44143
Join our channel for breaking news stories from around the globe, exclusive analysis & opinions. Website: sputnikglobe.com 💬 You can always reach us via @sputnikint_bot
🚨 Operation ‘Epic Fury’ is over — Rubio
💬 “The President notified Congress, we’re done with that stage of it. We’re now on to this Project Freedom,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
🙏🏼 ‘Back to the way it was’ — Rubio wants Hormuz opened
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s goal around the Strait of Hormuz is to restore passage “back to the way it was” before the illegal US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🔸 Secret reindeer recon & canine commandos: Discover USSR’s unsung animal heroes of WWII
🔸 Watch Russian T-80BVM tank wipe out a Ukrainian stronghold in Zaporozhye region
🔸 China unveils first export version of fifth-generation J-35A stealth fighter
🔸 From Kuwait to Gwadar: Diverted vessel demonstrates regional trade shift
🔸 EXPLAINED: Why millions of Pakistanis are shifting to e-bikes amid Strait of Hormuz energy crisis
🔸 China pulls ahead of Japan in race for next-generation solar power
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇷🇺 Russia rolls out cutting-edge defense against FPV drone attacks
The SERP-FPV system, developed by Rostec, is designed to protect armored vehicles and mobile units from massive drone attacks.
🔶 The system can jam both individual drones and entire swarms, creating targeted or omnidirectional interference depending on the threat
🔶 The SERP-FPV’s key features are “rapid deployment and efficient enemy drone signal suppression"
🔶 It effectively suppresses even custom-modified frequencies used by FPV operators
🔶 SERP-FPV works across all common drone control bands, including civilian frequencies, ensuring reliable protection in diverse operational environments
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇨🇳🇯🇵 China pulls ahead of Japan in race for next-generation solar power
👉 China now leads the world in perovskite solar cell patenting, overtaking Japan, which pioneered the technology.
What’s known about the innovation?
🟠 Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are lightweight, thin-film, and relatively inexpensive materials used to produce flexible solar cells. They can be integrated into buildings, vehicles, and other urban structures
🟠 Invented in 2009 by Japanese scientist Tsutomu Miyasaka, PSCs have rapidly advanced, reaching power conversion efficiencies of over 27%
🟠 By 2020, China had surpassed Japan in annual patent applications in this field
🟠 By 2025, China’s battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) had overtaken Panasonic Holdings in both intellectual property and manufacturing scale for these flexible cells
🟠 Meanwhile, researchers at Russia's ITMO University have developed PSCs with even higher efficiency using semiconductor nanocrystals
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇦🇪 Mini robot in national attire highlight UAE’s tech future
A robot dressed in traditional Emirati clothing made a striking appearance at the “Make it in the Emirates 2026” exhibition, welcoming guests and visitors.
The exhibition, hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, focuses on boosting local manufacturing, strengthening supply chains, and scaling production for export.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇷🇺🦠 Russian scientists develop ‘smart’ biomaterial to boost cancer treatment
🔶 Chemotherapy remains a key cancer treatment, but its use is often limited by severe side effects due to drug toxicity, which damages both cancerous and healthy cells.
🔶 Researchers at the Far Eastern Federal University have proposed a solution: a targeted drug delivery system based on a synthetic magnetic biocomposite.
🔶 Magnetic nanoparticles help track a drug’s distribution and control its release, while the porous calcium silicate structure gradually releases the medication, maintaining a stable therapeutic concentration.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷 Hegseth threatens Iran with 'overwhelming and devastating American firepower' in case of an attack on its troops or ships
Despite claiming to have hit over 10,000 targets during Operation Epic Fury, the US failed to destroy Iran’s air force, air defenses, navy, and missile launch capabilities.
It also failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
📹 Watch Russian T-80BVM tank wipe out a Ukrainian stronghold in Zaporozhye region
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: HUGE GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES
◻️ Russian troops battered temporary deployment sites of Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries across 148 districts
◻️ Russian forces pulverized Ukrainian defense and fuel industry facilities with precision-guided munitions
◻️ Air defense superiority: 6 Flamingo long-range cruise missiles and 601 drones were shot down
◻️ Ukrainian losses: around 1,210 troops killed or wounded
Read about the origins of Russia's special military op HERE
📌 Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇨🇴🪖 7,000 Colombian mercenaries ‘needlessly die’ for Ukraine – President Petro
💬 “We don't want to export death. Mercenaries are prohibited by [Colombia’s] law,” President Gustavo Petro wrote on X.
