🇷🇺Cheburashka 2 — a Russian family film based on a classic Soviet children’s character — has already drawn 9+ million viewers, according to Russia’s official cinema box-office tracker.

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🇻🇪Venezuela’s 'first combatant': How Cilia Flores’ political profile was forged

In recent days, global attention has focused not only on the fate of Nicolas Maduro, who was abducted by the US military, but also on his steadfast life partner, who chose to share the hardships of US persecution.

📍 From lawyer to revolutionary

🔶 Born on October 15, 1956, in Tinaquillo, she specialized in criminal and labor law

🔶 In 1992, she defended participants in the failed military uprising against neoliberal President Carlos Andrés Pérez

📍 A pillar of Chavismo

🔶 Professionally dedicated to politics since the early 1990s, she is one of the key figures of the Bolivarian movement in today’s Venezuela and was very close to Hugo Chávez

🔶 During that period, she formed a relationship with Nicolás Maduro and later married him, officially becoming first lady in 2013, though she prefers to be called the “First Combatant”

📍 A resolute yet compassionate woman

🔶 Images of Cilia Flores holding Maikelys Espinoza Bernal — a two-year-old child repatriated from the US after American authorities forcibly separated her from her mother — circulated worldwide

🔶 She reportedly stood up to US soldiers who abducted Maduro, saying she would not leave her husband alone and accepting detention and transfer to the US alongside him

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🚨🇺🇸Trump warns Cuba it will no longer receive Venezuelan oil or financial support, saying the US will now back Venezuela militarily and urging Havana to “make a deal” before it’s too late.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 In Latin America’s independence, women fought shoulder to shoulder with men. Their names and deeds, often pushed into silence, form a history of courage that Sputnik recalls today.

Bartolina Sisa — the 'viceroy' of the indigenous uprising

🟠 A tireless fighter for independence and the dignity of Indigenous peoples, Bartolina Sisa left a deep mark on the history of uprisings against colonial exploitation.

🟠 The exact date of her birth is unknown, with historians placing it between 1750 and 1753. She was a central figure in resistance to colonial racism and, together with her husband Julian Apaza Nina — known as Tupac Katari — led an insurrection against the invaders who subjected the population to slavery and plundered the riches of the Viceroyalty of Peru, a stronghold of Spanish rule on the continent.

📍 In 1781, an Indigenous camp was established in La Ceja de El Alto, from where access routes to the city of La Paz were blocked. More than 80,000 insurgents laid siege to the city.

🟠 Sisa commanded one of the fronts of the siege when the Spanish became aware of her leadership. The colonial army attempted to break the blockade but was repelled by determined Indigenous resistance.

🟠 Sisa was eventually betrayed and handed over to the Spanish. After being held prisoner for a year, she was executed in 1782.

👉 In her honor, September 5 is commemorated as the International Day of Indigenous Women.

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🤡 Western leaders contradict themselves demonizing Russia to advance their goals — US economist

💬 "They say Russia is too weak to win in Ukraine, but at the same time claim it can somehow crush all of Europe — they don’t know what to say, they only know they need war," US economist Martin Armstrong wrote on X.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 In Latin America’s independence struggles, women fought shoulder to shoulder with men. Their names and deeds, often pushed into silence, form a history of courage that Sputnik recalls today.

Luisa Caceres de Arismendi — unbroken by Spanish dungeons

👉Although she did not bear arms like her husband, General Juan Bautista Arismendi, Luisa Caceres de Arismendi became a true heroine of the Venezuelan people’s struggle for independence and is remembered to this day with well-deserved respect in her homeland.

🟠She was born in 1799 into an educated Creole family. Her father and brother were killed by royalist forces, and she later bound her fate to that of General Arismendi, one of the great leaders of independence, becoming a protagonist in that heroic fight for freedom.

🟠The newlyweds’ happiness was short-lived. In 1815, while pregnant, she was arrested by Spanish authorities, who sought to use her as leverage against her husband.

