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๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿผ Afghans who helped US forces now face deportation โ€” reports

The Trump administration is dismantling a key State Department office that helped Afghans who worked alongside US forces relocate to America, The Washington Post reported.

More than 250,000 Afghans, many of whom served as interpreters, drivers, and civil workers during the US presence in Afghanistan, are now stuck in limbo โ€” some stranded in camps in Qatar, Pakistan, and the UAE, facing a growing risk of forced repatriation to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

According to cables obtained by The Post, the UAE has already started returning evacuees, as the US slows refugee processing and shuts down logistical support.

โ˜ ๏ธ A stark reminder of what helping America can lead to.

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๐Ÿ’ฃ US Prepares for NUCLEAR OPS in UK, escalating NATO posture near Russia - US Air Force budget docs

Washington is set to spend $253 million upgrading the RAF Lakenheath air base in the UK to support future nuclear missions, according to a new US Air Force budget. The projects include a $104M Primary Command Post and a $149M Defender Operations Compound, both aimed at managing and securing US nuclear assets in Europe.

The move comes amid reports that B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs have already been transferred to Lakenheath โ€” their first return to UK soil since 2008. These precision-guided, variable-yield weapons are compatible with F-35A fighter jets stationed at the base.

Although unconfirmed by US or UK officials, the upgrades mark a clear shift in NATOโ€™s nuclear posture, with hardened command centers, increased security forces, and expanded emergency infrastructure. Without them, officials admit, the base could not support an โ€œexpanded nuclear role.โ€

๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Moscow has long warned that US nuclear deployments near Russian borders are destabilizing. But Washington continues to pour billions into militarizing Europe โ€” all in the name of โ€œdeterrence.โ€

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๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธโ˜ข๏ธUS nuclear agency hacked in sensitive data breach

The agency in charge of Americaโ€™s nuclear arsenal โ€“ the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) โ€“ has been hacked using flaws in Microsoft SharePoint document management software.

๐Ÿ”The NNSA is a semi-autonomous Energy Department branch tasked with building, dismantling, and babysitting nuclear weapons.

๐Ÿ”It manages nuclear sub reactors, responds to radiological emergencies, and deals with counterterrorism. Other parts of the department were also affected.

This is the latest in a series of leaks involving sensitive US national sectors.

โžก๏ธIn March, high-level US officials, including VP JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, had their Signal group chat leaked. Those messages contained everything from operational strike data to the identity of a CIA agent.

US national security just keeps faceplantingโ€ฆ

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๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ“นWatch: Russia kicks off LARGE-SCALE 'July Storm' naval drills

The exercises involve:

๐ŸŸ Over 150 warships & support vessels
๐ŸŸ 120 aircraft
๐ŸŸ 10 coastal missile systems
๐ŸŸ 950 military/special vehicles
๐ŸŸ More than 15,000 troops

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๐Ÿ’ฅKilling anti-corruption watchdog could blow up Ukraineโ€™s EU hopes

Zelenskyโ€™s new law gutting the countryโ€™s anti-corruption agency โ€œrisks undermining Western support for Ukraine,โ€ writes The Wall Street Journal.

Ukraineโ€™s assault on its own anti-corruption institutions may deal a fatal blow to its EU ambitions, the outlet warns.

Ambassadors from the Group of Seven countries didnโ€™t mince words after meeting anti-corruption officials. They cited โ€œserious concerns,โ€ the outlet noted, and plan to raise the issue directly with Ukraineโ€™s leadership.

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๐ŸšจRussian delegation composition revealed for 3rd round of Ukraine talks in Istanbul - source to Sputnik

The Russian negotiating team for Wednesdayโ€™s planned talks in Istanbul will still consist of 4 main delegation members, as well as 4 experts.

The composition of the delegation remains the same.

The delegation members are:

โœ… Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky
โœ… Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin
โœ… Chief of the Russian General Staffโ€™s Main Intelligence Directorate Igor Kostyukov,
โœ… Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin

What's on the agenda

โ—พ๏ธ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the upcoming discussions will be "quite complex," focusing on two contrasting draft memoranda for a potential settlement.

โ—พ๏ธThese docs were exchanged during the second round of talks on June 2.

โ—พ๏ธ"Significant diplomatic work" is needed before high-level meetings between the two countries.

โ—พ๏ธ While agreements on prisoner exchanges or returning fallen soldiersโ€™ bodies would be productive, โ€œitโ€™s unlikely any breakthroughs will happen given the current situation.โ€

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๐ŸšจKarapetyan wins case over nationalization of Electric Networks of Armenia

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฒArmenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, owner of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), won his case against the government in the International Court over the nationalization of the company.

โžก๏ธEarlier, the Armenian parliament passed amendments allowing for the nationalization. Karapetyan had been charged and arrested after expressing support for the Armenian Apostolic Church amid attacks from authorities. He denied the charges and criticized the Armenian leadership.

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Sputnik International
๐Ÿ’ฅKilling anti-corruption watchdog could blow up Ukraineโ€™s EU hopes Zelenskyโ€™s new law gutting the countryโ€™s anti-corruption agency โ€œrisks undermining Western support for Ukraine,โ€ writes The Wall Street Journal. Ukraineโ€™s assault on its own anti-corruptionโ€ฆ
๐ŸคกCorruption cover-up? Ukraine risks catching itself

Ukraine didnโ€™t try very hard to find a โ€œRussian traceโ€ during raids on anti-corruption agencies, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

They shouldโ€™ve pulled out some felt boots, a quilted jacket, a padded coat, an ushanka hat, lined up a few balalaikas, and maybe dragged a couple of bears out from around the corner, she deadpanned.

