Section: National Newswatch (Canada)
US officials: Russia behind spread of virus disinformation
WASHINGTON — Russian intelligence services are using a trio of English-language websites to spread disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic, seeking to exploit a crisis that America is struggling to contain ahead of the presidential election in November, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Two Russians who have held senior roles in Moscow’s...
The Right Should Not Buy Into Russian Misinformation
It is a common, but often a mistaken and a dangerous approach to treat the enemy of our enemy as our friend. When President Donald Trump in the US was accused of making deals with Russia and allegedly enabling Russian interference in the 2016 US election, the very topic of Russia, and how the foreign policy of the West should be directed towards...
In VP search, Biden has a known quantity in Susan Rice
WASHINGTON — As then-Vice-President Joe Biden left the West Wing each evening to head home, he often popped his head into national security adviser Susan Rice’s nearby suite of offices to check in — sometimes on pressing foreign policy matters, sometimes just to shoot the breeze. “My favourite unannounced visitor was Vice-President Joe...
UK looks to fresh laws on spies after critical intel report
LONDON — Britain is considering new legislation to crack down on the activity of hostile governments after a damning intelligence committee report on Russian meddling in the nation’s politics. The government is planning to introduce new legislation to give security services greater powers and is considering a new law requiring people...
WH threatens defence bill veto over Confederate base names
WASHINGTON — The White House is threatening to veto a massive defence policy bill over a provision that would rename military bases such as Fort Bragg that are named after Confederate officers. The veto threat came hours before the House voted Tuesday on the $741 billion annual defence authorization, a sprawling, bipartisan bill that includes a...
Report: UK officials ‘avoided’ looking into Russian meddling
LONDON — A long-awaited report published Tuesday on Russian influence in British politics criticized the British government for its slow response to Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum, with its authors saying it was “astonishing” that no one sought to protect that democratic process. The report’s authors accused the British...
Canadians now in Paris to view black boxes of Ukraine plane shot down by Iran
Canadian investigators are in Paris today to take part in the long-awaited downloading of data from the flight recorders of the Ukrainian passenger jet shot down by Iran in January. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board confirmed today that after Tehran’s nearly four-month delay, the so-called black boxes have arrived in Paris. The TSB...
Long-awaited analysis of downed Flight PS752’s black boxes expected to get underway in France
Experts in France under the supervision of Iranian investigators are expected to start the long-awaited download of Flight PS752’s black boxes on Monday, while countries including Canada observe from the sidelines in Paris. After denying responsibility for days, Iran said it mistakenly shot down the Ukraine International Airlines flight...
Russian prankster acts as UN chief, reaches Polish president
WARSAW, Poland — A Russian prankster posing as the U.N. secretary-general managed to reach Poland’s president on the telephone and rendered him speechless with questions about Ukraine, Russia and his reelection on Sunday. The prankster, Vladimir Kuznetsov, known as Vovan, posted a recording of the 11-minute call on YouTube. President...
Iran report blaming mistakes for military’s downing of PS752 dismissed
A representative of Canadian families and loved ones killed in Iran’s shootdown of a Ukrainian airliner in January says a new report blaming a misaligned missile battery and other mistakes by the Iranian military for the tragedy underscores the need for an independent investigation. The report released late Saturday by Iran’s Civil...
