Komsomolskaya Pravda

First case of polio confirmed in US since 1979

The first case of polio infection since 1979 was registered in the United States, the New York State and Rockland County Health Departments reported today, July 21, where the infection was detected in one of the local residents.

Authorities have urged state and county health officials and government officials to closely monitor potential new infection incidents.

U.S. says Arab sheiks ridiculed Biden’s request

The American Thinker journalist Monica Showalter criticized the visit of American leader Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia, calling it a failure.

She said that Biden tried to persuade the sheikhs to increase oil production. However, the United States and the Arab countries have different goals, so they “laughed” at the request of the head of state, Showalter believes.

Biden says US has no plans to leave the Middle East

US President Joe Biden said that his country plans to remain active in the Middle East and is not going to “leave”, leaving a “vacuum” that would be filled by states such as Russia, China or Iran.

“Let me be clear that the United States plans to remain an active and committed partner in the Middle East,” Biden said during a press conference in Saudi Jeddah.

Italian Prime Minister announces his intention to resign

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has announced that he will resign.

Six candidates advance to second round of UK premiership election

Six candidates made it to the second round of the British Prime Minister’s election.

Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak won the most votes in the first round, with 88 votes. Junior Trade Policy Minister and former Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt came in second with 67 votes.

Shinzo Abe’s killer mistook ex-Japanese prime minister for sect leader

Tetsuya Yamagami, who killed former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, told law enforcement that he confused the politician with other people.

According to the Mainichi Shinbun (MS) newspaper, citing sources close to the investigation, Tetsuya Yamagami himself admitted to the charges against him, saying during interrogation that he had originally planned to kill a high-ranking leader of a local religious group, whose name he did not name. Now law enforcement agencies are conducting an examination of the suspect to determine his mental capacity.

Slovakia may supply MiG-29 fighters and tanks to Ukraine

Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said that the country could supply tanks and MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Czech TV channel.

Also, the Prime Minister of Slovakia highly appreciated the readiness of the Czech Republic to help with the protection of the state’s airspace. At the same time, he clarified that he does not exclude the possibility of transferring weapons to Kyiv.

Elon Musk Meets the Pope

Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk met with Pope Francis . The American billionaire published a photo from the meeting on his Twitter page.

“I am honored to meet the Pontiff yesterday,” Musk wrote.

The European Commission proposed to send Ukraine the first tranche of macro-financial assistance in the amount of one billion euros

The European Commission (EC) is proposing to send Ukraine the first tranche of €1 billion in macro-financial assistance to meet Kyiv’s urgent needs amid the fighting, a source familiar with the matter said.

According to Bloomberg , President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen made a corresponding statement . She stated that the European Union will continue to provide assistance to Ukraine and “support in the long term its restoration as a democratic and prosperous country.”

NATO officially invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance

The North Atlantic Alliance made a formal offer to Finland and Sweden to join NATO. At the summit of the military-political bloc in Madrid, an agreement was reached on the signing of protocols on the accession of these countries to the alliance.

“Today we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO. In any accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, it is extremely important to take into account the legitimate security interests of all NATO member countries. We welcome the conclusion of a tripartite memorandum between Turkey, Finland and Sweden on this issue,” reads a communiqué on the NATO website.

Blinken estimated the possible losses of Russia from the embargo on gold imports at $19 billion

The ban on the import of gold from Russia, which is being prepared by the countries of the “Big Seven” (G7), will cause Russia $19 billion in damage, said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken .

“The initiative we are announcing involves Russia’s second most profitable export after energy. This is about $19 billion, and most of it is in the G7 countries. Denying access to approximately $19 billion in revenue is significant,” the head of the US State Department said in an interview with CNN.

Die Welt: German authorities are ready to declare an emergency mode due to the situation with gas supplies

The German authorities are preparing within the next few days to increase the degree of readiness to respond to the situation with gas supplies to the second of three. This was reported today, June 21, by the newspaper Die Welt, citing sources in the German Cabinet.

At present, the initial degree of readiness has been announced in Germany, which, among other things, obliges the Federal Grid Agency to provide a report on the situation with gas supplies every day. The second degree means that the authorities can recommend companies to save gas. It is noted that in such conditions the situation can still be regulated at the market level.

Moscow City Court upholds Facebook* and Instagram* ban in Russia

On Monday, June 20, the Moscow City Court upheld the ban on Facebook* and Instagram* in Russia, dismissing Meta Platforms*’ complaint against the decision to recognize its activities as extremist.

“To leave the appeal without satisfaction,” RIA Novosti quotes the court’s decision.