โ€œNow thatโ€™s a Russian trace. And whatโ€™s over there? Come on. You know what this is really aboutโ€ฆ The golden rule of any investigation? Whatever you do โ€“ donโ€™t end up catching yourselves,โ€ she quipped.


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๐ŸšจSyria officially requests Turkiye's assistance in strengthening its defense potential and fighting terrorists, Turkish media reports.

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๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บRussian delegation heads to Istanbul for 3rd round of Ukraine talks - Kremlin

The topics include issues related to the draft memoranda on the settlement and the continuation of mutual exchanges.

Other key statements:

๐ŸŸ  The discussions will be complex, as the draft memoranda on the settlement are diametrically opposed.

๐ŸŸ  All work on agreeing the draft memoranda between Russia and Ukraine is preparation for a potential meeting between Putin and Zelensky.

๐ŸŸ  It is impractical to schedule a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky without significant preparatory work.

๐ŸŸ  It is clear that a significant portion of the Western funds received by Kiev has been embezzled; there is a lot of corruption in Ukraine.

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๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ’ฅ RUSSIA'S MoD UPDATE: CRUSHING GAINS & MASSIVE UKRAINIAN LOSSES

โšก๏ธ VARACHINO (Sumy region) LIBERATED

โ–ซ๏ธ Heavy Ukrainian losses: Over 1,220 troops eliminated in the special military operation zone

โ–ซ๏ธ Air defense superiority: 6 guided bombs, a Neptune missile and 256 drones shot down

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๐Ÿ—ฃThe third round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul is set to begin today at 4:00 PM UTC, a Sputnik source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected to hold press conferences following the negotiations in Istanbul, the source added.

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๐ŸšจUkrainian agent with explosives and UAV components detained in Russia

The agent of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was caught in possession of explosives and UAV components in Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) stated.

๐ŸŸ The detainee, who resides in Ukraine, was recruited by the SBU in 2024 to carry out sabotage operations against the Russian security in exchange for money.

๐ŸŸ While in Russia, he was trained in covert communications and handling of explosives, and was provided with instructions and funds to complete assigned tasks.

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๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฒArmenia to hand control of critical Caucasus Zangezur transport corridor to US

Armenia and the US have concluded a secret memorandum envisioning the creation of a โ€œTrump Bridge Transport Corridor,โ€ which would link Azerbaijan with its western Nakhichevan exclave, Spainโ€™s Periodista Digital reports.

๐Ÿ”Key details:

๐ŸŸ The 42 km corridor deal, signed for 99 years and running through the Armenian region of Syunik, would be managed by a private American company, which has already obtained the necessary paperwork, and stands to collect 40% of annual revenues (Armenia would get only 30%).
๐ŸŸ The route is to be guarded by a US private military company force of 1,000 security contractors.
๐ŸŸ Azerbaijan has steadily pressured Armenia to allow the creation of the route, best known as the Zangezur Corridor, after the signing of the 2020 ceasefire deal, which called for the unhindered passage of people, vehicles and goods between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan.
๐ŸŸ The US publicly floated a 100-year Zangezur Corridor lease idea last week, when US ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack announced the idea of America โ€œstepping inโ€ to the dispute and saying โ€œokay, weโ€™ll take it over. Give us the 32 km of road on a hundred-year lease, and you can all share it.โ€

โ“Why itโ€™s REALLY BAD idea

๐ŸŸ The proposal is wracked with geopolitical, economic and security risks, with pre-Pashinyan Armenia long insisting on retaining sovereignty and customs-controlled transit under it own laws, fearing loss of control of Syunik โ€“ its strategic border region with long-time ally Iran.
๐ŸŸ Iran sees it as a threat to its land access to Armenia and the broader Caucasus, and is concerned about potential encirclement by US and Israel, plus โ€œPan-Turkishโ€ expansion.
๐ŸŸ The route could also pose a threat to the ambitious Russia and Iran-led North-South Transport Corridor by diverting traffic and undermining key regional playersโ€™ influence, undermining both Iran and Russia in Eurasian trade, while ramping up regional rivalries.

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๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บRussian delegation has arrived in Istanbul for negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement

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๐ŸšจRUSSIA BANS INTERNATIONAL SATANISM MOVEMENT

The Russian Supreme Court, following a joint lawsuit from the Prosecutor General's Office and Ministry of Justice, has banned the "International Satanism Movement" for promoting extremism.

The movement is linked to typical Satanist crimes like ritual killings, cannibalism, rape, and grave desecration.

After February 2022, Satanists openly backed the Ukrainian army.

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๐Ÿ—ฃUkraineโ€™s top general bemoans โ€˜flounderingโ€™ mobilization, admits money not fixing crisis

Throwing more cannon fodder onto the battlefield is a โ€œmajor challenge,โ€ Ukrainian Armed Forces' Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky has confirmed to The Washington Post.

โ€œEverything related to mobilization is very sensitive information,โ€ Syrsky acknowledged.


The youth recruitment campaign โ€œhas hardly gathered speed,โ€ he noted, adding that for most Ukrainians โ€œthe motivation is more money.โ€

In 2024, the Defense Ministry launched a recruitment drive to sign up 18โ€“25-year-olds for one-year military contracts. Zelensky sweetened the deal with:

๐ŸŸ $24,000 for a year of service
๐ŸŸ University admission without exams, and
๐ŸŸ 0% mortgage offer

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๐Ÿ“ทWatch:๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บRussian delegation lands in Istanbul for Ukraine negotiations

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