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☆ Congress hasn’t been able to make social media safer. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This has been true since the early 2010s, when tech companies began realizing the benefits of influencing policymakers on issues including net neutrality and privacy. This week, Microsoft announced its support for the Kids Online Safety Act, a leading social media bill. Even when lawmakers can agree on what the problem is, they often disagree on how to solve it, creating a smorgasbord of half a dozen or more social media bills floating around Congress. That would be a huge down payment on a future social media law, said Balkam. But even that proposal is still subject to many of the same dynamics that make social media regulation hard.

Persons: Washington CNN —, ”, Danny Weiss, Ben Thompson, Adam Kovacevich, “ That’s, hasn’t, Republican stonewalling, Weiss, Kovacevich, ” Kovacevich, I’m, ” Weiss, Chuck Schumer, Mike Johnson, Schumer, Nancy Pelosi’s, “, Johnson didn’t, Evan Greer Organizations: Washington CNN, Big Tech, Tech, Sense, Microsoft, Kids, LinkedIn, of, Republican, CNN Locations: Washington, United States

The credible data that exists on crimes motivated by conspiracy theories shows a disturbing increase. Many of those charged said they had bought into Trump’s conspiracy theories about a stolen election. “Lies, lies lies: They're lying to you over and over and over again,” said Steve Girard, a Pennsylvania man who has protested the incarceration of Jan. 6 defendants. While they may have taken on a bigger role in our politics, surveys show that belief in conspiracy theories hasn't changed much over the years, according to Joe Uscinski, a University of Miami professor and an expert on the history of conspiracy theories. Russia has amplified numerous anti-U.S. conspiracy theories, including ones claiming the U.S. runs secret germ warfare labs and created HIV as a bioweapon, as well as conspiracy theories accusing Ukraine of being a Nazi state.

Persons: ”, Nash, Melissa Sell, Sell, Elon Musk, There's, Evan Hansen, Wired.com, Musk, It’s, ” Hansen, Donald Trump, Trump, Mark Milley, Milley, Laws, Vince Lynch, Lynch, Danielle Citron, Sandy, —, Alex Jones, Sandy Hook, Hillary Clinton, chemtrails, “, hospitalizations, Robert Palmer, they're, Steve Girard, Jan, hasn't, Joe Uscinski, ” Uscinski, “ Jan, Tom Fishman Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S ., United, Big Tech, Meta, Facebook, titans, Army, University of Maryland’s National Consortium, University of Virginia School of Law, Sandy Hook Elementary, CNN, FBI, Capitol, The Associated Press, Trump, University of Miami, Twitter, United States, U.S, . Locations: Maui, Chile, America, United States, Pennsylvania, U.S, Israel, Newtown , Connecticut, Florida, California, Wisconsin, Washington, Russia, China, Iran, Ukraine, Nazi

☆ China Is Targeting U.S. Infrastructure and Could ‘Wreak Chaos,’ F.B.I. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Adam Goldman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Christopher A. Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, warned on Wednesday that China was ramping up an extensive hacking operation geared at taking down the United States’ power grid, oil pipelines and water systems in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. Mr. Wray, appearing before a House subcommittee on China, offered an alarming assessment of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts. Its intent is to sow confusion, sap the United States’ will to fight and hamper the American military from deploying resources if the dispute over Taiwan, a major flashpoint between the two superpowers, escalates into a war, he added. Before his testimony, F.B.I. “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike,” said Mr. Wray, who pressed the committee to increase funding for the bureau.

Persons: Christopher A, Wray, ” Organizations: Federal Bureau of, Communist, Justice, Volt Typhoon Locations: China, United States, Taiwan, States, Beijing

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday warned Congress about a range of threats against the U.S., from Chinese hackers to heightened terrorist risks after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The FBI director has long warned about the Chinese government’s hacking capabilities. Cyberattacks and disinformation warfare can work in tandem, Wray warned. He also noted that AI can enhance foreign adversaries abilities to collect personal data and feed it into disinformation and influence operations. Heightened Terrorist Risk“We are, since Oct. 7, in a heightened threat environment from various forms of terrorist risk,” Wray warned, alluding to Hamas’ attack on Israel last year.

