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☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Russian spy ships suspected of gathering intelligence in Nordic waters, investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou Allegra Goodwin Anna Chernova Vasco Cotovio | Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou | Allegra Goodwin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Russia has a fleet of suspected spy ships operating in Nordic waters as part of a program for the potential sabotage of underwater cables and wind farms in the region, according to a joint investigation by the public broadcasters of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The investigation also said Russian ships appear suddenly following NATO exercises. One ship at the center of the investigation, the Admiral Vladimirsky, is officially used for underwater research expeditions, but is, according to the report, a Russian spy ship. A masked man emerged on the deck of the Admiral Vladimirsky, the ship at the center of an investigation that found a Russian fleet of suspected spy ships in Nordic waters. The investigation comes after Dutch intelligence officials warned Russia had tried to gain intelligence to prepare for the potential sabotage of critical infrastructure in their patch of the North sea.

SYDNEY, April 15 (Reuters) - The second person ever charged with violating Australia's foreign interference laws appeared in a local court on Saturday following his arrest a day earlier. Court documents reviewed by Reuters on Saturday listed a charge of reckless foreign interference against Csergo, with the offence occurring between February 2021 and April 2023 in the Australian state of New South Wales and Shanghai. Csergo had recently returned from China and was arrested on Friday at a residence in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi, according to neighbours. The court document also named "Ken" and "Evelyn" as engaging with Csergo. The AFP will allege "Ken" and "Evelyn" work for a foreign intelligence service and are undertaking intelligence collection activities, the statement said.

SYDNEY, April 14 (Reuters) - An Australian man who had recently returned from China was arrested in Sydney on Friday and charged with a foreign interference offence, police, court officials and neighbours of the man said. The man, who the police statement did not name, operates a business overseas and had recently returned to Australia. Csergo was arrested at a residential address in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi, a woman who lived at the same address told Reuters. In the statement, police allege the arrested man was contacted while overseas by an individual claiming to be from a think-tank. Csergo is the second person charged with an offence since Australia introduced foreign interference laws in 2018.

☆ Canadian privacy regulators launch joint investigation into TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

OTTAWA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Canada is launching a joint federal and provincial investigation into short-video app TikTok over concerns about the Chinese-owned platform's collection, use and disclosure of personal information, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said on Thursday. Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia tells Twitter, Google to give information on handling online child abuse
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationSYDNEY, Feb 23 (Reuters) - An Australian regulator has sent legal letters to Twitter and Google telling them to hand over information about their efforts to stop online child abuse, drawing them into a crackdown that has already put pressure on other global tech firms. She said it was in Twitter's interests to show that it was acting effectively to eradicate child sexual abuse material, otherwise advertisers could turn away from the company. Apart from writing to Twitter, the commissioner also sent letters to Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google, owner of YouTube and the file storage unit Google Drive, and China's TikTok. Last year, the commissioner sent similar notices to Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) and Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O). read moreInman Grant said a 2020 joint investigation with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection found widespread publicly-available abuse material on Twitter, which those authorities reported to Twitter's head of trust and safety.

☆ British embassy guard who spied for Russia filmed "secret" letter to PM, London court told
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Morgan said Smith sent a letter containing "highly sensitive information about the British embassy and those who worked within it" to General Major Sergey Chukhrov, the Russian military attaché to Berlin, in November 2020. She added that the discovery of Smith's letter to Chukhrov prompted a joint investigation between British and German authorities. Covertly recorded footage was played in court showing Smith filming CCTV footage of "Dmitry" from within the embassy's security kiosk. Smith was later approached by "Irina", who told him that she needed assistance as someone had "passed information to the British and the information could be damaging to Russia". In hidden camera footage played to the court, "Irina" asks if Smith can help and he replies: "Well, like what?"

There are "continued calls for violence directed at U.S. critical infrastructure," the agency warned last February, "as a means to create chaos and advance ideological goals." Law enforcement and utility companies, though, say they're working to resolve the open cases and prevent future attacks. Members of accelerationist groups have been charged with several plots in recent years to attack critical infrastructure. "The critical infrastructure element has become one of the core components of neo-fascist accelerationist movements in the US. "They don't really care who is doing the violence, who's doing the critical infrastructure attacks, Lewis said.

☆ Russia suggests Sweden has 'something to hide' in Nord Stream blast probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Gazprom PAO FollowJan 12 (Reuters) - Russia questioned on Thursday whether Sweden had "something to hide" over explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines last year, as it slammed Stockholm for not sharing information in the ongoing investigations into the blasts. Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating four holes in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea and have become a flashpoint in the Ukraine crisis. Zakharova said Sweden was "concealing" facts about what it had discovered in the investigation, suggesting that "the Swedish authorities have something to hide". Sweden and other European investigators say the attacks were carried out on purpose, but they have not said who they think was responsible. Construction of Nord Stream 2, designed to carry Russian gas to Germany, was completed in September 2021, but was never put into operation after Berlin shelved certification just days before Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine in February.

