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☆ U.S. citizen who helped Russia from Ukraine appears in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW — A U.S. citizen who was spirited out of eastern Ukraine by Russian special forces after helping the Kremlin target Ukrainian troops said in Moscow on Saturday he had asked for Russian citizenship. He said he was under no duress, wanted to receive Russian citizenship and predicted Russia would win the war in Ukraine. Martindale, who said he had worked as a missionary, said he entered Ukraine from Poland in early 2022, just days before President Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine. Martindale said that while in Ukraine, he had established contact with pro-Russian forces via Telegram and passed them information from Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Russian forces had even delivered a telephone to him with a drone, the Izvestia newspaper reported.

Persons: Daniel Martindale, ”, Martindale, Vladimir Putin, “ I’ve Organizations: MOSCOW, Kremlin, Embassy, Telegram Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia, The U.S, Poland, Donetsk

CNN —Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the US and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials. In July, device explosions at DHL logistics hubs in Leipzig, Germany, and Birmingham, UK, kickstarted a race to find the suspects, WSJ reported. When the WSJ asked Russia for comment about the suspected Russian plot, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied the allegations. “We have never heard any official accusations” of Russian involvement, adding: “These are traditional unsubstantiated insinuations from the media.”” He said according to WSJ. It was dealt with by staff and the local fire brigade at the time and there were no reports of any injuries or significant damage caused,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, DHL, DHL Express, European Union, ” CNN, NATO Locations: Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Leipzig, Birmingham, Lithuania, North America, Russia, United States, America, Europe, Ukraine

☆ Russia hit Google with a fine so big it defies comprehension, exposing a legal system adrift
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | Kieran Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The fine points to a Russian legal system focused more on symbolic punishment than enforcement. All the same, that is what a Russian court maintains the company owes, as punishment for suspending accounts from YouTube. Related storiesLegal experts told Business Insider what it symbolizes is a Russian legal and economic system estranged from much of the world. AdvertisementRussia has effectively annulled intellectual property rights, enabling its companies to freely use patents and designs from Western companies. The scholars BI spoke to did not expect any other nation's court to try to enforce the Google fine.

Persons: —, Dmitri Peskov, Tyler Kustra, Kustra, Heineken, Christine Abely, Abely, Nathanael Tilahun, hasn't, Oleksandra, Snellman Organizations: YouTube, Google, Service, UK's University of Nottingham, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, New England Law, University of Essex, Bloomberg Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Dutch, Hong Kong , South Africa, Netherlands

☆ Putin is in no hurry to end the Ukraine war, no matter who wins the US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin is engaging in a war of attrition in Ukraine. AdvertisementKamala Harris and Donald Trump have starkly different visions of how they'll seek to end one of the gravest security crises in recent decades: the Ukraine war. North Korea is also believed to have sent thousands of troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, per officials from South Korea, Ukraine, and the US. It's a war Putin has staked Russia's economic future on, underlining the importance of victory for the Russian leader. China is observing the Ukraine conflict closely as it weighs whether to launch an invasion of US-ally Taiwan.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, —, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, Joe Biden, Trump, Putin, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Robert Dover, Mikhail Svetlov, he's, Biden, JD Vance, Paul Cormarie, it's, Alexander Mertens, Taiwan, Dover, Jonathan Ward, Peter Schroeder, Schroeder Organizations: Service, National Security Council, Ukraine, Intelligence, National Security, University of Hull, UK, Business, Trump, Russia, NATO, RAND, Anadolu, Getty, Allies, Hudson Institute, BI, National Intelligence Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine Russia, Korea, South Korea, Helsinki, Ukrainian, Europe, Washington, Moscow, It's, China, India, Dover, Taiwan, United States, Asia, Eurasia

☆ A pro-Trump influencer says a Russian agent paid him $100 to post a fake voter fraud video. It wasn’t the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Isabel Rosales | Paul P. Murphy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —An American social media influencer said he was paid $100 by a pro-Kremlin propagandist to post a fake video of Haitian immigrants claiming to vote in the US presidential election. After speaking with CNN, AlphaFox deleted the post, which at the time had generated more than 2.6 million views. Deleted video’s message lives onAlphaFox said he was remorseful for sharing Russian disinformation, and adamant that he was the one who was tricked. “I never wanted to misinform anyone.”AlphaFox believes himself to be just “the guy who shared” a disinformation video. “Real people have become important vehicles of Russian disinformation.

