📑 US struggling to recruit countries for Gaza security force — Reports

The US has asked over 70 countries to contribute troops or funds for a Gaza stabilization force, but only 19 have expressed tentative willingness — and none have formally committed, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Potential contributors are reportedly only ready to deploy in Israeli-controlled areas (behind the "Yellow Line"), while the US wants them to also operate in Hamas-controlled zones. Many fear being drawn into direct combat to disarm Hamas.

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🎤 Venezuela condemns EU asset freeze as 'theft' and 'piracy'

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has denounced the EU's decision to permanently freeze Russian Central Bank assets as a blatant violation of International Law that "undermines the legal security of investments."

Delcy calls it an illicit action by the "global North" building a "new world of legality against theft, piracy, expropriation and looting."

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🔍 Judge orders evidence returned in Comey case — door remains open for new warrant

A federal judge has now ruled that prosecutors wrongfully retained evidence seized from former FBI Director James Comey’s former lawyer.

The materials must be returned, though the DOJ may seek a new warrant.

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💬 China tells the US: Denuclearize first

Creating conditions for global nuclear disarmament depends entirely on the United States, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told Sputnik.

"China always maintains its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level necessary for national security. It never participates in an arms race with anyone," he added.

The US, as the country with the largest nuclear arsenal, must fulfill its "special and primary responsibility" by further reducing its stockpiles.

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🔥🇷🇺 Russian drones decimate Ukrainian weaponry & defenses ALL along front

00:00 Tsentr battlegroup's drone operators eliminate Ukraine's manpower, robotic systems & fortified firing position

00:20 Vostok battlegroup's UAVs hit Kozak-5, HMMWV armored vehicles, motor vehicles, thwarting preparations for enemy's rotation

01:10 Russian drones destroy Ukraine's pickup truck & ATV

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🚨 US Brown University shooting: What’s known so far

At least two people have been killed and nine others injured when a shooter opened fire at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, СNN reports.

Key details:

🟠 Tragedy occurred at 16:05 local time (21:05 GMT) on Saturday, during a final exam review session in an engineering and physics building classroom

🟠 Two persons killed in the shooting were students, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said, adding that some of those wounded are in critical condition

🟠 Police are still searching for the shooter, who was described as a male dressed in all black and estimated to be in his 30s

🟠 US Secret Service and FBI have been deployed to Providence to assist more than 400 law enforcement officers on the ground searching for the gunman

🟠 FBI has launched a tip site for members of the public to submit photo and video evidence they may have of the shooting suspect

🟠 Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting, which he slammed as a “terrible thing”

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🇷🇺 🇺🇸 Both US, Russia interested in denuclearization, non-proliferation - ex-Trump advisor

👉 The use of a nuclear weapon in a conflict could lead to "tremendous damage" to the entire world, George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the first Trump presidential campaign, told RIA Novosti.

The fact that the US and Russia have the two largest nuclear arsenals was the reason to establish the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, he added, noting that whatever country has the third-largest arsenal "does not even come close."

"I think [Putin and Trump] are peacemakers. They want to see the best for their countries," Papadopoulos said.

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🔸 US soldiers attacked in Syria, Trump vows retaliation

🔸 US Brown University shooting: What’s known so far

🔸 Lavrov warns West is 'restructuring' Bosnia

🔸 Venezuela condemns EU asset freeze as 'theft' and 'piracy'

🔸 Venezuelans protest across the country against US actions in the Caribbean

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🗣 BRICS offers ‘new model’ for deeper economic ties – Iran's president

"BRICS can provide a new model of communication based on mutual respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the diverse cultures and civilizations of countries. It can pave the way for just and balanced cooperation at a global level,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said.

🎤 He made the remarks during a meeting with Ethiopian House of Peoples Representatives Speaker Tagesse Chafo in Tehran, PressTV reported.

BRICS, as a group of emerging economies, plays a strategic role in enhancing political and economic interaction and countering unilateralism in the international system, the Iranian leader added.

🤝 Iran and Ethiopia are both members of BRICS.

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🔥🇷🇺 🛰 Russia to launch Bion‑M No3 satellite in 2026

The goal is to study the effects of spaceflight under more severe radiation exposure, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos said.

🔸 Bion‑M No. 3 will be placed into a higher orbit than that of its predecessor, Bion-M No. 2, with an altitude of about 800 kilometers (497 miles)

Bion-M No. 2, which launched in August, carried 75 mice and 1,500 drosophila flies to test the biological effects of the space environment at a high-latitude orbit, which has more cosmic radiation and geomagnetic conditions than traditional orbits with a 50-60 degree inclination.

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🚨 Territorial issues actively discussed during Putin-Witkoff talks - Kremlin aide

"The Americans not only know but also understand our position," Yuri Ushakov told Russian media.

