2 months ago
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's federal prosecutor's office said Monday it had filed charges against a German-Ukrainian woman suspected of acting on behalf of Russian intelligence.
The woman, who was only identified as Ilona W. in line with German privacy rules, is accused of having been in contact with a full-time intelligence officer at the Russian Embassy in Berlin at least since Oct. 2023, the prosecutor's statement said.
The defendant ran a marketing agency in Berlin and was also the chairwoman of a lobbying group. As a result, she had an extensive network in military and political circles, prosecutors said.
Over the course of several years, the woman provided the intelligence officer at the Russian embassy with numerous tips about high-profile events and ensured that he could attend them — sometimes under a false name. This was intended to enable him to build his own network for intelligence purposes, the statement said.
To identify contacts and potential targets, she also attended such events herself. Furthermore, the defendant attempted to recruit individuals from the German Ministry of Defense and the defense industry for her own purposes, prosecutors alleged.
#defense #statement
The woman, who was only identified as Ilona W. in line with German privacy rules, is accused of having been in contact with a full-time intelligence officer at the Russian Embassy in Berlin at least since Oct. 2023, the prosecutor's statement said.
The defendant ran a marketing agency in Berlin and was also the chairwoman of a lobbying group. As a result, she had an extensive network in military and political circles, prosecutors said.
Over the course of several years, the woman provided the intelligence officer at the Russian embassy with numerous tips about high-profile events and ensured that he could attend them — sometimes under a false name. This was intended to enable him to build his own network for intelligence purposes, the statement said.
To identify contacts and potential targets, she also attended such events herself. Furthermore, the defendant attempted to recruit individuals from the German Ministry of Defense and the defense industry for her own purposes, prosecutors alleged.
#defense #statement
3 months ago
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell is refusing to concede in Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary, alleging irregularities in the vote totals.
The businessman, who is backed by President Trump, lost to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) by roughly 11 percentage points, according to Decision Desk HQ.
When asked by a reporter on his live network, LindellTV, about whether he would concede the race if The ****** ociated Press called it for his opponent, the GOP candidate responded, "Why would I listen to the AP?"
"There's 265,000 votes left to count. I'm down by 18,000 now," he continued. "I'm not going to give up this race until the votes are counted. That's nonsense."
Lindell, who stepped down as My Pillow CEO to focus on his campaign, has a history of casting doubt on election results and has been a leading supporter of Trump's unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen."
#lindell #down #mypillow
The businessman, who is backed by President Trump, lost to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R) by roughly 11 percentage points, according to Decision Desk HQ.
When asked by a reporter on his live network, LindellTV, about whether he would concede the race if The ****** ociated Press called it for his opponent, the GOP candidate responded, "Why would I listen to the AP?"
"There's 265,000 votes left to count. I'm down by 18,000 now," he continued. "I'm not going to give up this race until the votes are counted. That's nonsense."
Lindell, who stepped down as My Pillow CEO to focus on his campaign, has a history of casting doubt on election results and has been a leading supporter of Trump's unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen."
#lindell #down #mypillow
3 months ago
Ukrainian long-range drones hit a warehouse of Russia's biggest online retailer in the Ural Mountains, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the two countries' border, local officials and the company said Friday.
Ukraine has regularly hit targets in the distant Urals this year and has even struck a Russian oil refinery in western Siberia, nearly 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) from the border. The attacks are examples of how Kyiv has used drone innovation as a key part of its response to the invasion by its much bigger enemy more than four years ago.
Its successes have drawn international interest and drone cooperation agreements with nine countries, with further deals being negotiated with 15 other countries, according to Kyiv officials.
Wildberries said its warehouse in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, was set ablaze by the attack. Most merchandise wasn't damaged, the company said, unlike at some of the more than a dozen other Wildberries depots struck by Ukraine in recent weeks that have burned down.
The regional governor, Denis Pasler, said three drones hit the warehouse's roof. Artyom Zhoga, the Kremlin's representative in the region, said that 800 people were evacuated from the warehouse and ****** ody was hurt.
#drones #officials
Ukraine has regularly hit targets in the distant Urals this year and has even struck a Russian oil refinery in western Siberia, nearly 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) from the border. The attacks are examples of how Kyiv has used drone innovation as a key part of its response to the invasion by its much bigger enemy more than four years ago.
Its successes have drawn international interest and drone cooperation agreements with nine countries, with further deals being negotiated with 15 other countries, according to Kyiv officials.
Wildberries said its warehouse in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, was set ablaze by the attack. Most merchandise wasn't damaged, the company said, unlike at some of the more than a dozen other Wildberries depots struck by Ukraine in recent weeks that have burned down.
The regional governor, Denis Pasler, said three drones hit the warehouse's roof. Artyom Zhoga, the Kremlin's representative in the region, said that 800 people were evacuated from the warehouse and ****** ody was hurt.
#drones #officials
3 months ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Palestinian authorities asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to halt for now a $656 million judgment in a long-running lawsuit filed by Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel.
