Musk says Democrats ready to do everything to 'destroy' him if Harris wins November 5 Vote

US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Friday that the Democratic Party is ready to do everything possible to "destroy" him if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the presidential vote on November 5.

"A lot of people still don’t believe me when I say that the Dems will do everything in their power to destroy me if they win on Nov 5th," Musk wrote on X as he reposted an article by Newsweek, in which it was alleged that he could be deported from the United States for a violation of the immigration law.

US mass media, especially those that support the Democratic Party, have often criticized Musk, a vocal Republican supporter, including for his recent $1 million giveaway to registered voters in swing states, which may be considered as election meddling and voter bribery.

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📹 Protesters storm port in Istanbul after arrival of Israeli ship

Demonstrators stormed Istanbul’s Port of Ambarli following the docking of a vessel from Israeli shipping company ZIM. Protesters, chanting “no Zionism in our ports,” gathered to oppose the Israeli presence. Security forces at the port, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara, fired into the air to disperse the demonstrators, local media reported.

Police intervened to block protesters from reaching the ZIM containers and secured the area.

Video from social media

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US ordered deployment of missile defense destroyers, strike bombers to Middle East - Pentagon

The United States has ordered the deployment of additional missile defense destroyers, fighter jets and strike bombers to the Middle East, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced.

"In keeping with our commitments to the protection of U.S. citizens and forces in the Middle East, the defense of Israel, and de-escalation through deterrence and diplomacy, the Secretary of Defense ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several U.S. Air Force B-52 long-range strike bombers to the region," Ryder said.

These forces will begin to arrive in coming months as the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group prepares to depart, the press secretary added.

"These deployments build on the recent decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system to Israel as well as DoD’s sustained Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) posture in the Eastern Mediterranean. These movements demonstrate the flexible nature of U.S. global defense posture and U.S. capability to deploy world-wide on short notice to meet evolving national security threats," Ryder claimed.

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🥴 A fight with the medal: Biden fumbles with award during union event

US President Joe Biden traveled to Philadelphia to deliver a speech on labor unions. However, when it came time to present the Presidential Citizens Medal, the task proved more challenging than expected, as he struggled and ultimately dropped the award on his first attempt.

The audience erupted in cheers as the president finally managed to complete the arduous task, celebrating the hard-won triumph.

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Evo Morales asks supporters to lift blockades 'to avoid bloodshed' – report

Former President of Bolivia Evo Morales has urged his supporters to lift blockades across the country to safeguard the population, following today's deployment of police and military forces to clear the main protest site in Parotani, 30 kilometers from Cochabamba, local media reported.

Earlier on Friday, President Luis Arce stated that armed supporters of Morales had seized three military units in the Cochabamba Department.

"We inform the Bolivian people and the international community that armed groups linked to Evo Morales have seized three military units in the tropical part of Cochabamba, taking military personnel and their families hostage, threatening their lives," Arce wrote on Telegram.

Law enforcement, along with the military, launched a large-scale operation early Friday to clear roads occupied by Morales supporters.

The 19-day blockade has cost Bolivia $1.7 billion. At least 70 people, including nine civilians and 61 police officers, have been injured during the blockade and clashes between protesters and police. President Arce noted that the blockade has disrupted small and large businesses, damaged the tourism sector, and harmed the country's reputation.

The protests are fueled by rising food prices and fuel shortages. Protesters also demand an end to the investigation into Morales, who faces allegations of human trafficking and corruption involving a minor.

Morales additionally announced that he will begin a hunger strike to push for dialogue with the government of Luis Arce, with international mediation.

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IMF has a blacklist of countries subjected to discrimination – ex-director for Russia

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a blacklist of member countries that are discriminated against on the basis of geopolitical preferences, former IMF Executive Director for Russia Aleksei Mozhin told RIA Novosti, shortly before resigning.

"There is a blacklist of foundation members who are openly discriminated against based on geopolitical preferences. There are many countries on this list and it is constantly growing," Mozhin highlighted in an interview.

Countries such as Iran, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar are on the blacklist, Mozhin said, adding that recently African countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, which have broken away from Western influence and asserted their independence and sovereignty, have also been blacklisted along with Georgia as a "punishment for disobedience."

“There was a major earthquake in Syria that caused severe destruction. This was a situation where the fund was obligated to provide assistance... However, the IMF did not offer any help, which was due to the stance of the Board of Directors, where most of the votes are held by Western countries,” he explained.

The fund has become a financial appendage of NATO, an agent and instrument of Western foreign policy, Mozhin emphasized.

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🥴 ‘Remember the last guy’ – slurring Biden struggles to insult Trump, mumbles incoherently

“Remember the last guy when he was president? He said, 'We're going to have... we have… retired... we have... every week, we're going to have infrastructure week,’” Biden said, stumbling over his words during a speech on labor unions in Philadelphia.

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US making huge efforts against BRICS, pressuring its members – Ex-IMF director for Russia

The United States and the West are making huge efforts against the BRICS countries, putting pressure on the association's members, former International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Director for Russia Aleksei Mozhin told RIA Novosti.

"They - and the US in particular - are making huge efforts in an attempt to hold the BRICS countries by the tail... The countries are under enormous pressure," Mozhin said in his final interview before leaving his post on November 1, commenting on the West's concerns about the development of BRICS.

He clarified Washington is trying to influence the BRICS members through its embassies.

Mozhin emphasized Western countries are concerned about the deepening of cooperation between the members of the association but refuse to admit it.

"They are lying when they say that they are not concerned about the deepening of cooperation between the BRICS countries, that they have excellent bilateral relations with most of these countries," he said.