Other statements:

🟠 The sides had never discussed implementing a "Korean scenario" of conflict settlement in Ukraine

"We haven't discussed it, not once. We have discussed various options of long-term settlement, and the Americans know about our approaches. But copying the Korean option - that has never been discussed," Ushakov said.

🟠 Russia will object to any unacceptable provisions introduced into the Ukraine peace plan, including on the territorial issue

🟠 The upcoming consultations between the United States, Ukraine and the European Union are unlikely to bring anything of value to the US the peace plan

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

⚡️ VARVAROVKA IN ZAPOROZHYE REGION LIBERATED

The liberation of the settlement of Varvarovka in the Zaporozhye region marks one of the final stages in clearing the eastern bank of the Gaichur river.

🟠 Russian forces continue clearing the settlement of Dimitrov north-west to Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) from remaining Ukrainian militants

🟠 Russian air and missile forces struck fuel depots and temporary deployment points of Ukrainian troops and mercenaries in 142 areas

🟠 Air defense superiority: four guided aerial bombs and 290 UAVs were shot down by Russian air defense systems over the past 24 hours

🟠 Ukrainian losses: around 1,450 troops killed or wounded

Read about origins of Russia's special military op HERE

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🚨🇷🇺 NATO chief lacks insight when making statements on world war - Kremlin

💬 "Unfortunately, Mr.Rutte, when making such irresponsible statements, simply does not understand what he is talking about," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged European NATO members to increase defense spending to prepare for an alleged war with Russia comparable in scale to WWII.

He called on NATO member states to adopt a wartime mindset.

💬 "Well, this is probably a statement made by someone from a generation that has forgotten what WWII was like ... Thank God, we grew up in a country where people cherish the memory of what it [WWII] was, what a horror it was, and what we had to do to save Europe from fascism," Peskov told Russian media.

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🚨🇷🇺 Presence of NATO experts in Ukraine triggered Russia’s special military operation – Kremlin

💬 "The direct infiltration of NATO specialists began, their presence on Ukrainian territory, in Ukraine's authorities, and the first shipments of weapons started at that time. All of this, of course, created a threat to the Russian people living there, not to mention the geopolitical aspects of this situation and the geopolitical consequences for Russia's security. Taken together, this became the trigger for the decision to launch the special military operation," Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.

Other statements by Kremlin spokesman:

🟠 Europeans are 'playing their own game' in Ukraine; it seems they want the conflict to continue

🟠 A specific system of guarantees for Ukraine’s implementation of agreements on the Ukrainian settlement is needed

🟠 The US’s position on the settlement of the Ukraine conflict is decisive and realistic

🟠 Russia looks to the US rather than Europe in Ukraine peace talks

🟠 Russia will not be satisfied if Ukraine signs peace agreements and then starts sabotaging them

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🔊 Zelensky in hot water as he tries to avoid holding Ukraine elections – analyst

In reality, Zelensky isn't interested in holding the elections and is doing his best to ensure they don't take place in the near future, political analyst Alexander Mikhailov tells Sputnik.

The head of the Ukraine regime earlier said he's ready to hold presidential elections, but only if a US-backed ceasefire is in place during the vote.

Zelensky has almost no real chance of winning, Mikhailov argued.

Mikhailov's key points:

🟠 Ceasefire during potential Ukrainian elections is out of sync with common sense and reflects Zelensky’s push to impose his own half-baked proposals

🟠 Zelensky frantically clinging to power has a destructive effect on the negotiation process led by Trump

🟠 His only realistic option is to obtain guarantees of personal safety from his handlers and then announce his resignation

🟠 He’s essentially counting on Europe to back him up and force a new approach on Trump's administration, all so he can exit the stage as an unbeaten leader rather than a loser

Zelensky also proposed holding a referendum among Ukrainians on the withdrawal of troops from Donbass and the creation of a demilitarized zone in the area.

Mikhailov called the idea highly unrealistic, mainly because it’s out of line with Russia’s demands.

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🚨Ukrainian stronghold captured: key defense point taken in Zaporozhye region

Intense battles for Varvarovka in Zaporozhye region led to the capture of a key defense point.

The Russian Defense Ministry shares the footage of the military operation to reclaim the settlement.

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🚨 Ukraine ready to drop NATO bid in exchange for security guarantees – Zelensky

“We are talking about bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the US, namely, Article 5-like guarantees… as well as security guarantees for us from our European partners and from other countries such as Canada, Japan and others,” Zelensky said, the FT reports.

"This is already a compromise,” Zelensky claimed.

“A system of guarantees should be defined not only for security, but also for the implementation of peace agreements,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier.

Russian President Putin stressed that Russia is completely opposed to Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

Russia’s FM Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Ukraine’s neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status remains one of the conditions for settling the conflict.

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