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'Made in Ethiopia': Manufacturing Boom Drives Import Substitution
Addis Ababa hosts the third edition of the Made in Ethiopia expo, showcasing the latest advancements in industrial technology and serving as a platform to strengthen the country's manufacturing sector.
"The aim is to introduce the products produced by Ethiopian manufacturing industries to the public," Ethiopian State Minister of Industry Tarekegn Bululta told Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the event held on May 3-7.
Key Statements by Putin in the Documentary "Russia. The Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years"
🔹 On Ukraine and the Special Military Operation (SMO):
▪️ Russia did not intentionally prepare for the SMO, but sought to resolve the Donbass issue peacefully;
▪️ Russia has enough forces and means to bring the SMO to its logical conclusion;
▪️ Russia has faced deliberate provocations to force it into making mistakes during the SMO, but it has remained calm and composed;
▪️ Russia had no need so far to use nuclear weapons during the special operation. "I hope there won't be a need;"
▪️ Peace with Ukraine is inevitable — it's only a matter of time.
🔹 On confrontation with the West:
▪️ The West failed to properly respond to warnings made by Moscow at the Munich Conference, which eventually led to the tragic events in Ukraine;
▪️ Under the pretext of respecting the Minsk agreements, the West paused only to rearm Ukraine;
▪️ Launching the SMO in 2014 would have been unrealistic — Russia was not ready for direct confrontation with the collective West;
▪️ The situation around the Minsk agreements is an experience that must be taken into account in the future.
▪️ Until 2022, Russia perceived the agreements with the western countries with cautious trust.
🔹 On historical events of the 90s and 2000s:
▪️ Separatist tendencies were strong in Russia in the 1990s — not only in the North Caucasus;
▪️ If it had not been possible to hold Russia together in the 90s, it would have faced a very bleak future, with suffering for its people;
▪️ In the early 2000s, Russia's adversaries had every chance to split the country — attempts continue even today;
▪️ The president shared that he first knelt in prayer during the Nord-Ost theater siege;
▪️ The Beslan tragedy will remain forever with those who witnessed it and those who know about it;
▪️ Russia tried to convey to the West that they were supporting terrorists in the Caucasus, but they "nodded their heads and did exactly the opposite."
🔹 On values and traditions:
▪️ Russians differ from Western societies — Russians think more about eternal value;
▪️ Loss of identity is extremely dangerous for Russia: without traditional values, the country simply won't exist;
▪️ National unity is the main guarantee of Russia's victories;
▪️ "I continue to breathe the same air as millions of Russian citizens."
🔹 On a successor:
▪️ Russia should foster individuals capable of earning the public’s trust;
▪️ The president said he observes and assesses each person's potential when thinking about a successor;
▪️ He constantly considers the question of a possible successor, but it is up to the Russian people to make a final decision on who will be the next leader of Russia.
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From Restrictions to Regional Harmony: Tanzania & Malawi Sign Agreements to Forge Path to Free Trade
Dodoma, Tanzania, hosted a joint ministerial meeting aimed at resolving Malawi’s March ban on Tanzanian agricultural imports and strengthening bilateral trade, according to a joint statement.
Key outcomes of the constructive and fruitful consultations:
▫️agreed to develop joint Standard Operating Procedures on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards;
▫️Malawi pledged to immediately ease cross-border trade through an administrative instrument;
▫️both sides reaffirmed plans to finalize and implement the Simplified Trade Regime Agreement by May 30;
▫️pledged full implementation of outcomes for mutual benefit.
The meeting followed a trade dispute in which Malawi banned some Tanzanian imports, prompting Tanzania to impose a full import ban on Malawi—later lifted ahead of the talks.
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#SputnikInfographic | 3D Look at BP-43 Armored Train, Victory's Impenetrable Behemoth
🇷🇺 "Everything for the front! Everything for Victory!"
The Red Army forged its legend with steel monsters designed in the urgency of war. They weren't just made of iron. They changed the course of history, the symbols of sacrifice and glory.
Discover the BP-43 armored train, a fortress on rails, so strong that, out of the 21 trains constructed, only one was ever destroyed in combat.
With its 37 mm M1939 anti-aircraft cannons, 76 mm tank guns, and 7.62 mm machine guns, the train would combat enemy tanks and aircraft alike, giving frontline units much-needed fire support where rail infrastructure was available and intact.