Persons: influencer, Trump, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, ”, Simeon Boikov, podcaster, Boikov, Darren Linvill, ” Linvill, ” Boikov, AlphaFox, ” AlphaFox, “, X AlphaFox, Harris, Doug Emhoff, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Brad Raffensperger, ” Raffensperger Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, State, Russian, Media, Clemson University, FBI, Australian Foreign Ministries, Homeland Security, AlphaFox Locations: American, Russian, Massachusetts, Georgia, Boikov, Russia, Australia, Sydney, AlphaFox, AlphaFox78

☆ Moldova election: Putin’s latest meddling effort failed. It’s unlikely to stop him trying again
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Clare Sebastian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

According to Moldova’s Central election commission, with 100% of votes counted, Sandu had 55% of the total. Its leader, a regular visitor to Russia, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in March. In his congratulatory note to Sandu Monday, US President Joe Biden declared “Russia failed” in its attempt to undermine Moldova’s democracy. Meanwhile, Ukraine is breathing a sigh of relief at the results of Moldova’s election. If Russia’s gains turn from tactical to strategic, Moldova faces a threat much bigger than election interference.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Sandu, Alexandr Stoianoglu, Konstantin Kosachev, Andrey Klishas, “, ”, Vadim Ghirda, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Vladislav Culiomza, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: CNN, EU, Moldova’s, Moldovan, Kremlin, European Union, AP, “ Russia, Reuters Locations: Moscow, Russia, Moldova, Russian, Chisinau, upending, Ciopleni, AP Russia, Transnistria, Ukraine, Donbas, Moldova’s, Gagauzia, Sandu, EU, Georgia, trepidation, Romanian

☆ How Russian ‘dirty money’ risks rigging this European country’s presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If other Kremlin-friendly parties swing their support behind him, the second round will be extremely close. Both the Kremlin and Shor have denied interference, but Moldovan officials have warned the second vote could also be targeted by similar schemes. He has called for a “reset” of relations with Moscow and said he would be willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, while maintaining he is committed to joining the EU. As a result, his platform is a mix of contradictory policies, said Samurokov: “You either support European integration, or you want to promote cooperation with Moscow. Evgenia Novozhenina/ReutersStill, Moldovan officials are braced for a second round of voting marred by pro-Russian meddling.

Persons: Maia Sandu, Sandu, Alexandr Stoianoglo, Sandu –, Moscow –, Stoianoglo, Vladislav Culiomza, Reuters Sandu, Valeriu Pasha, Ilan Shor, Shor, ” Maksim Samorukov, Sandu’s, ”, Vladimir Putin, Evgenia Novozhenina, ” Pasha, Volodymyr Zelensky, “ Organizations: CNN, European Union, EU, Russian Party of Socialists, World Bank, Moscow, Reuters, Reuters Analysts, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Communist Locations: Soviet, Europe, Moldova, European, Ukraine, Harvard, Chisinau, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Transnistria, Georgian, ”, Georgia

☆ Russia's defense sector is running on overdrive — but firms are warning of bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Defense firms are busy — but high inflation and interest rates past 20% have left them struggling. AdvertisementIn Russia's defense sector, demand is surging — but its companies are struggling all the same. Rising interest rates and export bans were eroding Russian defense companies' profits across the board, they said, making the Russian state the only guarantor of revenues. Sheremeta described the situation as a "death spiral," where war spending begets more inflation, which requires more war spending. "If some defense companies cannot fulfill their obligations, the Kremlin can simply nationalize them," Sheremeta said.