☆ NWSL bans four coaches, fines teams after misconduct inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 9 (Reuters) - The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has handed lifetime bans to four former coaches and fined the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns $1.5 million and $1 million respectively, part of sweeping sanctions from a misconduct inquiry. An independent investigator brought in by U.S. Soccer found last year that abuse and misconduct "had become systemic" in the NWSL. Former North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley, Racing Louisville coach Christy Holly, Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames and Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke will each be subject to "permanent exclusion" from the league. Arnim Whisler, who owns the Red Stars, and Thorns owner Merritt Paulson have agreed to sell their teams. The NWSL is compelling the owners of both teams to hire sporting staff that is "completely distinct" from their respective men's teams.

☆ The supply chain that keeps tech flowing to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

“We cannot export to Russia, we cannot sell to Russia, and that’s why we just sell to Turkey,” he said. Azu International is an example of how supply channels to Russia have remained open despite Western export restrictions and manufacturer bans. At least $2.6 billion of computer and other electronic components flowed into Russia in the seven months to Oct. 31, Russian customs records show. Pixel Devices also said it’s not surprising that no one was in Pixel Devices’ office recently because most employees work remotely or in warehouse operations. Russian customs records show that Pixel Devices’ main client in Russia is a company in St. Petersburg called OOO KompLiga.

☆ Many security lapses led to escape of Texas inmate accused of killing 5 while on the run, reports find
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or TDCJ, conducted an internal review of the escape and also hired an outside firm to do an independent review. Texas Department of Criminal JusticeAdditionally, two officers had falsified search logs indicating Lopez’s cell had been searched when it had not. Attorneys for the Collins family have notified the Texas agency that they plan to file a lawsuit against it over the deaths. CGL also made several recommendations, including suggesting TDCJ reconfigure transport buses to improve security and develop strategies to reduce its staff vacancies. In the month before Lopez’s escape, 43% of correctional officer jobs at the Hughes Unit were vacant.

☆ Two men arrested in connection to threats against Jewish community in New York
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 19 (Reuters) - Two men were arrested at New York's Penn Station in connection with threats to the Jewish community, police said on Saturday. New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officers identified the two men late on Friday night after being alerted to warrants for their arrests by the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, the MTA said in a statement. Police seized a hunting knife, an illegal Glock 17 firearm and a 30-round magazine after investigating the individuals. No details were released on the two men, although the New York Times reported authorities released an alert late on Friday for a man who had recently made threats against synagogues in the New York area. A joint investigation for a "strong prosecution" is now taking place, and NYPD officers are deploying to "strategic locations" around the city, Sewell said.

☆ Republican U.S. House will sharpen China focus, monitor Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Representative Michael McCaul, the Republican in line to head the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said his top priority will be competing with a rising China, including monitoring high-tech exports. To become law, any bills must be passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden. McCaul said he expected the aid to keep flowing, noting bipartisan support for the Kyiv government. The House Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees also plan a joint investigation of business dealings that Hunter Biden had with a Chinese energy firm in 2017. The Democratic-led House impeached Trump in 2019 on charges that he withheld military aid to Ukraine to put pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch an investigation of Hunter Biden.

☆ European markets head for mixed open as political uncertainty continues
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European markets are set to open mixed on Thursday as political uncertainty continues in the region. Global markets are watching developments in Ukraine as the fallout from a missile hitting Polish territory continues. NATO said it was likely that Ukrainian air defenses were trying to intercept Russian missiles when the incident happened on Tuesday evening. Overnight, shares in the Asia-Pacific traded mostly lower with the Hang Seng Index falling 2.5% as Chinese technology stocks saw sharp losses. Investors are also anticipating more than half a dozen speakers from the Federal Reserve talking at events around the country Thursday.

☆ Ukraine refuses to accept it was behind Poland missile strike, despite NATO forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had "no doubt" that his country was not to blame for a missile strike that hit a Polish village, killing two people, despite NATO's initial assessment that the blast took place as Ukraine was trying to defend itself against Russia. Zelenskyy said on Ukrainian TV Wednesday that his top military commanders had assured him that "it was not our missile and not our missile strike" that was the cause of Tuesday's incident, which provoked an international furor and fears that a wider conflict between NATO and Russia could erupt. "I have no doubt in [Tuesday's] report to me personally — from the Commander of the Air Force to Commander-in-Chief [Valery] Zaluzhny — that it was not our missile and not our missile strike," Zelenskyy said. If someone says that this is our rocket, should we be in a joint investigative group? Suspicions as to who was behind the attack fell on Russia, particularly given a huge barrage of missile strikes that its forces had inflicted on cities across Ukraine during Tuesday.

