💸 Ukraine corruption spiraling: Medical Command probed for stealing US AIDS prevention funds

Officials from the Ukrainian Army Medical Command and the head of a Ukrainian NGO are under investigation for conspiring to embezzle money from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) HIV/AIDS program, Sputnik's analysis of public Ukrainian court records revealed.

Key details of the scheme:

🟠 The head of an NGO called "International Institute for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Problems" (MIVST) conspired with a Ukrainian army medical service's colonel to fraudulently acquire grant money

🟠 Invoices were submitted for HIV testing services for Ukrainian soldiers funded by the US that were never actually conducted

🟠 The scheme was aimed at embezzling at least $160,000

🟠 The NGO director attempted to bribe a Ukrainian official with $1,183 to maintain their status as project executor and continue accessing international funds

The investigation continues with the MIVST head's mobile phones remaining under court-ordered seizure as experts work to break encryption on messaging apps.

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🗣🇸🇰 Ukraine's position 100 times worse than in 2022—Slovak Fico on peace agreement talks

EU hawks like Boris Johnson pushed for thwarting the possible peace treaty and then sent $203B to Ukraine that went to private pockets, Slovakia’s PM Robert Fico said.

💬 "The agreements that are on the table between Russia and the United States regarding a peace agreement with Ukraine indicate that these two countries will play the key role, and the EU will be practically sidelined," Fico pointed out.

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🚨 G20 summit leaders break tradition by changing program and adopting joint declaration ahead of schedule

The declaration is usually adopted at the end of the summit.

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🇭🇺🇪🇺 Orban to EU hawks: Embrace Trump’s Ukraine peace plan or risk wider war

Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan for Ukraine has brought Europe to a decisive crossroad, according to Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.

Europe’s hardliners are staring at “two paths,” he wrote in a post on X.

1️⃣ “Brusselian bureaucrats” can still reverse course from a “dead end” and rally behind Trump’s peace initiative.

According to him, this would require pro-war politicians to finally confront an uncomfortable truth: that the past 3.5 years have been spent pouring Europeans’ hard-earned money into a conflict “that cannot be won on the battlefield.”

2️⃣ The second option, he warned, “leads straight into war.”

If Europe’s warmongers choose to keep funneling money and weapons to Ukraine without US backing, they will “pave the way for a European–Russian conflict.”

Orban reminds that Europeans “know all too well where that road leads” — and that history’s verdict on such choices has often been tragic.

For Hungary, he said, the decision is already settled, as it will take “the path of peace.”

💬 “This is the mandate given to us by the Hungarian people, and it is what morality and common sense demand.”

He added that he is sending a letter to the President of the European Commission to formalize Hungary’s position.

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BRICS & Global South Countries Now Form Dominant Driver of Global Growth: Russian G20 Delegation Head

“We have the talent, the resources, the technology, and the capacity to drive growth and improve the lives of our people,” Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin said.

Unlike in past decades, Global South economies are now prepared to advance their own platform for economic growth, grounded in homegrown solutions, he noted at the G20 Summit.

🟠 It is indisputable that 21st-century global growth will be driven primarily by the Global South, the official stressed.

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🔸 Sputnik Africa | X 🔸

🚨🇺🇸🇪🇺 US and EU to hold talks in Geneva on Ukraine peace plan proposed by Trump - report

The US delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is expected to hold talks with Ukraine and EU countries in Geneva on November 23, Axios reports, citing a US official.

Another meeting to discuss the Ukraine peace plan, featuring all 27 EU leaders, will take place on the sidelines of the EU-AU Summit in Luanda on November 24, President of the European Council Antonio Costa said.

These meetings have been urgently scheduled after US President Donald Trump gave Ukraine until November 27 to agree to a proposed deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the proposed plan could become a foundation of the Ukraine conflict’s resolution, adding that the text of the new settlement plan “was not discussed with us in detail”.

