International

U.S. Intelligence reports Putin likely didn’t order Navalny’s killing

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin “probably” did not order the killing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to reports from U.S. media this Saturday.

However, U.S. officials have been unable to determine the exact cause of Navalny’s death in February, the reports stated.

According to The Wall Street Journal, a report circulated among various U.S. government agencies does not absolve Putin of responsibility, but does state that he did not directly order the killing of the opposition figure.

President Joe Biden has directly blamed Putin for Navalny’s death and his administration has imposed several sanctions on Russia in retaliation.

When asked during a press conference whether he believed the Russian opposition leader’s death was an “assassination,” Biden responded, “We don’t know exactly what happened, but there’s no doubt that Navalny’s death is a result of something done by Putin and his thugs.”

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According to Russian penitentiary services, Navalny, aged 47, died after feeling unwell following a walk in the prison where he was being held. Despite efforts by medical staff to revive him for over half an hour, he succumbed.

In December last year, Navalny was transferred from a prison in the Vladimir region, less than 200 kilometers from Moscow, to a facility in Karp, in the Arctic Circle near the Ural Mountains.

Navalny had previously survived a 2020 assassination attempt involving the chemical agent Novichok, and his health had been a growing concern after he went on a hunger strike between March and April 2021, during which he lost a significant amount of weight.

International

Zelenski urges global action after russian ballistic missile strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski called on the international community Thursday to “respond” to Russia’s ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, which he said has heightened the “escalation and brutality” of the conflict.

“The world must react. So far, there has been no strong response,” Zelenski lamented in a social media statement.

“We must act. We must pressure. We must push Russia towards real peace, which is only achievable through strength,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Thursday that Russia had launched a new type of hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in its “non-nuclear configuration.”

International

Elon Musk plans sweeping cuts to U.S. bureaucracy and spending

Elon Musk has pledged massive cuts to government programs, subsidies, and bureaucracy in his anticipated role as a “State Efficiency” leader, according to an article published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

The billionaire entrepreneur plans to target hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending, including funds for public broadcasting and Planned Parenthood. Musk called government bureaucracy an “existential threat” to American democracy.

Teaming up with fellow businessman and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk aims to streamline federal regulations and implement significant administrative and cost reductions.

“We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as external volunteers, not federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy stated in the article.

International

Putin warns of escalation, suggests strikes on western weapon suppliers

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the conflict in Ukraine is taking on the characteristics of a “global war,” warning that Russia might target Western nations supplying Ukraine with weapons used in attacks on Russian territory.

These remarks come after a day of heightened tensions, during which Russia launched a state-of-the-art medium-range missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead. However, this particular missile was loaded with conventional explosives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the missile strike, calling it the action of a “deranged neighbor” using Ukraine as a “military testing ground.”

Earlier, Ukraine accused Russia of attacking the central-eastern city of Dnipro with a missile exhibiting “all the characteristics” of an intercontinental missile, an unprecedented development in the ongoing conflict.