☆ Police investigating unsolved murder of JonBenet Ramsey to seek help from cold case team
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Police in Boulder, Colorado, will consult with a state cold case team as they continue to investigate the 1996 murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey. The Colorado Cold Case Review Team is made up of professional investigative, analytical and forensic experts from across the state. Police said the team "is another tool to help further cold case homicide investigations." Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies continue to work on JonBenet’s case. JonBenet’s half-brother, John Andrew, commented on the news, writing on Twitter that it was a "positive" step in her case.

☆ For survivors of Ethiopia's Tigray war, truce brings cautious hope
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"I'm very happy - because this will put a hold on the suffering," said a Tigrayan man in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa who declined to be named out of fear of repercussions at his place of work. All sides fighting in the Tigray war committed violations that may amount to war crimes, according to a joint investigation by the United Nations and Ethiopia's state-appointed human rights commission. We haven't even gotten any voice messages from him," the Tigrayan man in Addis Ababa told Reuters. Human Rights Watch, citing witnesses, said 23 civilians were killed by Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters in Kobo at that time. Just, literally everything," said Andom Gebreyesus, who ran a tour company in Tigray before the war.

There was a lot of bleeding," Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesperson for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, told Reuters. "I heard a burst of bullet shots after which I saw Imran Khan and his aides fall down on the truck," witness Qazzafi Butt told Reuters. "Later, a gunman shot a single shot but was grabbed by an activist of Khan's party." [1/7] Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is helped after he was shot in the shin in Wazirabad, Pakistan November 3, 2022 in this still image obtained from video. Her father and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged in the same city in 1979 after being deposed in a military coup.

☆ Russian soldier spoke of drunkenly killing civilians in phone call near Bucha: 'I think I'm going crazy'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Intercepted phone calls detail a Russian "cleansing" operation in Bucha, the AP reported. "I've already killed so many civilians," one soldier told his wife. Survivors told Insider that Russian soldiers initially acted as if they believed themselves liberators, their government having convinced them that Ukraine is run by Nazis. In a March 14 phone call, another soldier, going by the name Lyona, told his mother about a child who was stopped at a Russian checkpoint. On the boy's phone, soldiers found information about the "location and logistics" of Russian forces, the AP reported.

☆ Leidos Discloses Subpoenas Amid Antitrust, Bribery Probes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Dylan Tokar | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Leidos Holdings Inc., an information-technology and engineering services firm, received dual subpoenas in recent months in connection with criminal investigations into potential foreign bribery and antitrust violations. The Reston, Va.-based company was served with a grand jury subpoena in August related to an investigation by the Justice Department’s antitrust division, Leidos said Tuesday. The probe is the second ongoing criminal investigation disclosed by Leidos this year. The FCPA probe was first disclosed by the company in a securities filing earlier this year. At the time, Leidos said it was conducting an internal investigation into activities within its international operations that it discovered in late 2021.

☆ Jet lands with smashed windshield and broken nose after extreme weather that left passengers in terror
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A passenger plane was forced into an emergency landing by extreme weather over South America. The Airbus A320 landed in Paraguay with a broken nose cone and a smashed windshield, images show. The plane hit "extreme and unforeseen weather conditions," according to the Chilean officials, who did not give precise details. According to Paraguayan news outlet Telefuturo, the flight had resumed its journey after an initial diversion to avoid the weather. Dramatic images broadcast by Telefuturo show the aircraft with a large portion of its nose cone broken off, its windshield shattered and equipment dangling from its base.

☆ Sweden shuns formal joint investigation of Nord Stream leak, citing national security
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mats Ljungqvist, the prosecutor involved in Sweden's criminal investigation into the Nord Stream leaks in the Swedish economic zone, said Sweden was already co-operating with Denmark and Germany on the matter. He said Sweden had rejected the proposal for a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from judicial co-operation agency Eurojust because a such a joint investigation would include legal agreements under which Sweden would have to share information from its own investigation that it deemed confidential. He made his comment after a report in German weekly Der Spiegel on Friday that Sweden had rejected plans for a joint investigation with Denmark and Germany, citing German security sources. A Swedish Security Services spokesperson said the security police were co-operating closely with other authorities, also internationally, as part of the Swedish criminal investigation. German TV programme Tagesschau on German public broadcaster ARD said that Denmark, too, had turned down setting up a joint investigation team.

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