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🟠 Trump says his proposed plan NOT THE FINAL offer to Ukraine

🟠 US and EU to hold talks in Geneva on Ukraine peace plan proposed by Trump – report

🟠 Ukraine corruption spiraling: Medical Command probed for stealing US AIDS prevention funds

🟠 Orban: Embrace Trump’s Ukraine peace plan or risk wider war

🟠 Israeli airstrikes hit central Gaza

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🇮🇷 BRICS & SCO create significant economic opportunities for Iran - Pezeshkian

Iran’s presence in BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as well as in the Eurasian Economic Union has led to constructive relations with neighboring countries being strengthened, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said.

Membership in these organizations has created vast economic opportunities for Iran, including expanded regional markets for traders and investors, he added.

🌍 BRICS comprises of eleven countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran.

It serves as a political and diplomatic forum for countries from the Global South and for coordination in the most diverse areas.

🤝 The SCO, for its part, is an intergovernmental organization established by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with the aim of promoting cooperation and peace among its member states.

Iran joined the SCO in 2023.

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🚨 Hamas urges US mediators to halt Israeli ceasefire violations

Hamas has called on international mediators – particularly the US – to intervene, accusing Israel of daily breaches of the Yellow Line and advancing westward inside Gaza, leading to renewed mass displacement and dozens of casualties.

"Hundreds more Palestinians are killed as a result of strikes conducted under fabricated pretexts," the statement read.

At least 22 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past few hours, Al Jazeera reports, citing sources.

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🇷🇺💥 Russian troops push Ukrainian militants from Zvanovka in Donetsk region

The success significantly complicates the situation for Ukrainian battlegroups in the city of Seversk, a key point to establish full control over the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics' shared border.

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📑 Trump admin bypasses legal concerns on Venezuela, weighs capturing Maduro — Reports

The White House repeatedly sidestepped skeptical national security lawyers to pursue lethal strikes against drug boats, justifying them as part of a "non-international" armed conflict.

According to the Washington Post, the administration also considered plans to seize Venezuelan oil fields and capture President Nicolas Maduro.

Officials say Trump and aides "steamrolled" legal doubts to aggressively target narcotraffickers, with the CIA rapidly expanding its anti-drug unit under authorities akin to the post-9/11 war on terror.

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📹 Bolsonaro burns his electronic bracelet

Brazilian authorities released a video in which former President Jair Bolsonaro admits to burning his court-ordered electronic monitor with a soldering iron. He claims he did so "out of curiosity."

The device was damaged around midnight, triggering sensors and prompting a visit from security. An hour later, the bracelet was replaced, according to the G1.

Police had previously arrested the former president, citing flight risks.

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🚨 US plans to launch new Venezuela operations — Reports

The Trump administration is preparing to launch a new phase of Venezuela operations, including possible covert actions and regime change efforts against Maduro, Reuter reports, citing sources.

The US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday warned major airlines of a "potentially hazardous situation" when flying over Venezuela and urged them to exercise caution.

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🗣🇻🇪 Venezuela to US: 'Enough of power imposition'

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López condemned US military deployment in the Caribbean, accusing Washington of seeking to enslave the hemisphere to preserve hegemony.

"Returning to slavery is impossible for us... These actions are solely intended to preserve regional and local hegemonies," he said.

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🇻🇪✈️ Airlines cancel Venezuela flights amid US military buildup

Iberia, TAP, LATAM, Avianca, GOL & Caribbean suspend operations after FAA warns of "heightened military activity" in Venezuelan airspace.

Reports suggest imminent new phase of the US operations soon.

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📑 Trump peace plan is a 'strong framework' for future talks — Rubio

The US Secretary of State confirmed that the peace proposal was authored by the US and based on input from the Russian and Ukrainian sides.

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📉 Trump's net worth drops $1.1B

President Trump’s fortune fell sharply as Trump Media (DJT) stock hit all-time lows near $10.18 and his crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, lost value.

The decline reverses a $3B gain from earlier this year, driven largely by digital token and bitcoin holdings.

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🔊 We are 2 meters away from peace deal — Kellogg

The US special envoy said that Trump is determined to end the conflict in Ukraine.

He added that the 28-point peace plan is a framework to be discussed throughout next week.

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