Kremlin supporters brag of Moscow-led ‘sabotage’ in Baltic Sea on Russian TV
A Kremlin supporter reportedly bragged on Sunday, Jan. 5, that Russia was responsible for the suspected plot to sever communication lines on Christmas day between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. Officials said the damage to the cables could take months to fix.
Leaders in the European Union weren’t exactly surprised by the acknowledgment. EU leaders said they believed this suspected “hybrid attack” was Moscow from the start.
What is new about the situation is that someone on Russian state television confirmed those suspicions.
Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Federov bragged that the cutting was intentional to hosts on the Russian station NTV and Russia gave authorities a “beautiful story” of a ship accidentally dropping its anchor while sailing.
When pressed on the relatively small impact the alleged operation had, Federov said that was not the point.
Federov said Russia wants to cause destruction and punish Ukraine’s European allies while regaining control of the Baltic Sea, which has been nicknamed “NATO Lake” because aside from Russia, every other nation with a Baltic Sea coastline is also a member of NATO.
Federov claimed a second time that Russia is behind the attacks in the Baltic Sea but it does run counter to Moscow’s claim that it had no concerns when Estlink-2 was severed.
The Kremlin itself is staying mostly mum on the incident.
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, Finnish authorities are holding the ship suspected of the underwater sabotage, the Eagle S, in Finland.
Helsinki officials say the vessel is part of a “shadow fleet” of Russian ships used to avoid Western sanctions and said officials are still inspecting the vessel.
The repairs to the Estlink-2 cable could reportedly take around seven months.
Meanwhile, EU leaders said they’re concerned that more hybrid attacks may be coming from Moscow and believe that previous attacks on undersea lines in the Baltic Sea last year were also the work of Russia.
Georgia’s violent protests continue for 5th day as president pleads for help
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili pleaded with Western powers on Monday, Dec. 2, to back what she called “a national movement” in support of the country becoming a member of the European Union (EU). The protests come after a tense parliamentary election.
Zourabichvili’s plea came shortly before protesters and police reignited clashes on Monday that have raged for five days straight since Georgia’s lawmakers decided to suspend talks to join the European Union last week, and questions over October’s parliamentary election results remain.
The EU has expressed concerns over giving Georgia membership status, citing the country’s recent adoption of pro-Russian authoritarian laws such as restrictions on “foreign agents.” The body also passed a resolution criticizing the results of the Georgian elections and called for new elections to be held.
Zourabichvili told Reuters that Western allies need to send a “very clear message” that they view the election results as illegitimate. The Georgian president accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of using Russian tactics to suppress freedom of speech, and of rigging the elections in October.
Zourabichvili’s time as president is set to end in January. However, she has vowed to stay in office until a “legitimate Parliament” can choose a new president.
Meanwhile, Russia denies interfering in Georgia, and Georgia’s ruling party contends that the results of the elections were legitimate.
However, thousands of Georgians apparently do not see it the same way as they once again assembled outside Parliament on Monday night with police firing water cannons and protesters throwing fireworks.
Dozens of people have reportedly been injured during the civil unrest and hundreds of protesters have been arrested.
The U.S. State Department has condemned what it says is excessive force on behalf of Georgian authorities against activists, and European diplomats have reportedly stepped down in protest over the allegedly violent crackdown by police and the Georgian government.
Chinese ship dragged anchor for over 100 miles cutting comm lines: Report
Officials have released new details in the probe into a Chinese ship detained by Danish authorities earlier this month. The ship is believed to be responsible for severing critical communication lines in the Baltic Sea.
Investigators told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Nov. 27, they suspect the crew of the Chinese-owned bulk carrier vessel filled with Russian fertilizer purposely let the ship’s anchor drag for more than 100 miles to cut the cable lines between European allies.
Now, the investigation is reportedly focusing on whether the ship, which left a Russian port, worked with Moscow intelligence to commit the alleged sabotage.
A senior European investigator told The Wall Street Journal that it’s “extremely unlikely” that the captain of the ship failed to notice his vessel had dropped and dragged its anchor. Investigators noted the ship lost “speed for hours” as a result.
The ship’s owner is reportedly cooperating with the investigation, but the company declined to comment on the ongoing probe.