Persons: —, Sergei Chemezov, Roman Sheremeta, Sheremeta, Daniel Treisman, Korhonen, Julian Cooper, Konstantin Sonin, Sonin Organizations: Service, Rostec, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University, Bloomberg, University of California, National Bureau of Economic Research, Central Bank, Bank of Finland Institute, Emerging, Centre for Russian, East European Studies, University of Birmingham, University of Chicago Harris School of Public, Project Syndicate Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Los Angeles

☆ Ukraine fooled Russia with the same deceptions Germany used at WWII's Battle of the Bulge
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The question for Ukraine is whether Kursk will fare better than Germany's Battle of the Bulge. AdvertisementWhen Ukraine unleashed its Kursk offensive in August, it wasn't just the Russians who were surprised. By massing forces for offensives in eastern Ukraine, this thinned out the rest of the 600-mile front line, including the Kursk region. For example, "Ukraine's military announced the 61st Mechanized Brigade would be moving to Vovchansk, a city in the northern sector of the fighting in eastern Ukraine," said TRADOC. Allied cryptographers had broken high-level German radio codes (the "Ultra" program), but German forces employed radio silence, and orders were conveyed by courier and telephone.

Persons: —, TRADOC, Hitler, Oleksandr Syrskyi, wouldn't, Ukraine prepped, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US, Kremlin, British, Armed Forces of, 61st Mechanized Brigade, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kursk, Germany, Normandy, Ardennes, Belgium, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Nazi, Moscow, Forbes

☆ The U.S. has a new strategy for combating foreign election interference, but will it work?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Last week, a video popped up on social media falsely claiming to show someone ripping up ballots in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Instead of relying on flagging suspected foreign disinformation posts to social media companies, U.S. authorities are declassifying information about foreign election interference in an unprecedented way, seizing web domains and issuing indictments that have exposed the mechanics of Russian and Iranian information warfare, officials and researchers said. U.S. intelligence officials later said Russian “influence actors” were behind the false story. And social media companies, under intense legal and political pressure from Republican critics, have scaled back or scrapped teams in recent years that used to take down inflammatory or conspiratorial content. The combination of homegrown falsehoods about “stolen” election conspiracies, surging foreign disinformation campaigns and a laissez-faire approach by tech firms threatens to undermine the foundations of American democracy, experts and lawmakers said.

Persons: “, ”, Paul Kolbe, ” Kolbe, haven’t, Biden, Yuri Kadobnov, Donald Trump’s, Matthew Olsen, — we’ve, Bret Schafer, ” Schafer, Esteban Ponce de, Tim Walz, Walz, Trump, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, ” Jamieson Organizations: FBI, Justice Department, Central Eurasia, CIA, Media, Russia, Getty, Kremlin, Alliance, Securing Democracy, NBC, Atlantic Council, Forensic Research, Democratic, Gallup, Republican, Democracies, University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication Locations: Bucks County , Pennsylvania, Russia, Iran, China, Cuba, Moscow, Tehran, Tennessee, United States, AFP, Esteban Ponce de León, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Russian, Vietnam

☆ Russia faces a crisis regardless if Putin ends or continues the war in Ukraine, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia faces a crisis whether it continues the war or not, economist Alexander Mertens says. War spending has been a major boost to Moscow's GDP growth and wealth, and ending the war will be tricky. If Russia continues the war, the economy looks on track for a "severe recession" and long-running stagnation, Mertens said. "The current state of the Russian economy is far from critical but it does present Putin with a dilemma. The Russian economy is not yet close to collapse, but it is increasingly dependent on wartime conditions and faces growing risks of overheating."

Persons: Alexander Mertens, —, Vladimir Putin, Mertens, Merten, Putin, That's Organizations: Service, Kyiv's International Institute of Business, Ukraine, Atlantic Council, Russian National Welfare Fund, Kremlin, International Monetary Fund Locations: Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Russia fines Google more than the world's entire GDP
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( David Hodari | David Hodari Is A London-Based Editor. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The court that imposed the fine might be in for a long wait for Google to pay up, however. “This should be a reason for the Google leadership to pay attention to this and improve the situation.”The amount the court says Google owes is growing, too. The court ordered Google to restore the accounts within nine months, with a fine of 100,000 rubles (around $1,000) levied for each day after that period. Some of those Russian media outlets have also appealed to courts in Turkey, Hungary, Spain and South Africa to enforce court decisions made against Google in Russia. In the section of its third quarter earnings release titled 'Legal Matters,' Alphabet said: “We have ongoing legal matters relating to Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, it’s, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Dmitry Peskov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Konstantin Malofeev Organizations: Google, Kremlin, NBC, RBC, YouTube, International Monetary Fund, NBC News, Wagner Group Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Spain, South Africa, Russia, South Africa’s

