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🚨 🇮🇷 Iran launches new combined attack using drones, missiles against targets in Israel - IRGC
💬 "The 21st wave of Operation True Promise 4 has begun. During this combined operation, UAVs and Kheibar missiles were fired at targets in Tel Aviv," the IRGC stated as quoted by the ISNA
EU Faces Era of Total Energy Collapse, Says Russian Special Presidential Envoy
"This is the dawn of a new era—the era of complete energy collapse and bankruptcy of Europe because of the idiotic decisions of [European Commission President] Ursula [von der Leyen], [EU foreign policy chief] Kaja [Kallas], and other Russophobes," Kirill Dmitriev wrote on X.
⚠️WARNING: graphic content
Over 200 Killed in Rebel-Controlled Coltan Mine Collapse in DR Congo: Ministry of Mines
A landslide at a Rubaya mine on Tuesday killed at least 70 children and injured numerous others, the Ministry of Mines said in a statement.
The Congolese government condemned “unsafe working conditions imposed on the civilian population in areas outside state control.”
🔙 In January, a similar death toll was recorded after a collapse at the same mine.
The area — producing roughly one-fifth of the world's columbite-tantalite — was seized by M23 rebels in April 2024.
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'No, We Are Waiting for Them:' Iran's FM Araghchi on Whether the Country Fears US Ground Invasion
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Highlights of Central African President Touadéra’s Official Visits to Russia in 2025 & 2026
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Khamenei Embodied 'Spirit of Sacrifice'; His Assassination is Dangerous Violation of Int'l Norms: Iran's Ambassador to SA
"Even as our Leader and commanders have been martyred, we stand strongly against what appears to be the most powerful army in the world and another army that also claims power," Seyed Mostafa Daryabari said, addressing the media following the joint US-Israeli military attack.
#viral | Heart-Melting Moment: Kenyan Police Officer Drops on His Knees in Prayer Just After Returning Home
A moving scene happened in Kenya. After withdrawal from Haiti, one of the officers kissed the ground immediately after touching home soil.
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❗️CAR, Russia to Discuss Cooperation in Field of Energy: President Touadera
Russia and the Central African Republic have good prospects for cooperation in energy and agriculture, Putin noted during talks in Moscow.
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❗️In the US itself there is no consensus about the true goals of the operation against Iran: Russian FM
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#Infographic | Iran Strikes Back: Retaliatory Barrage Hits US Bases Across Region
In a sweeping response to US-Israeli attacks, Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting:
🟠 At least fifteen countries;
🟠 Multiple US military installations across the region.
👆 Check out Sputnik infographic
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Russia Can Be 'Proper Mediator Between Iran And Gulf Countries,' Says Sudanese Analyst
The US approach to Iran is a "huge miscalculation," Mekki Elmograbi, a Sudanese analyst on regional relations, told Sputnik Africa.
👉He believes the US is attempting to position itself as the unipolar leader, willing to "put presidents, hijack presidents, kill presidents," in a bid to maintain control.
The expert also critiqued the hypocrisy of the West on human rights, particularly regarding the lack of condemnation for civilian casualties in Iran.
“They are not serious in … protecting human rights. It's just an … international political weapon, used whenever it matches their own interests. But when it comes to Iran or other countries, the value of the people that are dying on this side of the world is zero.”
“Russia is trusted among the Gulf countries and within Iran. And if there is something could be done, I think Russia is a suitable country to do it.”
Middle East Tensions Push Oil Above $84, Boosting Nigeria’s Earnings But Raising Fuel Prices: Local Media
💰 Escalating tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran have rattled global energy markets, giving Nigeria an estimated $14.5 million in additional daily oil revenue, a Nigerian newspaper reported.
Brent crude briefly climbed past $85 amid fears that conflict could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about 20% of global oil supplies. The uncertainty has also driven up European gas prices and pressured global financial markets.
🛢 For Nigeria, whose crude trades near $80 per barrel, the surge places oil earnings well above the government’s proposed 2026 benchmark of $64.85, providing short-term fiscal relief.
