Humble1999

Ukraine’s defense ministry shared a video and said a soldier shot down a Russian cruise missile with a portable air defense system.

Hong Kong(CNN) Malaysia's 97-year-old former leader Mahathir Mohamad is to run for parliament in the country's looming general election, but is remaining tight-lipped on whether he could be prime minister for a third time. Mahathir, who was hospitalized earlier this year with a heart condition, said Tuesday he will defend his seat representing Langkawi, a popular tourist destination. But he said the alliance he represents -- the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) or Homeland Movement -- has not decided who would be prime minister should it win the election, expected in November. as a candidate for future prime minister, just as a candidate for lawmaker," he told a news conference. "We have not decided who will be prime minister because the prime minister candidate is only relevant if we win," he added. Mahathir, who was discharged from hospital last month after falling ill with Covid-19, has been prime minister of Malaysia twice before, his first stint running for 22 years until 2003. He came out of retirement in 2018 to lead his then coalition -- the Pakatan Harapan or Hope Alliance -- to a shock election win and returned to power aged 92. That victory saw Mahathir's former protege Najib Razak pushed out of office and ended six decades of rule by the United Malays National Organization party or UMNO. Mahathir said he had been moved to act after Najib became embroiled in the multibillion-dollar financial scandal surrounding the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib has since been jailed for 12 years on money laundering, abuse of power and other charges relating to the scandal but remains a political force amid speculation he could receive a royal pardon. Mahathir warned Tuesday that Najib could be freed if UMNO wins the election. Malaysia's current Prime Minister is Ismail Sabri Yaakob of the ruling UMNO party. He dissolved parliament on Monday, paving the way for the election but a date has yet to be set. In a televised address, Ismail said that on Sunday he had presented a letter of request to Malaysia's head of state, King Abdullah of Pahang, to dissolve the parliament.

CNN) President Joe Biden on Tuesday for the first time addressed his son's exposure to possible criminal charges for allegedly lying on a gun-purchase application, but he said he was proud of Hunter Biden for confronting his struggles with drug addiction in an interview with Jake Tapper aired on "CNN Tonight." Hunter Biden purchased a gun during a time in which he has now acknowledged he was struggling with drug addiction -- an issue now under federal criminal investigation because federal law requires purchasers to attest that they aren't users of or addicted to illegal drugs, CNN has reported. Federal prosecutors are weighing possible charges related tax violations and for making a false statement related to the gun purchase, CNN reported. President Biden told Tapper on Tuesday that he was "proud" of Hunter Biden for being straightforward about his battle with drug addiction. This is a kid who got -- not a kid, he's a grown man -- he got hooked on, like many families have had happen, hooked on drugs. He's overcome that. He's established a new life," Biden said. "I'm confident that he is -- what he says and does are consistent with what happens," the President said. "And for example, he wrote a book about his problems and was straightforward about it. I'm proud of him." The case against Hunter Biden narrowed earlier this year and was a matter of discussion in early summer between FBI and IRS investigators, prosecutors in Delaware and the Justice Department, CNN previously reported. The discussions included assessing the strength of the case and questioning whether more work was needed before deciding on charges. Prosecutors and investigators have argued that they have enough evidence to bring charges, but a decision on charges rests with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss and is expected after the midterm elections. An attorney for Hunter Biden didn't immediately comment. In the CNN interview on Tuesday, the President defended his son. "This thing about a gun -- I didn't know anything about it. But turns out that when he made application to purchase a gun, what happened was he -- I guess you get asked -- I don't guess, you get asked a question, are you on drugs, or do use drugs?' He said no. And he wrote about saying no in his book," Biden said. "So, I have great confidence in my son," he went on. "I love him and he's on the straight and narrow, and he has been for a couple years now. And I'm just so proud of him." The White House has consistently declined to comment on the Hunter Biden investigation, saying it's a matter for the Justice Department. But Republicans and conservative media have focused on the issue, which could become the subject of congressional inquiries should Republicans take control of Congress after this year's midterm elections. Biden told Tapper his focus right now is on November's congressional contests. But he said once those elections conclude he'd enter the decision-making process on his own political future. "I'm not going to make this about my decision. I'm going to make this about this off-year election. After that's done in November, then I'm going to be in the process of deciding," Biden said. Biden, who turns 80 on November 20, has consistently batted away questions about his age, suggesting his performance as president speaks for itself. He has said he intends to run for reelection. But he notes he respects fate, and has suggested he'll discuss the matter with his family and come to a decision early next year.