Persons: Christopher Wray, ” Wray, ” TikTok, Wray, ”, “ Organizations: Wednesday, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, FBI, Intelligence Locations: Israel, U.S, China, PRC, Iran

☆ Exclusive: Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In a meeting this past weekend in Bangkok with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan again brought up the topic. Wang offered Sullivan the same assurance Xi had given Biden months prior — that Beijing would not meddle in the American election this fall, the source said. The White House National Security Council declined to comment on whether election interference came up in the Biden-Xi and Sullivan-Wang meetings. CNN has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment. Last week, a senior National Security Agency official told reporters that the agency had not yet seen signs of any notable new foreign influence operations aimed at the 2024 election.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Wang, Sullivan, Hillary Clinton’s, ”, “, Chris Krebs, ” Krebs, Brendan Smialowski, Antony Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Chinese Foreign, Democratic National Committee, FBI, Justice Department, White House National Security, Biden, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Microsoft, of, National Security Agency, US, Infrastructure Security, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Getty Locations: China, California, Bangkok, Beijing, Taiwan, Russia, Iran, Asia, Woodside , California, AFP, Washington, Chinese

☆ More people need transplants than there are organ donors. Pigs might offer a solution
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

The need for more transplant organs is immense and growing. Researchers have transplanted genetically modified pig kidneys and hearts into people who were brain-dead to test whether they work in humans. Although Larry Faucette was too sick for a human heart transplant, University of Maryland doctors said he seemed physically strong enough for a genetically modified pig heart. It was more than a decade after the first heart transplant but long before such procedures became relatively routine. “We learned that the pig heart is an adequate substitute for a human heart.

Persons: Lawrence Faucette, Ann, he’d, ” Ann, Larry Faucette, Ann Faucette Ann, Larry, didn’t, ”, Robert Montgomery, “, Shelby Lum, ” Montgomery, Xenotransplantation, Art Caplan, Caplan, Babe ”, ” Caplan, They’re, eGenesis, people’s, Dr, Mike Curtis, Sanjay Gupta, ” Curtis, hasn’t, Julie O’Hara, Jim Parsons, Jayme Locke, couldn’t, Locke, Parsons, NYU —, Montgomery —, O’Hara, ” Locke, David Bennett Sr, Mary, David Jr, Bartley Griffith, Bennett, they’ve, Muhammad M, Mohiuddin, Larry Faucette’s, David Bennett’s, ” Griffith, xenotransplantation Ann Faucette, Wilbur, White’s, Ann Faucette, NYU ethicist Caplan, they’re, NYU’s Montgomery, UAB’s Locke, Steve Wood, ’ Curtis, “ I’m, it’s, ” O’Hara, Bennett’s, Larry Faucette —, ” Bennett’s, Faucette, who’d, Griffith, would’ve, Kate, Lucy, Nadia Kounang Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, University of Maryland, FDA, National Institute of Allergy, NYU Langone Transplant Institute, NYU Langone's Transplant, NYU Grossman School, Medicine’s Department of Population Health, “ Disney, University of Alabama, Transplant Institute, Parsons Family, Birmingham, NYU, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Doctors, University of Maryland Medical Center, Uno, UAB, CNN Health, NFL Locations: Frederick , Maryland, United States, Montgomery, “, Midwest, Yucatan, Maryland

☆ Mexican Leak of Journalists' Personal Data Raises Security Worries
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Officials said the personal data of at least 263 journalists, whom they did not publicly identify, was illegally accessed and released. The leak exposes the journalists to potential identity theft and could compromise their physical security because the data includes home addresses. "The safety of our journalists is paramount, and we are deeply troubled by this leak of personal data. "What I'm most worried about is possible identity theft and that someone misuses my personal data to commit fraud," said Morales, designated as the paper's spokesman on the matter. Officials informed journalists of the "possible violation" on Monday after some saw images of their personal documents in news reports.