Investigators revealed they found data that showed the vessel dropped its anchor in Swedish territory and kept dragging the anchor as it cut the first cable lines between Sweden and Lithuania.
Authorities say around 3 a.m. the following day, the ship cut a second communication line between Germany and Finland after more than 100 miles of travel.
Shortly after the incident, investigators note, the ship raised its anchor and continued until the Danish navy intercepted the vessel and detained it.
A review of the ship’s anchor reportedly revealed damage officials say is consistent with dragging.
The crew is captained by a Chinese national and it includes a Russian sailor. However, they’ve yet to be questioned as part of the investigation.
Western intelligence officials acknowledged they don’t think China is behind the incident but suspect Russian intelligence agencies may be behind the sabotage of the communication lines between NATO allies.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told The Wall Street Journal, “I would like to reiterate China’s consistent support working with all countries to maintain the security of international submarine cables and other infrastructure in accordance with international law.”
President-elect Trump building his team as meeting with Biden nears
President-elect Trump is already filling positions in his administration as he prepares for a White House meeting with President Biden. And the search continues for more than a dozen monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina research facility last week. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.
President-elect Trump building his team as meeting with Biden nears
President-elect Donald Trump continues to work to fill appointments in his administration as President Joe Biden looks to engage in a peaceful transfer of power. It was announced over the weekend Biden and Trump will meet at the White House later this week.
Trump has spoken to numerous world leaders since election night. A source told Reuters the president-elect recently had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Reuters has since reported the Kremlin denies. The source said Trump told Putin to not escalate the war with Ukraine.
It was not clear if that was the first time the president-elect golfed at his club since an assassination attempt on his life in September.
Russia, Ukraine launch record numbers of drones in overnight attacks
As President-elect Trump reportedly spoke with both Russia and Ukraine’s president, the war between the two countries rages on. A record number of drone strikes were launched over the weekend.
Ukraine launched its largest attack on Moscow since the start of the war, striking Russia’s capital late Saturday night, Nov. 9, into early Sunday, Nov. 10. Russia said a total of 34 drones were launched in Moscow’s direction, but all of them were shot down.
Kryvyi Rih. An ordinary five-story apartment building hit by Russian terrorists with a missile. The first to fifth floors of one of the stairwells were destroyed. So far, seven people have been reported injured, including two children. Emergency rescue operations are underway,… pic.twitter.com/usuWFCrehZ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 11, 2024
That attack came after Ukraine said Russia launched a total of 145 drones Saturday night, the most ever in a single night-time attack during the war. Ukraine said its defenses shot down more than 60 of the drones, while others left Ukrainian airspace.
Israeli strikes kill dozens in Lebanon and northern Gaza
Lebanon’s health ministry said the offensive there left at least 23 people dead, including seven children, in a village north of Beirut away from areas of the country where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has a major presence. Israel did not issue an evacuation warning before the strike.
Israel’s military said the strike hit a Hezbollah site used to store weapons and the strike is under review.
The strike in northern Gaza was on a home that was sheltering displaced people, according to a hospital official in the territory. At least 17 were killed. The Israeli military said it targeted a site where militants were operating.
The strikes came less than 24 hours hours after Qatar announced it suspended its role as mediator for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza because neither side is willing to come to an agreement.
1 dead, 16 injured in shooting at Tuskegee University in Alabama
They said Myrick was found leaving the scene of the shooting, which occurred during a homecoming week celebration at the school. Investigators said he was found with a handgun with a machine gun conversion device.
25 of 43 escaped monkeys in South Carolina recovered
More than half the monkeys that escaped a South Carolina research facility have been caught.
Last Wednesday, Nov. 6, 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis, a medical lab that uses the animals for clinical drug trials, in Yemassee. That’s about 60 miles west of Charleston.
43 monkeys that were being used for vaccine development escaped from a lab in Yemassee, South Carolina on Wednesday and are currently on the loose. This video, taken near the facility on Wednesday afternoon, appears to show shadowy figures moving through the woods. CBS News could… pic.twitter.com/ds1tOOpTZi
Officials said the remaining monkeys do not seem to have gone far. They say a “significant number” of them are still near the facility eating food left out for them and interacting with other monkeys still inside the facility. Trappers have not yet been able to corral them.
