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☆ The BBC ‘urgently looking into’ issues raised in documentary on Russell Brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Lauren Kent | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A BBC spokesperson said on Sunday that the British broadcaster is “urgently looking into” issues raised in the Channel 4 documentary on Russell Brand, which included allegations of sexual assault. Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised,” a BBC spokesperson said in a statement. One of the women said she was 16 and Brand was 31 at the time of the alleged assault in London. Brand preemptively denied the allegations in a video posted to his verified Instagram page, which he shared on Friday before the report was published. And as I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous,” Brand said in his video on Friday.

Persons: Russell Brand, ”, Brand, Brand preemptively, ” Brand, “ Organizations: CNN, BBC, Sunday Times, The Times, Troubadour, Theatre Locations: British, London

☆ UK comedian Russell Brand denies media allegations of sex assaults
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brand, 48, the former husband of U.S. singer Katy Perry, issued a denial to unspecified "very serious criminal allegations" hours before they were published online by the newspaper on Saturday. The Sunday Times did not say if any of the women had made complaints to the police. In a video message posted on social media, Brand said the accusations contained "a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks as well as some pretty stupid stuff". "But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," he said. "What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations."

Persons: Russell Brand, Brand, Katy Perry, Perry, Michael Holden, Alex Richardson Organizations: Sunday Times, Reuters, The Times, BBC, Thomson Locations: British, Los Angeles, India

☆ Russell Brand denies ‘criminal allegations’ related to his ‘promiscuous past’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russell Brand is defending himself against what he described as “very serious criminal allegations” related to his past. On Saturday, British outlets The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 “Dispatches” published a joint investigation in which four women alleged Brand sexually assaulted them in separate instances between the years 2006 and 2013. One of the women said she was 16 and Brand was 31 at the time of the alleged assault in London. “I don’t mind them using my books and my stand-up to talk about my promiscuous, consensual conduct in the past,” Brand said. “What I seriously refute are these very, very, serious criminal allegations.”

Persons: CNN — Russell Brand, preemptively, ” Brand, ”, Brand, Tavistock Wood, “ Brand, “ Organizations: CNN, Sunday Times, The Times, TW, Police Locations: London, Los Angeles

REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 13 (Reuters) - A leading Russian journalist has had her phone compromised using Israeli spyware, researchers said Wednesday, the latest sign that phone hacking tools are being used to spy on media workers and opposition figures worldwide. A joint investigation by Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab and digital rights group Access Now found that the phone of Galina Timchenko had been infected using spyware built by the Israeli company NSO Group. Timchenko - the co-founder and publisher of independent Russian news outlet Meduza - was in Berlin at the time of the hack, the researchers said. Media defense groups condemned the alleged surveillance, with the Committee to Protect Journalists saying "journalists and their sources are not free and safe if they are spied on." Researchers, lawmakers and journalists have repeatedly accused NSO of helping governments spy on political opponents and undermine independent reporting.

Persons: Galina Timchenko, Tatyana Makeyeva, Timchenko, Meduza, Raphael Satter, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Canadian, Lab, NSO Group, Media, Protect Journalists, U.S, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russian, Berlin, Latvia, Ukraine

☆ North Korean hackers target U.S.-South Korea military drills, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Suspected North Korean hackers have targeted a joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise being held this week though classified information has not been compromised, South Korean police said on Sunday. South Korean and U.S. forces will on Monday begin 11-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian summer exercises to improve their ability to respond to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. North Korea objects to such exercises saying they are preparations by the U.S. and its South Korean ally for an invasion of it. North Korea has previously denied any role in cyberattacks. At that time, South Korea accused North Korea of being behind that cyberattack.

Persons: Josh Smith, Robert Birsel Organizations: Guardian, U.S, South, Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, South Korean, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, U.S, Korea, North Korea, Korean, South Korea, Gyeonggi, cyberattacks

☆ Sextortion investigation: 2 Nigerian men accused of running a global ring linked to a teen's suicide have been extradited to US, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Alleged members of a global sextortion operation that targeted more than 100 victims and led to the death of a 17-year-old boy were extradited to the United States on Sunday to face federal criminal charges, authorities said. That charge stems from an alleged online encounter that investigators say resulted in the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, who died by suicide after falling victim to a sextortion scam. According to prosecutors, Samuel Ogoshi used a hacked social media account to make contact with DeMay while pretending to be a young woman. DeMay paid Ogoshi $300, but Ogoshi demanded more, authorities said. The alleged sextortion ring was disrupted by tracking victim payments through financial entities, Kowalski said.

Persons: CNN —, Samuel Ogoshi, Samson Ogoshi, Mark Totten, Jordan DeMay, Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, DeMay, Ogoshi, ” Totten, “, ”, Devin Kowalski, Kowalski, Totten Organizations: CNN, FBI, Nigeria’s, Financial, Federal Locations: United States, Lagos, Nigeria, Michigan, Southeast Asia

CNN —Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny is facing an even longer stint in jail after being sentenced to 19 years in prison on extremism charges, Russian media report, a fresh blow to a fierce critic of Russia’s President Putin that comes amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent. Navalny was accused of creating an extremist community, financing extremist activities and a number of other crimes. Navalny is already serving sentences totaling 11-and-a-half years in a maximum security facility on fraud and other charges that he says were trumped up. Putin himself said in December 2020 that if Russian security services had wanted to kill Navalny, they “would have finished” the job. Peaceful protests were quickly shut down and thousands arrested after Moscow’s invasion.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Russia’s, Putin, Navalny, Mr Navalny, ” Navalny, Novichok, ” Organizations: CNN, IK, European Union, Reuters, Russian Security Service, Facebook Locations: Russian, Melekhovo, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Berlin, Siberian, Omsk, Navalny, Siberia

☆ South Korea launches interagency investigation team to tackle rising crypto crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 26 (Reuters) - South Korea launched an interagency investigation unit to tackle crypto-currency crimes on Wednesday amid a surge in illegal activities in the market and a lack of legal protections for investors. The Joint Investigation Centre for Crypto Crimes will be manned by some 30 personnel from judicial, financial, tax and customs agencies, the Prosecutors' Office said in a statement. The Prosecutors' Office said that until the crypto-currency market was regulated under law, the investigation team would fill the gap in investor protection. South Korea's crypto-currency market, which had been one of the fastest growing in the world, shrank 66% last year by market capitalisation, on a series of global and domestic events dampening investor sentiment, on top of high interest rates. Across local crypto-currency exchanges, suspected crime-related transactions jumped 1,263%, to 900 in 2022 from 66 in 2021, according to the statement.

Persons: Luna, Kown, 1,278.5000, Jihoon Lee, Michael Perry Organizations: Joint Investigation, Crypto, Prosecutors, Office, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Montenegro, United States

CNN —Moldova has summoned the Russian ambassador in Chisinau after a media report surfaced alleging the embassy installed spying devices on its rooftop, according to the Moldovan foreign ministry. It comes after the Insider media outlet and Moldova’s Jurnal TV reported this week after a joint investigation that 28 satellite dishes and other communication devices had been installed on the Russian embassy’s rooftop and a neighboring residential building used by embassy’s staff. Moscow’s ambassador in Chisinau Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned on Tuesday “to provide clarifications and explanations on the situation,” the ministry said. “Depending on further developments, the Moldovan authorities will consider several options for a response,” it concluded. CNN has contacted the Russian embassy in Chisinau for comment on the spying allegations and the summoning of their ambassador but is yet to hear back.

Persons: “, Chisinau Oleg Vasnetsov Organizations: CNN —, Moldovan, CNN Locations: CNN — Moldova, Russian, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

☆ Sri Lanka parliament passes anti-corruption bill without vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COLOMBO, July 19 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's parliament approved an anti-corruption bill on Wednesday, aimed at improving governance in the crisis-hit country and meeting requirements linked to a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The legislation was passed without a vote in the 225-member parliament. "The bill is passed with amendments," Sri Lanka parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told lawmakers after more than two dozen pages of amendments were included into the draft legislation during the morning session. The Anti-Corruption Bill increases the powers and resources allocated to Sri Lanka's Bribery and Corruption Commission, which is mandated with carrying out major investigations. "We welcome the law, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating," said Sankhitha Gunaratne, Deputy Executive Director, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).

Persons: Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Sankhitha Gunaratne, Uditha Jayasinghe, Himani Sarkar, Christian Schmollinger, Emma Rumney Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, United Nations, Sri, Corruption Commission, Sri Lanka, Thomson Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Asia

Anthony Di Petta's remains arriving at LaGuardia airport on Friday, July 7. Di Petta’s remains were unable to be found at the time, DPAA says. In August 2021, the nonprofit recovered the remains of multiple missing service members from the site, including those of Di Petta. Di Petta’s remains arrived at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Friday afternoon. Di Petta will be buried in Wrightstown, New Jersey on July 11, according to the DPAA.

Persons: Anthony Di Petta’s, he’s, Di Petta, Anthony Di Petta's, DPAA, Di Petta’s Organizations: CNN, US Department of Defense, US Navy Aviation, Defense POW, Agency, Project, US Navy, Base, Armed Forces Medical, LaGuardia Locations: Nutley , New Jersey, Italy, LaGuardia, Palau Islands, Malakal, Di, Hickam, Hawaii, New York, Wrightstown , New Jersey

☆ Putin's luxury armored train is fitted with a beauty room, anti-aging machines and a gym, report says. Take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A report published by the Dossier Center reveals what the inside of Putin's luxury train looks like. It also has a beauty room that includes anti-aging machines, the report said. The other cars are fitted with restaurants, a cinema, and a lavish dining room as well as a Turkish hammam steam room and a beauty room, the report said. The beauty room in Russian President Vladimir Putin's train features anti-aging machines. Karakulov previously told the Dossier Center that the train also has a secret timetable so that it can move around inconspicuously.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Putin's, Putin, Gleb Karakulov, hasn't, Karakulov Organizations: Service, Dossier Center, CNN, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Presidential Security Service, Guardian, Federal Guard Service, Russia's, Federal Guard Service's Locations: Turkish, Russia, Kyiv, Novo, inconspicuously

CNN —Jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny appeared before a Russian court Monday to defend himself against fresh charges of extremism, in a trial that could extend his prison term by decades. In comments posted to his Twitter account, Navalny said the “absurd” charges could lead to him serving a further 30 years behind bars. Navalny’s team challenged judge Andrey Suvorov, and asked him to recuse himself, according to the team’s Telegram posts. Also present at the hearing is Daniel Kholodny, the former technical director of the Navalny Live YouTube channel, accused in the same extremism case. Putin himself said in December 2020 that if Russian security services had wanted to kill Navalny, they “would have finished” the job.

Persons: CNN —, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny, Navalny’s, Vadim Kobzev, Olga Mikhailova, Svetlana Davyodva, Andrey Suvorov, Vladimir, ”, Daniel Kholodny, Evgenia Novozhenina, Lilia Chanysheva, Chanysheva, “, Novichok, Putin Organizations: CNN, TASS, IK, Journalists, Russian Security Service Locations: Melekhovo, Moscow, Russian, Ufa, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Berlin, Siberian, Omsk, Siberia

☆ Dutch intelligence warned CIA about alleged Ukrainian plot to attack Nord Stream pipelines, Netherlands’ public broadcaster reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Mick Krever Alex Marquardt Sarah Dean Sugam Pokharel | Mick Krever | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Dutch military intelligence warned the American intelligence service, CIA, last year about an alleged Ukrainian plan to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines three months before they were hit, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported on Tuesday without specifying a source. The United States received intelligence from a European ally last year that the Ukrainian military was planning an attack on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines, CNN reported last week based on information from three US officials. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday that the CIA warned Ukraine last year to not attack the Nord Stream gas pipelines after receiving information about an alleged Ukrainian plan, citing officials familiar with the exchange. The CIA received the tip from Dutch military intelligence, the officials told the WSJ. Netherlands’s public broadcaster in its report said that the Dutch military intelligence service, MIVD, was able at an early stage to gather detailed information about alleged Ukrainian plot to blow up the pipelines.

Persons: hasn’t, Volodymyr Zelensky, ’ ” Mykhailo Podolyak Organizations: CNN, CIA, NOS, ARD, United, Street, European Union, Twitter Locations: United States, Western, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Nord, Russia, Baltic, Europe

☆ Egypt's Sisi and Israel's Netanyahu discuss border shooting, emphasise joint investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, June 6 (Reuters) - Egypt's President Abdelfattah al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Saturday's rare border shooting in which three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian security officer were killed, the leaders said in separate statements on Tuesday. Sisi and Netanyahu emphasised the importance of coordination on investigating the incident, Egypt's presidency said. "Egypt's President Sisi expressed his deep condolences over the incident on the Egyptian border. The Prime Minister thanked the Egyptian president, as well as for his commitment to a thorough and joint investigation into the incident," the statement from Netanyahu's office said, adding that the leaders pledged to continue strengthening peace and security cooperation. Reporting by Ahmed Elimam and Henriette Chacar; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Abdelfattah, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sisi, Netanyahu, Egypt's, Ahmed Elimam, Henriette Chacar, Alex Richardson Organizations: Thomson Locations: CAIRO

☆ Israel demands Egypt help in full probe of deadly attack at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] A soldier reacts near the site of a reported security incident near Israel's southern border with Egypt, Israel June 3, 2023. Soldiers then made contact and during an exchange of fire the Egyptian guard and a third Israeli soldier were killed. On Saturday, the Egyptian military said the three Israelis and Egyptian guard had been killed in an exchange of fire as the guard chased smugglers across the frontier. Coworkers and family members of the Egyptian guard have been interviewed to figure out if he belonged to any political groups or suffered from mental illness, they said. Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel and they share a more than 200-km (124-mile) long border.

Persons: Amir Cohen JERUSALEM, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Netanyahu, Daniel Hagari, Dan Williams, Ari Rabinovitch, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Sunday, YNET, Thomson Locations: Israel's, Egypt, Israel, Cairo

☆ New York, California AGs Launch Investigation Into the NFL
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The attorneys general of California and New. York said they have launched a probe into alleged employment discrimination and a hostile workplace at the NFL. Photo: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY SportsThe attorneys general of California and New York are investigating the National Football League for employment discrimination and a hostile work environment, their offices said, adding to the mounting scrutiny of the workplace behavior in America’s most popular sport. The attorneys general said they issued subpoenas to the league seeking relevant information and that the joint investigation will probe allegations made by former employees, including potential violations of federal and state equity and antidiscrimination laws.

May 4 (Reuters) - State attorney generals in New York and California on Thursday launched a joint investigation into allegations that female employees of the National Football League (NFL) have been subjected to sex discrimination and harassment. The NFL, a multibillion-dollar enterprise led by Commissioner Roger Goodell and headquartered in New York City, is the most popular U.S. sports league. James in a statement said that "no institution is above the law, and we will ensure the NFL is held accountable." The league has offices in New York and California with more than 1,000 employees, the attorney generals said. The league in 2020 also launched an investigation into claims that 15 female employees of the Washington NFL team now called the Commanders faced sexual harassment, which also prompted scrutiny from Congress.

☆ Attorneys General to Investigate the N.F.L.’s Treatment of Female Employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Katherine Rosman | Ken Belson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The attorneys general of New York and California opened a joint investigation into allegations of workplace discrimination and pay inequities at the N.F.L. offices in both states in response to a report in The New York Times in February 2022 on the treatment of women who work for the league. employees who described a stifling and demoralizing corporate culture that drove some women to quit in frustration and which left many feeling brushed aside. “No matter how powerful or influential, no institution is above the law, and we will ensure the N.F.L. Bonta added: “We have serious concerns about the N.F.L.’s role in creating an extremely hostile and detrimental work environment.”