Ukraine bans Russian music in public places and media

Russian music has been banned in Ukraine. Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Yaroslav Zheleznyak wrote about this on Sunday, June 19, in his Telegram channel . According to Zheleznyak, deputies of the Rada voted to ban Russian music.

It is reported that Russian music is forbidden to be performed or broadcast recorded in Ukrainian media, as well as in public places. Russian music will not be heard on radio, television, educational institutions, cultural and recreational institutions, entertainment venues, cinemas, hotels, restaurants, public transport and public space.

Mathematician told how to teach a child to count in the mind

Dmitry Konyaev , a teacher in mathematics and data analysis at the Moscow School of Programmers , said that the optimal age to start learning counting is 3-5 years old, and it is necessary to explain the mechanisms of mental counting in a playful way.

“Walking down the street, invite your child to count cats, windows, cars, trees. This is a great way to get involved in the game and develop a skill,” the mathematician shared his advice in an interview with Gazeta.ru .

British Foreign Secretary says Ukraine ‘can and must win’

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Western countries should support Ukraine in peace talks with Russia.

According to her, within the framework of the G7 and the North Atlantic Alliance, the West is doing everything so that Kyiv has “the best cards.” Truss also called unacceptable attempts to “appease” Russia and said that the answer to Moscow can only be given “by force.”

Montenegro froze 44 real estate objects of Russian citizens

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro has frozen 44 real estate objects of Russian citizens included in the sixth package of sanctions of the European Union.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that 44 real estate objects of 34 Russian citizens who were on the sanctions list were frozen … The step was taken on the line of one hundred percent consistency of Montenegro with the foreign and security policy of the EU,” the Vijesti portal reports , noting that this decision was brought to the cadastral office.

The head of the DPR Foreign Ministry said that the trial of a mercenary from South Korea will be held in his country

The trial of a mercenary from South Korea who fought on the side of Ukraine will take place not in the DPR, but in his homeland, said Natalya Nikonorova, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

“The trial is being prepared in South Korea itself, since he escaped,” she said on the air of Solovyov Live.

British Defense Minister met with Zelensky in Kyiv

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace visited Kiev and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov . This was reported in a statement by the British Ministry of Defense, which was distributed on Friday 10 June.

It is reported that Wallace, Zelensky and Reznikov discussed the supply of weapons to Kiev and the training of the Ukrainian military, which is carried out by London, and further measures to assist Ukraine.

British Defense Minister met with Zelensky in Kyiv

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace visited Kiev and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov . This was reported in a statement by the British Ministry of Defense, which was distributed on Friday 10 June.

It is reported that Wallace, Zelensky and Reznikov discussed the supply of weapons to Kiev and the training of the Ukrainian military, which is carried out by London, and further measures to assist Ukraine.

Scholz said that Germany will continue to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine

Germany will continue to supply arms to Ukraine. This will include heavy weapons. This was stated on Wednesday, June 8 by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz , answering questions from journalists in Berlin.

“We have made many deliveries, we will make other deliveries, including heavy weapons,” Scholz is quoted by TASS .

Pronews: Greece has sent Ukraine an incredible amount of weapons and ammunition

The Greek authorities have sent or intend to send Ukraine an incredible amount of weapons and ammunition, including armored infantry vehicles, rockets and machine guns.

According to the Greek portal Pronews , Athens sent Kiev 122 BMP-1s with ammunition for machine guns, 15,000 73mm rockets, 122mm rockets in the amount of 2,100 pieces, 20,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 3.2 million rounds of caliber 7 .62 mm. In addition, the list of weapons includes 60 FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air defense systems, 17,000 artillery rockets (155 mm) and 1,100 anti-tank RPG-18s.

Marriott hotel chain stops working in Russia

Marriott International (also operating under the brands Sheraton, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance and a number of others) announced the suspension of all operations in Russia.

“We have decided that the restrictions recently announced by the US, UK and EU make it impossible to continue operating or franchising hotels in the Russian market. Therefore, we are suspending all Marriott International operations in Russia,” the company said in a statement.

The Germans called Ambassador Melnyk a source of irreparable damage to Ukraine

The behavior of the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, is alienating an increasing number of sympathizers from Ukraine, both in political circles and among the townsfolk, readers of the German edition of Die Welt say .

As the diplomat has said, not for the first time, Kyiv expects Germany to take the lead in financial and military support for Kyiv.

Information security experts warned of a 30-fold increase in DDoS attacks on Russia

StormWall security experts have warned that 30 times more DDoS attacks on Russian companies will occur in 2022 than in 2021.

Analysts made their forecast based on the analysis of DDoS attacks that occurred in the first half of this year, Gazeta.ru reports.

EU plans to organize a naval mission to export agricultural products from Ukraine

The EU intends to raise the issue of export of agricultural products from Ukraine. This was reported by the publication Pais , citing sources.

– The EU is ready to mobilize all possible resources to facilitate the export of grain accumulated in Ukrainian granaries and ports. The possibility of a naval mission to escort cargo ships from Ukraine through the Black Sea is even on the agenda.

US sanctions two Russian banks for ties to North Korea

The United States is imposing sanctions on two Russian banks for ties to North Korea, according to the US Treasury Department.

The agency has included in the sanctions lists the Vladivostok Far East Bank and the Sputnik Bank, which is located in Samara.

WHO adopts Kyiv-proposed resolution on emergency situation in Ukraine

The World Health Organization supported the resolution proposed by Kyiv and several states on the emergency situation in Ukraine. The resolution was adopted at the 75th World Health Assembly.

88 countries voted for the resolution, 12 voted against, 53 members of the assembly abstained. The resolution proposed by Russia, Belarus and Syria was rejected. She scored 15 votes, 66 countries spoke out against her.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the possibility of exchanging Medvedchuk is not considered

Deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Russian Federation Andrey Rudenko said that Moscow is not considering the option of negotiations with Kiev on the exchange of MP Viktor Medvedchuk.

“No, it is not being considered. I have already spoken about this topic, we do not have such information in the Foreign Ministry,” Rudenko stressed, answering a relevant question from journalists.

Sweden intends to increase military assistance to Ukraine

The Swedish authorities have decided to increase military support to Ukraine, reports the office of the government of the kingdom.

“This assistance is confidential and will not be commented on for the time being. Confidentiality is necessary, among other things, so that help arrives and can be used by the Ukrainian defense forces, ”the website of the Swedish government says.

Zelensky announced an agreement with Poland to simplify border crossings

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the leadership of the republic had reached an agreement with the Polish authorities to simplify border crossings between the two states.

“We are relatives, and there should be no borders or barriers between us. The Ukrainian and Polish peoples mentally do not share borders for a long time. Therefore, we have decided to translate this into an appropriate bilateral agreement in the near future,” the Ukrainian leader said during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada.

Zelensky counts on the exchange of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered at the Azovstal plant

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said he hopes for an exchange of Ukrainian servicemen who surrendered at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

Zelensky said that the Ukrainian military blocked at the plant received a signal that they have the right to leave and save their lives, noting that now the situation with prisoners of war will depend on the fulfillment of promises by international organizations and Moscow.

Elon Musk announced the appearance of a self-driving car Tesla in a year

American billionaire and businessman Elon Musk announced that self-driving Tesla cars, which do not need the presence of a driver, will appear in a year.

At the moment, the name of the self-driving Tesla model is not known.

NATO has brought the number of forces in a state of high alert to 42 thousand

ATO has brought the number of forces in a state of high combat readiness to 42,000, aircraft to 120, ships to more than 20. This was stated today, May 19, during a press conference in Brussels by the Supreme Commander of the Joint Armed Forces (JAF) of NATO in Europe, American General Todd Walters.

“Under my leadership as Supreme Commander in Europe, we currently have over 42,000 men and 120 aircraft on high alert, with over 20 ships on alert,” he said.

US authorities will ask G7 partners to increase financial support for Ukraine

The American authorities intend to ask the G7 partners to increase financial support for Ukraine. This statement was made by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday, May 18, on the eve of the meeting of the heads of the Treasury and the governors of the Central Bank of the G7 countries.

Yellen said she will work with her G7 colleagues over the next two days to ensure that the joint “advocacy for common principles” continues, as well as “expand cooperation to strengthen support for Ukraine.”

Japan wants to resume operation of nuclear power plants to reduce energy dependence on Russia

Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine created a “best opportunity” for Japan’s nuclear industry to recover from the 2011 Fukushima accident. This opinion was expressed by the head of the nuclear division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Akihiko Kato.

According to Kato, from the point of view of geopolitics, nuclear energy is a safer alternative to Russian energy.

The head of the German Foreign Ministry said that Sweden and Finland have de facto become part of NATO

Sweden and Finland are de facto part of NATO. This was stated on Sunday, May 15 by German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock.

“They are already members of NATO without formal membership,” Burbock said during a press conference following an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin.

The EU is working on the possibility of using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine

EU countries are working on the issue of using the frozen assets of Russia and its citizens to provide assistance to Ukraine, said a senior EU official.

“We have not yet reached a result, but we not only do not rule it out, but we are also working to make it possible,” the EU representative told reporters.

The President of Germany allowed the possibility of visiting Ukraine and meeting with Zelensky

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier did not rule out the possibility of visiting Ukraine and meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the future. He stated this today, May 12, in an interview with the MDR TV channel.

Steinmeier also expressed satisfaction with the fact that the diplomatic differences between Berlin and Kyiv were eliminated. This, he believes, was facilitated, among other things, by the recent visits to the Ukrainian capital of Bundestag Chairman Berbel Bas and German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock, as well as the resumption of work of the German embassy in Kyiv.

Kyiv puts ex-deputy of the Rada Ilya Kiva on the international wanted list

Ukraine put the former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Ilya Kiva on the international wanted list . He is accused of high treason, war propaganda, encroachment on territorial integrity, calls for the seizure of state power and the dissemination of communist symbols.

“At the initiative of the investigators of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), former people’s deputy Ilya Kiva has been put on the international wanted list,” the SBI’s Telegram channel reports .

EU plans to discuss obtaining Ukraine candidate status for accession in June 2022

The European Commission is waiting for Kyiv to receive the second part of the questionnaire on admission to the European Union, and the decision whether to give Ukraine candidate status will be made in June this year. This statement was made on Monday, May 9, by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“I look forward to receiving the second part of the questionnaire. Europe intends to make its decision in June,” the President of the European Commission wrote on Twitter, recalling that the granting of candidate status to the country launches the process of negotiations on the conditions for admission to the European Union.

US President Biden’s wife traveled to Ukraine

Jill Biden visited Ukraine on Sunday May 8th. It is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the information of the press pool of the first lady of the United States.

It is reported that the visit of Jill Biden was not announced. The wife of the American president visited Uzhgorod and met with the first lady of Ukraine, Elena Zelenskaya.

NATO sees no signs of increased readiness of Russian nuclear forces

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the North Atlantic Alliance sees no signs of increased readiness of Russian nuclear forces.

– No, we do not see signs of this, – he said, answering the corresponding question of a journalist from the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag .

France did not invite Russia to the event on the occasion of the end of World War II

Representatives of Russia have not received invitations to events in France, which will be held on May 8 on the occasion of the end of World War II. This was announced on Friday, May 6, by Russian Ambassador to Paris Alexei Meshkov after laying flowers at the monument to the Russian heroes of the French Resistance movement at the Père Lachaise cemetery in the French capital.

“On May 8, France will traditionally celebrate the victory in World War II. This year we didn’t find a place on the podium,” the Russian diplomat said, recalling that “ambassadors and military attaches – first of the Soviet Union, then Russia, Belarus, as countries that made a decisive contribution to the victory over fascism, were always invited.”

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine announced the withdrawal of Russian literature from the libraries of the country

The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine reported that the department is working on the removal of Russian literature from the country’s libraries.

“The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine is working on the removal of propaganda Russian literature from Ukrainian library funds in order to replace it with high-quality Ukrainian-language literature and books from Ukrainian publishing houses,” reads the message of the Ministry of Culture.

The American corporation Emerson Electric leaves Russia

The American corporation Emerson Electric has decided to withdraw from its business in Russia and is therefore exploring various options for the sale of its subsidiary Metran. This was reported in the financial statements of the company, presented on Wednesday, May 4.

“Today, Emerson announces its decision to exit the Russian business, and as part of this exit, we are exploring strategic options for the sale of Metran, our Russian manufacturing subsidiary,” Emerson Electric CEO Lal Karsanbhai said in the release.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain says time for talks with Russia is over

The Ukrainian ambassador in London, Vadim Prystaiko, believes that the time for negotiations with Russia has passed.

“We have already passed the stage when we had the opportunity to negotiate with them and look for some neutral points (contacts),” he said in an interview with ITV .

Prystaiko added that negotiations stalled “for obvious reasons.” According to him, most Ukrainians “can’t even think” about dialogue with Russia.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the Russian side in negotiations with Ukraine, among other things, discussed the issue of lifting sanctions. Moscow will continue to adequately respond to sanctions, maintaining the stability of the economy, the minister is sure. Russia, he noted, will be able to “reconfigure the economy and protect itself from possible illegitimate hostile actions of opponents in the future.” In response to sanctions restrictions, the Russian Federation will focus on moving away from the dollar, import substitution and increasing technological independence, Lavrov said.

The Pentagon announced US plans to make the situation in Ukraine a “strategic failure of Russia”

The United States plans to ensure that the situation around Ukraine turns into a “strategic failure” for Russia. This was stated today, May 2, by Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander.

“The challenge for the United States government in relation to Russia, as well as to European security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, is for this crisis to end in a strategic failure for Russia,” a Pentagon official said at a seminar at the Atlantic Council in Washington.