🇷🇺 Russia actively advancing, exploiting 'dangerous vulnerability' of Ukrainian positions - NBC

Ukraine's military leadership said its 'inferior' units have been forced to retreat from three villages on the eastern front line. The statement was a rare admission from Kiev that the Ukrainian military is in serious trouble and that the Russians are gaining the upper hand, NBC reports.

Alexander Syrsky, the AFU commander-in-chief, announced that the situation on the front line had 'deteriorated'. According to him, the Russian army is trying to seize the strategic initiative and break through the front line, gaining a 'significant advantage in forces and means'. As a result, the Ukrainians are being forced to retreat to 'new frontiers' west of Berdychi, Semyonovka and Novomikhailovka.

Against this backdrop, receiving 'long-awaited' Western weapons has become an increasingly urgent necessity for Ukraine. Due to political bickering in Washington, the AFU is facing an acute shortage of ammunition, making its defensive positions on the long front line 'dangerously vulnerable', the TV channel said.

The consequences of months of arms shortages, compounded by dwindling manpower reserves, are becoming apparent. Moscow is likely looking to take advantage of these circumstances and try to expand the offensive before US aid begins to flow to Kiev, NBC speculates.

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🤡 Israel asks US to sanction the International Criminal Court if it issues arrest warrants for PM Netanyahu and his govt - reports

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❗️ NEW: US State Dept determines five Israeli security units committed “gross violations of human rights” prior to outbreak of war on Gaza

Washington is still deciding whether to restrict military assistance to one of the units under US law.

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💤 JUST IN: US 'does not support' ICC investigation of Israel - White House

Here comes the double standards.

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🆕 Police begin arresting protesters at University of Texas, Austin

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⚡️BREAKING: Four people ‘stabbed’ at London tube station by ‘man wielding machete’

A critical incident has been declared after a stabbing incident near a London tube station, with one person arrested.

The four victims were allegedly attacked at Hainault tube station in Redbridge, near Essex.

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📝 JUST IN: Palestinian Factions Hamas and Fatah Met in Beijing for “In-Depth, Candid” Dialogue and Made “Encouraging Progress” in Reconciliation Talks - Chinese FM Spox

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❗️NATO Prepares to Face Russia - and Problems of Its Own - The Wall Street Journal

Key points from the material:

📌 The Alliance is conducting exercises to 'defend' European countries bordering Russia in order to 'prepare allies to fight side by side'.

📌 NATO members are now spending more money on defence than they did during the Cold War, and preparing for coalition warfare has once again become a priority for the alliance;

📌 NATO says Russia is a 'major threat', but many officials in Turkey and other member states are more concerned about regional conflicts and illegal migration;

📌 NATO planners believe a 'direct invasion' of a member country by Russia is unlikely in the near future.

t.me/ukraine_watch

😳 China's True Military Spending Stands at $710.6BN - American Enterprise Institute Estimates

The calculation is 3x larger than Beijing's publicly reported spending.

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💵JUST IN: Samsung Electronics reports 10-fold increase in operating profit in last quarter

Samsung reported a 933% annual increase to $4.8bn in first-quarter operating profits, fueled by chip price recovery from a post-pandemic slump and rising demand for AI-driven products - marking a turnaround after six consecutive quarters of profit decline.

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➡️ ICYMI: El Salvador President Nayib Bukele Gathers Every Official in Executive Branch of His Govt and Makes Surprise Announcement

Bukele asks the country’s Attorney General to investigate all of them for bribery.

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🪙China’s $170BN Gold Rush Triggers Taiwan Invasion Fear

Beijing appears to be stockpiling gold following a record buying spree, in a move that has raised fears China is preparing its economy for a possible conflict over Taiwan - guarding it against potential Western sanctions.

The People’s Bank of China bought 27 tonnes of gold in the first three months of the year, taking its reserves to a record high of 2,262 tonnes, according to data from the World Gold Council.

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🤔 HSBC Chief Exec Unexpectedly Quits

HSBC's group chief executive Noel Quinn has announced his retirement after nearly five years in the role.

It comes as the UK-based lender reported a 1.8% drop in profit for the first three months of 2024, compared to the same time last year.

HSBC - Europe's largest bank - recently completed the sale of its operations in Canada and announced plans to do the same with its business in Argentina.

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