🇦🇲 ARMENIA MOVES TO SEIZE ELECTRIC GRID FROM JAILED TYCOON

🟠 The country's parliament has passed a law to nationalize the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) — a company owned by arrested billionaire Samvel Karapetyan.

The move follows PM Nikol Pashinyan’s June 18 statement declaring it was “time” to take over the ENA. He claimed the nationalization plan was already prepared.

👉 Karapetyan had voiced support for the Armenian Apostolic Church — currently in conflict with the government. Just hours later, he was arrested on charges of “calling for the seizure of power.”

Karapetyan denies the charges, calling the authorities “insolvent.”

📍 Through his Tashir Group, he’s been a major investor in Armenia: funding hospitals, schools, churches, and social programs.

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🚨NEW CHARGES, SAME GAME: Chisinau turns up heat on Gagauzia’s leader

The political pressure on Evghenia Gutsul, head of Gagauzia Autonomy, keeps escalating. She reveals that a new, completely different criminal charge have been brought against her.

💬 “At first, they accused me of bringing money from Russia. Now they say I didn’t. They keep changing the story,” Gutsul says. “This case must be dropped,” she tells Sputnik

⚖️ Timeline of the persecution:

🔶 March 25: Arrested for alleged financial violations tied to the Shor party during the 2024 Gagauzia elections

🔶 Held 20 days in custody, then placed under house arrest

🔶 Detention extended twice, now lasting through July

🔶 Her lawyer says the goal is to remove her from office and force new elections

👉 Gutsul has consistently called for friendship with Russia and rejected Chisinau’s anti-Moscow policies.

🇲🇩 Tensions between Gagauzia and the central government exploded after her election victory in 2023.

🟧 No central officials attended her inauguration

🟧 President Maia Sandu refused to sign the decree to include her in the national government — a legal obligation

🟧The Orthodox Archbishop of Balti and Falesti urged believers to pray for Gutsul and called on judges to act impartially.

🟧Former President Igor Dodon called the charges a political purge and accused authorities of destroying the rule of law.

🟧 Ex-PM Vladimir Filat described the case as revenge by an incompetent regime

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🎥🎥 Vladimir Putin speaks at the forum Strong Ideas for a New Time

📹 Watch live in our Telegram

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🚨🇷🇺PUTIN: RUSSIA’S GROWTH MODEL RUNS ON PEOPLE POWER

Speaking at the Strong Ideas for a New Time forum, President Vladimir Putin said Russia has built a unique development model — powered not by elites, but by the energy of its people.

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🚨No conditions remain for Sputnik's work in Azerbaijan

Dmitry Kiselev, director-general of the Rossiya Segodnya media group, Sputnik's parent company, stated that conditions no longer allow Sputnik Azerbaijan to continue operating in the country.

"Rossiya Segodnya is deeply concerned by the four-day detention in Baku of two Russian citizens — journalists of Sputnik Azerbaijan — along with several Azerbaijani employees of the editorial office. These actions are entirely baseless.

"We regret to conclude that the current environment makes Sputnik Azerbaijan’s continued work in the country impossible.

"For years, our agency has worked to strengthen friendly ties between our nations, with editorial policy fully committed to fostering Russia-Azerbaijan cooperation.

"Our staff face fabricated charges and unjust arrest. We will use all available means to ensure legal protection for our journalists."

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🚨PUTIN: I’M TALKING TO TRUMP TODAY

Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed at the Strong Ideas for a New Time that he’s scheduled to have a phone call with his US counterpart Donald Trump today.

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📊Azerbaijan vs. Russia: Who would lose big time if a trade war erupted?

👉$1.2B at risk – Azerbaijan could kiss 4.4% of total exports goodbye if trade with Russia halts.

👉Russia’s exposure? Just 0.8% ($3.6B) of its exports go to Azerbaijan.

What triggered the explosion of tensions between the two countries?

◻️ Azerbaijan’s recent detention of journalists from Sputnik Azerbaijan — including blocking consular access and denying medical care — has sparked outrage in Moscow. Russia has blasted the move as being politically motivated, souring diplomatic ties.

◻️ Key joint projects between Baku and Moscow are now frozen, signaling deeper friction.

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🚨PUTIN TO FORUM: GOTTA RUN — I’VE GOT TRUMP ON THE LINE

At the Strong Ideas for a New Time forum, Putin said it was time to wrap up, noting he had a scheduled phone call with Donald Trump and jokingly offered participants a chance to send a message to the US president.

🕔 Trump later confirmed the call is set for 2 PM GMT, Thursday.

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🚨Azerbaijan’s crackdown on Sputnik journalists ‘OUTRAGEOUS VIOLATION of all norms’

The incident reflects an “increasingly unstable atmosphere” in the trans-Caucasian region, including Azerbaijan, US constitutional historian and political commentator Dan Lazar tells Sputnik.

“The US just launched a major attack on Iran. That creates instability in Azerbaijan and a lot of pivoting and maneuvering on its part,” the analyst stresses.

Who could be interested in the incident?

🗣“A lot of outside players have an interest in asserting their interest in Azerbaijan and turning it against Russia,” the pundit points out.