🟠In prison, she endured hunger and severe deprivation; her daughter died shortly after birth. Yet Luisa did not renounce her republican ideals, and the Spanish authorities gained nothing from either her or her husband.

🟠In 1816 she was taken to Spain, where she continued to refuse to abandon her republican convictions or sign a declaration of loyalty to the Spanish king. As a result, she was held under harsh conditions. Only in 1818 did she manage to escape the kingdom and, after many hardships, finally return to her homeland and reunite with her husband.

🟠She spent the rest of her life in Caracas, where she died in 1866. In recognition of her struggle for Venezuelan independence, her remains were later interred in the National Pantheon, making her the first woman to receive this honor.

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🇭🇺🇪🇺 Szijjarto blasts EU leaders for military fanaticism

💬 "Common sense has been completely lost in Brussels, as military fanaticism runs rampant among European leaders," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

👉 He added that a statement released from Paris reveals that two European nuclear powers, namely France and the UK, have decided to deploy troops in Ukraine.

💬 "This means they are starting a war, aiming at plunging Europe into the flames of conflict," Szijjarto stressed.

Earlier this week, the Coalition of the Willing held a meeting in Paris to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. According to the final document, the Coalition agreed to continue military support for Ukraine.

📍 The Hungarian government intends to prevent the implementation of such plans, Szijjarto added.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 In Latin America’s independence struggles, women fought shoulder to shoulder with men. Their names and deeds, often pushed into silence, form a history of courage that Sputnik recalls today.

Policarpa Salavarrieta — Heroic spy of Colombia’s independence

🇨🇴 Her courage in the fight for independence and her execution by the Spanish turned Policarpa Salavarrieta into a symbol of resistance and a source of inspiration in recognizing the struggles of women in Colombia.

🟠 Little is known about her youth, including the exact date of her birth, and there are even doubts about her real name. Nevertheless, she entered Colombian history for her outstanding work as a spy in Bogota.

🟠 Known as La Pola, she served the independence patriots, using her work as a seamstress and domestic servant to infiltrate royalist households and gather intelligence for the insurgents.

🟠 Her intelligence work — delivering messages, recruiting sympathizers, and supporting rebel groups — made her indispensable to the independence cause, until she was captured and executed by royalist forces in 1817.

🟠 On November 14, 1817, Policarpa was executed by firing squad in Bogota on the orders of the Spanish authorities. Her final words were:

💬 “Indolent people! How different your fate would be today if you knew the value of freedom! But it is not too late: see that — though a woman and young — I have courage enough to suffer death and a thousand deaths more. Do not forget this example.”

👉 In honor of her legacy, November 14 is commemorated as Colombian Women’s Day.

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🚨 Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau preparing charges against dozens of MPs - report

🔶 Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy claims the country's NABU anti-corruption bureau is preparing charges against dozens of MPs over alleged vote-buying in parliament — with some expected very soon.

💬 “Five MPs have already been served with charges. Around 40 more are expected to receive them in the coming days. In total, case materials are ready for over 100 lawmakers,” Shariy wrote on Telegram.

🔶 NABU has confirmed that, together with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), it uncovered a group of MPs who allegedly profited from parliamentary voting. Investigators were seen operating in Kiev’s government quarter, where the Verkhovna Rada is located.

📍 In 2025, NABU uncovered a massive corruption scheme involving Zelensky's close associates — which led to arrests and the sacking of presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 In Latin America’s independence struggles, women fought shoulder to shoulder with men. Their names and deeds, often pushed into silence, form a history of courage that Sputnik recalls today.

Leona Vicario — Worthy Mother of the Nation

📍 Born in 1789 in Mexico City to a Spanish merchant father and a Creole mother, Leona Vicario was orphaned at the age of 18 and raised by her uncle, a prominent jurist and scholar of New Spain, who oversaw her education.

