🗣 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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📉 The price of sanctions: Volkswagen shuts down Dresden plant as German industry reels

Volkswagen plans to halt production of vehicles at its Dresden plant on Tuesday, marking the first time in the company’s history that a Germany-based factory has been shuttered.

With an installed capacity to build up to 37,500 cars a year, and the flagship of VW’s EV lineup, the Dresden plant’s closure comes against the backdrop of Germany’s broader deindustrialization, which started in 2022 when Berlin rejected the Russian energy supplies propping up its manufacturing base.

FT blames the closure on poor demand in Europe, weak sales in China, and 15% US tariffs on European vehicle imports.

Volkswagen announced plans to “transform” the Dresden factory into an “innovation campus” earlier this month as part of a “Future Volkswagen” program, which includes plans to reduce Germany-wide vehicle output by 730k units by 2028, and slash 35k jobs “in a socially responsible manner.”

German industrial leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin warned about the consequences of cutting Europe off from Russian gas almost four years ago, with Putin saying the “suicidal” decision would undermine Europe’s global economic competitiveness.

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🤖🇨🇳 China showcases robotic engineering feats at Global Developer Pioneers Summit 2025

The exhibition in Shanghai features machines capable of performing a full range of tasks – including production, social services, medical assistance and emergency rescue operations.

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🇮🇹🇪🇺🇺🇸 Europe has to accept US’s new National Security Strategy - Italian PM

🟠 “We want an Italy that is loyal to its partners but is subject to nobody,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Sunday, characterizing the Trump administration’s strategy document as a wakeup call

🟠 “There’s been alarm because Donald Trump has said, more clearly than his predecessors, that the US intends to disengage with the old continent, and that Europeans should organize to defend themselves alone,” Meloni said

🟠 “What I can say is good morning, Europe. Good morning. We have contracted out our security to the US for 80 years thinking this day would never come. But, most importantly, pretending this was free”

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🇸🇾 Syria launches ‘large-scale’ anti-ISIS operation following deadly attack on US forces

Security forces launched a major operation targeting ISIS* cells in al-Furqlus, al-Quaryatayn and the Syrian Desert (Badiya) in Homs Governorate on Sunday, local media report.

🔊 A commander said the operation was a response to Saturday’s attack in Palmyra on a joint US-Syrian patrol, in which two US troops and an interpreter were killed.

The operation is said to include field raids, searches of suspected terror hideouts, and an effort to dismantle suspected ISIS sleeper cells.

A Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson said Saturday’s deadly attack was carried out by a member of the security forces.

👉 The attacker was neutralized, and authorities have launched a probe into whether or not he was formally affiliated with ISIS.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Anas Khattab said five people had been arrested in connection with the shooting attack.

🇺🇸 President Trump warned Saturday that there would be “very serious retaliation” to the attack on US forces, and said Syrian President al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.”

US ground forces were first deployed in Syria in late 2016, ostensibly to assist the fight against ISIS, keeping the country’s energy and food-rich northeast out of the hands of the Syrian government in Damascus.

After the fall of the Assad government in late 2024, the new government pledged to join the US-led coalition.

*A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

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