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☆ Amid a slogging counteroffensive, Ukraine sees a day of good fortune: a Russian air defense system was destroyed, one Russian pilot successfully defected, and, now, the Wagner leader may be dead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wednesday brought a string of good news for Ukraine amid the 3-month-long counteroffensive. That same day, a Russian helicopter pilot defected to Ukraine, landing a Mi-8 AMTSH helicopter at the Ukrainian Poltava military air base. An official for HUR, the military intelligence agency, told local media that this was the result of a planned six-month operation. But the most significant turn of events that came Wednesday was the possible death of the Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Social media channels associated with Wagner claimed that the plane was shot down by an air-defense system.

Persons: HUR, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Angela Stenet, Vladimir Putin's, Stenet, Mykhailo Podolyak, Putin Organizations: Service, Ukrainian, Directorate of Intelligence, Wagner Group, National Intelligence, PBS, New York Times, Washington Post, Institute for Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Russian, Crimean, Ukrainian Poltava, Moscow, Tver, Eurasia, The U.S, Melitopol, Washington, DC

CNN —The US has not seen indications that a missile downed the airplane Russian authorities say was carrying Wagner founder Yevgheny Prigozhin, according to four US officials. Another source familiar with the western intelligence echoed the US officials, saying there was no indication a missile was launched. Ryder also said that the Pentagon “doesn’t have any information to indicate right now” that the plane Prigozhin was on was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. Some US officials were not altogether surprised when the news broke on Russian state media about the plane crash. The officials did not say that US had confirmation that Prigozhin was on the plane.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgheny Prigozhin, it’s, Patrick Ryder, Defense Department’s, Prigozhin, “ I’m, ” Ryder, Ryder, Vladimir Putin, I’m, Joe Biden, “, Putin, ”, ” Putin, Bill Burns, Antony Blinken, ” Burns, ” Blinken Organizations: CNN, Officials, Embraer, Pentagon, Defense, Russia’s, Wednesday, Donetsk People’s, ”, Biden, Kremlin, CIA, “, NATO Locations: Moscow, Russian, Russia, FlightRadar24, St . Petersburg, Tver, Donetsk, Donetsk People’s Republic, Kremlin

☆ Colombia attorney general stands by claim that ELN rebels plan to kill him
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Francisco Barbosa, Colombian Attorney General speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota, Colombia March 24, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Colombia's attorney general on Wednesday defended the credibility of intelligence reports that ELN rebels were plotting to kill him and two other people despite denials by the ELN and military. Two weeks ago, Attorney General Francisco Barbosa reported that the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group planned to assassinate him using a sniper. The ELN has denied it planned the attacks, while Colombia's government has said it had no received no such reports. For two years, intelligence sources have known about the ELN's plan to carry out an attack in Bogota, the attorney general's statement said.

Persons: Francisco Barbosa, Luisa Gonzalez, General Francisco Barbosa, Maria Fernanda Cabal, Eduardo Zapateiro, ELN, Barbosa, Ivan Velasquez, Antonio Garcia, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Colombian, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, National Liberation Army, Democratic Center, Defense, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Colombia's

☆ US intel believes Ukraine's counteroffensive will fail to reach Melitopol, one of its key goals: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US intelligence believes Ukraine won't reach the key city of Melitopol, The Washington Post reported. Retaking the city is a landmark goal for Ukraine's counteroffensive. Reaching and even retaking Crimea is a hallowed objective in Ukraine's counteroffensive, with the peninsula under Russian occupation since 2014. Ukrainian troops are trying to push through these deadly lines from the town of Robotyne, 50 miles to the north, per The Washington Post. Ukraine has switched to pummelling the Russian lines with artillery fire, before painstakingly attempting to move forward with infantry and sappers.

Persons: Ukraine's, recriminations, Patrick Bury, Bury, Melitopol, Oleksiy Danilov Organizations: The Washington Post, Ukraine's, Service, Washington Post, Post, Democrats, UK's Bath University, Russia, Dnipro, Bradley Locations: Ukraine, Melitopol, The, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Azov, Dnipro, Crimea, Kerch, Robotyne

☆ Dianne Feinstein has surrendered decision-making on legal matters to her daughter, but the 90-year-old is still one of the most powerful lawmakers in the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dianne Feinstein has reportedly granted her daughter power of attorney over her legal affairs. It's unclear the extent to which Feinstein's agreement extends. The New York Times reported Thursday that Feinstein has granted power of attorney to Katherine Feinstein, a former San Francisco judge, over her legal affairs. During a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Feinstein appeared confused during a roll call vote. Feinstein also serves on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