🔸 Shooting near White House leaves suspect and bystander injured — Secret Service
🔸 US strikes civilian boats in Gulf, kills five — report
🔸 No military solution in Hormuz — Iran warns US against escalation
🔸 Judge sets next hearing date for Nicolás Maduro
🔸 FSB conducts raids on underground arms dealers
🔸 Labour hides ‘toxic’ Starmer from voters as election disaster looms – report
🔸 Return of the Jeddah: Saudi land bridge seeks to save Gulf trade
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🚨 Two dead in US strike on alleged narco-trafficking boat – SOUTHCOM
The Joint Task Force conducted a “lethal strike” on a vessel that was allegedly engaged in “narco-trafficking operations” in the Caribbean, US Southern Command wrote on X.
💬 “Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,” SOUTHCOM added.
📍 Judge sets next hearing date for Nicolás Maduro
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are set to appear again before a New York court on June 30 at 12:00 pm local time, according to Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
The court also noted that Maduro and Flores agreed to exclude time under the Speedy Trial Act.
The postponement is intended to give the defense team time to review evidence and prepare pre-trial motions.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🚨 US strikes civilian boats in Gulf, kills five — report
US forces opened fire on two small civilian cargo boats — contradicting earlier claims about targeting IRGC vessels, Tasnim News Agency reported, citing a military source.
💬 “Since none of the IRGC combat vessels were hit… it was revealed that the US aggressor forces attacked and fired upon two small cargo boats carrying civilians,” the source said.
💬 “The Americans must definitely be held accountable for this crime.”
🇹🇭 Thailand’s Land Bridge aims to bypass Strait of Malacca and cut security risks
Thailand is pushing its Land Bridge project amid tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and new toll proposals in the Strait of Malacca.
What is the Land Bridge?
🔹 The Thai government proposes linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans across the country’s narrow southern peninsula, bypassing the congested Malacca Strait chokepoint
🔹 The $30 billion project has been floated by previous administrations, but lacked backing. Renewed risks around the Strait of Hormuz have pushed the current government to seek investors
The plan includes:
▪️ Two deep-sea ports: One in Ranong (Andaman Sea) and one in Chumphon (Gulf of Thailand)
▪️ A 90 km highway and high-speed rail link
▪️ Energy infrastructure, including oil storage depots and a pipeline connecting the ports
🔶 The project could cut shipping times by about four days and reduce costs by
roughly 15%, according to Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn
🔶 Chan Chun Sing, Singapore’s defense minister, has reportedly expressed interest, viewing the project as a major opportunity for foreign investors. Singapore is already a key regional investor
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇮🇷 Strait of Hormuz: Iran's new transit rules explained
📍 Iran has launched a new system to govern maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical chokepoints for oil transport. All vessels wishing to cross must now obtain a permit and follow rules sent to them by email.
Why does this matter?
🟠 Roughly one-fifth of all internationally traded oil passes through this narrow waterway. Iran is asserting direct sovereign control over that route, a move that fundamentally challenges the existing norms of free navigation and gives Tehran a powerful lever over global energy markets.
🟠 Ships intending to transit the Strait must follow a new set of rules issued by Iranian authorities and obtain a transit permit before entry. Iranian authorization has effectively become a condition for passage.
🟠 This new governance system is not just bureaucratic; it is enforced by the Iranian armed forces. Since the US and Israel launched a war of aggression against Iran on February 28, Tehran has imposed a strict naval blockade, blocking all ships linked to the two countries from transiting the waterway.
🟠 Iran signaled a willingness to reopen the Strait after the US and Israel agreed to a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that included Lebanon. However, Tehran closed the waterway again, citing continued violations of the ceasefire by Washington and Tel Aviv.
🟠 A draft law moving through Iran's Parliament seeks to make some of these wartime measures permanent. It would legally ban any ships associated with the US or Israel from crossing the Strait of Hormuz indefinitely and establish a formal tolling system for the passage of all non-hostile vessels.