Biden, Harris to appear together for first time since election for Veterans Day ceremony
The White House said the two will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The president will then deliver remarks at the cemetery’s amphitheater.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will also be in attendance.
Last week, President Biden issued a proclamation for Veterans Day, saying in part, “Each one of our nation’s veterans is a link in a chain of honor that stretches back to our founding days — bound by a sacred oath to support and defend the United States of America. Throughout history, whenever and wherever the forces of darkness have sought to extinguish the flame of freedom, America’s veterans have been fighting to keep it burning bright.”
Russia spreading lies about US hurricanes to win war in Ukraine: Study
More lies and conspiracy theories are reportedly coming to Americans from the Kremlin. Russia has long been accused of sowing division and now it’s being discovered that those efforts appear to be ramping up ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.
A study released on Thursday, Oct. 24, shows Russia has been spreading misinformation about recent hurricanes in the United States and the federal government’s response. It’s reportedly part of an ongoing effort to meddle in the country’s political debates.
Researchers say that Russian state media, social media accounts and websites are all involved. They said the groups are trying to frame the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in a negative light. They believe the goal is to show American leaders as incompetent or corrupt.
The London-based organization behind the study said this is how Moscow disinformation groups infiltrate U.S. households, by taking advantage of polarizing issues to cast doubt on the American government and each other.
Melanie Smith, the director of the research group,said disinformation actors capitalize on natural disasters by “simply pouring gasoline on fires that already exist.”
The false claims nclude false assertions that the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency (FEMA) is diverting funds to aid migrants and conspiracy theories of government weather manipulation.
The conspiracy theories may have serious consequences as well. One man who was arrested for threatening FEMA workers in North Carolina said he was motivated by false social media claims that the agency was withholding supplies from Hurricane Helene victims.
Analysts believe that Russia’s war against Ukraine is the main motivator for spreading lies. They note that if Russia can convince enough Americans to oppose U.S. support of Kyiv, Moscow’s path to victory in Ukraine gets much easier.
UK accuses Russia of bombing humanitarian aid ships bound for Gaza
The United Kingdom accused Russia of indiscriminately bombing ships transporting food to Gaza as Russia steps up its attacks on Ukrainian ports. British intelligence asserts these strikes are preventing crucial aid from being delivered to Palestinians and others in need.
British defense officials report Russia hit at least four merchant vessels between Oct. 5 and Oct. 14. That includes a Panama-flagged vessel carrying sunflower oil as part of a United Nations shipment, according to U.K. intelligence. Officials also said that Russia hit ships carrying grain to Egypt and the U.N.’s World Food Program in South Africa.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the revelations show Russian President Vladimir Putin is “willing to gamble on global food security” as the Kremlin leader becomes more desperate to defeat Ukraine.
The accusations against Russia come as Starmer is under pressure from British Palestinian families who want a British presence at border crossings in Gaza to ensure quick inspections and that aid flows without restrictions.
The Biden administration is also reportedly frustrated by delays to U.S.-funded aid into Gaza, saying the flow of supplies dropped by more than 50% since last March. The U.S. threatened to withhold weapons shipments to Israel earlier this month unless 300 aid trucks were allowed to enter Gaza a day. Israel says aid shipments have since increased since the warning from the United States.
However, health officials in northern Gaza still warn that supplies are dwindling to treat patients as Israel renews an offensive in the region.
India’s Modi tells Putin to end war in Ukraine peacefully and ‘quickly’
As Russia hosts 22 international leaders who represent 45% of the world’s population for a global finance summit, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using the opportunity to call for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Oct. 22, he wanted the war to end peacefully and “quickly” as the two met at the annual BRICS Summit.
Additionally, Modi revealed that he was in “constant touch” with Putin over the war in Ukraine. New Delhi is towing a fine line with the warring factions, as it’s promised humanitarian support to Kyiv while failing to openly condemn Russia’s invasion.
Modi visited Moscow in July and Kyiv in August, attempting to spur peace talks between the countries. Complicating India’s position even more is the fact India and China are the two largest purchasers of Russian oil in the world.
When questioned by reporters at the summit, Putin maintained that Moscow would not give away the four regions of eastern Ukraine it currently holds. The Kremlin leader says those areas are now part of Russia and wants Moscow’s long-term security interests considered by Europe.