CNN —An investigation has been launched into allegations of employment discrimination and a hostile work environment at the National Football League (NFL), according to a joint statement from New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. It comes just over a year since the NFL was warned by a coalition of six attorneys general to take “swift action” to improve conditions for female employees. The attorneys general on Thursday issued subpoenas to the NFL seeking relevant information, the statement said. “No person should ever have to endure harassment, discrimination, or objectification in the workplace,” said NY Attorney General James. “No matter how powerful or influential, no institution is above the law, and we will ensure the NFL is held accountable.”“California will not tolerate any form of discrimination,” California Attorney General Bonta said.

☆ New York, California attorneys general probe NFL workplace practices, discrimination claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The AGs have issued subpoenas to the NFL in connection with the probe. The attorneys general of New York and California said Thursday they had opened an investigation into the workplace practices and culture of the National Football League , including claims of gender discrimination. New York AG Letitia James said, "No person should ever have to endure harassment, discrimination, or abuse in the workplace. The NFL has more than 1,000 employees in offices in New York and California, the AGs noted. Our policies are intended not only to comply with all applicable laws but to foster a workplace free from harassment, intimidation and discrimination."

☆ ‘Lord Commander’ of the DMZ Has Seen It All on the Korean Frontier
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When inter-Korean relations soured in 2015 after two South Korean soldiers were maimed by North Korean booby traps, loudspeakers raged around Panmunjom with North Korean propaganda 20 hours a day — and with South Korean side blasting pop music. Sitting in his office one afternoon in 2017, Commander McShane recalled, he heard bursts of gunfire. Outside, a North Korean soldier was running his way across the border through a hail of bullets before making it to the South, shot but alive. Commander McShane used the bullhorn to invite the North to a joint investigation of the defection. Back in his office, he saw a North Korean flashlight blinking at him, and he was ordered to go back outside and repeat the message.

☆ French prosecutors accuse Lebanon central bank chief of hiding fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIRUT/PARIS, April 21 (Reuters) - French prosecutors have told Lebanon's central bank governor Riad Salameh they plan to press preliminary fraud and money laundering charges against him, partly based on allegedly forged bank statements used to conceal his wealth, according to French court documents seen by Reuters. During that hearing, French prosecutors intend to press the preliminary charges and formally name him a suspect. As part of his response to accusations, Salameh sent French prosecutors a 65-page memo supplied by Marwan Kheireddine, the chairman of Lebanon's AM Bank. But according to the French court documents seen by Reuters, French investigators have reached the conclusion the bank statements were fake. Salameh "used fake records of bank accounts at AM Bank… provided by Marwan Kheireddine, to justify in a deceitful manner the origin of his properties or revenues," French prosecutors say in the court documents.

☆ Vladimir Putin is planning the best way to attack the UK by sending spy ships to map infrastructure on the British coast, British MP says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A British MP has warned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is scouting out ways to attack the UK. MP Bob Seely said sabotaging undersea cables in the area would cripple the UK if war breaks out. Seely, whose constituency covers the UK's southernmost territory on the British coast, said the UK and its northern allies are "dangerously exposed at sea." One of his chief concerns is that much of the UK's energy is supplied via undersea cables between Britain and Europe. Seely urged the UK to take new measures to protect undersea cables, saying it can "naturally lead" its allies in bolstering maritime defenses.

☆ Russia has a plan to sabotage European wind farms, gas pipelines, and internet cables, report say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia has been using ships to spy in Nordic waters, a joint investigation by four countries' public broadcasters found. They are collecting intel on wind farms, gas pipelines, and power and internet cables, report said. Norway's NRK reported at least 50 Russian ships gathered intelligence there in the last ten years. DR reported that intercepted Russian navy communications showed Russian ships who had turned off their transmitters sailing in Nordic waters. One of the ships, Russian marine research vessel "Admiral Vladimirsky," sailed near current and future offshore wind farms, and stayed there for a few days, the outlets found.

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