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Phone call between Trump and Biden was "short and respectful," CNN writes, citing sources
A source briefed on President Joe Biden’s call to former President Donald Trump after the assassination attempt on Saturday night described the conversation as “good,” noting that it was “short and respectful.”
Aside from Saturday’s call, the two men hadn't spoken directly in years, only interacting through moderators during last month’s CNN debate.
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⚡️ West dangles NATO membership in front of Ukraine like carrot before donkey
⚡️ Is it harder to prepare for debates against Biden or to prepare Biden for debates?
⚡️ Can homegrown ‘Iron Dome’ really protect Europe’s skies?
⚡️ Not by gold alone: Why lithium is so valuable and who controls most of this precious metal
⚡️ NATO vs Russia: check out a newly-made helmet crash-test
⚡️ Watch a Russian Mi-28NM helicopter strike Ukrainian units
⚡️ US stealing Russian money and using Russian assets to support Ukraine
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❗️Russian Iskander-M missile struck the unloading site of a railroad train with armament and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporozhye region - Russian Defense Ministry
An echelon of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel were destroyed, as well as M-113 armoured personnel carriers and Buk M1 complexes, the ministry reported.
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Hundreds of gallons of fire-fighting foam have been released at the Vermont US National Guard base in South Burlington after the fire suppression system malfunctioned
Seems like the guys wanted to throw up a party!
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📹 Watch a Russian Mi-28NM helicopter strike Ukrainian units
Vostok group of forces pilots struck with unguided aircraft missiles at the enemy's camouflaged equipment and manpower, after which they performed an anti-missile maneuver, released heat traps and returned to their location.
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Clashes with police and multiple attacks on AfD party conference members in Germany
The participants of the Alternative for Germany party conference are attacked by 'Antifa' left-wing and environmental activists in the city of Hessen, reports say.
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🦮 Watch how US netizens' furry friends reacted to Biden's debate
This dog appears to know more than meets the eye
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Five people were killed, including two children, after a Ukrainian drone attack in the Kursk region — governor
"Tonight a Ukrainian copter attacked a residential house in the village of Gorodishche in the Rylsky district. To great grief, five people were killed as a result of the drop, including two small children. Another two family members in serious condition were taken to the Rylsk district hospital where they are being treated," Alexei Smirnov, the Kursk region's acting governor, wrote on his Telegram channel.
🪖NATO vs Russia: a helmet crash-test
Rostec State Corporation – Russia’s state arms manufacturer – has conducted a crash-test of five armored helmets, including three used by NATO troops, a Russian-made protective helmet and another made by an unknown maker.
Let's see which helmet turned out to be the most reliable.
The helmets were tested for compliance with the Br-1 and Br-2 protection standards.
During the tests, Russian-made Stechkin and Serdyukov 9mm automatic pistols fired shots at a distance of five meters from the helmets, which were placed in various positions at a shooting ground.
🔹The helmet by the unknown producer, as well as a NATO-standard trophy helmet, a US-made PASGT DELTA helmet, and the Philippines-made NATO-standard AB-ACH FC helmet – were all penetrated by the bullets fired from both the Stechkin and the Serdyukov.
🇷🇺Meanwhile, the Russian-made Bars-L helmet withstood the impact of all the bullets, which only left a slight dent on the helmet’s surface.
Designed by the Research Institute of Steel (part of Rostec’s Kalashnikov concern), the Bars-L is made of titanium and composite materials, featuring increased protective characteristics. In particular, the helmet is capable of absorbing an assault rifle bullet fired from a certain distance.
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❗️Russian forces destroyed two launchers of the S-300PS anti-aircraft missile system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
🇷🇺🪖 More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry’s weekly briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:
▪️Ukrainian forces lost up to 270 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Sever Battlegroup;
▪️Russia's Zapad Battlegroup destroyed two ammunition depots and defeated the formations of seven brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Territorial Defense forces and the National Guard. Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 500 soldiers;
▪️Russia's Dnepr Battlegroup eliminated up to 100 Ukrainian troops in a day;
▪️Units of the Yug Battlegroup destroyed five field ammunition depots. Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 430 soldiers;
▪️The Vostok Battlegroup took more advantageous positions. Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 135 soldiers.