Meanwhile, Russian sources acknowledged there were increasing talks in Moscow of a possible cease-fire agreement. However, nothing is set in stone as they wait for the results of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5.
Putin claimed the West now realizes Russia will win the war in Ukraine but is open to discussion on draft cease-fire agreements reached in Turkey in 2022.
Kremlin reportedly confirms Trump sent COVID-19 testing devices to Putin
The Kremlin has reportedly confirmed details from a new book that states former President Trump sent Russian President Vladimir Putin COVID-19 testing devices for his personal use while in the White House in 2020, Bloomberg reports.
This revelation comes from excerpts of journalist Bob Woodward’s new book, “War.” Woodward claims to have insight into Trump’s private conversations with Putin, according to CNN, which received a copy of “War” ahead of the book’s public release.
Woodward writes that a Trump aide claimed there were at least seven phone calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left office. However, the Kremlin stated that this accusation is not true.
The Kremlin also claims that Russia sent COVID-19 equipment to the United States during the height of the pandemic.
Trump denies the book’s reporting.
“President Trump gave him [Woodward] absolutely no access for this trash book that either belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section of a discount bookstore or used as toilet tissue,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Bloomberg.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “The Howard Stern Show” Tuesday, Oct. 8, saying people were scrambling to get their hands on COVID-19 tests in 2020.
“And this guy who is president of the United States is sending them to Russia, to a murderous dictator, for his personal use?” Harris said.
She also claimed that Trump aspires to be a dictator.
Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly stated on the campaign trail that Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if he were in office, calling the Biden-Harris administration “weak.”
Ukraine says Russia poisoned two of its rivers in act of ‘ecological genocide’
Ukraine says that Russia isn’t just trying to kill its people with bombs and bullets but also through “ecological genocide,” according to a report published on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Kyiv claims that Russia intentionally poisoned the Seym River by dumping chemical waste from a sugar factory into the waterway in September. The waste reportedly included ammonia, magnesium and poisonous nitrates.
The Seym River flows into the Desna River, which connects with a reservoir in the Kyiv region that is used to supply water to millions of Ukrainians.
Ukraine’s Minister for Environmental Protection Svitlana Hrynchuk maintains the water is safe to drink in Kyiv, and that the agency is taking special steps to purify the water from nitrates and put nets across the Desna to catch contaminated fish.
Meanwhile, communities surrounding Kyiv report mass fish die-offs and have banned fishing and swimming in the river. Some regions have even been forced to use compressors to pump oxygen into the river to save any remaining fish and recent rains offers some hope. However, Serhiv Zhuk, the head of Chernihiv’s Ecology Inspectorate said that the outlook is bleak.
“There is a difference between a natural and man-made disaster,” Zhuk said. “Russia’s ecological genocide won’t stop until the war stops.”
Ukrainian officials say environmental destruction isn’t new for Russian forces, alleging that Russian troops have destroyed national parks, forests and killed animals. Explosions have also reportedly sparked wildfires, which have been made worse by hot weather.
“Ukraine is fighting for its future,” Hrnchuk said. “That future has to include nature. We need clean water, clean air, clean woods, everything. We have to a beautiful country. We have to save and protect it.”
Suspect in Trump apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
New details emerge on the suspect in the second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, including how long he went undetected near the former president’s golf club. And Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been arrested on federal charges. We have the latest on what’s ahead for the hip hop mogul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Suspect in apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
Authorities said the suspect in this past weekend’s apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump went undetected near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida for 12 hours before being noticed by a Secret Service agent. The suspect was caught pointing a rifle through the bushes.
The agent fired at the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who fled the scene only to be taken into custody a short time later. A local sheriff’s office released body camera video showing his arrest.
Routh was charged Monday, Sept. 16, with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He did not enter a plea during an appearance in a federal courtroom.
In a Monday afternoon press conference, Secret Service Acting Director Ron Rowe, Jr. said Routh did not fire any shots at the agent and never had Trump in his line of sight.
Rowe and the FBI agent in charge, Jeffrey Veltri, said so far, there is no evidence showing the suspect knew Trump would be golfing that day. Veltri went into detail about the suspect’s criminal past.