☆ Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Russia is seeking an unfathomable sum of money from one of the world’s biggest tech companies. Google reportedly owes the Kremlin more than 2 undecillion rubles — a 2 followed by 36 zeroes — after refusing to pay fines for blocking pro-Russian channels on YouTube. The virtually unpronounceable penalty amounts to $20 decillion — or around $20 billion trillion trillion. Russian state media TASS reported this week that a Russian court has ordered Google to restore the YouTube channels or else face mounting charges. In quarterly earnings published this week, the company referred to “ongoing legal matters” relating to its business in Russia.

Persons: “ Organizations: London CNN —, Google, YouTube, International Monetary Fund, TASS, ” TASS, CNN Locations: London CNN — Russia, Russia, “, Ukraine

☆ The Kremlin says it hopes an unpronounceably huge fine got Google's attention
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementAn enormous fine levied by a Russian court on Google caught the attention of the Kremlin — which hopes Google will notice in turn. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, commented on the sum on Thursday. "This should be a reason for the Google leadership to pay attention to this and improve the situation." Google has not commented on the fine directly, including when asked by Business Insider. AdvertisementIn 2022, Google's Russian legal arm, Google LLC, filed for bankruptcy, and authorities seized its bank accounts.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Dmitri Peskov, Donald Trump, Peskov Organizations: Google, YouTube, Service, NBC, Business Locations: Russia, Russian

☆ Harris and Trump's closing arguments and ancient Mayan city discovered: Morning Rundown
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Elizabeth Robinson | Elizabeth Robinson Is A Newsletter Editor For Nbc News | Based In Los Angeles. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

And an ancient Mayan city is discovered beneath the jungle. At a rally yesterday in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a majority-Latino city, Trump called to the lectern Puerto Rico’s Republican shadow senator, who proclaimed, “The people of Puerto Rico trust you.”Read more about Trump’s closing arguments. But what does North Korea stand to gain? But actually, an intensified partnership between Russia and North Korea is a likely boon for Kim Jong Un’s nuclear ambitions. Read All About ItStaff Pick: A vast ancient city is found by accidentAerial lidar surveys reveal ancient settlements in the Campeche region of Mexico.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Harris, Trump, “, Joe Biden, Tony Hinchcliffe, ” Biden, Biden, ”, Hurley, Bryan Birks, Jessica Hurley’s, ’, Becky Munge, Mikhail Metzel, Kim Jong, Luke Auld, Thomas, — Elizabeth Robinson, Elizabeth Robinson Organizations: Republican, Trump, Trump’s New, Trump’s New York City, Puerto, NBC, Medicaid, NBC News, Getty, Pentagon, Cambridge University Press, Tulane University Locations: Trump’s New York, Allentown , Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Springfield , Illinois, North Korea, AFP, Russia, Ukraine, “, Europe, Asia, Kursk, Korea, Campeche, Mexico, New Orleans

It is clear what Russia stands to gain from an influx of some 10,000 North Korean troops to aid its war in Ukraine. North Korean troops are expected to help with that. North Korea, for its part, needs a partner that will shield it from the United Nations Security Council as it pursues its nuclear ambitions. “North Korea is trying to get as many benefits as it can from this relationship,” said Edward Howell, an expert on North Korea at the Chatham House think tank. “If thousands of North Korean troops learn how to survive on a battlefield full of drones,” Gabuev said, “that is a lesser problem than North Korea having quieter nuclear-capable submarines.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, ” Alexander Gabuev, Russia —, Mark Rutte, NBC’s Keir Simmons, Putin, ” Putin, didn’t, ” Gabuev, Kim Jong Un, Mikhail Metzel, ”, Edward Howell, —, Gabuev Organizations: West, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, NBC News, Pentagon, Ukraine, NATO, Vostochny, Getty, Yonhap News Agency, United Nations Security Council, Chatham House, . Security Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Asia, United States, North Korea, Berlin, “, West, Russia’s Kursk, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kursk, Washington, Kazan, Pyongyang, Korea, North Korean, AFP, South Korea, Seoul