📈 However, domestic fuel costs are rising. After Dangote Petroleum Refinery increased its ex-depot price by ≈$0.072 to ≈$0.63 per liter, filling stations raised pump prices up to ≈$0.69 per liter, according to the media.
☝🏽 Industry group PETROAN warned that if the conflict continues, crude prices could exceed $100 per barrel, worsening inflation and fuel costs.
The association urged the government to strengthen local refining capacity and ensure a steady crude supply to domestic refineries to reduce dependence on imports.
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❗️Iranian Air Defenses Shoot Down US Jet Near Tehran, Israeli Media Report
Tehran and Washington have yet to confirm the report.
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Ethiopia's Coffee Exports Hit $1.47 Billion in Seven Months: Ministry of Agriculture
Planning to earn $3 billion this fiscal year by supplying 600,000 tonnes of coffee to the global market, the country has so far exported 217,000 tonnes over the past seven months, the ministry noted.
☕️ Discussions with coffee exporters and suppliers are held to focus on challenges and solutions across the coffee trading value chain.
📈 According to the ministry, the talks centered on issues aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of Ethiopia’s coffee supply in the global market by expanding a modern coffee trading system.
Video: taken from social media of the ministry of agriculture.
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❗️❗️❗️'Colonialism Today Has Taken on Different Face,' Says Central African President
"We see it now in coercive—even punitive—diplomacy, in sanctions, and in the unilateralism we are witnessing at present," said Faustin-Archange Touadera in an interview with Sputnik Africa after his meeting with Putin at the Kremlin.
📹 US strikes Iranian drone carrier at sea — CENTCOM
US Central Command said its forces struck an Iranian drone carrier, which it described as “roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier.”
💬 “Today, an Iranian drone carrier… was struck and is now on fire,” CENTCOM said on X.
Phone Stolen From Indian Tourist in Addis Ababa Recovered After Rapid Police Response
The victim, Indian citizen Santos Kumar, didn't even need to visit a police station.
❔But how did he manage to get his phone back? Discover the answer in the video.
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Zimbabwean Fuel Reserves Sufficient for Three Months: Acting Minister of Energy
Dr. Zhemu Soda, Zimbabwe's Acting Minister of Energy, denied claims of potential shortages amid the Middle East crisis.
According to local media, Soda also addressed lawmakers' fears about a rise in fuel prices, noting that contracts with regional suppliers remain in effect.
However, he cautioned the government to remain vigilant due to potential supply disruptions.
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WATCH | From Election Security to Grain Deliveries: Putin & Toudaera Hold Talks in Moscow — Full Video
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South Africa Reportedly Seeks Local Manufacturer for Breakthrough HIV Prevention Drug
🇿🇦 The government is launching a process to identify a local drugmaker capable of producing Gilead Sciences' long-acting HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, in a push to manufacture the twice-yearly injection where it is most needed, British media reported.
🟠The government, alongside Unitaid and the US Pharmacopoeia, will reportedly assess local companies and recommend one to Gilead for a potential seventh voluntary license—after six were granted in 2024 in India, Egypt, and Pakistan.
🟠Why it matters: South Africa has 8 million people living with HIV—the highest globally. Local production could slash new infections and benefit the entire region.
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❗️Current Middle East Crisis Could Have Huge Consequences for World and Global Economy: Lavrov
Russia expresses condolences for all civilian casualties resulting from the crisis in the Middle East, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated.
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🪖🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran’s disruption of Mideast communication hubs exposes cracks in US air defenses – expert
💬 “Disabling US radar stations in the Middle East is a serious loss because these systems play a key role in protecting American bases from missile threats,” military expert and air defense historian Yuri Knutov tells Sputnik.
💬 “This showed the ineffectiveness of US air defense systems, including Patriot missiles and short- and medium-range air defenses, which were unable to protect the facilities,” Knutov underscores, suggesting that it may take America up to three months to restore the damaged infrastructure.