Persons: Brendan O'Boyle, David Alire Garcia, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's, Lopez Obrador, Alberto Morales Mendoza, Morales, Sofia Paredes, Christian Plumb, Cynthia Osterman, Neil Fullick Organizations: David Alire Garcia MEXICO CITY, Jornada, El Universal, Reuters, La Jornada Locations: Mexico, Spanish, Mexican

☆ African National Congress Suspends Former President Jacob Zuma
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Lynsey Chutel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, moved to kick Jacob Zuma out of the party on Monday, punishing the former president for campaigning for a rival political party. The party announced that it had suspended Mr. Zuma’s membership after he helped to form a rival party, of which he has become the “figure head,” the party’s leadership said. The announcement followed a meeting of its National Executive Committee. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Zuma would be allowed to challenge his suspension or face an internal disciplinary process. In the aftermath of his presidency, Mr. Zuma continued to sow political chaos as he evaded accountability and undermined the party’s current leadership through stinging public statements.

Persons: Jacob Zuma, Zuma Organizations: African National Congress, National, Committee

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado pastor for an online church who is accused of defrauding investors of more than $3.2 million through a cryptocurrency marketplace he ran with his wife says “the Lord” helped him orchestrate the venture. “What we're praying for, and what we're believing for still is that God is going to do a miracle," he added. Everyone that has come in for money is going to be able to receive money back,” said Regalado, who preaches for the online-only Victorious Grace Church. In an August 2022 update video for his investors and followers, Eli Regalado stated: “The Lord brought this cryptocurrency to me. The Regalados, who had no previous experience selling cryptocurrency, are accused of violating the anti-fraud, licensing and registration provisions of the Colorado Securities Act.

Persons: ”, Eli Regalado, Kaitlyn Regalado, INDXcoin, Jan, Investigators, Regalado, ’ Organizations: DENVER, Denver, Colorado Division, Securities, Wealth, Rover, Grace, Colorado Securities Locations: Colorado

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia’s intense missile and drone attacks across Ukraine in recent weeks sharply increased civilian casualties in December with over 100 killed and nearly 500 injured, the United Nations said in a new report Tuesday. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said there was a 26.5% increase in civilian casualties last month – from 468 in November to 592 in December. With some reports still pending verification, it said, the increase was likely higher. “These attacks sow death and destruction on Ukraine’s civilians who have endured profound losses from Russia’s full-scale invasion for almost two years now,” Bell said. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe U.N. monitoring mission said the highest number of casualties occurred during attacks on Dec. 29 and Jan. 2 amid plummeting winter temperatures.

Persons: Danielle Bell, ” Bell, –, Edem Wosornu Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights, Civilian, . Security Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Pokrovsk, Rivne, Russia, Moscow

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump can wait a week to testify at a New York defamation trial where he could face millions of dollars in damages after a jury concluded that he sexually abused a columnist in the 1990s, a federal judge said Sunday. The judge also noted that he has learned that Trump, even while seeking to postpone the trial, had scheduled an evening campaign appearance on Wednesday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He said Trump's lawyers notified the judge on Friday that Trump planned to attend the trial. This month's trial, long delayed by appeals, stems from defamatory comments the judge said Trump made about Carroll in 2019 and last May, a day after the jury announced its verdict. Habba said Trump also can testify about the circumstances of his comments and how they related to comments in Carroll’s "continuous parade of interviews and publicity."

Persons: Donald Trump, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, Trump, Jan, E, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Carroll's, Alina Habba, ”, Habba, Roberta Kaplan, ” Kaplan, —, — Ms Organizations: Republican, Carroll, Trump Locations: York, Portsmouth , New Hampshire, Manhattan, New York

☆ Opinion: Why Martin Luther King Jr.’s sharpest question remains unanswered
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Opinion Peniel E. Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He is the author of “The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century.” The views expressed here are his own. CNN —Had he lived, Martin Luther King Jr. would be 95 years old this year. He turned political debates over racial integration, non-violent civil disobedience and voting rights into a national, then global, referendum on freedom. And, as their forerunners did, they continue to press for voting rights, equal education and environmental justice in communities of color – all a continuation of King’s legacy. The passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act were not pre-ordained - nor were they universally beloved pieces of legislation.