New York (CNN Business) Jerome Powell and other members of the Federal Reserve are obsessed with choking off inflation once and for all, even if the Fed's series of aggressive rate hikes slow the economy to a crawl. That could be bad news for consumers, investors and Corporate America. What's more, many market experts and economists note that the rate of inflation, while still uncomfortably high, is falling and should continue to decline -- but there is a noted lag effect. Fed vice chair Lael Brainard admitted as much in a speech Monday, saying that "policy actions to date will have their full effect on activity in coming quarters." Still, the Fed isn't done raising rates. Investors are pricing in the strong probability of a fourth consecutive three-quarters of a percentage point hike at the Fed's next meeting on November 2. And the chances of a fifth straight hike of that magnitude at the Fed's December 14 meeting are also on the rise. year. So the Fed is going to keep raising rates to prove that it is taking inflation seriously, even if that leads to a bigger pullback in stocks...and tipping the economy into a recession.

Russia's deadly strikes on civilian targets continued Wednesday as Moscow announced it arrested eight people in connection with the massive explosion that damaged the only bridge between annexed Crimea and Russian mainland on Saturday, according to state media. NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels Wednesday will focus on how to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems, according to sources, as the Kremlin continues to slam the alliance’s relationship with Kyiv. US President Joe Biden said in an exclusive CNN interview he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "rational actor" who badly miscalculated his ability to invade Ukraine. He also said he doesn't believe Putin would use a nuclear weapon. External power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been restored following the shelling of a substation, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said.

CNN) Prosecutors have called on a Florida jury to recommend the Parkland school shooter be put to death, saying in a closing argument Tuesday he meticulously planned the February 2018 massacre, and that the facts of the case outweigh anything in his background that defense attorneys claim warrant a life sentence. "What he wanted to do, what his plan was and what he did, was to murder children at school and their caretakers," lead prosecutor Michael Satz said of Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder for the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in which 14 students and three school staff members were killed. "That's what he wanted to do." But Cruz "is a brain damaged, broken, mentally ill person, through no fault of his own," defense attorney Melisa McNeill said in her own closing argument, pointing to the defense's claim that Cruz's mother used drugs and drank alcohol while his mother was pregnant with him, saying he was "poisoned" in her womb.

Washington(CNN) Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said he's been "blown away" by the calls for him to launch a White House bid, but maintained that his focus at the moment is raising his family. "I'm just really grounded and humbled by the interest on both sides. But the No.1 job, and my No. 1 title, that I love right now is daddy," the actor and pro wrestling legend told CNN's Jake Tapper in an interview that aired on "CNN Tonight" Tuesday. Asked if that meant he was ruling out a future presidential run down the line, Johnson left the door open. have seriously considered it. You have to. When you start looking at some of these polls, and these numbers creep up into the 46%, 50% of the country would vote for me should I run, and I have been -- I've been really moved by that," he said. "I mean, truly, it sat me down." Johnson is a father of three: Jasmine Lia, 6, and Tiana Gia, 4, with his wife Lauren Hashian, and Simone Alexandra, 21, from a previous marriage. One poll from 2021 found 58% of Americans would have liked to see Johnson as the next president of the United States. In the same poll, 58% said they would support actor Matthew McConaughey. Last year, the 50-year-old Johnson produced and starred in two major films, "Jungle Cruise" and "Red Notice," debuted his sitcom "Young Rock," saw his company Teremana Tequila have unprecedented growth and became the most followed American man on Instagram. Johnson has previously described himself as a "political independent" and "centrist" who has voted for candidates in both parties. In 2020, he endorsed President Joe Biden in what he called "arguably the most critical election our country has seen in decades." Earlier in former President Donald Trump's tenure, Johnson had made a powerful plea for change in leadership in the wake of George Floyd's death. The actor stated in a video post on his social media channels that the US is "crippled" and "on its knees begging to be heard and pleading for change." "I don't know anything about politics," Johnson told Tapper. "I will say that I -- absolutely, I'm a patriot, and I love our country and I love everybody in it, regardless of color or culture. Don't care what your bank account says or what kind of car you drive." CNN's Kelly Murray contributed to this report.

