🇰🇵❗️ NO RECONCILIATION: NORTH KOREA WILL LEGALLY DEFINE ROK AS HOSTILE

Kim Yo Jong, WPK Vice Director, announces irreversible break with South Korea, citing the forthcoming US-ROK drills.

⚔️ Aug 18 exercises "expose hostile nature" – constitutional fix ensures "permanent" status as adversary, she says.

💬 Expecting reconciliation is "wishing for a flower in the desert," Yo Jong concludes.

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⚔️ PUTIN HOLDS STRONG HAND — FALSE FLAGS RISK MASSIVE RETALIATION

Oscar van Heerden of the University of Johannesburg tells Sputnik:

🟠 Proxy war HAS FAILED — Europe "on back foot"

🟠 "Suicidal" provocations would trigger crushing Russian response

🟠 Only battlefield situation can influence talks — but Russia is in control

"Unless Europe accepts that the war is over and ends it, Zelensky will be encouraged to engage in various operations, false flags, and provocations," van Heerden said.

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✅ US LIFTS SANCTIONS FOR PUTIN-TRUMP ALASKA SUMMIT

US Treasury issues General License 125 temporary lifting some of the sanctions for summit logistics:

📍 Covers financial transactions for Alaska meetings

⏳ Valid through August 20, 2025

🚫 EXCLUDES asset unfreezing & other sanctions regimes

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⚔️ Macron’s admission of legacy of ‘repressive violence’ in Cameroon marks weaponization of fake guilt to keep Africa on France’s leash

📍 The French president’s acknowledgement that Paris engaged in crimes during the Central African nation’s push for independence is “nothing more than a ploy meant to ensure France’s political, economic and cultural dominance” in a region actively moving away from Paris’s orbit, says Algerian political analyst Nabil Kahlouche.

💬 “With its traditional zones of influence shrinking, Paris has been forced to turn to unconventional diplomatic gestures.” Hence Macron’s comments about “assuming responsibility” for France’s actions, including the interment of thousands of Cameroonians, and the funding of vicious militias striving to crush the independence movement.

Why Cameroon?

👉 Kahlouche points out that Cameroon’s strategically important position, including access to the Atlantic Ocean, a border with six Central African neighbors, and role as key regional transport hub, partially explains Macron’s motivation.

The second goal is about exploiting internal divisions, particularly Francophone elites against Anglophone regions. In other words, classic divide and rule tactics.

🔶 Third, Kahlouche says, France is trying to use its empty gesture-based “trading on history” to distract from its ongoing economic neocolonialism, with acknowledgement of wrongdoing meant to become a bargaining chip for retaining control.

“Paris only creates the appearance of rethinking its colonial past, although in reality this is just a trick to maintain economic dominance,” the observer stresses.

But France’s self-serving attempts to revise the historical narrative could backfire, Kahlouche argues, pointing out that Macron’s comments won’t change the past, but “only strengthen the positions of the former colonies in future negotiations. After all, Paris has now officially confirmed its responsibility” for its past crimes.

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💣🔥 Russia’s precision strikes cripple Ukraine’s West-sponsored Sapsan missile production

Ukraine’s military-industrial complex has suffered colossal damage as a result of a Russian operation targeting production of the Ukrainian Sapsan ballistic missile system, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement.

✍️ Ukraine’s plans to produce Sapsan systems for strikes inside Russia were thwarted through joint efforts by the FSB and the Russian Armed Forces, with precision strikes delivered on Ukrainian defense industry facilities.

🗣 Development and production of the Ukrainian missiles was unfolding at defense enterprises in the Dnepropetrovsk and Sumy regions, with financial backing and technical assistance from Western specialists, the FSB said.

Intelligence confirmed Germany’s participation in funding Ukraine’s program.

The FSB also obtained details on the Ukrainian defense industry facilities involved in the program, the locations of air and missile defenses, as well as electronic warfare systems, including US and NATO assets.

☢️ Incriminating information was also uncovered about the leadership of Ukraine’s defense sector, involved in fraud with state defense contracts.

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◻️ Russia’s precision strikes cripple Ukraine’s West-sponsored Sapsan missile production

◻️ Former DNI exposed in declassified emails

◻️ Three reasons why Ukraine might sabotage Alaska peace talks with false flag op

◻️ 'US military will LIBERATE DC' — Trump

◻️ No reconciliation: North Korea will legally define ROK as hostile

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🚨GAZA IN CRISIS: KEY UPDATES

🔸 At least 100 Palestinians were killed across Gaza on Wednesday, including 61 in Gaza City

🔸 37 people seeking food were killed by Israeli fire (media reports)

🔸 At least 8 more, including 3 children, starved to death

🔸 Total number of hunger-related deaths in the enclave has reached 235, including 106 children (Gaza’s Health Ministry)

🔸 UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) says Israeli authorities are still blocking critical aid from entering Gaza

🔸 Hamas signaled eagerness for swift Gaza ceasefire talks in meeting with Egypt’s intel chief as mediators push negotiations

🔸 Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to greenlight construction of 3,000+ homes in the occupied West Bank, calling the move one that “buries the idea of a Palestinian state”

🔸 Egypt and Jordan are training Palestinian security forces to run Gaza post-Israeli offensive, Egypt’s FM Badr Abdelatty stated

🔸 Agreement reached for 15 Gaza figures to govern for six months, with the Palestinian Authority remaining the sole legitimate ruler, Abdelatty said

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⚔️ Russia foils Ukraine's plans to produce Sapsan tactical ballistic missiles – FSB

According to the Russian Federal Security Service:

👉 Ukraine planned to use these missiles for strikes deep inside Russian territory

👉 Covert program relied on Soviet-era technologies and stockpiles

👉 NATO representatives allegedly approved Ukraine's plans to deploy Sapsan systems against Russia

👉 Missiles’ range could theoretically reach Moscow and Minsk

The FSB emphasized these systems posed a direct threat to Russian and Belarusian security.