Persons: Joseph, Barbara Jordan, “, CNN —, Martin Luther King Jr, Joseph Kelvin Ma, Kelvin Ma, King, subversives, Communist dupes, John F, Kennedy, Robert F, Black, ” King, White, ”, Jim Crow, ‘, ” Kennedy, George Wallace Organizations: Center, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Racial Justice, CNN, Tufts University, Communist, Jobs, Birmingham City, White, University of Alabama, Blacks Locations: Austin, America, Washington, Birmingham, United States

☆ US aims to show Trump's history of vote fraud claims at 2020 election trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a Manhattan courthouse trial in a civil fraud case in New York, U.S., October 18, 2023. The case in Washington federal court is one of four criminal prosecutions facing Trump as he seeks to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. Trump continues to argue that his 2020 loss to Biden was the result of widespread fraud, a false claim that was rejected by multiple courts, state reviews and members of Trump's own administration. Trump is scheduled to stand trial beginning in March on charges that he interfered in the counting of votes and sought to block Congress’ certification of the 2020 election. Prosecutors have accused Trump of spreading “destabilizing lies” about widespread voter fraud to sow distrust in the election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Michael M Santiago, Jack Smith's, Trump, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Biden, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Nick Zieminski Organizations: U.S, Rights, Republican, Democratic, Trump, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York, U.S, Washington

☆ China's big pig breeders dig in as losses and debts mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The biggest pig breeders in China, consumer of fully half the world's pork, seem to have bitten off more than they can chew. More huge losses are expected next year, putting China's pig enterprises under pressure to slim down their breeding herds and sell off farms, many of which are sitting empty. But now, especially given the companies' high debt levels, the analyst said: "It's hard for them to borrow any money from the banks." That follows a 17% surge in the first nine months of this year at China's 15 big market-listed breeders even as they reported 200 billion yuan in combined net losses. China's agriculture ministry has warned of heavier losses for the sector in early 2024 than a year ago and urged pig producers to cut output.

Persons: Lyle Jones, Hope Liuhe, they're, Flora Zhu, Dominique Patton, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Inc, Dalian Commodity Exchange, Tech - Bank, Jiangxi Zhengbang Technology, Analysts, Muyuan Foods, Foodstuff, WH, HK, Smithfield Foods, Hua'an Securities, China Corporate Research, Fitch, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Fujian Aonong, Jiangxi, Beijing

Britain's Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer attends television interviews on the final day of the party's annual conference in Liverpool, Britain, October 11, 2023. It is not unusual for opposition leaders to receive summit invitations, but COP28 is particularly resonant. Ireland's climate minister, Eamon Ryan, hailed Britain's climate leadership, but also said Sunak's reset of some measures had not gone down well when the news was reported while he was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. Britain's development minister Andrew Mitchell, at COP28, told Reuters what Sunak did "was very good government". But the Conservatives' former finance minister George Osborne questioned whether Sunak had been angered that Kitsotakis had met Starmer before him.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Phil Noble, Starmer, King, Jordan, John Kerry, General Antonio Guterres, Rishi Sunak, COP28, Sunak, Espen Barth Eide, Eamon Ryan, Andrew Mitchell, we're, Kyriakos, Sunak's, George Osborne, Kitsotakis, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Abnett, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Britain's Labour, REUTERS, Labour Party, UN, Labour, General, Reuters, Greek, Elgin, British, Conservatives, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, DUBAI, Dubai, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Brazil, London, COP28, Norwegian, New York

☆ Julianna Margulies, Susan Sarandon issue apologies over recent controversial comments sparked by Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Julianna Margulies has released an apology after her recent comments on a podcast stoked controversy. In comments she made on an episode of the “Back Room with Andy Ostroy” podcast last month, the actress voiced criticism of certain marginalized communities for what she perceived to be their lack of support for Jews, among other things. The conversation between Margulies and Ostroy – who are both Jewish – was prompted by the Israel-Hamas war and the rise in antisemitism they have seen in this country since the war began. “Throughout my career I have worked tirelessly to combat hate of all kind, end antisemitism, speak out against terrorist groups like Hamas, and forge a united front against discrimination. “It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so.”

Persons: Julianna Margulies, Andy Ostroy ”, Margulies, Ostroy –, –, ”, “, ” Susan Sarandon, Sarandon Organizations: CNN, New York Locations: Israel, New York City

The network of nearly 4,800 fake accounts was attempting to build an audience when it was identified and eliminated by the tech company, which owns Facebook and Instagram. The accounts sported fake photos, names and locations as a way to appear like everyday American Facebook users weighing in on political issues. Meta often points to its efforts to shut down fake social media networks as evidence of its commitment to protecting election integrity and democracy. But critics say the platform's focus on fake accounts distracts from its failure to address its responsibility for the misinformation already on its site that has contributed to polarization and distrust. But 2024 poses new challenges, according to experts who study the link between social media and disinformation.

