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☆ Fetterman makes a video pretending to have a body double to address the conspiracy that has reached everyone from Melania Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

During Senator John Fetterman's stay at the hospital rumors swirled that he used a body double. The body double conspiracy is something many politicians deal with but spotting them is in the ears. "You know, during my time, during the hospital, the fringy fringies really came up with a conspiracy theory that I have a body double. A split-second later, the body double John Fetterman — who is actually just Fetterman, for those fooled by the camera work — walks into the room from a side door and asks the "real" Fetterman what event he was supposed to be covering for. Theories about political figures using body doubles often appear to correlate with rumors of illness or weakness — perceived or otherwise.

☆ Turkey formally approves Finland's NATO membership, in setback for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Adem Altan | Afp | Getty ImagesTurkey's parliament voted unanimously to formally approve Finland's membership to NATO on Thursday, marking a historic step for the traditionally nonaligned Nordic country that shares an 830-mile border with Russia. Turkey and Hungary remained the final holdouts standing in the way of the Nordic states' accession to the 74-year old alliance. Turkey joined NATO in 1952, and has the second-largest military in the alliance after the United States. Finland lifted its nearly three-year-long arms embargo on Turkey in January as part of its effort to improve the two countries' relations. Nonetheless, he expressed confidence that Turkey would approve his country's NATO bid.

☆ Ex-Wagner mercenary who fled the war in Ukraine says commanders rounded up those who didn't want to fight and shot them in front of new recruits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An ex-Wagner mercenary said the group's leaders shot soldiers who did not want to fight in Ukraine. "They brought two prisoners who refused to go fight and they shot them in front of everyone," he told CNN. "They would round up those who did not want to fight and shoot them in front of newcomers," Andrei Medvedev told CNN's Anderson Cooper while discussing the "ruthless" tactics. Medvedev told CNN he evaded arrest "at least ten times" during his defection journey and that he had to dodge bullets from Russian forces. The Wagner Group, a notorious Russian paramilitary organization with close links to the Kremlin, has appeared to be the main fighting force in Russia's war in Ukraine.

☆ Djokovic beats Tsitsipas for 10th Australian Open, 22nd Slam
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Serbia's Novak Djokovic is presented with the trophy by former player Ken Rosewall after winning his final match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic stretched his unbeaten streak in Melbourne to 28 matches, the longest run there in the Open era, which dates to 1968. Djokovic was participating in his 33rd major final, Tsitsipas in his second — and the 24-year-old from Greece's other one also ended in a loss to Djokovic, at the 2021 French Open. Little doubt this is of no solace to Tsitsipas, but there is no shame in failing to defeat Djokovic in Melbourne. Still, Srdjan Djokovic did not attend his son's semifinal or the final.

☆ Djokovic’s dad stays away from Australian Open semifinal after posing with Russian flag
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Novak Djokovic’s father decided to stay away from the 21-time Grand Slam champion’s semifinal after getting embroiled in a flap involving spectators who brought banned Russian flags to Melbourne Park, Tennis Australia said Friday. “Throughout the event, we’ve spoken with players and their teams about the importance of not engaging in any activity that causes distress or disruption,” Tennis Australia said. Four people were kicked out of the tournament because of the flags and for threatening security guards that night, police and Tennis Australia said. A supporter waves a Russian flag during the men's singles match between on day one of the Australian Open in Melbourne. William West / AFP - Getty ImagesNormally, flags can be displayed during matches at Melbourne Park.

☆ The US is taking aim at Wagner, the only Russian force seemingly having any success in Ukraine, with crippling sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US government has taken aim at the notorious Wagner Group with sweeping new sanctions. A pedestrian walks past a mural depicting the logo of the Russian mercenary 'Group Wagner' and a slogan in Russian on January 20, 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia. Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty ImagesA defaced mural of Russia's mercenary group Wagner reading "Wagner Group - Russian knights" on the side wall of an apartment bock in Belgrade on January 20, 2023. Wagner's prominence in Ukraine has been underscored by rifts between the mercenary group and the regular Russian military. "Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries."

☆ Zelenskyy invites Elon Musk to visit Ukraine: 'After that, you will tell us how to end this war'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Charles R. Davis | Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Elon Musk should visit his country to understand the war. "If you want to understand what Russia has done here, come to Ukraine and you will see this with your own eyes," he said. Speaking on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said he did not know why the billionaire had shifted from steadfast to erratic support for Ukraine. The Ukrainian president added that he would invite Musk and others to see the war firsthand before opining on how to end it. And after that, you will tell us how to end this war, who started it, and when we can end it," Zelenskky said.