💬 “While the two’s missile systems may remain operational, they will simply be out of ammunition, which could inflict significant damage on both American military bases and Israel as a whole,” Knutov concludes.
💸🇺🇸🇮🇷 Operation Epic Fury’s cost after five days: $3 BILLION and counting
Brown University’s Costs of War project is tracking the price of the US war against Iran in real time, revealing that it has already cost US taxpayers two and three billion dollars.
🟠 each day that the war continues costs $220M for sustained operations ($9.15M per hour, $2.5k per second)
🟠 50k deployed troops’ salaries = $40M
🟠 aircraft operational costs = $48M
🟠 ordnance = $35M
🟠 naval assets’ operational costs = $22M
🟠 fuel and logistics = $15M
🟠 C&C, reconnaissance, surveillance, cyber and space = $10M
🟠 overhead = $50M
Total ‘discrete costs’: $921M
🟠 the first day’s Tomahawk salvo cost $240M
🟠 the first 3 US fighters shot down cost $270M
🟠 naval forces’ attacks cost $75M
Brown also tallied the economic consequences, including:
🟠 oil prices – up 10.4-11.5%
🟠 Strait of Hormuz shipping – stopped, trapping ~20% of daily global oil transit in the Persian Gulf
🟠 the US stock market – down $1.15-1.5%
The project did not appear to factor in damage to US military bases in the region, including the AN/FPS-132 radar in Al Udeid Air Base, a $1.1B piece of hardware destroyed by Iran on the first day.
Two AN/TPY-2 fire control radars servicing THAAD ($400-500M apiece) destroyed in the UAE also don’t appear to be factored in, nor additional US aircraft lost Wednesday
The Iran war has a way to go to reach spending on the US’s post-9/11 wars ($8T over 20 years), but is already approaching those wars’ per diem average of $300M.
For context, interest on the US’s enormous national debt, soon to reach $39T, is set to reach $1T in 2026.
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Children Become Part of Political Game, Russian Foreign Ministry Comments on Minab Tragedy in Iran
The world sees the tendency of dividing children into lists: those who should be protected and "those who are even not considered worthy of protection," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.
"No one has expressed sympathy or condolences. No one has acknowledged the erroneousness or criminality of these acts. No one—from those who committed them or those who expressed solidarity with them—has said that this is unacceptable," Zakharova added.
🚨 'Russia is making active efforts to stabilize the situation in the region' - MFA Spox Maria Zakharova comments to Sputnik on Mideast escalation
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Nuclear Deterrence Remains 'Cornerstone of Global Security,' Kremlin Says
Ongoing discussions on strategic international security architecture must include Europe's nuclear powers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Other key statements:
🟠European countries have not requested Russia to resume or increase energy supplies in light of the Iran situation.
🟠Hungary and Slovakia, which purchase Russian oil, are facing blackmail from Kiev.
🟠Putin is scheduled to participate in a board meeting of the Interior Ministry, hold a cabinet meeting and meet with the Hungarian Foreign Minister in the Kremlin on Wednesday.
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IRGC Launches 17th Wave of Operation True Promise IV Against US & Israeli Targets
The 17th wave was carried out several hours ago with more than 40 missiles launched by Iranian Aerospace Forces targeting American and Israeli facilities, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced.
A video from social media allegedly shows Wednesday's Iranian strike west of Jerusalem
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European Dimension of Nuclear Deterrence: Macron in 'Headlong Rush,' Says French MEP
🚨By raising the possibility of extending nuclear deterrence to European allies, Emmanuel Macron risks a “loss of control” and submission to interests that are not those of France, Hervé Juvin told Sputnik Africa.
“Macron is tempted to trade what remains of France’s independence for a more complete integration of security forces — including nuclear weapons — into a broader European whole.”
“France is probably more dependent on its so-called American ally than it was 30 years ago. In this context, marked by the rapid evolution of doctrines governing the use of nuclear force, France today finds itself relatively vulnerable.”