▫️ FM Lavrov warns against military presence of non-regional actors in Afghanistan

▫️ Trump says he made a decision regarding the supply of “Tomahawks” to Ukraine

▫️ Kim sends birthday greetings to Putin

▫️ Ukrainians cash in on NATO aid meal kits

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🤫 ‘Mine, baby, mine’: US scrambles to break China’s rare-earth dominance

The US needs to “get back to mining” in its own country, says US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.

He underscores that China “controls 85 to 100% of all the refining of the 20 most important rare earth minerals,” essential for defense, automotive, and high tech.

💬 “It’s not just ‘Drill, baby, drill’; it’s ‘Mine, baby, mine’ with President Trump,” he says.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

💶📉Euro plunges as French political crisis deepens — report

The euro is tumbling amid France’s escalating political turmoil, with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s abrupt resignation sparking a selloff, Bloomberg reports.

Key signals now point to further declines:

🔹 Trading below $1.17 – lowest in over a week

🔹 Options positioning turns bearish after a bullish streak

🔹Largest tilt toward downside exposure in a month per DTCC data

Unlike September’s political shock, which saw the euro rally, this crisis is driving sustained pessimism. With US catalysts muted during the government shutdown, euro-negative headlines are dominating, the outlet stresses.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇦🇫 Afghanistan takes hard line against US return to Bagram

📍 At talks with Russian FM Lavrov, Afghanistan's leadership delivered a firm message: no US return to Bagram Air Base, Russia's special representative to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, informed.

👉 Earlier, Trump threatened Afghanistan with "bad" consequences if it refuses to hand over Bagram to US control, demanding an immediate transfer of the airbase.

Afghan officials responded strongly, with Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Qani calling Trump's statements "full of hatred and ambition."

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: HUGE RUSSIAN GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES

⚡️NOVOVASILEVSKOYE IN ZAPOROZHYE REGION LIBERATED

⚡️ FEDOROVKA IN DONETSK PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC LIBERATED

Taking control of Novovasilevskoye will create a strong bridgehead for Russian troops for a further advance towards one of the key Ukrainian defensive hubs in the region - the city of Gulyaypole.

Fedorovka allows Russian troops to closely approach the settlement of Zvanovka, and its liberation would create conditions for a semi-encirclement of Seversk.

◻️ Russian forces struck the energy and transport infrastructure and fuel storage facilities of the Ukrainian miltants

◻️ Air defense superiority: 416 drones

◻️ Ukrainian losses: 1,355 troops killed or wounded

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 Kremlin warns of serious escalation if Tomahawk missiles delivered to Ukraine

🗣 Tomahawk missiles may have a nuclear version, and this should be kept in mind, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president has warned, explaining that their delivery to Ukraine would mark a serious escalation in the conflict.

🔊 President Vladimir Putin earlier said that Ukraine’s use of Tomahawk missiles would harm US-Russia relations and emphasized it would be impossible without US military involvement.

📍 Russia however is waiting for clearer and more decisive comments from US President Donald Trump regarding the potential missile supply, Peskov added.

Other statements from Peskov:

🔶 Russia believes Trump still aims to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict through peace talks

🔶 Moscow will respond if restrictions on Russian diplomats’ travel to the EU are imposed

🔶 Russia will use all legal means to protect its interests if Western attempts to seize Russian assets continue

🔶 No significant steps have been made toward establishing dialogue between US and Russian diplomats

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

😮 A fiery symbol? Blaze at former French PM’s residence one day after his resignation

A fire broke out near the Hôtel de Matignon, the French prime minister's official residence, just one day after Sebastien Lecurnu's resignation.

While firefighters swiftly brought the blaze under control, the same cannot be said for the political turmoil engulfing the nation.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨Modi congratulates Putin on his birthday by phone, wishes him good health and success

"Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a telephone conversation today with the President of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin. Prime Minister warmly congratulated President Putin on his 73rd birthday and conveyed best wishes for good health and success in all his endeavours," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺 Russia's flag raised over liberated Novovasilevskoye in Zaporozhye

The Russian MoD shared operation details:

🟧 Russian forces took control of over 4 sq. km on the right bank of the Yanchur River

🟧 Assault groups completely cleared the settlement of Ukrainian formations

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺Who congratulated Putin on his birthday today?

Many warm congratulatory messages have been received by the Kremlin for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s birthday.

Here's the full list:

▪️Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un both sent warm and "non-standard" birthday wishes to Putin, according to Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov.

▪️Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held a phone conversation with Putin, wishing him a happy birthday and discussing bilateral relations, international issues, and regional matters.

▪️Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called Putin to wish him a happy birthday and discussed the Ukrainian conflict, the situation in Gaza, and efforts to ensure a ceasefire and humanitarian aid delivery.

▪️Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Putin, noting his significant personal contribution to strengthening the strategic partnership, friendship, and alliance between the two countries.

▪️Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev wished Putin a happy birthday and discussed the further development of Uzbek-Russian relations, strengthening strategic partnership and cooperation.

▪️Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov also joined the list of leaders congratulating Putin on his special day.

▪️Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated Putin on his birthday, highlighting his personal contribution to the development of Armenian-Russian relations.

▪️King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa wished prosperity to the Russian people and congratulated Putin on his special day.

▪️Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel wished Putin strong health and personal success, and hoped he would continue to lead the "brotherly country" with success.

▪️Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Putin, offering best wishes for his health and success in all his endeavors.

▪️Patriarch Kirill wished Putin divine help, strength, and success in his service to the country and its people, wishing him abundant strength and blessed success in serving the nation.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇦🇫Moscow talks: Key nations stand firm on Afghanistan’s future and regional cooperation

Participants of the "Moscow Format" consultations on Afghanistan reaffirmed their support for Afghanistan's establishment as an independent, unified, and peaceful state, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

The participants also:

🔶Condemned attempts by third countries to place military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighboring countries.

🔶Emphasized the need for support in eliminating terrorism in Afghanistan, ensuring its territory is not used to pose security threats to any nation.

🔶Called on responsible countries to fulfill their commitments to Afghanistan's economic recovery and future development.

🔶Highlighted the importance of expanding Afghanistan’s trade, economic, and investment cooperation with countries in the region and globally.

🔶Reaffirmed the inadmissibility of the politicization of humanitarian aid.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 Two years of war in Gaza: From hope to ruin

The war in Gaza began 24 months ago, and a northern front opened in Lebanon in support of Palestine, unleashing unprecedented emotional fervor and hopes for change.

❓ What followed were two years of pain, death and destruction.

Sputnik speaks with experts and residents of Beirut's Burj el-Barajneh camp about those fateful days and their devastating aftermath.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt