Stars: Nearly identical coffee shop chain replaces Starbucks in Moscow

"After Starbucks closed its stores in Moscow following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February, a close facsimile is now opening in its place.

The name -- Stars Coffee -- and the logo, a twin of the Starbucks mermaid wearing a Russian kokoshnik headdress instead of a crown, are practically the same. " EuroNews

Ukrainian Southern Counteroffensive ‘Unlikely’ as Russia Bolsters Forces

"A significant Ukrainian offensive to recapture Russian-occupied territories in its southern
regions is seen as increasingly unlikely by experts as Moscow moves reinforcements to the area and Kyiv re-focuses on targeting Russian military capacity in the rear." MT

Finland says Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace

"Two Russian MiG-31 fighter jets are suspected of violating Finnish airspace near the coastal
city of Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland.

The suspected jets were westbound, the defence ministry’s communications chief Kristian Vakkuri said, adding the aircraft were in Finnish airspace for two minutes." AlJazeera

Turkey Strikes Northern Syria, Killing At Least 17, As Cross-Border Offensive Looms

 "Heavy fighting between Kurdish YPG and Turkish forces along the Syrian border town of Kobane, at a moment Turkish President Erdogan's planned large scale cross-border offensive looms. Already there are Turkish media reports claiming that a Turkish military convoy has entered Jarablus, northern Syria - with unverified social media photos circulating that purport to show convoys amassing.

Turkish shelling of Syrian Kurdish positions has reportedly killed and wounded civilians including a 14-year old child. And a series of airstrikes have hit Syrian government border posts, killing 17. However, it's unclear how many among these were Syrian national troops, Kurdish militia fighters, or pro-government militia members who fight alongside the army.

A Syrian government statement said meanwhile that "Any attack on a military outpost run by our armed forces will be met with a direct and immediate response on all fronts," according to state-run SANA." ZeroHedge

Serbia refused the military base of the Russian Federation on its territory

"Serbia refused to place a Russian military base on its territory. But Belgrade decided to move towards expanding cooperation with NATO." UT

‘It is Now the turn of Trump and Pompeo’ Threatens Iran After Rushdie Stabbing

"Following the horrific stabbing of free speech advocate, Sir Salman Rushdie last Friday, Islamic extremists on Iranian state media have said the author brought the attack on himself for offending Muslims and that Trump and Pompeo are “next”." TP

China Starts More Military Drills Responding to Latest US Delegation To Taiwan

"China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started fresh drills around Taiwan in response to a
congressional delegation that visited the island.

Wu Qian, a spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry, said the military exercises were a "resolute counterstrike and solemn deterrence to the consecutive provocations by the US and Taiwan that undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." ZH

Zelenskyy, Macron discuss nuclear plant

"Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned “Russia’s nuclear terrorism” at the
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, while calling for more sanctions on Moscow." AlJazeera

Russia blames sabotage for new Crimea blasts

"Blaming "sabotage", Russian officials said a fire triggered the blasts in the Dzhankoi area,
another fire hit a power station and a railway was damaged. 

The FSB security service said Ukrainian saboteurs had also blown up six electricity pylons this month inside Russia itself." BBC

Putin & Kim As Leaders Of World's "Most Sanctioned Countries" Pledge Deeper Ties Against "Hostile" US

"The state medias of Russia and North Korea are reporting that leaders Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un have communicated mutual messages pledging deeper ties between the two nations, at a moment both find themselves heavily sanctioned by the United States and its allies." ZH

Russian Forces Shell Donetsk, Kharkiv Targets

"Ukraine’s military reported heavy shelling Monday by Russian forces, with at least three
more Ukrainian civilians killed and another 20 wounded.

The three deaths and 13 of the injuries were recorded in the eastern Donetsk region, the scene of intense fighting for weeks, as Moscow’s forces targeted numerous towns and villages since Sunday and hit dozens of residential buildings.

Another seven people were wounded in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, where Russia also shelled residential buildings and an area near a bus stop." voa

Philippines eyes US helicopters after scrapping Russian deal

"Philippine officials are considering a U.S. offer to provide heavy-lift helicopters like its widely used Chinooks after Manila scrapped a deal to buy military choppers from Russia due to fears of Western sanctions, the Philippine ambassador to Washington said Monday." AP

Kissinger believes US at the edge of war with Russia and China

"Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger believes that Washington is currently on the
brink of war with Moscow and Beijing, he said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Biden Administration's inability to separate "personal relationships with the adversary" from breaking diplomatic stability, Mr Kissinger said: "I think that the current period has a great trouble defining a direction." Without directly naming US President Joe Biden, the 99-year-old told the Wall Street Journal that the White House's historically low relations with Moscow and Beijing were a result of leaders being "responsive to the emotion of the moment". Saying the US had "partly created" Russia's issues with Ukraine and China's with Taiwan, Mr Kissinger added: "All you can do is not to accelerate the tensions and to create options, and for that, you have to have some purpose." Express

Ukraine destroys Russian supply bridges, one-fifth of ground forces

"Ukraine troops have blown up two primary bridges that Russian troops used to accessoccupied territory as the country’s top soldier said Saturday that one fifth of invading ground forces have been “destroyed” with the conflict nearing its sixth month." NYP

Russia Says It May Sever US Relations If Declared Terrorism Sponsor

"A Russian diplomat warned that if his country is declared a state sponsor of terrorism, it

could not only harm US-Russo relations but potentially sever them completely. 

Alexander Darchiyev, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's North American department told the TASS news agency: 

"I would like to mention the legislative initiative currently being discussed in Congress to declare Russia a 'country sponsor of terrorism.' If passed, it would mean that Washington would have to cross the point of no return, with the most serious collateral damage to bilateral diplomatic relations, up to their lowering or even breaking them off. The US side has been warned." ZH