The emergency appeal comes after a lower court reinstated the damages in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that followed more than two decades of litigation.
The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said in court documents that paying the hefty judgment now would "destabilize critical government services Petitioners provide in the West Bank, injure innocent citizens, and jeopardize regional security."
They asked the justices to pause payment as they appeal the reinstatement of the verdict.
The lawsuit was filed by victims of attacks in Jerusalem in the early 2000s that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. Families brought their lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law aimed at opening U.S. courts to victims of international terror attacks.
#wounded
The emergency appeal comes after a lower court reinstated the damages in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that followed more than two decades of litigation.
The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said in court documents that paying the hefty judgment now would "destabilize critical government services Petitioners provide in the West Bank, injure innocent citizens, and jeopardize regional security."
They asked the justices to pause payment as they appeal the reinstatement of the verdict.
The lawsuit was filed by victims of attacks in Jerusalem in the early 2000s that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. Families brought their lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law aimed at opening U.S. courts to victims of international terror attacks.
#wounded
3 months ago
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) has a 9-point lead over his challenger, ex-Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, in the North Carolina Senate race, according to a new poll.
Fox News found that 53 percent of voters in the Tar Heel State prefer Cooper over Whatley as the race to replace incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) kicks into full gear.
Forty-four percent of respondents said they would cast their ballot for Whatley, per the poll.
All eyes are on the battleground state as Republicans look to maintain their majority in the Senate with strong support from President Trump.
The president waded into Whatley's campaign in North Carolina early on, endorsing the Republican nominee last July and inviting him to speak at a December rally in Rocky Mount, N.C.
#north #cooper #senate #poll
Fox News found that 53 percent of voters in the Tar Heel State prefer Cooper over Whatley as the race to replace incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) kicks into full gear.
Forty-four percent of respondents said they would cast their ballot for Whatley, per the poll.
All eyes are on the battleground state as Republicans look to maintain their majority in the Senate with strong support from President Trump.
The president waded into Whatley's campaign in North Carolina early on, endorsing the Republican nominee last July and inviting him to speak at a December rally in Rocky Mount, N.C.
#north #cooper #senate #poll
3 months ago
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said in a recent interview that the U.S. was not founded on "one race or one religion," pushing back on arguments made by conservatives such as Vice President Vance.
"We were founded, a lot of our colonies, for our religious pluralism, right? And the opportunity to practice your own faith in your own way," Gorsuch told PBS host Margaret Hoover in an episode of "Firing Line" published Friday.
"And we were never supposed to be a nation that was about one race or one religion, it was about those ideas," he added, referring to America's founding principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "And those things are perfect ideas that speak to every human heart and that unite us all."
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, touted his view in December that Christianity provided the prevailing ideals for the founding and continuation of the country.
"I'm not saying you have to be a Christian to be an American. I'm saying something simpler and truer: Christianity is America's creed, the shared moral language from the Revolution to the Civil War and beyond," the vice president said at Turning Point USA's annual "AmericaFest" event.
#religion
"We were founded, a lot of our colonies, for our religious pluralism, right? And the opportunity to practice your own faith in your own way," Gorsuch told PBS host Margaret Hoover in an episode of "Firing Line" published Friday.
"And we were never supposed to be a nation that was about one race or one religion, it was about those ideas," he added, referring to America's founding principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "And those things are perfect ideas that speak to every human heart and that unite us all."
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, touted his view in December that Christianity provided the prevailing ideals for the founding and continuation of the country.
"I'm not saying you have to be a Christian to be an American. I'm saying something simpler and truer: Christianity is America's creed, the shared moral language from the Revolution to the Civil War and beyond," the vice president said at Turning Point USA's annual "AmericaFest" event.
#religion
4 months ago
July 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump on the Fourth of July holiday and called for "American resolve" to help end the more than four-year-old war with Russia.
Zelenskiy said he had a "very good" conversation with Trump, discussing the situation on the front line.
"There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning," he said.
Zelenskiy said he and Trump had agreed to continue their discussion at next week's NATO summit in Turkey.
In his comments, Zelenskiy thanked the United States for its help throughout the conflict and "American hearts" who thought of Ukraine's future and valued freedom throughout the world.
Zelenskiy said he had a "very good" conversation with Trump, discussing the situation on the front line.
"There is a real prospect to end this war and American resolve will have a crucial meaning," he said.
Zelenskiy said he and Trump had agreed to continue their discussion at next week's NATO summit in Turkey.
In his comments, Zelenskiy thanked the United States for its help throughout the conflict and "American hearts" who thought of Ukraine's future and valued freedom throughout the world.
4 months ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump joined second lady Usha Vance on her podcast where guests read picture books to children, but Trump, who is notorious for veering off script, offered a running commentary on his predecessors, his physique, and how he's spending his time in the White House.