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Russian Military Instructors Helped Repel Three Militant Attacks in CAR This Week
Militants, affiliated to the Azande tribe, have recently attacked the Central African Armed Forces' positions in the Zemio town in the south-east of the country, the Officers Union for International Security said in a statement.
Casualties:
⦁ Russia: one instructor wounded.
⦁ CAR: four soldiers killed, two wounded.
⦁ Militants: at least eight killed.
MINUSCA peacekeepers provided little assistance in repelling the attack in the initial phase. However, they later joined the night search operations.
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WATCH | Putin Talks About West's 'Existential' Confrontation With Russia and Why Special Operation Wasn't Launched in 2014
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Russia Will Cease to Exist Without Relying on Its Traditional Values, Putin Says
"I simply proceeded from the premise that if we do not rely on our traditional values, we simply will not exist. Russia would simply lose its identity," Putin said when asked why he said he was defending traditional values as opposed to the "Western mainstream."
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#SputnikInfographic | Five Days to Victory
Sputnik Africa continues to revisit the endgame battles of the Great Patriotic War. On this day 80 years ago, Soviet troops continued their advancing, consolidating efforts.
The 2nd Belorussian Front continued to march towards British forces in Belzig on this day eight decades ago. 51 communities were freed as Soviet soldiers advanced.
The act of capitulation was signed by German command representatives in Denmark, the Netherlands, and northwest Germany.
#Victory80
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#viral | Russian Firefighters Put Down 81 Forest Fires on 128,000 Ha in One Week
The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Zabaikalsky Krai in Siberia reported on the achievement, and the federal agency released the footage.
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It is Honor to Be on Red Square on Victory Day, Cuban President Says
Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez is arriving "in dear Russia" on Sunday "to take part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism," he said on X.
Russia expects leaders from over 20 countries to visit Moscow on May 9 and take part in the parade, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
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❗️ Russia was forced to make decision in 2014 to support people of Crimea, any other behavior would have meant handing them over to be torn apart, Putin says
Russia has made strong leap since 2014 thanks to sanctions imposed by west over Crimea, he added.
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❗️China and Russia will continue to oppose unilateral actions and intimidation, and jointly promote an equal multipolar world, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said
The Kremlin said, in turn, that Xi Jinping will pay official visit to Russia on May 7-10 at Putin's invitation.
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Trade Should Not Be Weaponized, Says Warren Buffett on Trump’s Tariffs
"In the US, we should be looking to trade with the rest of the world," legendary Wall Street investor said at the annual investors meeting of Berkshire Hathaway that he owns.
"When you have seven and a half billion people that do not like you very well, and you got 300 million that are crowing in some way about how well they have done - I do not think it is right, and I do not think it is wise," he noted.
Sending NATO Troops to Ukraine May Trigger New World War, Slovak Lawmaker Says
"Europe does not seem to have realized yet that the US policy regarding Russia is changing. There are countries interested in further escalation of tensions," Slovak National Council Deputy Speaker Tibor Gaspar told Sputnik.
#viral | Wrong Turn!
Kenyan Vincent Kibet Langat missed out on winning the 10km race at the ASICS Speed Race in Tokyo by running past the finish line.
In unexpected luck, Ethiopian Jemal Yimer won in 27 minutes 10 seconds.
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Hundreds of Compatriots and Graduates of Russian and Soviet universities Take Part in "Immortal Regiment" March in Beirut, a Sputnik Correspondent Reports
The demonstrators came from various cities in Lebanon, including Baalbek and Tyre. Employees of the Russian diplomatic mission, headed by Ambassador Alexander Rudakov, also joined in.
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📹 Putin Says He Had Hoped for Exactly This Kind of Russia's Public Reaction to Special Military Operation
It's the kind of reaction when citizens began to realize that both the present and the future depended on them, he explained.
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📹 Fit to Be President: Putin Shows Gym in Kremlin Where He Works Out
The gym is equipped with exercise machines for various types of physical activity.
Vladimir Putin confirmed that he comes here to work out in the morning. The president also told how he accidentally scratched himself during a workout about two weeks ago.
"I was working out here, swung my arm and accidentally hit my forehead, nothing heroic about it," he told the Russian journo.
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#viral| Indonesia's Volcano Merapi Has Erupted Every Month This Year, Displaying Spectacular Smoke Plumes
A video of its last eruption, reaching 3,600 meters high, is going viral on social media.