🟠 Tensions spiked after the US launched an operation to challenge Iran's control over the Strait. In response, Iranian naval forces fired missiles and drones near US destroyers that ignored repeated warnings to stay away, and officials have vowed to use force against any further attempts to break their hold on the waterway.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
📉 From hero to zero: Breakdown of Trump's feud with Zelensky
US President Donald Trump has called Volodymyr Zelensky a "tricky guy," reiterating the US push for a peaceful settlement to the Ukraine conflict.
Since assuming office for the second time in early 2025, Trump has made a 180-degree turn on Ukraine aid, now mostly highlighting the ineffectiveness of Ukraine’s policies towards Russia. With February 2025 being the peak of Trump’s critical rhetoric, here are some of his key statements:
◾️ "A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left,” the US president said, pointing to the lack of elections in Ukraine in a Truth Social post
📍 Despite Zelensky’s term officially ending back in May 2024, he continues to formally rule the country.
◾️ Trump also accused Volodymyr Zelensky of beginning the military confrontation with Russia, "You should have never started it—you could have made a deal"
◾️ During the now-infamous Oval Office standoff between Zelensky and Trump relations deteriorated even further
◾️ Trump highlighted that Ukraine’s stubbornness could lead to a global conflict, "You're gambling with World War Three"
◾️ Despite criticism from the US president, Zelensky refuses to steer towards peace and remains an obstacle. As Trump said, "We have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelensky"
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇵🇰🇨🇳 EXPLAINED: Are Chinese fifth-generation fighter jets headed to Pakistan soon?
Chinese state TV has shown an export version of a new fifth-generation fighter jet — the J-35A.
Analysts have tipped Pakistan as the most likely first buyer, the South China Morning Post reports.
Retired Pakistan Air Force (PAF) wing commander Asad Ali told Sputnik that Pakistan was "an ideal candidate for the J-35s". Here’s why:
🟠 The PAF has been and remains "China's showcase for its defense equipment."
🟠 Pakistan wants to buy the aircraft to maintain the balance of power in the region amid India’s efforts to upgrade its own airforce, he says.
🟠 Pakistan already has the necessary infrastructure to operate JF-17 fighters, and hardly any changes would be needed for the J-35.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇵🇰 EXPLAINED: Why millions of Pakistanis are shifting to e-bikes amid Strait of Hormuz energy crisis
🛵 Pakistanis are switching to electric bikes en-masse.
🟠 In the first three months of 2026 alone, over one million e-bikes were sold across the country.
🟠 That compares to more than 2 million sold over the whole of 2025, South Asia Index reports.
🟠 Demand has risen so much that Pakistan now faces a shortage of electric bikes. Delivery times have reached 30 days.
🤔 So what's behind the boom?
Rising fuel prices
Riding a petrol motorcycle costs about 10 rupees per kilometer, while an e-bike costs only about 1 rupee per kilometer.
Solar energy is everywhere
Around 16 million Pakistani homes have solar panels on their roofs — which makes charging e-bikes even cheaper.
Government support
Authorities, especially in the Punjab region, are actively promoting e-bikes with subsidies and other incentives.
According to a research, electric motorcycles are expected to capture about 70% of Pakistan's two-wheeler market within the next five years.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇰🇼🇵🇰 From Kuwait to Gwadar: Diverted vessel demonstrates regional trade shift
👉 The Pakistani port of Gwadar on Tuesday received its first container vessel for the month of May. The MV Shu Long (carrying 16,077 MT of cargo) was diverted to Gwadar instead of Kuwait due to escalating regional tensions.
🔶 The cargo contains over 13,000 packages of Chinese-made industrial machinery and pipes, the authorities report.
🔶 According to the Chairman of Gwadar Port, four transshipment vessels arrived last month, a record that highlights Gwadar's growing importance in the context of the region's search for alternative trade routes.
📍 In April, Gwadar processed 11,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), exceeding its total for the entire year of 2025. According to officials, this progress is strengthening Gwadar Port as an emerging transshipment hub in the Arabian Sea, providing a safe and efficient alternative route for regional and Gulf markets.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷 'Iran is a clear aggressor' — US Secretary of War falsely claims
On February 28, the US, together with Israel, launched a series of strikes on Iran just in the middle of nuclear negotiations.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇨🇳 China unveils first export version of fifth-generation J-35A stealth fighter
The J-35A is a multirole stealth fighter jet capable of executing air superiority, strike, and suppression of enemy air defense missions.