CNN has reached out to Terada for comment on the R-FBI’s role in Russian disinformation efforts, and ties to the state. Storm-1516 and R-FBI network members have spread at least 54 different disinformation narratives online since August 2023, according to Clemson and CNN’s analysis. “Does anyone believe that an American would be the spearhead of what some call the biggest Russian Disinformation operation since the cold war? TelegramAnother prominent figure in propagating Russian disinformation is American Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who in 2020 accused then-presidential candidate Joe Biden of sexual harassment. The links between Terada’s group and other Russian disinformation efforts are at best opaque, which is likely no accident.

Persons: –, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Mira Terada, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, Harris, Walz, Morgan Finkelstein, “ Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Win McNamee, ” Darren Linvill, Patrick Warren, “, Biden, Warren, Kamala, Influencers, John Mark Dougan, Dougan, he’s, Andrew Harnik, MAGA, IMbaMm8YVF, Darren Linvill, Linvill, ” Clemson, Maxim Shugaley, Terada, Vladimir Putin’s “, ” Prigozhin, Konstantin Pridybaylo, Ruslan Ostashko, Colin Gerard, Gerard, Alexander Dugin, picturing, Tara Reade, Joe Biden, Reade, ” Chay Bowes, Simeon Boikov, podcaster, Bowes, ” Warren, Sean Lyngaas, influencers Organizations: CNN, Clemson University’s, Russian Foundation, FBI, Storm, Democratic, Minnesota Gov, Clemson, Getty, NBC, Wired, Prigozhin’s, Internet Research Agency, Miami Chronicle, Boston Times, DC, IRA, Russian, Gov, National Intelligence, US State Department, Minnesota, Apple, Trump, Infrastructure Security Agency, ’, Federal Bureau, Investigation, Kremlin, Wagner Group, US Justice Department, ANO Dialog, BRICS Journalists Association, Washington Post, Center, Forensics Locations: Russian, Ukraine, West, San Francisco, Zambia, Savannah , Georgia, ”, “, American, Zambian, St . Petersburg, Florida, Moscow, Russia, Kazakhstan, Minnesota, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Bucks County , Pennsylvania, Bucks County ,, French, Irish, Sydney, European

☆ North Korean soldiers learning Russian commands and may be sent to Ukraine front lines, South Korean lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korean soldiers may be being readied for a move to the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine after being taught basic Russian commands, South Korean lawmakers told news agency Yonhap on Tuesday, citing the country’s intelligence officials. Russia is teaching North Korean soldiers about 100 basic military words like “fire” and “in position,” the lawmakers told Yonhap. However, they added, it’s clear that North Korean soldiers are struggling to communicate – and it’s not clear whether they’ll be able to bridge the language gap. This could mark the first time North Korea makes a significant intervention in an international conflict. She likely traveled to discuss potentially dispatching more North Korean troops – and what Pyongyang would receive in return, the lawmakers told Yonhap.

Persons: Yonhap, ”, Lee Seong, they’ll, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Choe Son Hui, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin Organizations: South Korea CNN — North, Ukraine, Pentagon, White House, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Korean, Sun, North, CNN, North Korean Foreign Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, Korea, North Korea, Ukraine, Russian, Pyongyang, Washington

☆ Georgia’s president calls for rally to save ‘European future’ as thousands protest disputed election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Central Election Commission (CEC) said it had secured nearly 54% of the vote. Asked why she is refusing to recognize the results of the election, Zourabichvili said Georgian Dream had used “all the instruments” at its disposal to rig the election and called for an international investigation. Giorgi Arjevanidze/AFP/Getty ImagesThe election commission told CNN it received 445 district-level complaints of irregularities on election day. European leaders criticized the bill and have since frozen Georgia’s accession process, just months after it was offered EU candidate status. The UNM was founded by former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been jailed since 2021 for abuse of power while in office.