Persons: Dianne Feinstein, Democratic Sen, Katherine, Feinstein, Katherine Feinstein, It's, Bryan Metzger, Sen, Patty Murray, Amy Coney Barrett's Organizations: Senate, Service, Privacy, Democratic, New York Times, GOP, Committee, Intelligence, CIA, NSA, Senate Armed Services Committee, panel's, Water, Army Corps of Engineers Locations: Wall, Silicon, San Francisco

WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - China is helping Russia evade Western sanctions and likely providing Moscow with military and dual-use technology for use in Ukraine, according to an unclassified U.S. intelligence report released on Thursday. China has repeatedly denied sending military equipment to Russia since Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "The PRC is providing some dual-use technology that Moscow's military uses to continue the war in Ukraine, despite an international cordon of sanctions and export controls," the ODNI report said. China has increased it importation of Russia energy exports, including oil and gas rerouted from Europe, the report said. U.S. officials have previously raised concern about transfers of "dual-use equipment" from China to Russia.

Persons: ODNI, Emmanuel Macron's, Emmanuel Bonne, Kanishka Singh, Michael Martina, Caitlin Webber, Daniel Wallis Organizations: National Intelligence, U.S . House, Intelligence, Russian Government, States Government, Thomson Locations: China, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, China's, Europe, Beijing, U.S, Washington

☆ Opinion: Judge’s rejection of Hunter Biden’s plea deal vindicates Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Opinion W. James Antle Iii | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On Wednesday, the GOP position on Hunter Biden received vindication from US District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who rejected an “unusual” plea bargain the Department of Justice had offered him. Noreika had been asked to approve to a plea deal that would have spared the president’s son prison. Hunter Biden is one reason Trump is able to survive, even thrive, under circumstances that would have felled almost any other candidate. But the voters who will decide the next GOP presidential nominee are not wrong in thinking that something about Hunter Biden’s treatment doesn’t sit right. Republican voters believe Hunter Biden is getting off with a slap on the wrist while their favored candidate is the one being hunted.

Persons: James Antle III, Hunter Biden’s, James Antle, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Hunter Biden, Maryellen Noreika, Noreika, couldn’t, Joe Biden, wasn’t, Biden, he’s, It’s, Kevin McCarthy, Trump, Jack Smith, Ron DeSantis, Hunter, Hillary Clinton, John Durham, Durham, “, ” Durham, ”, Joseph Ziegler, David Weiss, Weiss, Nixon’s Organizations: Washington Examiner, CNN —, Republican, Republicans, GOP, of Justice, Trump, Democratic, Justice Department, Florida Gov, Intelligence, FBI, DOJ, IRS, CNN, Twitter, Facebook Locations: New York, Iowa, Hampshire, Russia, Trump

☆ US intel report details increasing importance of Chinese technology to Russia’s war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The report says Chinese firms are “probably” helping Moscow to evade these sanctions – though it is “difficult to ascertain the extent” of that help. Those supplies have been largely banned by the US and Europe in an attempt to cut off Russia’s war chest. “Russia’s war against Ukraine has been enabled in no small part by China’s willingness to support them, in direct and indirect ways. The US believes that at the outset of the war, China intended to sell Russia lethal weapons for use in Ukraine, a US official previously told CNN. China has claimed neutrality over the war in Ukraine and called for peace in the conflict.

Persons: Russia ”, China “, ”, Jim Himes, “, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Li Shangfu Organizations: Washington CNN, National Intelligence, Russian, ” Semiconductor, ” CNN, Congress, House Intelligence, ” Democratic, CNN, Chinese Defense Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, People’s Republic of China, Moscow, Beijing, Washington ,, Europe, United States

A House Oversight subcommittee convened Wednesday’s hearing on UFOs, as the lawmakers who pushed for the hearing are calling for the government to be more forthcoming about the unidentified anomalous phenomena. The hearing is the latest push by lawmakers, intelligence officials and military personnel working on unexplained aerial phenomena to probe the issue on a national platform. “This is an issue of government transparency,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican who pushed to hold Wednesday’s hearing. We’re going to uncover the cover up, and I hope this is just the beginning of many more hearings.”No government officials testified at Wednesday’s hearing. Lawmakers have pressed the Department of Defense on the sightings, describing them as potential national security threats.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Ryan Graves, Graves, David Fravor, David Grusch, ” Fravor, Tim Burchett, “ We’re, … We’re, Sean Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, “, Robert Garcia of, Garcia, Jared Moskowitz, ” Moskowitz, ” Graves Organizations: CNN, Navy, Safe Aerospace, US Navy, Air Force, Tennessee Republican, Department of Defense, Democratic, Florida Democrat, House Intelligence Locations: Robert Garcia of California, Florida

☆ US intel officials: ‘No reason to doubt’ Putin claims Russia has moved nuclear weapons to Belarus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has “no reason to doubt” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia has moved a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, senior DIA officials said on Friday. It is not clear how much of that arsenal Putin intends to move, and US and Western officials have not publicly confirmed that any weapons have been transferred to Belarus. But the senior DIA officials told a small group of reporters Friday that analysts have “no reason to doubt” Putin’s claims, and no reason to doubt “that they have had some success” in transferring the weapons. But the senior DIA officials said they do not believe Lukashenko would have any control over the arsenal. It would most likely be entirely controlled by Russia, the officials said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, ” Putin’s, Ben Wallace, ”, Putin “, Wallace, Matthew Miller, “, Aleksander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Miller Organizations: CNN, The Defense Intelligence Agency, St ., Economic, Federation of American Scientists, British, State Department, Nuclear Weapons, ”, Russian Locations: Russian, Russia, Belarus, St, St . Petersburg, Soviet

☆ Opinion: In tough times, Russia turns to a Cold War comrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Opinion Jeremi Suri | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —After decades of somewhat distant relations, Russia and Cuba are working closely together again — this time, as part of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, meet in Havana on April 20, in a show of deepening ties between the countries. In addition to deepened connections with Russia, Cuba has allowed China to build a secret espionage facility on the island. Washington will respond to Russian military escalation in Cuba with its own escalating force, as it already has done with the recent deployment of a nuclear submarine. Military escalation around Cuba is a dangerous temptation for Russia and a difficult trap for the US.

Persons: Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown, America’s, Vladimir Putin’s, Jeremi Suri Korey Howell, Nikolai Patrushev, Igor Sechin, Rosneft, Sergey Lavrov, —, Manuel Marrero Cruz, Putin, Alvaro Lopéz Miera, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, ” Shoigu, ”, Gerardo Peñalver, Bruno Rodriguez, Ramon Espinosa, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Obama, White, Nikita Khrushchev, John F, Kennedy, Khrushchev, Biden, — Khrushchev Organizations: Leadership, Global Affairs, University of Texas, History Department, LBJ School, Democracy, CNN, Russian Security Council, Cuban, Russian, Cuba's, Foreign Affairs, Russian Foreign, Getty Images, year’s, Russian Navy, Caribbean Military, Trump, Biden, Soviets, Pentagon, US, USS, Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Navy, West, Washington, Hulton, Getty, White, Republican, Russia, Ukraine, Twitter, Cuban Missile Locations: Austin, Russia, Cuba, Ukraine, Russian, Havana ., — Venezuela, Nicaragua, Moscow, Caribbean, Washington, Havana, Getty Images Cuba, America, China, Lourdes, USS Pasadena, Guantanamo, American, Soviet, West Berlin, Europe, Putin, Florida, Afghanistan, Turkey

☆ Opinion: With their leader still missing, who will control Wagner forces in Africa?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Joyce M. Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Wagner forces appear to despise the Russian military, as Prigozhin’s reckless march from Ukraine toward Moscow made abundantly clear. That’s why when Wagner forces started withdrawing from Ukraine last month, many feared the same might happen in Africa. And who can guarantee Wagner forces won’t turn on African leaders who decide to side with Putin? “Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere.”It’s not as if Russia could repatriate and replace Wagner forces with verifiably loyal Russian troops — even if it wanted to. And quite frankly, Africa will only emerge better-off if democratic governments emerge after Wagner forces are shown the door.