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🚨🚨CONFIRMED: Putin and Trump to meet at US military base in Alaska

Russian President Putin and US President Trump will meet at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed.

The leaders will hold a private one-on-one conversation at 11:30am local time, followed by delegation discussions and a working breakfast.

👉Main topics

▪️Ukraine crisis: resolution of the ongoing conflict and its impact on US-Russia relations

▪️Global security: discussions on international and regional peace and stability

▪️Bilateral relations: exploring untapped potential for US-Russia cooperation

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✍️🔥 $20 million scam: Ukrainian firm sold Defense Ministry system that failed to shoot down single drone

👉 A criminal probe has been launched into the Ukrainian security company LLC KASKAD for allegedly selling ineffective Lima anti-drone systems to the Defense Ministry and other state enterprises. The systems, worth 820 million UAH ($20 million), reportedly failed official tests, leading to concerns about compromised defense capabilities and critical infrastructure.

❗️ The Security Service of Ukraine initiated the criminal probe after a series of official tests showed the Lima hardware-software system failed to meet its stated performance characteristics. Court documents indicate that officials from LLC KASKAD made false claims in commercial proposals, including that the system had passed military trials and was proven in combat, to secure contracts.

📉 Court documents show that Lima was eventually approved by the Defense Ministry despite warnings from military experts. Following failed trials in Odessa and Kiev, the system was found to be ineffective against modern drones. However, the company continued to profit by selling the systems to the defense and energy sectors.

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🔥 Chisinau clamps down on rally in support of Gagauzia head

🔸 Police in the Moldovan capital have blocked access to the area around the jail where Gagauzia leader Yevgenia Gutsul and activist Svetlana Popan are being held.

🗣 Supporters were planning a rally in their support.

👉 MP Regina Apostolova was denied access despite being a member of parliament, but protests will continue.

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🚨🇷🇺🇵🇰 'Pakistan aims to reconnect with Eurasia, reviving the ancient Silk Route'

📹 In an exclusive interview with Sputnik, Pakistan's Ambassador to Russia Muhammad Khalid Jamali shares his thoughts on Pakistan-Russia ties, the rise of BRICS and the future of the Eurasian region.

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🚨Putin holds Security Council meeting ahead of Alaska Summit

A day before talks with Donald Trump in Alaska, President Vladimir Putin met Russian military leaders, government ministers and presidential staff.

He told the meeting that the Trump administration is making strong efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.

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🚨 RUSSIA BRINGS BACK 84 SOLDIERS FROM UKRAINIAN-HELD TERRITORY

84 Ukrainian PoWs were handed over in exchange, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIA'S MОD UPDATE: CRUSHING GAINS & MASSIVE UKRAINIAN LOSSES

⚡️SHCHERBINOVKA AND ISKRA (DPR) LIBERATED

The liberation of Shcherbinovka is strategically significant: the town controls the Donetsk-Kharkov railway line. Iskra served as a heavily fortified Ukrainian stronghold and a gateway to Dnepropetrovsk region.

◻️ The Russian Armed Forces struck UAV storage sites and ammunition depots of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

◻️ Heavy Ukrainian losses: Over 1,315 troops, four aerial bombs and 268 drones shot down

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📹MAJOR VICTORY IN DONBASS: The Russian Ministry of Defense released a video showing the liberation of Shcherbinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.

🔥 Over 265 Ukrainian soldiers were eliminated, along with three artillery pieces including a US-made M777 howitzer.

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🤝 Dmitry Kiselev invited to international conference on Turkic origins

🔶 Dmitry Kiselev, director general of the Rossiya Segodnya international media group, Sputnik's parent company, has been invited to participate in the 2nd International Scientific and Practical Conference on ‘Altai – The Cradle of the Turks: The History of the Birth of Turkic Civilization’.

📑 The conference is hosted by the Interdepartmental Commission for Historical Education under the President of Russia, the Government of the Republic of Altai, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Military-Historical Society, the Russian Society "Znanie" and the Russian Historical Society.

🔸 The event will bring together government officials, leading historians, Turkologists, Altai scholars, archaeologists and linguists from Russia and abroad.

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✍️ Ukraine accepts ONLY 2 POWs from list of 1,000 it previously rejected - Medinsky

💬 "Perhaps they're afraid they were 'over-persuaded' in Russian captivity," Vladimir Medinsky, head of Russia's negotiation team in Istanbul, added ironically.

👉 Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russia had returned 84 of its servicemen from Ukrainian-controlled territory, exchanging them for the same number of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

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🎤🇷🇺Russian pop star Shaman to perform in Pyongyang on Korea’s Liberation Day🇰🇵

Russian singer Yaroslav Dronov, known as Shaman, is ready to take the stage in Pyongyang on August 15 for a special performance celebrating Korean Liberation Day.

The day marks the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

The singer shared the news on Channel One, expressing his excitement ahead of the event.

Along with his band and crew, Shaman will tour the capital before rehearsals, joining a Russian delegation led by Deputy Minister of Culture Andrey Malyshev.

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🚨🇷🇺🇺🇸 Putin and Trump to outline key points after Alaska Summit

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that while the summit will define the scope of agreements between Putin and Trump, there will be no formal document signed.

Peskov cautioned against predicting outcomes too soon.

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🚨Alaska Summit could reset US-Russia relations

The Putin-Trump meeting has the potential to "reset" Russia-US relations, if the meeting goes well, Special Presidential Representative Kirill Dmitriev believes.

He stressed the importance of dialogue, calling the summit a positive step for the world — especially after the lack of talks under the previous government of Joe Biden.

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