📊 Which countries have the largest number of earthquakes?

Sputnik has prepared an infographic that shows which parts of the world suffered the largest number of earthquakes since the 20th century.

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❗️ Latest statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

▪️ A Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly will take place on February 21st;

▪️ The Kremlin is not aware of any "Russian plan to destabilize Moldova";

▪️ The possible deprivation of Putin of the French Order of the Legion of Honor will not be a problem, the president has other, higher-priority issues;

▪️ Putin's approval of the new Foreign Policy Concept is expected in the near future.

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📹 🇹🇷 One of the buildings in Kahramanmarash, Turkiye has fallen on its side due to the earthquake

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🇿🇦 Turmoil erupted in South Africa’s parliament ahead of president’s address on Thursday

▪️Members of the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) tried to stop President Cyril Ramaphosa from delivering his annual State of the Nation address.

▪️At first, the group of EFF legislators succeeded in delaying the speech for several minutes, and then made an attempt to storm the podium where the president was waiting to start his address.

▪️House Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula ordered security guards to remove the legislators from the parliament. Proceedings were suspended for ten minutes.

▪️The leader of EFF Julius Malema later told media that they were kicked out of the house for questioning the legitimacy of the incumbent president

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📹 Russia’s MoD has revealed footage showing Russian servicemen assisting in eliminating consequences caused by the earthquakes in Latakia, Aleppo, and Hama

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US Spy Balloon Program Goes Back 70 Years, Included Flights Over China, Documents Reveal

Washington's officials have claimed the Chinese high-altitude balloon shot down off the US Atlantic coast last weekend carried communications-monitoring equipment and was part of a globe-spanning program to spy on other nations. Beijing has rejected the accusations, saying it was a civilian scientific balloon that researchers lost control of.

The truth about the issue remains to be seen, since the Americans have provided no evidence to support their claims as of yet. However, there is a considerable volume of evidence showing that the Pentagon ran an identical program during the Cold War and has poured billions in recent years into new balloon projects.

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🎥 Dear followers! Sputnik's exclusive video interview with Austria's ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs Karin Kneissl will soon be released on our website.

Stay tuned!

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Putin's 2007 Munich Speech: Stark Prophecy or Reasonable Warning That Fell on Deaf Ears?

Sixteen years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a landmark speech at the 2007 Munich Security Conference. In it, he called NATO's easterly expansion a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust. He also nailed the unipolar world order as an unrealistic and hypocritical project.

What global events preceded this speech and what impact did it have on the world?

👉Find out in our article

⚡️ Russian MoD’s latest statements on the Ukraine crisis:

▪️ The offensive operations conducted by the Russian Armed Forces, have resulted in the complete liberation of Dvurechnoye in Kharkov region.

▪️ Army Aviation and artillery have neutralized Armed Forces of Ukraine troops and hardware in the LPR and in Kharkov region. Ukraine has lost over 70 personnel, 2 infantry fighting vehicles, 2 motor vehicles, 1 U.S.-manufactured M-777 artillery system, and 1 D-30 howitzer.

▪️ Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, as well as the artillery of the Russian Armed Forces, have neutralized the enemy in the LPR. Up to 100 Ukrainian personnel, 4 armored fighting vehicles, one D-20 howitzer, 1 fighting vehicle equipped with Grad multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS), as well as 1 US-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery warfare radar have been eliminated.

▪️ The offensive operations, conducted by the Russian Armed Forces, aviation, and artillery have resulted in the elimination of up to 125 Ukrainian troops, 2 tanks, 3 armored fighting vehicles, 5 motor vehicles, 1 D-30 howitzer, and 1 fighting vehicle equipped with Grad MLRS.

▪️ Operational-Tactical Aviation and the artillery of the Russian Armed Forces have neutralized Ukrainian troops and hardware in the DPR. Ukraine has lost over 60 troops, 1 tank, 2 infantry fighting vehicles, 4 pickups, 3 U.S.-manufactured M-777 artillery systems, 1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, as well as 1 D-20 howitzer.

▪️ Firepower operations against the Ukrainian troops and equipment have resulted in the elimination of up to 60 Ukrainian personnel, 1 Msta-B howitzer, and 2 D-30 howitzers.

▪️ The Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of Russia have neutralized 89 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, as well as manpower and military hardware in 122 areas.

▪️ A Russian Aerospace Forces fighter shot down 1 Ukrainian Air Force Mi-8 helicopter in Zaporozhye region.

▪️ Air defense units have shot down 14 rocket-propelled projectiles, launched by HIMARS MLRS, and 12 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past 24 hours.

▪️ Some 384 airplanes, 207 helicopters, 3,069 unmanned aerial vehicles, 403 air defense missile systems, 7,812 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 1,014 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 4,046 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 8,313 units of special military motor vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation.

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New Government Won't Let US Use Nepal to Contain China: Experts

❓🇳🇵On Thursday, the Biden administration announced $58.5 million to boost democratic institutions and NGOs in Nepal. To learn the genuine intentions of the US administration, Sputnik spoke with Moscow and Shanghai-based experts, who believe Washington is concerned about the rise of leftist political parties in Nepal and under the guise of aid, Washington is imposing Western values on Nepal.

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⚡️ The OHCHR believes that the video published on social networks in which Ukrainian soldiers execute Russian prisoners of war is genuine, and nothing justifies this act, United Nations Human Rights Office's spokeswoman Marta Hurtado told Sputnik.

A resident of the Turkish city of Antakya spoke about how he spent 18 hours under the rubble.

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The US Department of Defense is preparing a proposal for Congress to resume funding covert programs that allow US Special Operation troops to employ Ukrainian intelligence operatives to observe Russian military movements and fight disinformation, media reported on Friday, citing current and former officials.

If approved, the programs, which were suspended ahead of Russia's military operation last year, could resume as soon as next year. With Republicans divided over the amount of US assistance to Ukraine, it is hard to say whether they would be approved, according to the newspaper. The programs cost about $15 million annually worldwide.

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🇸🇾 Syria suffered one of the most devastating earthquakes in its history: 1,300 Syrians died in the country. Due to western sanctions, the country lacks international assistance, while President Bashar al-Assad called the situation "catastrophic". How is Russia helping Syria and how is the country experiencing the consequences of the earthquake? See the Sputnik video.

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🇷🇺🛢 Russia will voluntarily reduce oil output by half a million barrels per day in March in order to contribute to the "restoration of market relations," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday.

🗣 "Russia will voluntarily cut production by 500,000 barrels per day in March. This will contribute to the restoration of market relations. When making further decisions, we will make decisions based on the current market situation," Novak told a briefing.

The official underscored that Russia is selling all of its oil, but will not sell it to those who directly or indirectly support the price cap.

📈 Oil prices soared on Novak`s statement.

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