Persons: CNN —, Salome Zourabichvili, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Zourabichvili, –, ’, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Giorgi Arjevanidze, ”, authoritarians, Matthew Miller, ” Zourabichvili, Vladimir Putin, Zurab, Nicoloz Samkharadze, “, Ivanishvili –, Soviet Union –, Mikheil Saakashvili Organizations: CNN, Election Commission, Getty, Georgian, European Union, EU, United National Movement, UNM Locations: Soviet, Europe, Tbilisi, Russia, AFP, United States, Soviet Union, Georgia

☆ Derzhprom: Russia bombs historic Soviet skyscraper in Ukraine’s Kharkiv
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —A Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv on Monday shattered much of the Derzhprom building, one of the most celebrated landmarks in Ukraine’s second city, dating from the 1920s. President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the strike on Kharkiv’s Derzhprom (State Industry) building, one of the most striking examples of Soviet-era constructivism architecture and dubbed the Soviet Union’s first skyscraper. “Instead of cozying up to him, we must force him into peace through our collective decisiveness.”Reuters news agency video showed parts of the Derzhprom building reduced to rubble and virtually all of its windows shattered. A view of the destruction of the historic Derzhprom building (The State Industry Building) in Kharkiv, Ukraine on October 28, 2024. The Derzhprom building, placed on the “tentative” list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, was completed in 1928 when Kharkiv was the capital of Soviet Ukraine.

Persons: Reuters —, Volodymyr Zelensky, Kharkiv’s, Rih, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Zelensky, ”, George Ivanchenko, ” Oleh Syniehubov, Syniehubov Organizations: Reuters, Industry, ” Reuters, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Russian, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s, Ukrainian, Kryvyi, Soviet, Ukraine, Anadolu, ”, Soviet Ukraine, Chuhuiv

☆ Election win for Russia-friendly party in Georgia sets the stage for protests and possible violence
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Citizens and Georgian Dream Party supporters, carrying flags of Georgia and the Georgian Dream Party, attend the Georgian Dream Party's election rally. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesMass protests are expected in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Monday after the ruling, Russia-friendly party Georgian Dream claimed victory in a contentious parliamentary election this weekend. "We do not accept these stolen election results," stated Tina Bokuchava, the leader of Georgia's main opposition party, the United National Movement, at a press briefing late on Saturday. "It was a total fraud, a total taking away of your votes," Zourabichvili told reporters, flanked by Georgian opposition party leaders, in comments reported by Reuters. Supporters of the Georgian Dream party celebrate at the party's headquarters after the announcement of exit poll results in parliamentary elections, in Tbilisi, Georgia October 26, 2024.

Persons: that's, Salome Zurabishvili, Georgia's, Irakli Kobakhidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Tina Bokuchava, Vano Shlamov, Bokuchava, Bidzina, Zourabichvili, Timothy Ash, Ash, Ivanishvili, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Irakli Gedenidze, Antony Blinken, Blinken Organizations: Georgian Dream Party, Anadolu, Getty, Georgian, European Union, NATO, United National Movement, National Movement, Afp, Reuters, BlueBay Asset Management, Kremlin's, TASS, Google, OSCE Office, Democratic, Human, European Locations: Georgia, Georgian, Tbilisi, Russia, Soviet, Soviet Union, Russian, EU, Washington, Moscow, Europe, Tbilisi , Georgia, U.S

☆ NASA chief and Democratic lawmakers urge investigation into reports of Musk-Putin conversations
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin have shared secret calls since 2022. A former DoD analyst said that a relationship like this could pose national security concerns. Because of his work with the federal government via SpaceX, Musk holds a security clearance that gives him access to some classified information. "The security clearance adjudication process looks at several factors, and undue foreign influence is just one of those factors," Stransky, now a partner at Thompson Hine law firm, said. The existence of an ongoing Musk-Putin relationship would be further complicated by the billionaire tech leader's recent foray into US politics.

