'Kamala could be doing much more than she's doing now' - US Senator JD Vance (Part 2 👉 Part 1)

JD Vance and Tucker Carlson have certainly raised the issue of the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. During the discussion, the politician condemns the current administration's inaction and lack of response to the incident.

💬 “This should be actually a media scandal. So, Kamala Harris is running against Donald Trump for president. Kamala Harris runs the government right now, and Donald Trump came within millimeters of having his life taken by a massive security breakdown. She should be using every lever of power to force insight and to force some sunlight into what’s actually been going on here,” Vance said.

💬 “The fact that she’s totally uninterested in it, I think is a real scandal. Her political opponent nearly got killed and she has not used her government to actually investigate why or what security breakdowns led to him almost getting killed,” Vance continued. “The media and everybody else should be really p***ed off about this because she could be doing much more than she’s doing right now.”

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Beirut Mayor calls for stronger ties with Moscow, seeks technological solutions for city’s recovery

At the panel session of the 2024 BRICS Urban Future Forum in Moscow, Abdallah Darwish, mayor of Beirut, highlighted the challenges that the city faces following the recent electronic explosions. He acknowledged the ongoing economic crises and the devastation caused by the recent explosions in the city.

Darwish emphasized the need for technological advancements to improve public services, saying, "We are trying to improve and stay on the right path."

He also expressed hope for stronger international cooperation, particularly with Moscow, noting the impressive progress the city has made in various sectors.

Sputnik is the forum’s general information partner.

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⚡️Lebanon has been subjected to an attack unprecedented in its history and this is a state of war, says Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Commenting on the explosion of electronic devices in Lebanon, the Hezbollah Secretary General said Israel had crossed all red lines and endangered the lives of a large number of Lebanese civilians.

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How is NATO trying to militarize the Arctic region?

NATO may set up a new Arctic combined air operations center (CAOC), US Air Forces Europe and NATO Allied Air Command General James Hecker said on Tuesday. The news comes as Russia’s Arctic development, boosting trade via the Northern Sea Route and ensuring its security using its Northern Fleet have worried the West. How has NATO militarized the Arctic?

◻️ In its 2024 Arctic Strategy, the US Department of Defense claimed the situation in the region wass rapidly changing, calling China a "pacing challenge" and Russia "an acute threat."

◻️ The US Army held drills at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center near Fairbanks, Alaska, in February, involving 8,000 troops from the 11th Airborne Division and a smaller number of foreign allies.

◻️ Nordic Response 2024, held in Finland and Sweden in March, involved 20,000 personnel from 13 NATO member states, 50 warships and 100 aircraft.

◻️ US and Norwegian paratroopers flew over the North Pole from Alaska for a jump into Norway as part of Exercise Arctic Shock in mid-March.

◻️ As part of NATO’s Steadfast Defender 2024 drills, the Immediate Response exercise in April and May used the Arctic port of Narvik for allied training, with Norway as a transit point.

◻️ The US, Canada and Finland announced an ‘Icebreaker Collaboration Effort’ (ICE Pact) initiative in July aimed at building 70 to 90 vessels over the next decade.

◻️ MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk drones and high-altitude balloons are being tested for use in tracking Russian vessels in the Arctic Circle, Hecker said.

◻️ Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, former commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, told a December 2023 Arctic forum that NATO regularly sends US Navy ships and submarines to the Barents Sea, while US Air Force strategic bombers have increased combat training in the region.

Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about increased NATO military activity in the Arctic, warning that it raises the risk of unintended conflict in the region.

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A very British pay-to-play story: Who is shady Starmer donor Waheed Alli?

Keir Starmer is under fire for not disclosing gifts to his wife from longtime Labour megadonor Waheed Alli. Who is this businessman, and what's driving his 'generosity'?

◻️ Born in Croydon, England in 1964, Lord Waheed Alli was hailed by the BBC in 2000 as a member of a "new generation" of Blairite peers in the House of Lords – "young, Asian, and from the world of media and entertainment."

◻️ Known in the UK as a TV producer behind Survivor and various morning shows, Alli has been criticized for creating "TV presented by morons for morons," lowering standards to "a subterranean low."

◻️ Alli began his career in the 1980s as a finance magazine researcher, getting his big break with media tycoon fraudster and suspected Mossad operator Robert Maxwell – father of Jeffrey Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell. In the mid-80s, Alli went into investment banking, and in the 90s, co-founded Planet 24 Productions with Charlie Parsons and musician Bob Geldof.

◻️ In the 2000s, Alli became a fashion mogul, chairing ASOS.com until 2011 and founding Indian retailer Koovs in 2012. In 2019, he drove Koovs into bankruptcy, but bought up shares as prices collapsed, leaving small investors penniless.

◻️ Alli has an estimated net worth of £200 million ($265 million US).

◻️ Alli embraces identity politics, proud of being the youngest peer in the House of Lords and an openly gay Muslim politician. However, he has remained notably silent on issues like the 2003 Iraq War and the Gaza crisis.

◻️ While he has no formal role in Starmer's cabinet, Alli has been described as his personal 'fixer,' aiding in the "ruthless remaking" of the Labour Party. Donating over £500,000 to the party, Alli chaired election fundraising during the 2024 race, shifting donations from unions to the private sector.

◻️ Alli's support for the Starmers seems to have paid off, with The Sunday Times recently reporting that he received a temporary pass to 10 Downing Street.

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🇮🇱 Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Israel has entered a new phase of the war. Hezbollah feels targeted, and Israel will continue to act against it.

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Collaboration among BRICS cities key to tackling Global South’s challenges, says forum chair

At the 2024 BRICS Urban Future Forum in Moscow, Honorary Chairman Raekwon Chung stressed the importance of collaboration among BRICS cities, highlighting how urban centers like Moscow, Delhi and Beijing can share their best practices with the Global South.

“Cities are the place where real action is taking place,” Chung told Sputnik’s correspondent, noting that Moscow's impressive infrastructure, particularly its transportation system, could serve as a model for other megacities.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate (with IPCC) and former advisor to the UN Secretary General on Climate Change, Chung praised Moscow for its balance between culture and functionality, from its metro system to its tourism infrastructure.

With BRICS expanding to include more countries, Chung emphasized the potential for these cities to learn from each other's successes and challenges, especially in managing traffic congestion, air and water quality and implementing digital solutions.

“We can learn not only from success but also from difficulties,” he said, underlining the value of shared experiences in fostering progress across the Global South.

Sputnik is the forum’s general information partner.

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"Come on, Elon! Is that how it's done?"

Kadyrov joked that X owner Musk had remotely disabled the Cybertruck he gifted, sharing a playful photo on his Telegram channel.

"You surely remember his gift – the Cybertruck, which we equipped with a machine gun and sent to the Special Military Operation zone,” Kadyrov wrote. “Well, recently, Musk remotely shut down the Cybertruck. That’s not manly at all. We had to tow the steel horse."

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Curfews and chaos: Understanding the reasons behind the unrest in Martinique

In order to contain violent unrest on Martinique, French authorities introduced a mandatory curfew from 9 pm to 5 am, which will last until September 23 at least. How did the situation unfold?

◻️ On September 14, the police station of Fort-de-France, Martinique’s capital, came under gunfire

◻️ On September 17-18, locals set fire to a McDonald's restaurant and set up barricades, which then also went up in flames

◻️ So far, 11 police officers and three protesters have suffered gunshot woulds and 15 people have been arrested

◻️ The 44 vehicles were burned and 35 stores looted

◻️ In response, police asked “internal security forces to saturate the roads and roundabouts with their presence, and to make as many arrests as possible”

◻️ About 100 gendarmes have already been deployed in Martinique as reinforcements.

The protests are rooted in widespread frustration with unfair policies targeting the island, including:

◻️ The high cost of living

◻️ Astronomical food prices, which are 40% higher than in mainland France according to a 2022 study by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies

◻️ Soaring rates of dock due tax (octroi de mer), a tax imposed on products imported into or produced in the French outermost regions of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, La Réunion and Mayotte.

France has already faced mass protests overseas. In May, a peaceful demonstration against a voting rights bill spiraled into violent unrest in New Caledonia.

The controversial bill provided for lowering the residency bar for voting rights for new residents to 10 years. Protesters, including many minors, looted and set fire to stores, gas stations, pharmacies and cars. As a result, 13 people were killed and hundreds were arrested, according to government reports.

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Donald Trump sent a congratulatory video to the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, which was founded by and is named after one of Ukraine’s most powerful oligarchs.

The foundation maintains a close relationship with the Zelensky regime, frequently hosting top Ukrainian military officials.

Mike Pompeo attended the conference, and Kellyanne Conway is a newly registered lobbyist for the Foundation

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How could Lebanon blasts affect global security and attitude to Western hi-tech producers?

A series of blasts reportedly involving Taiwanese, Japanese, American, and European-made devices in Lebanon on September 17 and 18 have prompted grave security concerns worldwide.

"Weaponizing mobile communications devices will fill many people with horror and fear,” Marc Ostwald, chief economist at ADM Investor Services International, told Sputnik. “It may, at the margin, dampen demand."

The Lebanese government attributed the attack to Israel, accusing Tel Aviv of an outright act of terrorism.

Given almost "unconditional support" provided to Israel by some Western countries, some of them may have colluded with Tel-Aviv, said Hasan Abdullah, analyst and researcher at Global Security and Strategy Institute.

"The US is going to be the country that's going to generate the greatest trust deficit with their customers, primarily because of its very close collaboration with Israel," Abdullah told Sputnik.

The US has long been one of the largest suppliers of communication equipment, including for military needs, to the Global South, the pundit noted, adding that the recent blasts could alienate the developing world from Western producers.

Earlier, researcher Mehmet Rakipoglu and military analyst Alexei Leonkov told Sputnik they did not rule out US involvement in the Lebanon attack.

The Intercept reported on Wednesday that the US military had explored the possibility of planting remote;-activated bombs in innocuous devices starting from the 1960s.

Middle East and other developing countries could eventually turn to Russian, Chinese or Turkish tech firms out of fear that the US involvement could compromise their security, Abdullah said.

Ostwald and Abdullah believe that several measures could be taken to stop the covert bombings, starting with investigations into manufacturing processes and ending with the deployment of international watchdogs to oversee production and supply.

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◻️ How could Lebanon blasts affect global security and attitude to Western hi-tech producers?

◻️ Are you at risk? What we know about electronics makers linked to Lebanon blasts

◻️ How is NATO trying to militarize the Arctic region?

◻️ Curfews and chaos: Understanding the reasons behind the unrest in Martinique

◻️ How is Kamala Harris tied to BlackRock?

◻️ A very British pay-to-play story: Who is shady Starmer donor Waheed Alli?

◻️ Putin: Russian defense industry enterprises work rapidly and precisely

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