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Following the New York Times, British newspaper The Telegraph wrote that Biden should be replaced
The newspaper reported that British ministers privately urged Democrats to "get rid" of Biden and "switch him fast" with a younger candidate with a better chance of winning against Trump.
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According to the counted votes, Masoud Pezeshkian got 42.1% (10.4 million votes) and Saeed Jalili 38.3% (about 9 million votes). With neither of them getting 50% of the votes in the first round, they advance to the second round. Voter turnout was 40%.
The second round will be held on July 5, according to the Ministry of Interior, where the election commission is located.
"Due to the fact that none of the candidates was able to get a majority of votes, according to the law, the second round of elections will be held across the country on Friday, July 5," the election headquarters spokesman, Mohsen Eslami, was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.
US stealing Russian money and using Russian assets to support Ukraine — Jim Rogers to Sputnik
"Of course, it's not right … for a country just to steal someone else's assets," a well-known American investor told Sputnik, stressing that he does not approve of the seizure and does not think it should happen.
"Many people see what's happening with the US dollar, they see that the US is seizing assets, that other people are seizing assets, so many people are now trying to find something else to use besides the US dollar."
🎓🎆Prom: Russian Style
"Scarlet Sails," a holiday dedicated to graduation, was held in St. Petersburg, Russia. The ceremony ended with the passage of the brig Rossiya (lit. Russia) along the Neva River.
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❗️Five people were killed, including two small children, and two seriously injured as a result of a night attack by a Ukrainian helicopter on an apartment building in the village of Gorodishche in Russia's Kursk region, the acting head of the region, Alexei Smirnov, said.
According to him, the victims are in the hospital, they are receiving medical care.
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Trump’s life saved by shooter’s lack of professionalism — Russian anti-terror unit veteran
"I don’t believe that it was a professional sniper, because for a professional sniper, 100 or 110 meters [from the roof to Trump] is not a [large] distance," Sergei Goncharov, president of the Association of Veterans of the Alpha Anti-Terror Unit and member of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) advisory council, tells Sputnik.
"The division in American society that now exists regarding Trump and Biden [has reached such strength] that I do not rule out that these police officers did not like Trump, and therefore they did not care about the situation that was pointed out to them," Goncharov speculates.
Can homegrown ‘Iron Dome’ really protect Europe’s skies?
The results of Europe’s efforts to build its own multi-layered air defense system, the so-called European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) which is sometimes referred to as Iron Dome (a reference to the Israeli air defense system), may not turn out to be as good as advertised, says Swedish Armed Forces veteran and former politician Mikael Valtersson.
The problem, according to him, is that not all of the European countries signed on to this enterprise, which means ESSI “doesn't cover the entirety of Europe,” and it will be no easy task to provide protection to all members.
“For example, Finland is part of it, and Turkiye is part of it. But Turkiye is very separate from the rest of Europe. So who will decide what to defend?” Valtersson inquires.
“Europe is such a large continent, and there will be so many holes in the defense system. So it will be nearly impossible to stop hypersonic missiles,” Valtersson warns.
“That's been a discussion within the EU to strengthen, not defense cooperation so much, but the defense acquirement when you buy the new weapon systems,” he remarks. “So, I believe that's the reasons why the European Union are interested in this. They want as many countries as possible to have the same kind of missile systems because it's cheaper and easier to integrate.”
West dangles NATO membership in front of Ukraine like carrot before donkey
Volodymyr Zelensky’s desperate efforts to drive Ukraine into NATO’s embrace may be all for naught, argues Daniel R. DePetris, a fellow at US-based think tank Defense Priorities.
Even as NATO leaders like US President Joe Biden and the bloc’s outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg keep claiming that the decision about Ukraine’s NATO membership has de facto been made, the bloc does not really want Kiev to actually join, DePetris writes in his op-ed in Newsweek.
NATO may be quite happy to supply Ukraine with weapons to inflict damage upon Russia, but becoming involved in a direct conflict “with a nuclear-armed Russia on behalf of Ukraine is not in the cards,” he notes.
“Ukraine has been waiting on NATO membership for a long time. It will continue to wait, likely in perpetuity, regardless of the sweet-nothings Western leaders whisper in Zelensky's ear,” DePetris believes.
