He looks like the Mad Hatter
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/uss-zumwalt-sails-the-pacific-amid-increasing-us-china-tensi
USS Zumwalt sails the Pacific amid increasing US-China tensions
Former US Navy captain and analyst Carl Schuster has revealed that the US navy's most advanced surface warship, the USS Zumwalt, is conducting a mission in the western Pacific that might pave the way for the future stationing of US hypersonic missiles in the area.
According to Schuster “The presence of a stealth warship will draw a great deal of (Chinese) interest,” particularly if the Zumwalt is armed with hypersonic missiles.
The USS Zumwalt is one of three multi-mission guided missile destroyers in a class that the Navy claims would “create a new level of battlespace complexity for potential adversaries.”
This USS Zumwalt docked in Japan on Monday after docking at the port of Guam the previous week, according to a US Navy 7th Fleet spokeswoman. Additionally, the warship has been assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, the biggest US Navy destroyer squadron located outside of the US, which is based at Yokosuka Naval Base not far from Tokyo.
The USS Zumwalt has been cited by Schuster as “the largest and most technologically advanced surface combatant in the world,” however, the CNN report noted that China has other naval advantages.
Though it cannot rival Zumwalt's size, the People's Liberation Army Navy of China can undoubtedly prevail in the quantity battle.
The USS Michael Mansoor and the USS Lyndon B. Johnson are the other two ships of the Zumwalt class that the US Navy possesses.
The Chinese naval fleet has surpassed the US to become the largest in the world, and the PLA Navy now has six Type 055s in service with more coming.
It is worth noting here that Type 055 features 112 launch cells that can perform the same functions as the USS Zumwalt's 80 vertical launch cells for missiles that can attack land, sea, and anti-submarine targets.
Earlier on September 23, three US Navy vessels docked in Busan, South Korea to conduct joint operation drills alongside the South Korean navy as part of a mutual effort by Seoul and Washington to increase US strategic assets in the region, sparking further tensions with the DPRK.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/west-provoking-a-global-food-crisis:-putin
West provoking a global food crisis: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia's grain harvest in 2022 looks promising, even record-breaking in some ways, with a total of 150 million tonnes expected.
During an online meeting on the progress of seasonal field works in the country, Putin said, "According to operational data… the harvest promises to be worthy this year. On some indicators, it will be record-breaking."
Putin stressed that 138.7 million tonnes of Russian grain had already been harvested.
"This is about a third more year-on-year. According to experts, the total grain harvest may reach 150 million tonnes. We have earlier said 140 [million tonnes], 145, then 147, now it is a preliminary estimate of 150. And wheat [harvest] will reach about 100 million tonnes. This will be a record value in the entire history of Russia," Putin added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Putin stated that sanctions against Russia were worsening an acute food insecurity situation.
The entire problem is the collective fault of the West and has nothing to do with Russia's special operation in Ukraine.
"I repeat, the West is provoking a global food crisis," the Russian leader concluded.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has lately warned that the world will be at risk of food shortages next year if the problem of a destabilized fertilizer market is not resolved soon.
During a briefing, Guterres said, "In 2022 we have no lack of food, we have a problem of distribution”, adding, "If we don't normalize the fertilizer market, we will have a problem of food in 2023."
Elsewhere in his remarks, he revealed that the United Nations is considering expanding the grain agreement to include ammonia exports.
Russia alone in 2021 was the leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second major supplier of potassium fertilizers, and the third-largest supplier of phosphorous fertilizers.
Western sanctions on Moscow imposed over the war in Ukraine have undermined Russia's sales of agricultural products around the globe, which prompted the Kremlin to suspend the export of fertilizers.
The sanctions fired back at the West, surging food prices in March to their highest levels ever, while the International Monetary Fund warned in April that global food prices will likely rise further in the future due to the war, the sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and climate issues ravaging the planet.
The US and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations, and the sanctions even affected agriculture and foodstuffs.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/pompeo-in-taiwan-talking-business
Pompeo in Taiwan 'talking business'
Former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, gave a speech in Taipei, Taiwan, on Tuesday night to give a keynote speech, according to CNA.
Addressing the Global Taiwan Business Forum, which would bring 300 Taiwanese businessmen together, Pompeo's trip would be the second to Taiwan less than two months after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, angering China.
Pompeo, according to the Liberty Times newspaper, said he'd be discussing “seeing Taiwan’s post-Covid-19 pandemic business opportunities from the perspective of international economic and trade trends."
The former Secretary of State abused this opportunity to slam China. “China's aggressive conduct, diplomatically, militarily, economically… have changed this region. And it brought those who prefer peace and commerce even more closely together,” he said.
“If we want a free 21st century, and not the Chinese century, the century which Xi Jinping dreams of, the old paradigm of blind engagement must end."
He will also be visiting the World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce.
Pompeo, furthermore, also met President Tsai Ing-wen during a March visit, stressing that the US should “take necessary and long-overdue steps to do the right and obvious thing, that is to offer the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) America’s diplomatic recognition as a free and sovereign country.”
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the visit and described Pompeo as “a former politician with bankrupt credibility, and his nonsense is doomed to failure.”
A study in early August reveals that Taiwan depends more on China than it does on the US for trade.
Although the US recognizes Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China and maintains unofficial relations with the island, Taiwan’s business and economic ties with China, and additionally Hong Kong, have grown so large that China is by far considered its largest trading partner.
The analysis of data published through Wind Information indicates that China accounted for 42% of Taiwan’s exports, as opposed to the US’ 15% share. In total, Taiwan exported $188.91 billion in goods to China and Hong Kong just in 2021.
In addition, Taiwan’s exports to Southeast Asia were even greater than those to the US, amounting to $70.25 billion to the region compared to $65.7 billion to the US, as per the data.
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, however, has left serious tensions in trade relations between China and Taiwan. The Chinese administration already took advanced steps to prepare the region during Pelosi's stay in Taiwan, such as in military drills, although it made a vow to reconcile with the island.