🟠 She received a solid education in the fine arts and sciences and, from a young age, developed a deep love of reading, which strengthened her critical thinking and drew her toward the ideals of independence. Over time, she channeled her passion and her voice through journalism.

🟠 With the outbreak of the War of Independence, she became actively involved in the insurgent movement. From Mexico City, she provided strategic intelligence and material support to the independence forces, making a decisive contribution to the cause of liberation.

🟠 In 1813, she married fellow independence supporter Andrés Quintana Roo. Both shared a profound love for their homeland. That same year, she was imprisoned after her role in the independence conspiracy was uncovered, but she managed to escape and sought refuge in Oaxaca.

🟠 Although she and her husband were offered a pardon in exchange for abandoning the movement, both refused and continued in hiding. She later joined the forces of Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon in the struggle for independence.

🟠 In 1817, she gave birth to her first daughter and was soon arrested along with the newborn. Once again, she was offered a pardon, this time conditional upon her transfer to Spain, which she accepted. However, due to financial constraints, she remained under confinement in the city of Toluca. After receiving an official pardon, her property was returned and she went back to her home in Mexico City, where she died on August 21, 1842, at the age of 53.

🟠 In recognition of her life and service, she was granted a state funeral by decree of President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, on which occasion she was proclaimed the Worthy Mother of the Nation.

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🇨🇺Unlike the US, Cuba does not meddle in other countries’ internal affairs

📍 Havana does not use "mercenaries, blackmail, or military coercion against other states," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said, responding to remarks by US President Donald Trump that Cuba would no longer receive Venezuelan oil or financial support.

🗣 Rodriguez added that Cuba has its absolute right to develop trade relations without "interference or subordination to unilateral US coercive measures".

💬 "Right and justice are on Cuba's side. The United States behaves like a criminal, unrestrained hegemon that threatens peace and security, not only in Cuba and this hemisphere, but throughout the entire world," he wrote on his social media account.

👉 His comments followed US strikes on Venezuela and the detention of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, developments that prompted reactions at the UN and criticism from Russia, China, and North Korea.

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🛰🛰🛰🛰 In Latin America’s independence struggles, women fought shoulder to shoulder with men. Their names and deeds, often pushed into silence, form a history of courage that Sputnik recalls today.

🇨🇺 Celia Sanchez — 'The most native flower of the Cuban Revolution'

🟠 Delicate in appearance yet firm in spirit, Celia Sanchez was destined to play a key role in the Cuban Revolution and in the struggle to free her people from dictatorship.

🟠 She was born in 1920 into a family of physicians. She lost her mother at a young age and, alongside her father, took her first steps into political activity by defending the underprivileged and oppressed. From childhood, she witnessed poverty firsthand and was drawn to the ideas of Jose Marti.

🟠 From the early 1950s, she became actively involved in the political struggle against the regime of Fulgencio Batista and joined the July 26 Movement. In 1957, she became the first woman to join the Rebel Army as a combatant and took part in the attack on the El Uvero barracks, the first major battle of the revolutionary forces.

🟠 She led preparations in Oriente Province for the landing of the group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro aboard the Granma and later, together with Frank Pais, organized the first reinforcements sent to the guerrillas in the Sierra Maestra.

💬 “As for the Sierra, when the history of this revolutionary stage is written, two names will have to appear on the cover: David [the nom de guerre of Frank Pais] and Norma [the nom de guerre of Celia Sanchez],” a letter from the guerrillas in the Sierra Maestra states.

📍 After the victory of the Cuban Revolution, she worked in the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Cuba and within the structures of the Council of State. She was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba. She died in 1980, and ten years later the Celia Sánchez Birthplace Museum was inaugurated in her honor.