In Trump's appearance on Vance's "Storytime with the Second Lady," podcast, which was posted online Friday, the president read "Presidents Play!" a children's book from the White House Historical ****** ociation that features illustrations of the presidents enjoying sports and using the White House and its grounds for recreation.
Trump pre-taped the appearance in mid-June in the White House's Oval Office, where the abundant gold accents he added were supplemented for the occasion with a bald eagle stuffed animal, tables made up of stacks of oversized books and a globe made out of Legos.
When Vance asked Trump if he has much time to read for fun while serving as president, he replied that he ends up mostly reading newspapers.
"I usually read stories about myself," Trump said.
In Trump's appearance on Vance's "Storytime with the Second Lady," podcast, which was posted online Friday, the president read "Presidents Play!" a children's book from the White House Historical ****** ociation that features illustrations of the presidents enjoying sports and using the White House and its grounds for recreation.
Trump pre-taped the appearance in mid-June in the White House's Oval Office, where the abundant gold accents he added were supplemented for the occasion with a bald eagle stuffed animal, tables made up of stacks of oversized books and a globe made out of Legos.
When Vance asked Trump if he has much time to read for fun while serving as president, he replied that he ends up mostly reading newspapers.
"I usually read stories about myself," Trump said.
4 months ago
Former President Barack Obama blamed a splintered media landscape for the lack of a second Obama-like political figure emerging on the national stage during an interview on Tuesday.
NBC "Today" co-host Craig Melvin talked to the former president about the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on his "Glass Half Full" podcast and told him, "You've always represented a lot of different communities, but there has always been this singularity to your story. Earlier this week, one of your former aides was talking on one of these cable shows and said Democrats should stop looking for Obama 2.0. Not gonna happen."
"Do you think in the current climate that someone like you with your background and your story, do you think that you could break through now the same way you did back in '07, '08?" Melvin asked Obama.
"I do think it's harder because of the nature of your business, the media, it's more splintered," Obama said.
Obama Chooses Supporter Stephen Colbert For Debut Interview At Controversial Presidential Center
NBC "Today" co-host Craig Melvin talked to the former president about the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on his "Glass Half Full" podcast and told him, "You've always represented a lot of different communities, but there has always been this singularity to your story. Earlier this week, one of your former aides was talking on one of these cable shows and said Democrats should stop looking for Obama 2.0. Not gonna happen."
"Do you think in the current climate that someone like you with your background and your story, do you think that you could break through now the same way you did back in '07, '08?" Melvin asked Obama.
"I do think it's harder because of the nature of your business, the media, it's more splintered," Obama said.
Obama Chooses Supporter Stephen Colbert For Debut Interview At Controversial Presidential Center
5 months ago
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An explosion tore through Qatar's key natural gas export terminal Sunday night as workers tried to resume operations after Iran bombed it during the war, causing a fire that killed at least 13 people and hurt 66 others.
The blast at the Ras Laffan industrial area could cause further chaos in global energy markets, as Qatar remains one of the world's top natural gas producers. Qatar shut down its production after Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz meant it couldn't get shipments out to clients.
With Iran loosening its grip as negotiations continue over a permanent end to the war, Qatar began work to try to restart its export terminal. That sparked the explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, state-run QatarEnergy said.
"I would like to emphasize that this was an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature," Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi told a news conference Monday afternoon in Doha, Qatar's capital.
The minister gave the toll and said the dead came from India and Pakistan. The nationalities of the 66 injured included people from Qatar and a variety of African and Asian nations, al-Kaabi said.
The blast at the Ras Laffan industrial area could cause further chaos in global energy markets, as Qatar remains one of the world's top natural gas producers. Qatar shut down its production after Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz meant it couldn't get shipments out to clients.
With Iran loosening its grip as negotiations continue over a permanent end to the war, Qatar began work to try to restart its export terminal. That sparked the explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, state-run QatarEnergy said.
"I would like to emphasize that this was an accident and not sabotage or hostile in nature," Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi told a news conference Monday afternoon in Doha, Qatar's capital.
The minister gave the toll and said the dead came from India and Pakistan. The nationalities of the 66 injured included people from Qatar and a variety of African and Asian nations, al-Kaabi said.
5 months ago
Moscow has come under the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the full-scale war, with close to 200 drones hitting targets around the Russian capital and setting columns of thick smoke billowing high into the sky.
Seventeen people were wounded in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Almost 1,000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed across the country in 24 hours, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying. An oil depot was struck in the southern Rostov region, where one person was killed.
Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had once again hit the Moscow region with "long-range sanctions" - a euphemism for Ukrainian long-distance strikes on Russia.
"It's time to end this war, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy," he added.
Seventeen people were wounded in the Moscow region, according to local governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Almost 1,000 drones and four Ukrainian cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed across the country in 24 hours, Russia's defence ministry was quoted as saying. An oil depot was struck in the southern Rostov region, where one person was killed.
Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had once again hit the Moscow region with "long-range sanctions" - a euphemism for Ukrainian long-distance strikes on Russia.
"It's time to end this war, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy," he added.
