News – Page 14 – Zoom News

US Blacklists Kaspersky for National Security Threats

28Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Technology, US

US Blacklists Kaspersky for National Security Threats

The security guard is the first Russian company to be blacklisted by the FCC, the American telecom watchdog. The telecom watchdog FCC has added Kaspersky Labs to its list of companies that "pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States." This means that American companies are no longer allowed to trade with the organization. The list mainly consisted of Chinese companies, including Huawei and ZTE. However, the war in Ukraine now seems to be changing that. As a result, Kaspersky is the first Russian company to make it onto the list. Kaspersky Labs has been linked to the Kremlin several times in recent years, and that pressure has intensified in recent weeks. Therefore, the German government, among others, advised not to use safety products from the compa...

Jeffrey Epstein’s Pedophile Island is for Sale

25Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News

Jeffrey Epstein’s Pedophile Island is for Sale

Two Caribbean islands that once belonged to the late sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein have been put up for sale for $125 million, according to a new report. Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's two islands are up for sale, the Wall Street Journal reported. Located in the US Virgin Islands, Great St. James and Little St. James is part of Epstein's extensive global real estate portfolio and are listed for $125 million. Proceeds from the sale will be used, among other things, to compensate Epstein's victims and to fund the management of his other properties. Epstein, 66, committed suicide in a New York federal prison in 2019 while awaiting trial over the sex trafficking charge. Little St. James, renamed "Pedophile Island" by the locals, was used as a base of operations by Epste...

US State of Idaho Approves Draconian Abortion Law

24Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, US

US State of Idaho Approves Draconian Abortion Law

The US state of Idaho has passed a law that puts health workers at risk of prosecution for performing voluntary abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. The law, signed by the governor on Wednesday, allows the families of women who have undergone a termination of pregnancy and the fathers of the fetus, even if it was a result of rape, to file a complaint against the hospitals or doctors who performed the surgery. The law is modelled on a similar piece of legislation that sparked outrage in Texas. Idaho Governor Brad Little claims to be a staunch advocate for the rights of unborn babies. However, he said he was concerned that the law would have unintended consequences, including being "unconstitutional". Authorizing private citizens to impose hefty fines "to avoid investigation by a ...

Chancellor Scholz Sees Russian Offensive Stall

23Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Germany, News, Russia

Chancellor Scholz Sees Russian Offensive Stall

The Russian offensive in Ukraine has stalled despite permanent attacks by the Russian armed forces, says German government leader Olaf Scholz. He asks the Kremlin to stop the hostilities immediately. Scholz reiterated in a speech to the Bundestag that Germany continues to help Ukraine but does not want NATO to get involved in the conflict. So there will be no no-fly zone or NATO 'peace troops' in Ukraine. Moscow has already warned that the deployment of 'peacekeeping forces' from NATO countries will immediately lead to a clash with Russia. Scholz wants to avoid the risk of NATO and Russia getting into a possible nuclear conflict. He said the sanctions against Russia are causing a lot of damage to that country and that "more sanctions are constantly being worked on". According t...

Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Now Also Found Guilty of Fraud

22Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Russia

Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny Now Also Found Guilty of Fraud

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was also found guilty of fraud in a new case on Tuesday. As a result, the prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin risks another 13 years in prison, but it could take several hours before the sentence is also known. According to the court, Navalny has pushed back millions of euros from donors. "Navalny has committed fraud, theft of other people's property by an organized gang," Judge Margarita Kotova said as the verdict was read. The court sat in the penal colony where Navalny has been imprisoned for well over a year now. Like human rights organizations, Navalny's defence argued that this is again a political process and that he committed no violations. Instead, he is said to have funnelled more than $40 million in donations t...

Ukraine: Evacuations in Eight Places, But Not Mariupol

21Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Ukraine

Ukraine: Evacuations in Eight Places, But Not Mariupol

Ukrainian citizens will be able to leave besieged cities in eight places on Monday. Agreements have been made about this, says Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk. It is not yet known where the evacuations will take place, but nothing has been agreed upon about a safe exodus of residents of the southeastern port city of Mariupol. Attempts to reach Mariupol with relief supplies are still unsuccessful, Vereshchuk said. Russia on Sunday called on Ukrainian troops to lay down their weapons in the city, but Ukraine does not intend to, the deputy prime minister said. The battle for Mariupol has been going on for weeks. Earlier it was possible to make agreements about escape routes for civilians. On Sunday, nearly 4,000 people were evacuated from the port city.

Baltic States and Bulgaria Expel Russian Diplomats

18Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Europe, News, Russia

Baltic States and Bulgaria Expel Russian Diplomats

The Baltic states and Bulgaria expel 20 Russian diplomats because of the war in Ukraine. In addition, Bulgaria has designated ten diplomats as persona non grata, while Lithuania expels four diplomats and Estonia and Latvia three each. Russian diplomats in Bulgaria have been given 72 hours to leave the country for activities contrary to their diplomatic status. Latvia reports exactly the same reason and says that it also considers the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Estonia says of the diplomats that they "directly and actively undermined Estonia's security and spread propaganda justifying Russia's military action". Lithuania has expressed its wish to show solidarity with Ukraine. The Baltic countries have coordinated their activities. Earlier this week, Slovakia already decided t...

Air-Raid Shelter Under Theater in Mariupol is Intact, People are Now Being Evacuated

17Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Russia, Ukraine

Air-Raid Shelter Under Theater in Mariupol is Intact, People are Now Being Evacuated

The air-raid shelter under the theatre in Mariupol bombed by Russia on Wednesday is said to be intact. This is apparent from unconfirmed messages on social media and is confirmed by Serhiy Taruta, the former governor of the Donetsk oblast. There are said to have been about 1,000 to 1,200 people in the building when it was bombed on Wednesday, and it is not clear if everyone was in the shelter at the time. The people from the shelter are currently being evacuated. Most of the people inside the building survived the attack, Ukrainian MP Dmytro Garin said. "The building is destroyed, but there are more than 1,000 women and children in the shelter, in the basement. We received confirmation a few minutes ago that the bomb shelter is intact, and that the people survived. We don't know ...

Taliban Close Afghan Diplomatic Missions in United States

16Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Afghanistan, News, US

Taliban Close Afghan Diplomatic Missions in United States

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan is closing its diplomatic missions in the United States seven months after it took power in Kabul. Diplomatic sources report this. Afghanistan's embassy in Washington and consulates in New York and Los Angeles will cease operations from Wednesday, an Afghan diplomat who asked to remain anonymous said. The reason would be a lack of resources, but the diplomat did not elaborate on that. The US-backed government appointed the diplomats previously employed in the United States in Kabul that were overthrown by the radical Islamist Taliban last year. They haven't been paid for months. The Afghan diplomat said efforts had been made to keep the activities going until the last minute. If diplomatic missions are closed, Afghan diplomats will have 30 days ...

Thirteen Years In Prison for Russian Opposition Leader Navalny

15Mar

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, Russia

Thirteen Years In Prison for Russian Opposition Leader Navalny

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to a new 13-year prison sentence, the Russian news agency TASS reported. The Kremlin critic is charged with fraud and contempt of court. Navalny is currently serving a 2.5-year sentence in a penal camp east of Moscow. He was sentenced a year ago for violating the terms of a previous conviction. He was found guilty of embezzlement in 2014. Navalny denied guilt and spoke of a political trial. Navalny could not meet the conditions because of his stay in Germany. So there he was in a hospital after poisoning that he blames the Kremlin. The opposition leader became seriously ill during a flight in Russia. He was first treated in Russia but was later flown to Berlin.