Persons: Joyce M, Davis, CNN —, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladmir Putin, Dan Gleiter Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozihin, Putin wouldn’t, Khalifa Haftar, Faustin, Burkina Faso’s, Ibrahim Traore, Prigozhin, didn’t, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Assimi Goita, won’t, Haftar, ”, “, It’s, Sergey Kostelyanyets, ” Kostelyanyets, obeisance, Traore —, they’re, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, They’re, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Sudan’s, Wagner weren’t, Washington, Wagner “, there’s Organizations: Patriot -, World Affairs Council, CNN, Wagner Group, Wagner, Central African Republic, Burkina, Guardian, Libyan, Russian Academy of Sciences ’ Institute for African Studies, Newsweek, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Support Forces, Moscow, US Treasury Department, Twitter, Facebook, Central African Locations: Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Africa, Crimea, Ukraine, Moscow, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Russia, Eastern Libya, Russian, Benghazi, Dubai, Touadéra, Prigozhin, Central African Republic, United States

The Austin-based rocket builder and in-space services company is close to announcing the closure of an oversubscribed capital raise, its CEO Bill Weber told CNBC's Manifest Space. Firefly can currently launch its medium-launch rocket, Alpha, every two months. "Alpha has a demand signature for the next three to four years, which is more than good enough for what we want to do with it," Weber told CNBC. Weber told CNBC the company is also in talks with the intelligence community about classified payloads. The macro environment, which has largely stunned public space companies, will help to decide timing.

Persons: Firefly's, Bill Weber, CNBC's, Weber, Morgan Brennan, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Organizations: Firefly's Alpha, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Alpha, Firefly Aerospace, CNBC, Spaceflight Inc, Virgin Orbit, U.S . Space Force, Systems, NASA, Lockheed, Antares Locations: Austin, Austin , Texas, North Carolina, Ukraine, Russian

Helsinki, Finland CNN —More than 500 days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the war loomed over President Joe Biden’s weeklong, three-stop trip to Europe. Drama over Ukraine’s membershipUkraine was the top agenda item for NATO leaders in Vilnius, and the discussion of a pathway for the war-torn country to join the alliance prompted division among leaders. After meeting with Zelensky for more than an hour, Biden told reporters that he was able to reassure his Ukrainian counterpart. The former president raised the prospect of withdrawing from the alliance multiple times in 2018, The New York Times reported. I don’t think NATO’s ever been stronger,” Biden said during his meeting with Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö

Persons: Finland CNN —, Joe Biden’s weeklong, reasserting, Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Monday, Erdoğan, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Donald Trump’s, Trump’s, –, ” Biden, Trump, Rishi Sunak, King Charles III, Putin, “, Stoltenberg, Wang Wenbin, Biden “, “ I’ve, Sauli Niinistö Organizations: Finland CNN, Russia, NATO, Zelensky, Vilnius University, Nordic, Senate, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Ministry, Microsoft, House, Lithuania, State, Government Locations: Helsinki, Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, Turkey, Sweden, Ankara, Vilnius, London, Finnish, China, Beijing, Asia, Indonesia, Hiroshima

☆ PGA official pledges golfers will be able to criticize Saudi Arabia if the tour merges with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A top PGA official said golfers would still be able to criticize Saudi Arabia if the tour merges with LIV Golf. Blumenthal also accused the PGA of selling out to the controversial Saudi league. Blumenthal pointed to the fact that initial agreement between the PGA and LIV Golf has a broad non-disparagement clause. Blumenthal cited this record in calling out the PGA for selling out for the LIV merger. He and PGA Tour member Jimmy Dunne, who helped broker an initial agreement with LIV Golf, also repeatedly stressed that the PGA felt it had little choice but to try to find as peace with LIV.

Persons: LIV Golf, Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Ron Price, Price, Sen, LIV, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Khashoggi, Jimmy Dunne, Ron Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Democratic, Saudi, Service, PGA, Connecticut Democrat, Public Investment Fund, FIFA, Amnesty, MBS, Washington, Wilson, Republican Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, of Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Qatar

☆ Wagner Group leader and ex-convict Prigozhin has lost the respect of Russian prisoners who now think he's a 'traitor,' activist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian prisoners have now turned on the Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, an activist said. Prigozhin, an ex-convict, was once popular among prisoners and recruited thousands to fight in Ukraine. SOme prisoners rioted in support of his short-lived mutiny and were disappointed he called it off. Olga Romanova, the head of the Russia Behind Bars prisoners' rights group, said that prisoners feel "depressed" and "apathetic" and view Yevgeny Prigozhin as a traitor. The Wagner Group recruited thousands of prisoners to fight in Ukraine in exchange for freedom after completing their service.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Olga Romanova, Romanova, Wagner, mutinying Wagner Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Russian, Reuters, Russian Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Defense Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Moscow, Belarus, Rostov, Leningrad

