Houthi leader touts militia’s world-class military arsenal amid explosive regional tensions

“We possess an advanced military arsenal that many countries do not have, and our missile power is a symbol of this advanced, effective and important capability,” Houthi Leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said in a televised address on Saturday, on the 10th anniversary of the Houthi takeover of Sanaa in an uprising in 2014, known among the militia’s supporters as the September 21 Revolution.

💬 “Yemen has an advanced level of unmanned aviation, naval power, the formation and development of the ground force, and the production of required equipment,” al-Houthi said.

“The Yemenis will remain steadfast in the central issue of supporting the Palestinians in the face of Israeli aggression, notwithstanding the horrific crimes and severe siege,” al-Houthi added.

The Yemenis announced last week that they had fired a hypersonic missile 2,000 km into Israel. The IDF confirmed that a missile had landed inside the country, hitting an open area near the Red Sea port city of Eilat.

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Kamala Harris challenges Donald Trump to final pre-election debate

US presidential candidate Kamala Harris is hopeful that a second debate with Donald Trump will take place on 23 October, less than two weeks before the election on 5 November.

In a social media post, the Democratic candidate stated that she had "approved" CNN's proposal. Her campaign team believes that the Republican presidential contender "shouldn't have any issues" with the rematch.

The September debate on ABC News, which experts dubbed "three against one" due to the moderators' bias against Trump, was won by Harris, according to polls. But the former president claimed victory and declined to take part in any further debates.

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◻️ TikTok likely bullied into banning Sputnik by DoJ ahead of pivotal election: Here’s why

◻️ How US deep state co-opted TikTok

◻️ What’s known about US private military companies?

◻️ How ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ Trojan horse has undermined US military

◻️ America's healthcare: dead last in the rich nation rankings

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🇨🇳📹 China's army has stunned the internet with a record-breaking speed at building a bridge across a river in under 30 minutes. Watch the video to see how they pulled it off!

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Too late to debate: Trump denies Harris’s challenge for another debate

“The problem with another debate is that it's just too late. Voting has already started. She's had her chance to do it with Fox. You know, Fox invited us on and I waited and waited and they turned it down. They turned it down,” the former president said.

Earlier in the day, the US Vice President said that she had "approved" CNN's separate proposal for a faceoff between the two candidates. According to her campaign team, the Republican presidential contender "shouldn't have any issues" with the rematch.

Trump claimed Harris is seeking a new round of debates because she is “losing badly” to the former president.

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US bets on South Korea to bail out crippled shipbuilding industry

South Korean shipbuilding company Hanwha Ocean recently announced its acquisition of a former US Navy shipyard in Philadelphia. Besides the shipyard deal, valued at $100 million, Hanwha secured its first maintenance and repair contract with the US Navy.

The US shipbuilding industry has been mired in years-long delays and cost overruns. However, even with support from Asian firms, it could take the US years to close the gap with China in maritime power is stark numbers are anything to go by.

◻️ While China commands 40% of global commercial shipbuilding output, the US accounts for less than 1%.

◻️ Last year, China had orders for 1,794 large commercial ships, South Korea had 734, Japan had 587 – but the US had just five.

◻️ China had over 5,000 ocean-going commercial vessels in early 2023, while the US-flagged merchant fleet numbered only 177.

◻️ Chinese shipbuilding capacity is over 200 times that of America’s, according to a media-cited US Naval Intelligence chart.

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What are new French government’s foreign and defense picks’ positions on Russia and Ukraine?

Elysee Palace has approved newly-appointed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s picks for senior cabinet posts. Here’s what they’ll mean for France’s policy on the Ukrainian crisis going forward:

Jean-Noel Barrot, 41-year-old Minister Delegate for Europe, was tapped for the foreign minister’s job.

▪️ A hawk on Russia, Barrot proudly touted the EU’s provocative move to use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to send a €1.5 billion tranche of cash to Ukraine in July, assuring the “people of Ukraine that France and Europe stand with you.”

▪️ In April, he claimed France was being “pounded” by “Russian disinformation,” and that “not a week goes by” without the country “being the target of coordinated and deliberate maneuvers to disrupt public debate and interfere in the campaign for the European elections.”

▪️ In July, Barrot, who served as minister for digital transition and telecommunications in the Elizabeth Borne government from 2022 to January 2024, praised controversial French legislation allowing the intelligence services to use AI tools to detect online “disinformation.”

▪️ Barrot is a laureate of the French-American Foundation’s “Young Leaders” program. The foundation is considered to be an undisguised vehicle for US soft power in France.

Sebastien Lecornu, 38, kept his post as armed forces minister.

▪️ While dutifully carrying out orders to send more than €2.5 billion in military equipment to Ukraine, the politician, who took up his post in May of 2022, has taken flak from Kiev over the pace of French deliveries, refusal to send Leclerc tanks, citing ‘maintenance and training’ issues, and complications servicing the CAESAR wheeled artillery delivered to Ukraine.

▪️ This spring, Lecornu complained about Europe’s lagging behind Russia in the production of artillery shells. In April, he spoke to Russia’s defense minister by phone to try to ease tensions following repeated threats by President Macron to deploy French combat troops to Ukraine.

Among other senior appointments is 63-year-old Le Republicains senator Bruno Retailleau, tapped to head the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 33-year-old Antoine Armand, a lawmaker from Macron’s Renaissance Party, has been picked finance minister, while 39-year-old Business France head Laurent Saint-Martin was appointed budget minister.

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