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Israeli security forces have detained several suspects in the leak of secret intelligence about Israel's military plans; one of the detainees may be an employee of Netanyahu's office, Haaretz claims.

The Axios portal, citing Israeli officials, clarifies that one of the several suspects is Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's assistant. At the same time, the Israeli prime minister himself had previously stated that no one from his office had been questioned or detained.

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▫️US ordered deployment of missile defense destroyers, strike bombers to Middle East – Pentagon

▫️Musk says Democrats ready to do everything to 'destroy' him if Harris wins November 5 Vote

▫️US making huge efforts against BRICS, pressuring its members – Ex-IMF director for Russia

▫️Find out where most Ukrainian refugees fled to since February 2022

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Record number of wealthy Americans to leave US after elections
 
According to CNBC, fearing political and social unrest regardless of the result of the US presidential election, wealthy Americans are making plans to leave the country as they look for second passports or long-term residencies abroad.
 

“We’ve never seen demand like we see now,” CNBC cites Dominic Volek, adviser for the wealthy on international migration at Henley & Partners.

 
Volek said that for the first time, wealthy Americans account for 20% of clients, and more than any other nationality. He said the number of Americans making plans to move abroad has surpassed last year's figure by at least 30%.
 
The trend was echoed by David Lesperance, managing partner of Lesperance and Associates, an international tax and immigration firm. He said the number of Americans hiring him for possible relocation overseas has roughly tripled from last year.
 
Reasons cited for the move include Kamala Harris’ plan to tax unrealized capital gains for those with a net worth of more than $100 million and Trump's MAGA policy.
 
Mass school shootings, the potential for political violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the government’s soaring debts are also on the list, according to the report.

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🇷🇺🤝🇰🇵Russia expresses support for the measures taken by the North Korean leadership to curb the aggressive policy of the United States and its allies in Northeast Asia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

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John Robles, a refugee from the United States, has received a Russian passport, the Russian Interior Ministry said.
 
A few weeks ago, Putin granted him Russian citizenship by decree. Since the beginning of his career, Robles has served as a volunteer and delivered medicine to the territory of Donbass.

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Bor-M: Russian servicemen get top-notch floatable armor vest

Russian engineers from the research and production enterprise Fillin have created body armor that allows soldiers to stay afloat in combat conditions. What you should know about Bor-M and how does it help Russian servicemen?

◻️The Bor-M level-four armor vest can tackle a machine gun or an assault rifle bullet, thanks to a 2.2-kg armor plate made of boron carbide, the third hardest material in nature after diamond and boron nitride.

◻️The vest is capable of resisting fragments from the armor plate after being hit by a 7.62mm or a 5.45mm bullet. The Bor-M can save a soldier from behind-the-armor blows to the body, which can damage internal organs.

◻️The body armor’s positive buoyancy is provided by a ballistic package, and a climatic shock-absorbing damper made of lightweight materials.

◻️The vest protects all vital organs. If necessary, the area of anti-fragmentation protection can be increased by installing additional modules for protecting the neck, shoulders, and groin.

◻️The Bor-M is fitted with a quick release system and a wide evacuation loop to help pull a wounded soldier from under the fire.

The body armor is already successfully used by servicemen in the special military operation zone.

🔹Most of all, the Bor-Ms will be used by Russian marines and navy sailors who will have to fight in coastal and riverside areas, including the River Dnepr front line, where fire contact can occur at the most unexpected moment, military experts said.

🔹The vests will also be of help to Russian motorized riflemen and engineer troops, given that a Bor-M can keep a shell-shocked or wounded soldier afloat, thereby saving his life, the experts concluded.

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Russia's President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, in connection with the tragedy at the Novi Sad railway station, where 14 people died as a result of a collapsed roof.

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Protesting Boeing workers to make another desperate attempt at pay rise
 
Boeing workers, who have been striking since September, will vote on an improved contract offer that includes a 38% pay rise and a bigger ratification bonus, CNN reports, citing the workers' union.
 
The plane manufacturing company has offered a $12,000 ratification bonus and the reinstatement of an annual bonus program, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement.
 
The protesters, however, insist on a 40% wage increase and the return of the defined benefit pension, which they lost ten years ago.
 
The beleaguered Boeing is holding firm against the workers’ demands for wage increases, better pensions, and more input into product safety. Meanwhile, the strike by 33,000 unionized West Coast workers is entering its second month, as the company hits back with plans to slash 10% of its workforce as revenues plummet.
 
However, the UAW’s month-and-a-half-long strike has proven that the company has the cash for wage and cost of living adjustments, overtime and retirement benefits, and even protections against plant closures.

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❗️Russian troops liberated Kurakhovka settlement in the Donetsk People's Republic and the village of Pershotravnevoye in the Kharkov region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced.

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🇷🇺🪖Key statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's daily briefing on the special military operation's progress:

◻️The Russian Armed Forces hit the command post of the "Kraken" nationalist formation and the infrastructure of a military airfield;

◻️Russian air defenses shot down four ATACMS missiles, three Hammer bombs and 50 aircraft-type drones in one day;

◻️Ukrainian losses amounted to 115 militants, a Paladin self-propelled gun and a Caesar howitzer in one day in the area of responsibility of the Vostok Battlegroup;

◻️The Russian Zapad Battlegroup repelled one Ukrainian counterattack, the enemy lost up to 470 militants;

◻️Ukrainian losses amounted to 535 soldiers, an armored personnel carrier and three armored vehicles in the area of responsibility of the Tsentr Battlegroup;

◻️Ukrainian losses amounted to 65 militants in one day in the area of responsibility of the Dnepr Battlegroup.

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