☆ A little-known Russian spy agency left feces in the suitcases of diplomats as its calling card, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A mysterious Russian spy agency left unsettling calling cards for US targets, the Journal reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The Russian Department for Counterintelligence Operations, or DKRO, is a secretive organization that operates under the FSB, Russia's security agency. They know us extremely well," Dan Hoffman, a former Central Intelligence Agency station chief in Moscow, told the Journal. American officials told the Wall Street Journal the DKRO was likely behind the arrest of Gershkovich, who has now been imprisoned in Russia for more than 100 days.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, They've, Dan Hoffman, Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, Whelan, Reed Organizations: Service, Wall Street Journal, Russian Department for Counterintelligence Operations, Central Intelligence Agency, Wall Street, Journal, American Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, American, America, Moscow, Russia

☆ Analysis: How Michael Flynn went down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

When you have General Flynn and Sidney Powell suggesting somehow the military should indeed seize voting machines. As we say in the podcast, Trump called him publicly at a recent conference in May, where he vowed to bring back Mike Flynn again, implying that Flynn would be part of his national security team. WOLF: Do you have any insight into how this kind of conspiracy theory fever afflicts a person? Why does it happen to Michael Flynn and not retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who I learned from your podcast was a mentor to Flynn in Afghanistan? From intelligence work to conspiracy theoriesWOLF: You talk in the podcast about encountering Flynn in his previous line of work – somebody involved in the intelligence community.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn, Patrick Byrne, Giuliani, Powell, Flynn, Byrne, Jack Smith, Peter Bergen, ”, who’s, Smith, WOLF, “, ” He’s, President Trump, Mike Flynn, It’s, Covid, Stanley McChrystal, Richard, Hofstadter, ” There’s, that’s, You’ve, they’re, Vladimir, Putin, That’s, Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Locher, Osama bin Laden Organizations: CNN, … Prosecutors, Trump, Twitter, New, Apple, Spotify, White, Defense Intelligence Agency, World Economic, Army, State Department, Republican, New America, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Black Panthers, Puerto Locations: New America, Bergen, BERGEN, Washington ,, United States, America, Davos, Switzerland, Afghanistan, Russian, Ukraine, Bedford , New Hampshire, New York, Miami, Puerto Rican

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene says she's 'sure' Instagram's new Twitter alternative will be a 'Marxist style social media experience' used to 'steal elections'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Instagram launched "Threads" — a new alternative to Twitter — on Thursday. But the platform's already drawing criticism from the right, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. She argues that the new platform will be a "Marxist style social media experience." —Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) July 6, 2023The Georgia Republican added that the "Marxist style social media experience" would entail "social experimentation serving Big Pharma, the Intelligence Community, and DEI Initiatives to strengthen corporate stocks supporting garbage DEI issues and steal elections." In criticizing Threads right out of the gate, Greene is drawing on long-standing antipathies on the right towards both Meta and Zuckerberg.

Persons: Instagram, Marjorie Taylor Greene, —, Mark Zuckerberg, Donald Trump Jr, — Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 ( Organizations: Twitter, Service

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Monday said a brief uprising by Russian mercenaries against the Kremlin was part of a struggle within the Russian system and that the United States and its allies were not involved in it. "We made clear we were not involved, we had nothing to do with this," Biden said in his first comments on the uprising by Wagner mercenaries that fizzled over the weekend. The Biden administration would not address a widely held perception in Washington that the uprising showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been weakened by his 16-month war against Ukraine. The White House said Biden also consulted on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni about the situation. Kirby said the United States does not know the parameters of the deal reached between Putin and Prigozhin that ended the uprising.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Wagner, John Kirby, Sergei Lavrov, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Vladimir Putin, Matt Miller, Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Giorgia Meloni, It's, Kirby, We're, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Simon Lewis, Jonathan Landay, Phil Stewart, Kanishka Singh, Trevor Hunnicutt, Humeyra Pamuk, Mark Porter, Alistair Bell, Alex Richardson, Deepa Babington, Sandra Maler Organizations: Kremlin, Ukraine, White House, TASS, U.S ., Ukraine . State, NATO, Italian, Putin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, United States, Russia, Moscow, U.S, Washington, Ukraine, United

☆ The inside man who shook the Kremlin: Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin, and what's next for him?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Richard Engel | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the Southern Military District headquarters on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. A St. Petersburg native like Putin, Prigozhin, 62, has one of the most varied biographies among the Kremlin elite. With the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Prigozhin was able and eager to again prove his value to Putin. As the Russian army came up against surprisingly strong resistance, Wagner's mercenaries came in handy in the bloodiest of battles. The standoff then exploded and Prigozhin launched an armed rebellion on Friday after alleging that the Russian army fired at his mercenaries.

Persons: Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, —, Wagner, Michael A, Horowitz, what's, Prigohzin, Prigozhin, Putin, Read, Bashar al, Assad, Sergei Shoigu Organizations: Wagner Group, Southern Military, Stringer, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Le Beck, NBC News, Putin, Kremlin, Prigozhin, NBC, U.S, Internet Research Agency, Central African, Defense Ministry Locations: Rostov, Don, Russia, Moscow, Belarus, St, Petersburg, Europe, East, Africa, Crimean, Kyiv, Russian, Ukraine, Syria, Central African Republic, Bakhmut, U.S

☆ U.S. Officials Face Challenge Sorting Through Intelligence on Wagner Rebellion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

While U.S. officials picked up intelligence that pointed to Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's move on the Russian military , it would have been difficult to anticipate specific outcomes of a revolt with high confidence, former U.S. intelligence officials said. The events of the weekend “were not only unprecedented in modern times, but were also nearly impossible to predict,” said Jamil Jaffer, a former senior counsel to the House Intelligence Committee and national security official in the George W. Bush White House. The intelligence community, former officials said, would have likely been doing some guesswork on how assertively and swiftly Progozhin intended to act and the extent of the challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime, given the mercurial personalities at play. The difficulty of discerning from communications what was genuine and what amounted to idle venting of frustrations, and the lack of any comparable situation in recent Russian history would have also posed a challenge, former officials said.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, ”, Jamil Jaffer, George W, Bush, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: U.S, Wagner Group, House Intelligence, House

☆ No direct evidence COVID started in Wuhan lab - US intelligence report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 23 (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies found no direct evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic stemmed from an incident at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report declassified on Friday said. "The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency remain unable to determine the precise origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both (natural and lab) hypotheses rely on significant assumptions or face challenges with conflicting reporting," the ODNI report said. The report said that while "extensive work" had been conducted on coronaviruses at the Wuhan institute (WIV), the agencies had not found evidence of a specific incident that could have caused the outbreak. U.S. President Joe Biden in March signed a bill declassifying information related to the origins of the pandemic. As of March 20, four other U.S. agencies still judged that COVID-19 was likely the result of natural transmission, while two were undecided.

Persons: WIV, Joe Biden, Biden, Christopher Wray, Dan Whitcomb, Rosalba O'Brien, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Wuhan, of Virology, National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, coronaviruses, Wall, U.S . Energy Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wuhan, United States, Beijing, China

☆ U.S. Intelligence Briefed Congressional Leaders on Prigozhin's Possible Move Against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Congressional leaders were briefed this week on the possibility that Wagner’s owner , Yevgeny Prigozhin, would move on the Russian military . The U.S. intelligence community had determined that Prigozhin could soon attempt that move as a result of growing frustrations, according to two people familiar with the matter. They added that they weren't certain when or what form such a turn would take.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin Locations: U.S

☆ Newly declassified report shows U.S. intelligence community remains divided over likely origin of Covid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Zoë Richards | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

(L-R) Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, Director of the National Security Agency Gen. Paul Nakasone, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, CIA Director William Burns and FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a House Select Committee on Intelligence hearing concerning worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill March 9, 2023 in Washington, DC. The leaders of the intelligence agencies testified on a wide range of issues, including China, Russia, Covid-19 origins, and TikTok. "All agencies continue to assess that both a natural and laboratory-associated origin remain plausible hypotheses to explain the first human infection," the 10-page declassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said. But "almost all" intelligence agencies agreed that the virus wasn't genetically engineered, and all agencies agreed that Covid was not manufactured as a biological weapon. The spokesman added that "getting to the bottom of the origins" of Covid remains a top priority for the president.

Persons: Scott Berrier, Paul Nakasone, National Intelligence Avril Haines, William Burns, Christopher Wray, Covid, Joe Biden Organizations: Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Intelligence, CIA, Capitol, Intelligence, National Intelligence Council, Department of Energy, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Wuhan Institute, Virology, White House National Security Council Locations: Washington ,, China, Russia, Covid, Wuhan, U.S

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