“In 2002, as the United States attorney mentioned, the subject was charged and convicted in North Carolina for possession of a weapon of mass destruction,” Veltri said. “Law enforcement checks also revealed that from 1997 to 2010, the subject had numerous felony charges for stolen goods. I can also share with you that he was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI where it was alleged he was a felon in possession of a firearm.”
Veltri said the FBI passed along that information to authorities in Hawaii, where Routh lived. Rowe told reporters Trump’s plans to play golf on Sunday were “off-the-record” – meaning it was not part of the former president’s official schedule.
As new questions emerge about the Secret Service’s effectiveness following the second assassination attempt in just over two months, Rowe defended his agents, saying they were “rising for this moment.”
“Yesterday afternoon, this country was reminded of the heightened and dynamic threat environment that the United States Secret Service and its protectees face on a daily basis,” Rowe said. “Immediately following the assassination attempt of former President Donald J. Trump on July 13th, the Secret Service moved to increase assets to an already enhanced security posture for the former president.”
Rowe said the “highest levels of protection” were in place for the former president – as directed by President Joe Biden – including “counter-sniper team elements.”
Speaking to reporters on his way to an event in Philadelphia Monday, Biden said the Secret Service “needs more help.” A White House official said President Biden spoke to Trump on the phone Monday, conveying his relief that the former president was safe.
During an appearance on the social media site X Monday night, Trump spoke about hearing the gunshots fired by the Secret Service. He said the agent did a “fantastic job” and joked that he “would have liked to have sank that last putt.”
Routh’s next court appearance is set for Sept. 23 for a pre-detention hearing. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 30. Routh remains in custody as authorities continue their investigation.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested on federal charges in New York
Hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested on federal charges on Monday night. Sources close to the matter tell media outlets Diddy was not expecting the arrest.
Homeland Security took him into custody at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 57th Street in Manhattan.
It’s not yet clear what federal charges he’s facing. The indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday, Sept. 17, at his arraignment.
Combs is facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits and has been the subject of a federal human trafficking probe in the last year, which is why Homeland Security is involved. His lawyers said he has been cooperating with investigators.
Former lead engineer felt pressure to get ‘Titan’ ready
Tuesday is day two of the Coast Guard’s hearing into the Titan submersible implosion that killed all five people on board.
Monday, we learned one of the last messages sent from the doomed vessel, indicated there were no concerns. It read “all good here.” That text message was shown during a recreation of the submersible’s trip to the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in June 2023.
It came not long before the watercraft imploded, leaving all five people on board dead, including Stockton Rush — the co-founder of OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan.
The lead engineer for the vessel testified at Monday’s hearing saying he felt pressured by Rush to get it ready for the trip.
Former OceanGate Engineering Director Tony Nissen testified he stopped the submersible from going to the Titanic in 2019, telling Rush it was “not working like we thought it would.” Nissen was fired that year.
OceanGate’s co-founder, former operations director, and former scientific director are also supposed to testify in the hearing, which is expected to last about two weeks.
Meta bans Russian state media over ‘foreign interference activity’
Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has banned Russian state media broadcaster RT, along with several other Kremlin-controlled outlets. Meta accuses them of using deceptive tactics to covertly influence operations online.
Before it was banned on Monday, RT had 7.2 followers on Facebook and one million on Instagram.
Meta’s move comes days after the Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a U.S. company to create and promote content aligning with Russian interests.
Amazon ending remote work starting next year
Almost five years after the COVID-19 pandemic swept and ravaged the nation, as well as the world, and led to many people working from their homes, Amazon is ending remote work. Starting next year, corporate employees will be required to be back in the office five days a week.
This is the latest update to Amazon’s rules regarding remote work. Last year, the company changed its policy to mandate employees come back to the office at least three days a week.
Amazon has supposedly been marred by an inability to get things done with lots of meetings and layers of approval. CEO Andy Jassy called out that culture in a note to workers saying there are “pre-meetings for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings, a longer line of managers feeling like they need to review a topic before it moves forward.”
Jordan Chiles files appeal after being stripped of bronze medal
Chiles’ first individual Olympic medal was rescinded after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that her coach filed an inquiry during the floor exercises, which propelled Chiles to third place. But it was a few seconds too late.
Chiles has now appealed her case to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee supports Chiles and said they are determined to see she gets the recognition she deserves.