TOP NEWS

The China-Russia relationship
Putin plans pipelines to increase exports to China

Russia and China want to expand their trade in oil and gas, according to Bloomberg.

- We have a huge common border and nobody can interfere with us, Putin said on Friday when he rounded off this week's state visit to China.

Russia currently exports fossil gas to China through the Power of Siberia pipeline. A second connection along the same route is planned and could be ready by 2027, which would increase the maximum capacity to almost 100 billion cubic meters of gas a day.

In addition, Russia can build an oil pipeline parallel to the gas pipelines, according to Putin.

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The Russian invasion|The response of the outside world
EU bans four Russian state-controlled media outlets

The EU has banned four more Kremlin-controlled Russian media houses, AFP reported. These are the site Voice of Europe, the news agency Ria Novosti and the newspapers Izvestia and Rossijskaja Gazeta.

"These media houses are permanently controlled by the leadership of the Russian Federation, either directly or indirectly," the EU writes in a statement.

Furthermore, they have played a central role in supporting Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and destabilizing its neighboring countries, the union continues.

A total of 17 Russia-linked media houses have now been banned in the EU since the full-scale invasion began.
foreign Ammunition explosion at Russian military academy

Seven people have been injured in an explosion at the Budyonny military academy in Saint Petersburg, Russian media reports according to Reuters.

The military says it was World War II ammunition that accidentally exploded during a check of basement storage, according to state-run Interfax.

Regional governor Aleksandr Beglov states that no links to terrorism are seen. The condition of the injured is unknown.

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The attempted assassination of Robert Fico
Expert: Great uncertainty in Fico's party after the crime

There is a "frightened" mood in Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer party after the shooting, as Fico runs it as a "one-man party". This is what political scientist Tomas Koziak at the University of International Business tells AFP.

- They don't know what will happen to the party [...] If Fico's injury prevents him from political activity, it means enormous problems for Smer.

Fico's closest political ally is Defense Minister Robert Kalinak, who is also one of four deputy prime ministers. Marcin Zaborowski, analyst at the Globsec think tank, sees Kalinak as "the obvious candidate to take over for Fico at least for the next few months".

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The attack on Paul Pelosi
30 years in prison for attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband

44-year-old David DePape is sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attack on former US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul Pelosi in the couple's home, US media reports.

DePape was found guilty in November of attempted kidnapping of a federal employee and assault of a federal employee's family member. On Friday, the sentence was determined.

The prosecution requested the maximum sentence of 40 years. Nancy Pelosi asked the judge to impose a "very long" sentence after the attack, which filled her with "tremendous fear and great pain."

It was an early morning in October 2022 that DePape broke into the Pelosi's home in San Francisco. His intention was to take Nancy Pelosi hostage, but only the husband was home. Paul Pelosi was seriously injured when DePape hit him in the head with a hammer.