He notes that “a more aggressive Azerbaijan would be advantageous” to these players who are “stirring the pot”, the analyst underscores, citing Israel, Ukraine, and the US.

How did international rights groups react?

👉The Western human rights community DOESN’T CARE because “they're so fiercely anti-Russian and protective of the West’s interests,” according to the analyst.

That’s why these rights activists in Europe and the US “rarely speak out when Russians are victimized,” Lazar concludes.

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🚨Five Azerbaijani employees of Sputnik Azerbaijan released with travel restrictions

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🚨'I BROKE NO LAW!' – Gagauzia Autonomy's head defies Chisinau court

Yevgenia Gutsul stood firm in court on Thursday, refusing to admit guilt and demanding that the criminal case against her be thrown out.

“I brought no money into the country, broke no Moldovan laws, and demand this case be annulled!”

Prosecutors seek a 9-years prison sentence for alleged campaign finance violations tied to the Shor party.

Gutsul reminded the court she’s a mother of two young children and blasted the trial as politically driven harassment.

🔶She accused lead prosecutor Cristina Gladkova of openly mocking her during the hearing:

“She smiled the entire time — she’s carrying out a political order.”

🔶The state claims Gutsul caused 40 million lei ($2.2M) in damages — a figure Gutsul says was never backed by any audit.

“I’ve never seen that kind of money — neither has my co-defendant.”

🔶Gutsul says lower-level party members were turned into prosecution witnesses in exchange for leniency:

“Testify against us, and your case disappears.”

🔶Outside the courthouse in Chisinau, supporters rallied, calling the trial a sham and warning that Moldova is targeting Gagauzia’s autonomy.

🔶Gutsul remains under house arrest for another 30 days.

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🚨Russian consul meets with head of Sputnik Azerbaijan newsdesk Igor Kartavykh and editor Yevgeny Belousov; they are provided with medicine and food.

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🚨“BRICS is the embodiment of multipolarity”: Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin at Sputnik Brasil’s 10th anniversary event

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🚨PUTIN AND TRUMP HELD A NEARLY HOUR-LONG PHONE CONVERSATION

Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov said they discussed the following:

🔶 Putin informed Trump about the progress of implementing the Istanbul agreements between Russia and Ukraine.

🔶 Putin told Trump that Russia continues to seek a negotiated solution to the Ukrainian conflict. He informed Trump that Russia will not abandon the elimination of all root causes of the current confrontation.

🔶 Trump raised the issue of an early end to hostilities in Ukraine during the conversation.

🔶 Trump informed Putin about the successful passage in the Senate of a bill on tax and immigration reform.

🔶 Putin congratulated Trump on the upcoming US Independence Day.

🔶 Putin noted in the conversation that Russia played a significant role in the formation of American statehood.

🔶 Putin and Trump had a detailed discussion on the situation around Iran and the Middle East as a whole.

🔶 Putin and Trump touched on developments in Syria; Moscow and Washington will continue dialogue on this topic.

🔶 Putin and Trump discussed several promising joint economic projects in energy and space exploration.

🔶 Putin and Trump did not discuss a possible personal meeting.

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🇷🇺 RUSSIAN FLAG RAISED IN LIBERATED KHARKOV SETTLEMENT

The Russian Ministry of Defense has released footage from Melovoye, a settlement in the Kharkov region that was recently liberated by troops of the Sever Battlegroup.

Soldiers can be seen raising the Russian flag over a local building — a clear signal of control on the front line.

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🌍🌍🌍 CURRENCY WON’T BE PAPER — IT’LL BE CODE

Economist Paulo Nogueira Batista Jr. holds up a symbolic BRICS banknote — but makes it clear:

👉If BRICS launches a reserve currency, it won’t be printed. It’ll be digital.

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🚨BRICS VS THE WEST: GREENWALD CALLS IT A NEW POWER BLOC

American journalist and Intercept co-founder Glenn Greenwald says the wars we've seen — including the recent flare-up between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other, and the genocide in Gaza — are the byproduct of a unipolar world.

✅For Greenwald, BRICS represents the rise of a powerful counter-alliance — one that includes China and now has the strength to impose greater global constraints than even the US, NATO, Israel, and their allies.

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🚨🇷🇺 RUSSIA OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZES THE ISLAMIC EMIRATE OF AFGHANISTAN

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirms that Moscow has officially recognized the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Russian presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov tells Sputnik.

Earlier, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said Russia’s ambassador informed them of the official decision.

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🚨‘Deprivation of liberty is violence’: Kiselev slams Azerbaijan's absurd case against Sputnik staff

Dmitry Kiselev, director general of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent company, expressed concern over the conditions faced by detained Sputnik Azerbaijan employees in Baku, calling their arrests politically motivated.

🗣"We are alarmed by the violence against clearly innocent people — deprivation of liberty is itself violence. They are accused of absurd economic crimes, fraud, and so on — things they never engaged in," Kiselev stated in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV channel.

He emphasized that the agency will defend its journalists through legal means but called the situation "not a legal matter, but an artificially inflated political one."

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