇰🇿Putin-Tokayev talks: What to expect?

November 27 will see talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana as part of Putin’s two-day state visit to Kazakhstan.

🔸The two leaders are expected to discuss further development of the bilateral strategic partnership, especially in light of Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Russia chairing the Commonwealth of Independent States and BRICS.

🔸After the talks in closed and expanded formats, Putin and Tokayev will sign a joint statement on deepening strategic cooperation.

🔸The document touches upon the most pressing issues of political dialogue, trade and economic cooperation, as well as cultural and humanitarian ties, according to Russia’s presidential aide Yury Ushakov.

🔸A total of two dozen agreements on energy, transport, healthcare and other areas are expected to be inked following the talks, including a protocol on extending the December 2010 bilateral intergovernmental agreement on trade and economic cooperation related to oil supplies to Kazakhstan.

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Russian troops have liberated the settlement of Novaya Ilyinka in the Donetsk People's Republic, Russia's Defense Ministry announced

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

🔸The Russian Zapad Battlegroup repelled four Ukrainian counterattacks; Ukrainian losses amounted to 450 militants;

🔸Ukrainian losses in the area of responsibility of the Russian Yug combat group amounted to more than 400 fighters;

🔸Russian troops hit airfields and manpower of the Ukrainian armed forces in 144 districts;

🔸Ukrainian forces lost up to 145 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Russian Vostok combat group;

🔸The Russian air defense forces shot down 54 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones.

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❗️Russia's air defense systems destroyed and intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the territory of Crimea from 5.30 to 17.30 GMT

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💬 Psychedelic head trip by US civil servants is being paid for by US federal budget - Russian FM

US top officials who have the right to compile sanctions lists and deploy troops have screaming-and-crying sessions at the expense of taxpayers' money, Maria Zakharova, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said.

Her comment comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is under scrutiny following reports that the State Department organized therapy sessions for employees distressed by Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory.

"This is not the name of a new geopolitical game or an American campaign," she noted ironically. "These are meetings between US State Department employees, American diplomats, and their superiors in a ‘sob session’ set-up."

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❓All leaders are equal, but are some more equal than others?

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that certain individuals may be exempt from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in an apparent nod to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, The Times of Israel reports.

Earlier, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Barrot said that the court’s statute “deals with questions of immunity for certain leaders,” however, he noted that if Netanyahu steps on French territory, Paris will be "committed to international justice and will apply international law.”

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🇸🇰 Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he intends to take part in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism on May 9 in Moscow.

"I gladly accepted the official invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in these important celebrations."

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Global majority countries come together to create alternative payment rails – Digital Economies Association Head

The old financial institutions do not have an understanding of how we transfer and create value, Dr. H.C. Cristina Amor Maclang, Secretary General of the International Digital Economies Association, told Sputnik at the international business forum "World of opportunities: Russia-ASEAN", organized by the Roscongress Foundation.

"In this growing multipolar world, the idea of the global majority countries coming together to create alternative payment rails, ideally on chain, is something that we will all be working towards in the International Digital Economies Association," she added.

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