Persons: Meta, Ben Nimmo, Donald Trump, Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Biden, Zamaan Qureshi, ”, Jennifer Stromer, Elon Musk, Kyle Morse, Nimmo, Meta's Organizations: WASHINGTON, Inc, Meta, Democrat, Real Facebook, Syracuse University, Twitter, Republicans, Tech, Ukraine Locations: China, U.S, India, Mexico, Ukraine, Pakistan, Taiwan, Menlo Park , California, Tibet, Iran, Russia

☆ US and India’s strengthening bond is weak on trust
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Acquire Licensing RightsMUMBAI, Nov 30 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Trust between the United States and India is eroding. It says it will investigate security concerns aired by the United States. Trying that on the United States would be more consequential: Apple (AAPL.O) and Tesla (TSLA.O) are looking to build supply chains in the country, and the U.S. is the largest market for India’s people-heavy IT services companies. The United States and India may draw a quick line under the murder-for-hire episode, but it will sow a lasting seed of doubt in the relationship. Prosecutors did not name the Indian official.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, soberly, ”, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Nikhil Gupta, “, Arindam Bagchi, Neil Unmack, Oliver Taslic Organizations: White, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Companies, Micron, General Electric Aerospace, Ottawa, Global, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Indian, U.S . Justice, New, New York City, Prosecutors, “ Security Management, Thomson Locations: India, Washington , U.S, Rights MUMBAI, United States, Delhi, American, China, Asia, Canada, U.S, Vietnam, Saudi, Istanbul, Manhattan, New York

☆ Meta thwarts Chinese propaganda threat to US democracy before 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meta did not attribute the network of fake Facebook accounts to a particular entity in China. It’s the latest in a series of warnings from tech firms documenting how Chinese propaganda and influence operations have more aggressively targeted American audiences in the last year. It wasn’t clear, Meta said in a report on foreign online threats published Thursday, what the Chinese network of fake accounts was trying to accomplish. While Meta and other tech firms tout their work to protect elections, recent moves by the company also show trends in the other direction. And Meta this month said it would allow political ads on its platforms to question the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.

Persons: Meta, Ron DeSantis, Nancy Pelosi, Iran —, haven’t, Nathaniel Gleicher, ” Ben Nimmo, ”, Liu Pengyu Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, Meta, Republicans, US, of Liberty, Microsoft, Embassy Locations: China, Russia, Iran, Washington

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia slams Finland's border closure, warns that tensions could arise if troops are deployed
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - OCTOBER 30: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY MANDATORY CREDIT - " KREMLIN PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban (R) in Budapest, Hungary on October 30, 2019. (Photo by Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Hungary's foreign minister told CNBC on Tuesday that Budapest would never deliver weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russia's invasion, saying Hungary wanted peace in the region. That same day, Finland's foreign minister announced a complete border closure with Russia. It said this "instrumentalized migration," posing "a serious threat to national security and public order." Russia denies the allegations and is yet to respond to the entire border closure.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban Organizations: NATO, Kremlin Press, Anadolu Agency, Getty, CNBC, Russia Locations: Brussels, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, Budapest, Hungary, Moscow

☆ Finland to Close the Last Border Crossing With Russia for Two Weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Johanna Lemola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Finland said Tuesday it was temporarily closing its only remaining open border crossing with Russia to stem an influx of asylum seekers that it accuses Moscow of orchestrating in retaliation for Finland’s decision to join NATO. The Finnish authorities have been raising alarms for weeks over an increased number of migrants crossing into the country to seek asylum, describing it as a Kremlin bid to sow discord. They had already closed seven of the eight crossings along Finland’s vast frontier with Russia, leaving just the Raja-Jooseppi checkpoint in hard-to-reach northern Lapland, above the Arctic Circle, open to travelers. “The government’s goal is that the exceptional situation on Finland’s eastern border is normalized as soon as possible,” he said at a news conference. “The activity witnessed on Finland’s border must end.”

