🚨 ‘Putin kept his word’ — Trump

US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin “kept his word” on a temporary pause in strikes during cold weather.

On January 29, Trump said he had personally asked Putin not to strike Kiev and several other Ukrainian cities until Feb. 1. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the request, saying it was intended to create favorable conditions for talks in Abu Dhabi.

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🗣 Wolf and Epstein conspired against me — Trump

💬 "A reporter named Wolf and Epstein conspired... against me in order to fight like hell to make sure I lose the election," President Donald Trump said.

Trump claimed that was “the only thing” mentioned about him, and argued the issue is “really a Democrat problem.”

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🇨🇳China warns Panama court ports ruling erodes trust, bowed to political pressure

A recent ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court annulling the renewal of a Chinese company’s port concession at the Panama Canal is factually baseless and politically motivated, China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said on its social media account.

➖ The remarks addressed a January 29 Panama Supreme Court decision that the concession held by Panama Ports Co, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings, to operate two major Panama Canal ports is “unconstitutional.”

➖ The concession agreement had been in force for 30 years, and Panama’s competent authorities repeatedly confirmed that the Hong Kong company complied with the contract terms and fully fulfilled its obligations, according to Chinese authorities.

➖ The court's ruling seriously undermines the company’s legitimate rights and interests, the statement says, warning that it sends a clear signal to international investors that Panama is unable to provide solid guarantees.

➖ Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced on January 30 that the government is negotiating with APM Terminals, a unit of AP Moller-Maersk, to manage the ports temporarily.

➖ In response, China’s Foreign Ministry signaled that it would take all necessary measures to “safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”

➖ In his inauguration speech last year, US President Donald Trump made it clear that Washington intended to take control of the Panama Canal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since then repeatedly visited Panama to convey Washington’s position to Mulino.

👉The Panama court’s ruling was widely seen as a win for Washington amid intensifying US–China rivalry over global trade routes.

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🇨🇺Cuba expresses gratitude to Russia amid US measures

💬“We are always grateful for Russia’s support and to all countries that have raised this issue in the UN and in other international forums where the blockade and these new aggressive measures are condemned,” Cuban Ambassador to Uruguay, Lissette Perez tells Sputnik.

Her remarks come after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba and declared a national emergency over what Washington called a security threat. Havana has criticized the move as an attempt to squeeze the island’s economy.

💬"The Russian government has expressed vigorous condemnation of the blockade... We are always grateful for Russia's support and to all countries that have raised this issue in the UN, as well as those that do so on a bilateral basis, on all forums where the blockade and these new aggressive measures are condemned," the diplomat says.

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🇺🇸🇳🇬 US confirms deployment of small team of troops to Nigeria — reports

The United States has sent a small group of soldiers to Nigeria, marking the first confirmed presence of US forces on the ground since airstrikes carried out in December, Reuters reported.

💬 "That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States," General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of the US military's Africa Command AFRICOM, told journalists, according to the report.

Nigeria’s defense minister also confirmed the presence of the team.

The deployment follows US airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump, which Washington said targeted ISIS* terrorists in Nigeria.

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

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🇨🇴🇺🇸 ‘A pact for freedom, a pact for life, can be made’ — Petro after talks with Trump

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House had an “optimistic and positive” tone, despite differing views on key issues.

Petro said the talks covered drug trafficking, energy and the situation in Venezuela, noting that while approaches may differ — some “more aggressive,” others “more constructive” — the focus was on what unites both sides.

💬 “What brings us together is freedom,” Petro said, adding that he raised the need to pursue drug trafficking capital, lift sanctions on Venezuela, and cooperate on reviving the country along the shared Colombia–Venezuela border.

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📄 Pentagon plans 'hundreds of thousands' of kamikaze drones in catch-up scramble

The US Department of War said it has invited 25 companies, including two Ukrainian firms, to compete in Phase I of its Drone Dominance Program, aimed at rapidly fielding large numbers of low-cost, one-way attack drones.

According to the Pentagon, the program is designed to build an arsenal of “hundreds of thousands” of weaponized drones by 2027, with initial flight tests set to begin in February and prototype contracts worth about $150 million to follow soon after.

💬 “We are buying what works—fast, at scale, and without bureaucratic delay,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a memo cited by the department.

The announcement underscores the United States' drive to catch up in drone warfare amid its lag behind Russia, exposing a gap between Pentagon planning and the actual realities of modern combat.

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🚨📑🗣New START’s demise represents ‘turning point’ in international security order - experts

The New Start agreement’s looming February 5 expiration “effectively amounts to a return to the Cold War era, giving every nuclear power free rein to build up its capabilities, and raising the bar for the arms race,” Lebanese political scientist Ali Al-Maraabi told Sputnik.

“This creates extreme risks for global security, since today there is no other effective formula for regulating nuclear tensions besides New START. Even the UN does not have effective control mechanisms in this area.”

The treaty’s breakdown comes down to two factors, Syrian journalist Firas Mardiny says: Washington’s belief that China has nuclear capabilities that should require it to join the agreement, expanding its scope, and Russia’s interest in including European US allies Britain and France into any new deal.

Whatever comes next, Egyptian researcher and international relations specialist Monica William stresses that New START’s demise “represents a turning point in the international security system, and will lead to a profound reevaluation of the very concept of strategic stability.”

In any case, Russia retains a wide spectrum of response options:

“In this new reality, Moscow has significant room to maneuver without resorting to direct confrontation within the framework of so-called ‘deterrence realism’. Its steps could include raising the level of nuclear readiness, announcing a major modernization of the arsenal of hypersonic intercontinental missiles, expanding the scale of military exercises, increasing the emphasis of the provisions of the Russian nuclear doctrine, and revising the balance of deterrence in relations with Europe,” William said.

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🇬🇧🔎 UK police opens criminal investigation against Peter Mandelson over Epstein case

British police launched a criminal investigation against former UK Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson for leaking an internal government document to US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Metropolitan Police Commander Ella Marriott said.

📑Following the release of the latest batch of Epstein files by the US Department of Justice, British media have revealed that Mandelson, while serving as Business Secretary in Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government in 2009, sent an internal government document to the late financier.

👉The document Mandelson sent to Epstein was written by Nick Butler, Brown's senior political adviser. It discusses the possible sale of British state assets amid the financial crisis. On Monday, Mandelson announced his resignation from the Labour Party due to his ties to Epstein.

On January 30, US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that all the materials related to the Epstein case had been released. With the latest disclosure, the total volume of released data exceeds 3.5 million files.

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🔸 ‘We are negotiating with them right now’ — Trump on Iran

🔸 ‘Putin kept his word’ — Trump

🔸 Trump signs government funding bill, ending partial shutdown

🔸 Pentagon plans 'hundreds of thousands' of kamikaze drones in catch-up scramble

🔸 US confirms deployment of small team of troops to Nigeria — reports

🔸 Iran’s space chief: Cooperation with Russia 'expanding' after Khayyam satellite launch

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