Heavy rains in China prompt highest alert level
The prolonged downpours are not going to stop in a number of regions in the southern part of China, forecasts say.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered that citizens be provided with all possible assistance in the fight against the elements.
Video from social media
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💬 "The United States of America is just a big lie," famous Egyptian actress says
It is very important to cover the Palestinian issue impartially, Dalia Al Beheri🇪🇬 told Sputnik Africa at the 24th Arab Radio and Television Festival in Tunis.
🗣 "Children are being burned alive, being burned while they are sleeping at night. What is this? Beheaded children. We have seen things we wouldn't have believed to see in a horror movie. [...] It's all about talking about human rights and talking about all these big words and they are doing nothing. It's just a fake world," she lamented.
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🔸 sputnik.africa">TikTok | Sputnik Africa 🔸
Not by gold alone: Why lithium is so valuable and who controls most of this precious metal
Lithium, a soft alkali metal mined in various corners of the globe, has become all the rage in the business and industrial circles.
Lithium is used in the production of batteries for electronics and high-tech products such as laptops, cell phones and electric vehicles.
The obsession of Western countries with the climate agenda and net-zero emissions, along with the booming electric vehicles market, further boosts the demand for lithium.
Lithium is extracted either from saltwater accumulations known as brines or from hard rock compounds called spodumene and lepidolite.
Last year’s estimates suggest that the largest reserves of lithium in the world, about 9.3 million metric tons, are controlled by Chile.
The second place is held by Australia (about 6.2 million metric tons) who is also regarded as the world leader in lithium mine production. The third spot is held by Argentina (3.6 million metric tons).
In terms of lithium resources, however, the undisputed leader is believed to be Bolivia who sits on some 21 million metric tons of the precious metal.
For comparison, while the runner-up Argentina has 20 million metric tons of lithium resources, the United States’ (third place) lithium resources are estimated at about 12 million metric tons.
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Is it harder to prepare for debates against Biden or to prepare Biden for debates?
Yesterday, we saw Jill Biden praising her husband's (AKA ice cream lover's) debate performance.
Now let's look at 'unbiased' US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas who also applauded his boss.
Biden's biggest fans, we guess.
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❗️P️oliceman wounded with a crossbow near the Israeli Embassy in Serbia
The perpetrator was neutralized by return fire, Serbian Interior Ministry said.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack and closed the diplomatic mission.
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Germany is currently suffering from heavy storms and rain. The video shows the streets of Hamburg and the completely flooded soccer arena of the 30,150 seat stadium in Hoffenheim.
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❗️Russian Tsentr battlegroup liberated Shumy settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic - Russian Defense Ministry
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Two people were killed and 35 injured in a collision between a bus carrying employees of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Turkiye and a passenger car, local media reported.
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Masoud Pezeshkian is leading Iranian presidential election with over 14 million ballots counted.
According to the latest data from the election commission, he is supported by 5.96 million votes, while Saeed Jalili, in second place, has 5.56 million votes.
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🔸NYT editorial board calls on Biden to quit election race
🔸Trump vs Biden: odds of winning US presidential election
🔸Bolivian military rebels who attempted a coup: What are they facing?
🔸Russian Navy gets scores of new vessels each year despite Western sanctions: proof
🔸In the event of real conflict, how many troops would NATO countries be able to send into battle?
🔸Watch Russian Iskander missile destroy Ukraine’s S-300PS surface-to-air missile system near Odessa
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Biden not fit to discharge immense presidency duties — Douglas Macgregor
"The media worked closely with the White House to conceal the truth that was on display last night. President Biden is not fit to discharge the immense duties of the presidency. The alarming evidence of his cognitive decline was on display for all to witness," retired US Army Colonel and former Department of Defense adviser commented on yesterday's presidential debate.
"These actions drained our defense resources and compromised our moral standing in the world. Sadly, President Biden's fragile mental state was laid bare for all to see in last night's debate. His responses were frequently incoherent. He appeared lost, even confused, struggling to complete basic thoughts. It was heartbreaking, a spectacle that confirmed our worst fears about his deteriorating capacity," he concluded.
💥 Russian T-80BVM and T-90 Proryv tanks have destroyed Ukrainian strongholds near Ugledar.
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