Persons: Petteri Orpo, Jooseppi, ” Organizations: NATO, Kremlin Locations: Finland, Russia, Moscow, Lapland

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump had a “good faith” basis to question the results of the 2020 election, his lawyers said in demanding that prosecutors turn over any evidence related to voting irregularities and potential foreign interference in the contest won by Democrat Joe Biden. Political Cartoons View All 1267 ImagesBut the Trump team asserts in the 37-page filing that he had reason to question the results. It also revisits the intelligence community's effort in 2020 to discern potential interference by countries including Russia, China and Iran. It quotes from a Jan. 7, 2021 memo from John Ratcliffe, the then-director of national intelligence and a close Trump ally, that said China sought to influence the election. The Trump lawyers have already asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to dismiss the indictment, saying he is shielded from prosecution by presidential immunity and arguing that the charges violate his First Amendment rights.

Persons: — Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Trump, President Trump, Jack Smith's, ”, Hillary Clinton, John Ratcliffe, Smith, Tanya Chutkan Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democrat, Homeland Security, Republican, Democratic, Intelligence Community, Defense, U.S . Capitol, Trump loyalists, Capitol, Trump, U.S Locations: Washington, Moscow, Russia, China, Iran, Russian

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, prompting Putin to pivot towards China. Speaking to the World Russian People's Council, led by the head of Russia's Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, Putin's picture was shown on a giant screen beside two copies of an ancient Orthodox icon. The Russian Orthodox Church is an ardent institutional supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine, and Putin has espoused its conservatism as part of his vision for Russia's national identity. Putin says that the West is now failing in Ukraine and that its attempt to defeat Russia has also failed. Patriarch Kirill said he would pray for Putin to continue his work for the "benefit" of Russia and its people.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Kirill, Guy Faulconbridge, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Russian People's Council, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Kremlin, West, NATO, KGB, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, China, United States, Soviet Union, Russian

☆ Russia has activated a sleeper network of spies in Ukraine to try to exploit internal divisions, Ukrainian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has activated a sleeper network of spies in Ukraine to exploit tensions, an official said. Oleksiy Danilov told The Times of London that they are spreading "false narratives" to sow division. AdvertisementIn recent months, Russia has activated a web of sleeper agents in Ukraine to try to exploit "so-called tensions" between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and military leaders, according to a Ukrainian official. Danilov told the newspaper that other tactics being deployed by the Russian agents include stirring up opposition to the government, setting up anti-war protests, and targeting soldiers' relations. Russia and Ukraine have struggled to make any significant breakthroughs in recent months along the 745-mile front.

Persons: Oleksiy Danilov, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Danilov Organizations: Times, Service, Ukraine's Security Service, National Security and Defense, of, Ukrainska Pravda Locations: Russia, Ukraine, London, Kyiv, of Ukraine, Soviet Union, Ukrainian

Now, hundreds of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have appeared at Finland's border from Russia, seeking entry into the Nordic country. They accuse Russia of driving the migrants to the border to sow discord as payback for Finland's membership in NATO. Finnish authorities quickly closed four checkpoints and then three more, leaving just one Arctic crossing point open for asylum-seekers. Finland also asked for help from EU border agency Frontex, which said it would send dozens of officers and equipment as reinforcements to the Finnish border. The Kremlin denies encouraging the migrants, and says it regrets the Finnish border closures.

Persons: Elina Valtonen, Petteri Orpo, Maria Zakharova, Valtonen, Russia’s, ”, Klaus Dodds, ” Dodds, Ylva Johansson, Sauli Niinistö, Alexander Lukashenko, Evika Siliņa, Siliņa, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, “, Geert Wilders, Orpo’s, Vanessa Gera Organizations: HELSINKI, —, NATO, Nordic, Associated Press, HOW, EU, Frontex, Russian Foreign Ministry, Royal Holloway, University of London, VU EU Home Affairs, Belarus —, Latvian, AP, Poland’s, Guard Locations: Finland, Russia, East, Africa, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Finnish, FINLAND, Helsinki, Belarus, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Baltic, Netherlands, Finns, Lapland, Murmansk, Warsaw

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