Russia launched an intense wave of airstrikes on cities across Ukraine on Tuesday, forcing widespread blackouts and hitting residential buildings in the capital, Kyiv. The barrage targeted key cities from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the northeast, pounding energy infrastructure and knocking out power to vast areas in one of the largest coordinated attacks of the war. "85 missile strikes were fired at Ukraine, at our cities, mostly at energy infrastructure. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the strikes should put an end to pressure for peace talks with Russia. While the retaking of Kherson sparked jubilation in Ukraine, officials have cautioned that the conflict is far from over and that Putin could retaliate for the humiliation of his forces' retreat in the south.

☆ China wants Putin to stop threatening nuclear war over Ukraine, according to the White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

President Biden of the US and Chairman Xi of China met for more than three hours on Monday morning. The two leaders opposed the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened, according to the White House's account. Xi reportedly took the same position on Russia's nuclear threats during a meeting with the German chancellor earlier this month. China took a hard line against an independent Taiwan while the US criticized China for "coercive and increasingly aggressive actions." "I do not think there's any eminent attempt by the part of China to invade Taiwan," he said.

☆ 'Elon, The Everywhere' — Elon Musk is worrying government officials with his growing presence in global affairs, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk's influence in global affairs has some officials worried, The Washington Post reported. Musk has kept in touch with foreign officials while staying away from Washington, per the Post. Musk has publicly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and other foreign leaders, raising conflict of interest questions. Government officials have bolstered Musk's competitors in an effort to reduce their reliance on his businesses, the Post report said. The Post report notes, however, that there is still a large interest from the US government to work with Musk.

☆ Turkish President Erdoğan says he'll work with Putin to turn Turkey into a natural gas hub, and it marks the next step in Putin's attempts to keep selling Russian fuel to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ankara will work with Moscow to create a natural-gas hub in Turkey, Turkish President Erdoğan said. The development comes a week after Putin offered to redirect natural-gas supplies to Europe via Turkey — a proposal that caught Turkish officials by surprise. Thus it is early to make an assessment," Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said at the time, per Reuters. "We will create a hub here with Turkish gas coming from Russia," Erdoğan said, per Anadolu, referring to gas coming from Russia as "Turkish gas." This would create a new route for the transport of natural-gas to to Europe via Turkey, thus "creating the largest gas hub for Europe in Turkey," Putin said.

☆ Senior Russian lawmakers express concern over Putin's mobilization drive 'excesses'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Amid increasing public anger about Russia's mobilization drive, two of the country's most senior lawmakers ordered regional officials to solve the “excesses” that have stoked protests and seen flocks of military-age men attempt to flee. “Appeals are coming in,” Volodin, speaker of the Duma, Russia’s lower chamber of Parliament, said in a post Sunday. Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin in St. Petersburg in April. It said hundreds of people had been detained by police across Russia for protesting against the mobilization and the war. The territory controlled by Russian or Russian-backed forces in the four regions represents about 15% of Ukrainian territory.

☆ Russian soldiers who desert their posts could face up to 10 years in jail under legislation that passed the lower house of parliament a day before Putin announced 'partial mobilization'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's lower house of parliament approved a bill that toughens punishments for soldiers. The bill increases jail time for soldiers deserting their posts and adds a reference to "mobilization." The law was approved just a day before President Putin announced a "partial mobilization." The State Duma passed the bill on Tuesday that increases jail time for soldiers who desert their unit from five years to up to 10 years. The bill passed just a day before Putin announced plans for a "partial mobilization" of the country's military reserve forces, drafting about 300,000 reservists, according to The Washington Post.

☆ The wild life of Ksenia Sobchak, Putin's rumored god-daughter and former presidential candidate who dramatically fled Russia
▼ + stars: | 2018-03-18 | by ( Michal Kranz | Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

TV host, actress, socialite , and former presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak — who is rumored to be the goddaughter of President Vladimir Putin — has fled Russia for Lithuania. Her family ties with Putin go back to before she was born, when her father helped him enter national politics. And when she transformed herself from glamorous socialite and TV star to progressive politician, Putin made no attempt to stop her. "She has always got away with stuff, and it's always been understood that Putin's presidential administration made sure she didn't get into too much trouble," Dr Jade McGlynn, a Russia-focused researcher at the University of Oxford told Insider. Here's how Sobchak went from pop culture darling, to liberal opposition figure, to a fugitive of Putin's Russia.

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