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman discusses her conversations with former President Donald Trump around his support for Herschel Walker and his political future.

CNN) Mitch McConnell doesn't like talking about Donald Trump. But you might think he would make an exception when it came to the former President attacking his wife. You would be wrong. referring to Elaine Chao as McConnell's "China loving wife, Coco Chow" on social media was acceptable. "The only time I've responded to the President, I think, since he left office is when he gave me my favorite nickname -- Old Crow -- which I considered a compliment and after all, it was Henry Clay's favorite bourbon," McConnell said, declining to comment further on the matter. Which is pretty remarkable -- even for the famously iron-willed McConnell. (Sidebar: Chao is a naturalized American citizen who was born in Taiwan. And not for nothing, she spent the better part of the Trump administration as his Transportation secretary.) What's McConnell up to? Well, as I said above, he really doesn't want to talk about Trump. In fact, he's spent the past 18 months trying to avoid all talk about the former President, acting like the Republican Party is just moving on, even though it's crystal clear that much of the base remains loyal to Trump and his election conspiracies. The last thing McConnell wants to do a month before the midterm elections is get into a back and forth with Trump -- because you can bet that Trump would respond if McConnell said anything -- that would further amplify the former President. And so, there isn't any way -- up to and including Trump making racist comments about his wife -- that McConnell is going to go down the road of talking about the former President. It's clear that McConnell believes that the less is said about Trump, the better Republicans' chances are of winning control of the Senate in four weeks' time. So he is setting what must be -- even for him -- a difficult example: Under no circumstances let the ever-provocative Trump goad you into a conflict. It's what Trump wants, but it's a bad thing for the broader Republican cause.

Jolissa Fuentes, a Fresno County, California, woman last seen more than two months ago, was found dead inside her crashed car at the bottom of a cliff in the Sierra Nevada foothills, officials said. Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz describes what happened.

Former DC Metropolitan police officer Michael Fanone reveals tapes he secretly recorded while meeting with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who said former President Donald Trump had no idea his supporters were carrying out the attack on January 6. CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild has the report.

CNN — President Joe Biden said in an exclusive CNN interview Tuesday he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “rational actor” who nonetheless badly misjudged his ability to invade Ukraine and suppress its people. “I think he is a rational actor who has miscalculated significantly,” Biden told Jake Tapper as Russian bombardments on civilian targets in Ukraine signaled another turning point in the months-long war. Coming as the conflict in Ukraine approaches its eighth month, the interview with Biden provided fresh insight into his thinking as top US officials watch the fighting unfold in Ukraine with escalating concern. Biden, who warned last week the risk of “nuclear Armageddon” was at its highest level in 60 years, said in the interview that threats emanating from Russia could result in catastrophic “mistakes” and “miscalculation,” even as he declined to spell out how precisely the United States would respond if Putin deploys a tactical nuclear device on the battlefield in Ukraine. And he said there would “consequences” for Saudi Arabia after it partnered with Moscow to announce a cut in oil production, a move that could cause gas prices to increase as November’s midterm elections approach.

New York CNN Business — The countdown is now on for Elon Musk and Twitter to close their $44 billion acquisition deal by October 28 or be forced to again prepare for a trial after a judge agreed on Thursday pause the legal proceedings. What everyone is now waiting on: Musk needs to actually have the money to hand over. Even the world’s richest man needs a little help for an acquisition of this size. In April, Musk announced he had lined up $46.5 billion in financing for the deal, including two debt commitment letters from Morgan Stanley and other unnamed financial institutions (one for $13 billion and another for $12.5 billion, the latter of which was later reduced to $6.25 billion). Musk himself also committed approximately $21 billion in equity to fund the deal, and later raised an additional $7 billion in equity from investors such as Oracle founder Larry Ellison and cryptocurrency firm Binance. Much of the sticking point between Musk and Twitter (TWTR) now appears to be over uncertainty around the status of those financing arrangements. Elon Musk walks from the the justice center in Wilmington, Del., Monday, July 12, 2021. The Twitter-Musk trial is now on pause Musk’s team had said in a filing earlier Thursday that there was no need to press on with the ligation because he had committed to closing the deal at the originally agreed upon terms and the banks that had committed debt financing to help him pay for it were “working cooperatively to fund the close.”

In the midst of Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukrainian parliament member Inna Sovsun found shelter inside a subway station. She tells CNN’s Kate Bolduan about the experience, and shares video of the many Ukrainians singing the national anthem while sheltering. 03:51 - Source: CNN

London CNN Business — For the second time in two days, the Bank of England has been forced to offer extra support to UK markets still reeling from the government’s announcement last month that it would slash taxes and increase borrowing. The central bank warned Tuesday that there was still a “material risk to UK financial stability” from a sharp-sell off in government bonds that has sent yields soaring, pushing up borrowing costs across the economy and forcing some pension funds to dump assets to raise cash. A slump in UK government bonds that promise to protect investors from inflation — known as index-linked gilts — was the latest source of risk, it said. “Dysfunction in this market, and the prospect of self-reinforcing ‘fire sale’ dynamics pose a material risk to UK financial stability,” it said in a statement. The extent of the bond market strain was underscored Tuesday when the UK government sold £900 million ($994 million) of index-linked gilts due in 2051 at the highest yield since October 2008, according to Reuters. Starting Tuesday, the Bank of England will include index-linked gilts in its emergency £65 billion ($71.7 billion) bond-buying program announced on Sept. 28. “These additional operations will act as a further backstop to restore orderly market conditions,” it added. The bank said the program would end as planned on Friday. City workers walk near the Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, UK, on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. How meltdown in a $1 trillion market brought the UK to the brink of a financial crisis On Monday, it doubled the daily limit on its bond-buying to £10 billion through the end of the week. It also announced a new facility that will make it easier for banks to tap central bank cash by accepting a wider range of assets as collateral. That program will continue once the emergency bond-buying program ends.

Washington, DC CNN Business — Drivers are putting too much trust in their vehicles’ driver-assist features, which may lead to dangerous situations, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The organization, which researches vehicle safety, released a study Tuesday finding that 53% of General Motors’ Super Cruise users, 42% of Tesla Autopilot users and 12% of Nissan’s ProPilot Assist users were comfortable letting the system drive the vehicle without them watching what was happening on the road. Some even described being comfortable letting the vehicle drive during inclement weather and in parking lots.

Photographer Ella Ling speaks to Don Riddell about the “raw” photo she took of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal holding hands at the Laver Cup after the final match of Federer’s career. 05:28 - Source: CNN

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is ramping up his aggressive behavior, conducting at least seven missile tests in two weeks. An expert tells CNN's Brian Todd that Kim's recent attire is reflective of his military strategy.Source: CNN

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) discusses the US relationship and dealings with Saudi Arabia after the Saudis sided with Russia and OPEC in restricting the number of oil barrels produced by the organization.Source: CNN

By Yuliya Talmazan and Mithil Aggarwal Russia unleashed a barrage of deadly attacks on cities across Ukraine on Monday, hitting the heart of the country's capital, Kyiv, as part of a wave of strikes against civilians and infrastructure not seen since the earliest days of the war. From Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the northeast, missiles tore through rush-hour traffic and into energy facilities, in apparent retaliation for a blast that damaged a key bridge to the annexed Crimean Peninsula over the weekend. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a televised address that his military had launched a "massive strike" on Ukraine's "energy, military command and communications facilities," telling his security council it was revenge for what he called Kyiv's long track record of "terrorist" actions, including the bridge blast. The Russian leader also issued a threat. "If attempts to carry out terrorist attacks on our territory continue, Russia’s responses will be tough and will correspond in scale to the level of threats posed to Russia," he said. "No one should have any doubts about this.” Image: People receive medical treatment after missile strikes hit Ukraine's capital on Monday morning. Efrem Lukatsky / AP After a series of humiliating battlefield setbacks that have piled pressure on Putin, the attacks were a sudden escalation that showed Moscow retained the capacity to terrorize Ukraine's population if not defeat its military. They shattered months of relative calm in Kyiv and other areas far from the front lines. At least five people were killed and 51 injured in the capital, Mayor Vitalii Klitchko said. Across the country, at least 11 people were dead and 64 injured, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. NBC News has not verified the numbers. Russia used missiles and Iranian-built drones to target civilians and energy facilities throughout the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a recorded video. “They want panic and chaos. They want to destroy our energy system. They are hopeless,” he said. Critical infrastructure facilities were damaged in 12 regions of the country and Kyiv, Ukraine's state emergency services said, with electricity supply partially disrupted in 15 regions. Significant internet outages were also reported across the country by the monitoring group NetBlocks.

CNN — Multiple explosions rocked Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities reported blasts and power outages on Monday morning, as Russia lashed out with a massive wave of violent airstrikes that carried echoes of the initial days of its invasion. At least 11 people were killed in the strikes, while 64 were wounded, the Ukrainian emergency services said. Ad feedback Moscow fired at least 84 cruise missiles toward Ukraine on Monday, the Ukrainian military said, 43 of which were neutralized by missile defense systems. Twenty-four Russian attack drones were also used in the salvo, 13 of which were destroyed. The assault appears to be the heaviest bombardment of missile and rocket attacks seen in most of Ukraine since February, targeting power plants, bridges, civilian infrastructure and other locations. It comes two days after an eruption damaged a crucial bridge to Crimea and dealt a strategic blow to the Kremlin. A wounded Vladimir Putin, who has also seen weeks of Russian losses on the battlefield, had been under pressure to respond with force following the explosion, which Putin on Sunday blamed on Kyiv and described as an act of terror.

Analyst predicts North Korea's next move after ballistic missile launch Seoul, South Korea CNN — North Korean state media has broken its silence over the country’s recent spate of missile tests, claiming they were part of a series of simulated procedures intended to demonstrate its readiness to fire tactical nuclear warheads at potential targets in South Korea. The Kim regime has tested ballistic missiles seven times since September 25, the latest of 25 launch events of ballistic and cruise missiles this year, according to a CNN count, raising tensions to their highest level since 2017. Quoting leader Kim Jong Un, who oversaw the drills, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the tests, which coincided with nearby military drills between the United States, South Korea and Japan, showed Pyongyang was ready to respond to regional tensions with by involving its “huge armed forces.” KCNA said the series of seven drills of North Korea’s “tactical nuclear operation units” showed that its “nuclear combat forces” are “fully ready to hit and wipe out the set objects at the intended places in the set time.” Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program and professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said North Korea’s announcements Monday indicated potential progress in its missile program. “What I find notable is that these launches are not framed as tests of the missiles themselves, but rather of the units that launch them. That suggests these systems are deployed,” Lewis said on Twitter.