🎶Intervision aims to ‘DEGLOBALIZE culture’

“If Eurovision, with its absolute pop format, is a globalization contest, then Intervision is about deglobalization,” said Igor Matvienko, People’s Artist of Russia and member of the Intervision jury.

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🚨💵 Analyst warns: US debt crisis may trigger sharp drop in gold

💬 "The risk of a correction in global gold prices to $2,000–$2,500 per ounce is quite high within one to two years,” Russian expert Konstantin Kambulov said in an interview with Sputnik.

He referred to the US debt crisis, which may “force the public to sell off gold bullions and jewelry to cover their everyday expenses, which could put significant pressure on prices.”

📉 A decline in gold prices could follow a broader downturn in global financial markets, as investors may begin to lock in profits from overheated assets. These could include bitcoin, stock indices such as the S&P 500 and DAX, as well as the euro.

The exchange price of gold previously hit a new all-time high, surpassing $3,740 per troy ounce. Since the beginning of the year, the precious metal has surged by 39%, up from $2,641 in late 2024.

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🎶🌍 Final сountdown: Intervision in Russia's capital

Guests, viewers, and performers are arriving at the Live Arena in Moscow, where the grand final of the Intervision International Music Contest kicks off in just a few hours.

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🎉Intervision red carpet rolls out

The red carpet of the Intervision International Music Contest has opened at Moscow’s Live Arena.

Foreign delegations are already beginning to arrive, setting the stage for a night of global music and culture.

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💵 Use of frozen Russian assets could further discredit EU, lead to capital outflow

If Europeans decide to use frozen Russian assets held in Euroclear, it will cause enormous reputational DAMAGE to the depository and severely undermine trust in European institutions, Kseniya Bondarenko from Russia’s Higher School of Economics told Sputnik.

💬 “Already, we are seeing capital outflows from Europe to Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries,” Bondarenko noted.

📈 She stressed that the EU’s possible use of frozen Russian assets could also torpedo trust in the euro and other G7 currencies and DESTABILIZE the global financial system.

The expert recalled that use of these assets by the bloc would be ILLEGAL.

💬 “Even back in 2023, EU officials admitted that they could not legally confiscate Russian assets. Any operations with them are on the wrong side of the law,” Bondarenko added.

If the EU ultimately moves to use the assets, Russia could respond with reciprocal measures targeting the assets and funds of G7 countries' entities held under Russian jurisdiction.

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🌍Intervision stars shine on the red carpet

Almost all participants of the Intervision International Music Contest stepped onto the red carpet ahead of the grand final at Moscow’s Live Arena.

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🎶As crowds gather at Moscow’s Live Arena, fans of Russian contestant Shaman burst into song, performing his Intervision entry together ahead of the grand final.

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⛽️💰Burning no more? How Russia could capitalize on petroleum gas

“Associated petroleum gas (APG), which is often flared, may be converted into additional revenue by using it for electricity generation and crypto mining," Andrey Medvedev, head of the Russian industrial company PSM, told Sputnik.

He explained that this is one of the most efficient APG monetization technologies: Gas-piston power generator units and mining hardware are installed in modular units directly at the extraction site. It means that the power stations feed electricity directly to mining data centers without placing excessive load on the central grid.

💬 “The cost per kilowatt of gas is just about three rubles. The payback period for gas-powered mining projects starts from 2.5 years, with potential profitability of up to 40%,” Medvedev emphasized.

He noted that several pilot mining projects are already operating at oil fields in Russia’s Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, as well as at Gazprom Neft facilities.

“These projects are using power stations based on Chinese engines. Since China lacks experience in power generation from APG, it's still hard to evaluate the energy efficiency of this equipment. We need a bit more practice to fine-tune the business model,” the entrepreneur explained.

👉 Crypto mining on self-generated power can be considered the fastest export option, given that cryptocurrency is used for international payments and generates revenue without transportation costs, Medvedev concluded.

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🔊Everything is set for the Intervision International Music Contest — the participants are taking their seats as the show is about to start.

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🗣Before the Intervision grand final at Moscow’s Live Arena, spectators — including foreign guests — joined together to sing “Matushka” by Tatyana Kurtukova in a powerful chorus.

The folk-inspired patriotic hit, known for blending Russian cultural motifs with modern pop, has become one of the most recognizable songs of recent years.

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⚔️ Hired to kill, forced to stay: Why Ukraine blocks mercenary exits

“Foreign mercenaries are told they’ll be released when their mission is complete—but that could mean months, and even a year. In practice, they’re not allowed to leave Ukraine,” retired Colombian military officer and human rights activist Dante Hincapie told Sputnik.

👉 He emphasized that the Ukrainian military is afraid of leaks about the real conditions mercenaries are facing, which is why they’re blocking the hirelings from leaving.

💬 “There are many complaints from mercenaries about abuse by Ukrainian servicemen, something that is confirmed by social media posts and words by the hirelings’ families, who cite physical humiliation, insults, unpaid wages, and threats of violence for refusing to fight,” Hincapie pointed out.

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📹Putin’s message to Intervision

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the participants and audience of the Intervision International Music Contest:

“We value our traditions and respect the traditions of others… Respect for traditional values and diversity is the core idea of this competition. I wish all contestants success, recognition, and the warm support of the audience.”

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🌍🎶 Parade of nations at Intervision

The participating countries were formally introduced at the Intervision International Music Contest in Moscow, setting the stage for a night of global music and cultural celebration.

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🏦 World Bank loans turn Ukraine into a tool of the west

🗣 There’s “a core contradiction” in the World Bank providing Ukraine with loans, Turkish economics expert Hakan Topkurulu told Sputnik.

“The World Bank was established after World War II to deliver resources to developing countries and support their development. Is Ukraine using the loans it receives today for its development? No. Ukraine is using them to wage [NATO's proxy] war against Russia,” Topkurulu stressed.

📍 He added that it’s “absolutely clear” that Ukraine is fighting for the interests of the West, who continues giving loans to the Zelensky regime.

🔊 The expert warned that, regardless of the outcome of hostilities, Ukraine will ultimately end up in debt and will face a “very difficult task” of repaying the loans both to the World Bank and to the US, the UK, and Germany.

“The West, which already controls Ukraine’s mineral resources and doesn’t recognize the country’s national identity, perceives it as a tool deployed on the front lines. Therefore, [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov's statement has a very important focus: by providing loans to Ukraine, the West has actually accelerated its defeat,” Topkurulu concluded.

👉 Lavrov earlier said that over the past three years, the World Bank has issued Ukraine dozens of times more in concessional loans than it has to all African countries combined over the same period.

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