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True Independence Impossible Without Monetary Sovereignty: Niger Holds Conference to Promote AES Single Currency
"It [CFA franc] is the only colonial currency still in use—which means that this situation is not normal," President of the Urgences Panafricanistes movement Abdourahamane Oumarou told Sputnik Africa.
"The day will certainly come when our leaders will be forced to lance the abscess and finally get rid of these chains of imperialism, these chains of this colonial currency," Oumarou added.
Sudan Reiterates Appeal for International Response as RSF Continue to Commit Anti-Human Crimes, Foreign Ministry Says
The RSF rebels have killed about 300 civilians over the past two days in Southern Sudan's West Kordofan state, Sudan News Agency reported, citing a statement from the Foreign Ministry.
The rebels' recent atrocities, lacking basic human morality, surpassed even the worst known terrorist groups in brutality, according to the statement.
The ministry called on the UN Security Council and global actors to end their tolerance toward the RSF group and its backers.
Footage from social media allegedly shows the RSF rebels in West Kordofan and the aftermath of their attacks
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WATCH | Putin Talks About Background for Conducting a Special Military Operation in Ukraine
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📹 Putin Reveals His Own Chapel in Kremlin and How He First Knelt in Prayer During the Nord-Ost Moscow Theater Siege
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❗️Russia is essentially standing alone against the collective West, Putin said
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❗️Russia did not intentionally prepare for the special military operation, Putin said
Russia agreed to the Minsk agreements on Ukraine because they wanted to believe in them, the Russian leader added.
Moscow, signing these agreements, expected them to be observed, but the country was simply deceived.
Russia needs to take into account the experience of the Minsk agreements in the future, Putin said.
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Non-Recognition of Russia's Crimea by US Leaves Loophole for Kiev's Aggression, Report Says
If Crimea and other Russian territories are not formally recognized, Kiev would resume its hostilities against Russia, a British newspaper said.
In the West's perceived "perfect scenario," the peace deal would include deploying "coalition of the willing" troops along Ukraine’s line of control and easing its EU accession, the report noted.
If this is not feasible, the West would rather seek a Korean War-style truce than an agreement that includes formalization of territorial realities, according to the publication.
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❗️ Russia has been subjected to provocations aimed at pushing it into making mistakes during the special operation in Ukraine, but Moscow has managed to remain calm and composed, Putin says
More statements by the Russian president in Russia-1 TV channel's documentary:
⦁ Reconciliation with Ukraine is inevitable, it's a matter of time;
⦁ Russia has enough forces and means to bring the special operation to its logical conclusion;
⦁ Russia had no need to use nuclear weapons during the special operation.
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🎉 Long-Awaited Tribute: Immortal Regiment Marches Through Washington After Six-Year Break
About 200 people walked from the White House to the WWII memorial, holding up photos of their relatives who fought in the war.
Traditionally attended by Russians or those from former Soviet countries, this year, at least a dozen US citizens whose relatives fought in the WWII joined the event.
This was the first authorized rally in six years, as the event had been previously suspended—first due to the pandemic and later by officials citing the "complex political climate."
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Israeli Air Force Targeted 'Dozens of Infrastructure and Weapons Facilities' Throughout Syria
▪️"Anti-aircraft guns and a surface-to-air missile launcher" were notably targeted, the IDF said in a statement. The strike took place on Friday evening, involving 12 warplanes;
▪️ Five wounded Syrian Druze were evacuated to Israeli territory overnight, according to another statement.
➡️ On Friday morning, Israeli warplanes attacked the area around the presidential palace in Damascus. The Jewish state claimed it was acting in retaliation for the fighting affecting Syria's Druze community.
Syrian authorities described the attack as a dangerous escalation.
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New Political Era Begins: Faure Gnassingbe Sworn in as First President of Togo's New Council of Ministers
The inauguration ceremony took place on Saturday in Togo's capital, Lome.
What's known about the new Council of Ministers?
⦁ created by constitutional reform, the Council of Ministers has become Togo's highest executive authority;
⦁ the reform, adopted in April 2024, makes the office of President of the Republic an honorary position;
⦁ the president of the Council of Ministers must be the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly, which the ruling Union for the Republic party;
⦁ the PM and her government resigned on Friday, as the post of head of government no longer exists, according to the new constitution.
"The appointment of the president of the council represents not only an important milestone in the implementation of our constitution but also a significant step forward in our collective political history, better still, the beginning of a new era for our country," said the National Assembly speaker, Kodjo Adedze, after the Union for the Republic submitted the name of the council president to the National Assembly Bureau on Wednesday.