Marked with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China logo and serial number “001,” without PLA insignia, the jet is clearly intended for international buyers.
Key specs:
🔸 Length & wingspan: 17.3 meters and 11.5 meters, respectively
🔸 Combat range: 1,200 kilometers
🔸 Flight ceiling: 16,000 meters
🔸 Top speed: Mach 1.8, or 2,222 km/h (faster than the F-35)
🔸 Avionics feature radar-absorbent materials, an active electronically scanned array radar, and electro-optical targeting system
🔸 Armament: Six medium-range air-to-air missiles, four supersonic air-to-surface missiles, and up to 30 wing-mounted bombs or eight deep-penetration bombs
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
❌ Soros foundation LGBT* pamphlets found at abandoned Ukrainian positions in Donbass
Pamphlets promoting same-sex marriage and containing calls to join the LGBT movement have been spotted at deserted positions of the Ukrainian military near the city of Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Russian military expert Andrey Marochko told Sputnik.
💬 “According to a captured Ukrainian soldier, the amount of this type of ‘humanitarian aid’ delivered by Western volunteers has increased significantly,” Marochko pointed out.
🚨 Deadly explosion strikes fireworks factory in Chinese production hub
The death toll from an explosion at a fireworks factory in China has risen to 26, with 61 people injured, and rescue operations are now largely complete, according to Chinese media.
The blast occurred on May 4 at a fireworks production facility in Liuyang in China's Hunan province.
Liuyang is known as the “home of fireworks,” producing around 60% of the world’s festive pyrotechnics and 70% of global exports.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🚨 Secret reindeer recon & canine commandos: Discover USSR’s unsung animal heroes of WWII
While soldiers fought, animals carried ammo, rescued the wounded, warned of air raids, and pulled artillery, proving victory depended on both human and animal courage.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇨🇳🚚 China unveils world’s first driverless mining truck
Weighing nearly 100 tons, the Shuanglin K7 can operate in tight, narrow pits where traditional trucks struggle to turn, the SCMP reports.
Thanks to a distributed electric drive-by-wire corner module, this beast is capable of “crab-walking” sideways and pivoting on the spot.
It features 158-ton payload, five-minute battery swap, and regenerative braking. Even if part of the system fails, the truck maintains 70% of its hauling capacity.
Result: 35% higher transport efficiency, 90% fewer safety incidents.
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🇺🇸 US to pump $355M into Alaska war simulation center
The Department of War has already requested a $42 million tranche for the 2027 fiscal year for the construction of the Joint Integrated Test and Training Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, according to Pentagon documents.
The center, due to be built by November 2029, is designed to help military units practice and improve their tactics against modern threats on a hypothetical “night one” of an enemy attack, the Pentagon earlier said.
This facility will allow US and its allies to simulate “realistic combat situations across land, air, sea and space.”
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt
🥴 Labour hides ‘toxic’ Starmer from voters as election disaster looms – report
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has become so unpopular that even Labour councillors reportedly don’t want him near their campaigns. The Telegraph reported that the PM has been kept away from the local election campaign trail, with one senior Labour figure calling him “toxic.”
💬 “He’s just seen as a completely insincere, two-faced person. Starmer has no followers, he only has enemies – it’s incredible.”
💬 “Most don’t want him near our voters,” one backbencher said.
🇸🇦 Return of the Jeddah: Saudi land bridge seeks to save Gulf trade
The Saudi Ports Authority has announced a new shipping service with French container shipping giant CMA CGM.
Called Ocean Rise, it promises to:
🟠 link the Port of Jeddah, a major hub west of Mecca situated on the Red Sea coast, to nine top global ports (three in Japan, three in China, three in Europe)
🟠 create a land bridge for shipping to the Gulf – which remains highly volatile amid the US-Iran standoff) via a 1.3k km highway transport network ending at the King Abdulaziz Port and the Jubail industrial hub. A rail expansion is in the works (to be completed in 2034)
🟠 build on Jeddah’s new REDEX service linking major Red and Mediterranean ports, and Riyadh’s broader push to become a global logistics hub under the Vision 2030 program
📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt