Trump vs Harris: Does it make any difference for China?

Both US presidential candidates regrettably “not only have virtually indistinguishable policies regarding China, they have demonstrated during their respective time in office a bipartisan commitment to escalating tensions” with Beijing, Brian Berletic, a geopolitical analyst and former US Marine, tells Sputnik.

The candidates “present this singular continuity of agenda with their own respective spin – Donald Trump in a more nationalistic manner, and Kamala Harris by linking it to upholding the US-led ‘international order’.”

Washington “has continuously encouraged separatism on the island province of Taiwan by first stationing, then expanding the presence of US troops on Taiwan itself, and rapidly transforming the US military including the entire US Marine Corps to fight a future war with China off its own coasts over Taiwan, internationally recognized as Chinese territory.”

Both candidates plan to continue using Taiwan as a “pressure point” to provoke tensions between China and nations “the US still exercises considerable influence over, including Europe, Australia, and the Philippines, according to the analyst.
He insists that Biden’s steps would not have been possible without the actions Trump took “to prepare the stage.”

“Regardless of who wins the election this November, the steps taken during the Biden administration will allow this [China-related] policy to be pursued even further and in the same direction - toward escalation.”

Further militarization of the Asia-Pacific has been unfolding, Berlectic adds, referring to the creation of the Quad group, which took place under Trump. “Under the Biden administration, it was expanded along with the creation of AUKUS. Both groupings represent efforts toward what could be characterized as a ‘Pacific NATO’," as per the analyst.

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🇬🇪 Europe reacts to the results of Georgian elections:

🇨🇿 Czech Foreign Ministry: The Czech Republic is concerned about reports on the parliamentary elections in Georgia.

“The Georgian authorities should respect democratic values and stop actions that threaten the European alignment policy of Georgia,” the statement says.

🇬🇧 The British Foreign Office has called on the Georgian authorities to investigate possible violations in the conduct of the elections.

🇪🇺 Josep Borrell called on Georgia's political forces to dialog and government reforms by "the basic principles of European integration."

🇭🇺 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will visit Georgia on October 28-29 at the invitation of the Georgian Prime Minister. Earlier, Orban congratulated the ruling Georgian Dream party on its “stunning” victory.

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📹🇺🇸 Kamala Harris, current vice president of the United States since 2021, says she will "chart a new way forward" for the country at the Community Rally in PA.

Previously, when asked what she would have done differently than Biden over the past four years, Harris answered, “Not a thing that comes to mind."

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🇮🇱🇵🇸 Evidence of Israel's use of 'white phosphorus' sent to ICC - Palestinian leader's aide

According to Mahmoud al-Habbash, "millions of people" have witnessed Israel's use of white phosphorus in numerous wars in the Gaza Strip.

"Documented evidence and information have been provided confirming Israel's war crimes and genocide in the Gaza Strip, including the use of internationally prohibited weapons," al-Habbash said at the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan.

Israel denied these accusations and refused to cooperate with the ICC.

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Assange’s father: world's 'center of gravity' shifted toward BRICS

The "center of gravity" in the world has shifted toward BRICS, the organization is at the forefront of the world economy, demography and culture, John Shipton, an Australian activist and the father of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, told Sputnik.

"I think, as for Russia and the BRICS, it was great seeing the skill with which Russia and China and India, each having very distinct and ancient cultures, temporized bringing those cultures together to form the BRICS, international non-western power bloc. So, in my feeling, the center of gravity in the world has moved towards the demographic, economic and cultural centers of the world," Shipton said.

Last week, Shipton attended the BRICS summit in Kazan, where the results of Russia's chairmanship of the organization in 2024 were summed up. According to the activist, he enjoyed the trip to Kazan, and his brief acquaintance with Tatarstan and Tatar culture was "surprisingly good and pleasant."

#BRICS2024

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No party wins majority in Japan parliamentary elections

Parliamentary elections in Japan have left the country in uncertainty after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party gained only 215 mandates, down from 279, while the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan won 148 seats, up from 98 previously.

According to the Japanese Constitution, now the parties have 30 days to figure out a grouping that will govern.

The results of the elections have already caused the yen to fall to a three-month low as analysts are preparing for long political disputes over the formation of a government and possibly a change of leader, according to media reports.

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❗️Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has headed to the UAE, where he is expected to meet with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss international security and cooperation, the Russian Security Council said.

Shoigu is expected to be received by the UAE president to discuss international security, and bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic and military-technical spheres. The agenda also includes issues of interaction between law enforcement agencies and the special services of Russia and the UAE.

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Musk vows to cut US budget spending by $2 trillion if Trump wins

US entrepreneur Elon Musk has promised to cut US budget spending by at least $2 trillion if Republican candidate Donald Trump wins the presidential election in November.

Musk was one of headliners of Trump's campaign rally held at the Madison Square Garden arena in New York.

Fellow billionaire entrepreneur Howard Lutnick, who delivered an energetic speech just before Musk, asked him how much the country's budget spending, which amounts to $6.5 trillion, could be cut.

"I think we can do at least two trillion," Musk replied.

Trump previously said that he was ready to offer Musk a position in the US government if he wins the election. According to Trump, Musk would like to participate in optimizing the work of the American government.

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🔸Hungarian PM Orban to visit Georgia amid EU’s concerns over country’s elections’ results

🔸Evidence of Israel's use of 'white phosphorus' sent to ICC - Palestinian leader's aide 

🔸Russia’s army is world's strongest, US magazine’s ranking shows

🔸Japan's parliament hung after elections

🔸Assange’s father explains shift of world’s ‘center of gravity’ 
  
🔸VIDEO: Consistency isn’t Kamala’s strong point

🔸Trump vs Harris: Does it make any difference to China?

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Hebrew account of Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei blocked on X

The social media account of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posting in Hebrew on platform X, was blocked just one day after it was launched.

The message now indicates that the account is suspended when attempting to view Khamenei's post on X.

Over the weekend, Khamenei posted in Hebrew that Israel made a mistake by attacking Iran and hinting at a possible Iranian response to the strike on its territory.

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Russia to roll out new warship with 20 Kalibr cruise missiles

Russian shipbuilders have presented a model of a Sarsar project ship, which is capable of carrying up to 20 Kalibr cruise missiles. Renat Mistakhov, Director General of the Ak Bars Shipbuilding Corporation joint stock company, told the state-run Zvezda news outlet.

“The new vessel is a continuation of Project 21631, Bolshoy Buyan [Buyan-M missile corvette],” Mistakhov said, adding that the ship’s longer version will have 1,500 tons of displacement. 

In addition to the Kalibr missiles, the new warship will be armed with updated air defense systems, artillery guns and missile systems, according to Mistakhov. 

Buyan-M is a 950-ton displacement ship that is 74 meters (243 feet) long with a top speed of 45 kph (28 mph). Among other armament elements, the vessel has eight vertical launch tubes holding 3K14 Kalibr missiles. The Buyan-Ms were earlier used to launch strikes on Islamic State* terrorists in Syria.

*Islamic State (Daesh, ISIS/ISIL), a terrorist group banned in Russia

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Iraq files complaint with UN over Israel's airspace violation - Govt

Iraq has officially sent a protest note to the UN secretary general and Security Council, condemning the use of its airspace by the Zionist entity to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran on October 26, and violation of its sovereignty, the government said in a statement quoted by the INA news agency.

Iraq does not allow its airspace or territory to be used for attacks on other countries, especially if these are neighboring countries with whom Iraq has good neighborly relations and mutual interests, the statement read.

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🇮🇳🤩Incredible drone show in India

Residents of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh were lucky to observe the spectacular performance organized by the Drone Federation of India and BotLab Dynamics.

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📹Russian dreadlock-style tanks hit front lines to fend off drones

Russian tanks in the special military operation zone have been equipped with anti-drone “grills” that, from a distance, resemble dreadlocks - a hairstyle made of rope-like strands of hair. 

The protective structure is installed on the tank turret in the form of a "grill" made of reinforced industrial steel cables.

“We have designed these ‘dreads’ all by ourselves. Thanks to them, the cumulative jet of an enemy FPV drone detonates outside the tank's armor without damaging it, a tank commander with the call sign, Fedya, told Sputnik. 

He added that his tank - which is part of the 150th Guards Motor Rifle Division with the Tsentr battlegroup – was also equipped with an electronic warfare system designed to tackle the Ukrainian army’s unmanned aerial vehicles.

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Lacking troops, Kiev regime hunts for Ukrainian men at city venues 

The Ukrainian authorities are hunting in public places in Kiev and Odessa, specifically concert halls and luxury grocery stores, for men of military age, the Wall Street Journal reports. 

According to the newspaper, the number of Ukrainian citizens mobilized into the Ukrainian armed forces continues to decrease, despite the law on strengthening mobilization and tightening control. As a result, Kiev is facing pressure from the West who insists on further lowering the connoscription age.

The shortage of personnel has become a critical problem for Ukraine, despite efforts to create reserves and train new soldiers, including help from the French army, the article points out. Without additional weapons from Western allies, effective mobilization has become a difficult task, the WSJ concludes.

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❗️ Russian troops liberated the settlement of Tsukurino in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry announced

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