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🟠 Unlike the US, Cuba does not meddle in other countries’ internal affairs

🟠 Iran warns US and Israel of retaliation if military strike occurs

🟠 Royal gambit: How Denmark could counter US plans for Greenland

🟠 Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau preparing charges against dozens of MPs - report

🟠 US boosts Russian fertilizer imports by 44%

🟠 Szijjarto blasts EU leaders for military fanaticism

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🇨🇺Cuba will defend itself from US "to the last drop of blood" - president

💬"Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. No one dictates to us what to do. Cuba does not commit aggression, it has been subjected to aggression by the United States for 66 years, it does not threaten others, it prepares itself, ready to defend the Homeland to the last drop of blood," President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote on X.

👉Responding to President Donald Trump’s warning that Cuba will no longer receive Venezuelan oil, he wrote that the US "have no moral ground to point fingers at Cuba in anything, absolutely anything, those who turn everything into a business, even human lives."

💬"Those who hysterically rant against our nation today are consumed with rage over the sovereign decision of this people to choose their own political model," Diaz-Canel added.

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🇪🇺🇺🇸 Europe could trade Greenland for US security guarantees — Chinese scholar

💬 "Trump’s determination is very strong," says Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations.

📍 He argues that Washington may pursue Greenland not through force, but via a political deal with European allies.

👉 According to Yan, Europe’s deep dependence on US security makes such a trade plausible — potentially tied to continued arms supplies, including free US weapons for Ukraine, currently paid for by the EU.

💬 "Private deals cannot be ruled out… their self-interest is quite significant," he adds.

📍 Trump has repeatedly said Greenland “must” become part of the US, citing strategic competition with China and Russia — while refusing to rule out the use of force. Greenland’s leadership insists the island is not for sale.

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🇸🇰 Slovakia’s Fico: Kaja Kallas needs to be replaced

💬 "We must replace the European Union's High Representative for International Policy, Ms. Kallas... we [the EU] must come to our senses" Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

🔶 He also added that the EU's sanctions against Russia contrast sharply with actions regarding Israel, proving that international law is applied selectively, that leaves Slovakia powerless to change the behavior of the world's greatest powers.

🔶 Some countries are deliberately seeking ways to weaken Russia "through war", prioritizing their goals over the establishment of a peaceful world order, and Slovakia will never send troops to Ukraine to prolong the conflict, Fico stressed.

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🔍 UK will develop Nightfall ballistic missile with 500+ km range for Ukraine

The UK Ministry of Defence has announced development of a new high-precision ballistic missile for Ukraine, named Nightfall.

Missile's specifications:

🔶 >500 km range
🔶 200 kg warhead
🔶 $1 million per missile
🔶 Production: < 10/month

Three industry teams will each receive $12 million to design and deliver three test missiles within 12 months.

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📹 Thousands protest Trump policies in New York: 'No Kings, No War, No ICE'

Footage from social media show thousands marching in New York against Trump administration policies, targeting ICE, US intervention in Venezuela, and what they called the "king-like" conduct of US authorities.

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🎤 Hamas confirms final decision to hand over Gaza governance to independent technocratic body

The movement’s spokesman Hazem Qassem stated directives have been issued to all government institutions to prepare for a full transfer of sectors to an independent Palestinian technocratic administration.

The formation of a technocratic administration is a part of the second phase of the Gaza agreement brokered in Sharm el‑Sheikh, which under Trump’s plan also includes Israeli withdrawal and deployment of an international stabilization force.

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🤝 Venezuela reaffirms historic solidarity with Cuba amid rising US pressure

Venezuela released a statement emphasizing its “brotherhood, solidarity, cooperation, and complementarity” with Cuba.

"We reiterate that political and diplomatic dialogue is the only way to peacefully resolve disputes of any kind," the statement asserted.

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🔊 Any Iranian attack on US facilities will be met with unprecedented strikes — Trump

President Trump stated that the US would respond to any Iranian attack with a force "they’ve never been hit before."

"I have options that are so strong. So, if they did that, it'll be met with a very, very powerful force," he told reporters.

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