Dr. Philani Mthembu, executive director of the Institute for Global Dialogue, an independent foreign policy think tank based in 🇿🇦 South Africa's Tshwane, weighed in on Saudi Arabia’s plans to join BRICS, the rise of the Global South, and a world without superpowers. @BolotskySputnik

⚡️Russia will send a letter to the UN Secretary General on Monday concerning the possibility of a “dirty bomb” provocation by Ukraine, says Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy

📞Russian Chief of General Staff Gerasimov spoke by phone with US counterpart Milley - Defense Ministry. They discussed the situation related to the possible use of a “dirty bomb” by Ukraine.

❗️The US has refused to issue visas to the Russian delegation for the IAEA International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century. Moscow considers the move unacceptable, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.

⚡️Biden signs order to expand sanctions on Nicaragua, prohibit US investment in certain sectors in country - Treasury

❗️Sergei Lavrov says the West’s dismissal of the warning that Kiev is working on creating a provocation using a “dirty bomb” is unfounded, saying the Russian Ministry of Defense will hold additional discussions on the matter. The Russian Foreign Ministry calls on Kiev and the West to halt actions that could lead the world to a nuclear catastrophe.

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🇮🇳🎉🪔One of the most important and brightest Hindu festivals, Diwali, is celebrated not only in India but in countries all over the world. It marks the beginning of the new year for Hindus and celebrates the goddess Lakshmi - the deity responsible for wealth and prosperity.

Watch Sri Lankan Hindus celebrate Diwali on Sputnik's latest video!

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❗️Both parties should avoid any action that could lead to miscalculation and escalation – UN on Russia's warning that Kiev is working on creating a provocation using a “dirty bomb”

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🇰🇵🇰🇷 North and South Korea fired warning shots at each other on Monday along the western sea boundary.

South Korea's military said Monday it had fired warning shots at a North Korean ship that crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea, the de facto maritime border.

According to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, a North Korean merchant vessel violated the NLL in waters near the front-line island of Baengnyeong at 3:42 a.m. and it retreated northwards after the South Korean Navy issued warning messages and fired warning shots.

A spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) issued statement saying that the KPA had fired 10 rounds of artillery and accused a South Korean naval ship of transgressing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).

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❗️Sunak to be confirmed UK's PM on Tuesday - Downing Street

🇲🇽🇺🇸 Sputnik witnessed an attempt by migrants to cross the US-Mexico border near Tijuana, Mexico.

Three men used a car jack on the US-Mexico border wall’s steel beams in order to squeeze through the gap. While one migrant managed to get to the US side, the attempt by the other two was abruptly cut short by US law enforcement.

It’s possible someone was waiting for the illegal migrants on the US side, giving them directions. About 20 minutes later, the Mexican National Guard showed up.

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❗️The White House says it is aware of a letter from the Democrats urging Biden to shift his Ukraine strategy and hold talks with Russia.

Earlier, a group of 30 liberal lawmakers penned a letter to the US president urging him to change his Ukraine strategy and seek direct negotiations with Russia.

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🇫🇮 Finland’s Institute of Seismology has recorded four seismic events of unclear origin at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland. The events took place on October 20 and 21, with Finnish media drawing attention to them on Monday.

According to information on Gazprom’s website, the Nord Stream gas pipeline runs through approximately the same area, but the precise distance of the seismic events from the pipeline itself has not been determined.

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🇬🇧 WATCH: UK’s newly elected PM Rishi Sunak arrives at 10 Downing Street in London.

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🔺Making History: Rishi Sunak becomes new British prime minister
🔺Once in space, now in disgrace: the US is eyeing security reviews of Elon Musk’s business deals
🔺Laith Marouf will join us to discuss an Iranian lawsuit against the US, Raisi’s determination to expand ties with China, and other news from the Middle East

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🇦🇺🇯🇵In a meeting in Perth, Western Australia, this week, Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister, and Fumio Kishida, Japanese Prime Minister, said their countries would expand their security cooperation to respond to regional challenges.

Kishida expressed his keenness to improve Japan's defense capabilities within five years, as well as consider all national defense options, including "counterstrike capabilities."

To build secure supply chains for the materials needed in Japan's advanced manufacturing industry, the two countries also announced a critical minerals partnership.

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🐓🐓A near-record number of U.S. chickens and turkeys have been killed by an avian flu outbreak this year. More than 47 million birds have died due to infections and being culled.

The outbreak has led to export bans, lowered egg, and turkey production, and contributed to record prices of staples ahead of the U.S. holiday season. In 2015, 50.5 million birds died in the worst animal-health crisis in U.S. history.

Rosemary Sifford, chief veterinary officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said farmers are dealing with a subtype of the H5N1 strain of the virus that was able to survive over the summer when rising temperatures usually reduce the outbreaks.

Sifford said officials are finding the subtype in a broader range of wild birds, such as ducks, which also infects birds over a longer period. The U.S. is monitoring arriving wild birds for avian flu in four migration paths, known as flyways, instead of the two, and it will continue into next year.

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🚨Three people were killed, and several others were injured after a shooting in a school in St. Louis, Missouri, Monday morning. The suspect also died.

St. Louis police officers arrived within a few minutes of the initial call and made entry into the school, according to Interim Police Chief Michael Sack. As students ran out of the building, they told officers there was a shooter armed with a long gun. While exchanging gunfire with police, the suspect was shot.

Police said eight people total were taken to the hospital with injuries. One woman died at the hospital, and a teenage girl was pronounced dead at the school. Police said the victims' injuries ranged from gunshot wounds to shrapnel injuries and cardiac arrest.

The data shows that 14 people have been shot to death at schools in Missouri over the past 50 years. About 30 people have been injured.

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🤳Chinese-owned social media company TikTok, seeking to develop a data center in Ireland, twice wrote to the Irish government seeking a meeting to discuss the level of security of the country's energy supplies.

During the proposed meeting, TikTok said it hoped to discuss "energy security in the context of gas supply and gas as a backup in data center operations," she wrote. Tim Tok also wanted to discuss the Commission for Regulation of utility guidance for new data centers, following concerns over the large amounts of energy used by the centers.

Meanwhile, TikTok has signed a lease on a six-story riverfront office building in Dublin's Docklands. Earlier, TikTok said it would add 1,000 new jobs in Ireland, bringing its total employees to 3,000. TikTok is also building a data center in Dublin, which is expected to open next year.

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🛩Chicago-based United Airlines has posted its strongest quarterly earnings in three years. According to Refinitiv data, the carrier reported an adjusted profit of $2.81 per share for the third quarter, well above analysts' expectations for $2.28, marking its best performance since the third quarter of 2019.

"Despite growing concerns about an economic slowdown, the ongoing COVID recovery trends at United continue to prevail, and we remain optimistic that we'll continue to deliver strong financial results in the fourth quarter, 2023, and beyond," Chief Executive Scott Kirby said in a statement.

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