Persons: Elon Musk, Vladimir Putin, —, Bill Nelson, Musk, Putin, Nelson, Semafor, Adam Smith, aren't, Sen, Jeanne Shaheen, Smith, Shaheen, Dmitry Peskov, Steven Stransky, Thompson, Stansky, Robert English, Xi, Trump, he's, Tesla Organizations: Street Journal, Washington, Service, Democratic, SpaceX, Business, NASA, Department of Defense, House Armed Services Committee, Politico, Defense Department, New, New Hampshire Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, Senate Armed Services Committee, DoD, National Reconnaissance Office, astronautics, Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, National Security Council, Central, University of Southern, Trump Locations: New Hampshire, University of Southern California, Taiwan

☆ Putin's 'hybrid warfare' pressures neighbors at a crossroads to turn away from the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( David Hodari | David Hodari Is A London-Based Editor. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The American presidential election isn’t the only vote that the Kremlin has its eyes on — and, arguably, is seeking to get its hands in. Two of Russia’s neighbors find themselves at a crossroads, with Moscow hoping to steer them toward its orbit rather than greater engagement with Europe. The key votes in Georgia and Moldova this week are therefore being closely watched across the West. In Georgia, the very possibility of future free and fair elections may be on the ballot. For Moscow’s part, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told NBC News on Friday that “we are in no way attempting and hardly have an opportunity to influence the situation and electoral processes in these countries.”

Persons: doesn't, ” Salome Samadashvili, Dmitry Peskov, ” Organizations: NBC News, European Union, NBC Locations: Moscow, Europe, Georgia, Moldova, In Georgia, Russia

☆ Viral video of ripped-up Pennsylvania ballots is fake and Russian-made, intelligence agencies say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Zoë Richards | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Russian actors "manufactured and amplified" a recent viral video that falsely showed a person tearing up ballots in Pennsylvania, the FBI and two other federal agencies said Friday. In the video, a person is seen destroying what are purported to be filled-out ballots in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. “The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office will not tolerate any voter suppression, intimidation, or fraud,” the statement added. Darren Linvill, co-director at Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub, attributed the viral video to the Russian disinformation production team known to researchers as Storm-1516. The video’s quality and the use of actors who appear to have West African accents to pose as Black Americans were characteristic of the Russian campaign, Linvill said.

Persons: ”, “, Darren Linvill, Linvill’s, Linvill, ” Linvill, CISA, Donald Trump, Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Joe Biden's Organizations: FBI, National Intelligence, Infrastructure Security Agency, stoke, Attorney’s, Yardley Borough Police Department, Russian Embassy, Clemson University’s, Storm, NBC, United Nations Locations: Pennsylvania, U.S, Russia, Bucks County , Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Yardley, Russian, Washington, Iran, China

“If the North Koreans are actually sending troops to fight with the Russians, then clearly the level of Russian willingness to support North Korea, to help defend North Korea, is going to be equivalent,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday. “And that really, in many ways, supplants China as North Korea’s most important protector.”Ukraine says 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia, could join fight starting SundayThe U.S. and its ally South Korea say 3,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, with the total expected to reach 12,000. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday in a post on X that the first North Korean soldiers were expected to be deployed in combat zones as early as Sunday. The entry of North Korean troops into the Ukraine war could also lead to even further escalation of the conflict. “I think that the North Korea move is a big part of that, frankly,” Bremmer said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, ”, Ian Bremmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kim, Putin didn’t, We’ll, “, Kim Yong, Lloyd Austin, Bremmer, Xi Jinping, ” Bremmer, Lin Jian, Wang Yi, Xi, Putin Organizations: U.S, North, Getty, Eurasia Group, NBC News, Korean, Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s, Directorate of Intelligence, Ukrainian, Centre, Strategic Communication, Security, Putin, United Nations, South Korean Defense, U.S ., South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, South Korean National Intelligence Service, AFP, Foreign Ministry, Foreign, Kremlin Locations: HONG KONG — North, Ukraine, Washington, Korea, Russia, China, Pyongyang, Beijing, New York, Koreans, North Korea, North, ” Ukraine, South Korea, Vietnam, Russian, Kursk, Russia’s Far, Kazan, U.S, Korean, Washington . South, Moscow, North Korean, Japan

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