List of All Articles with Tag 'pp'

Three senators who serve on the Committee on Armed Forces have reportedly sent a letter to the Department of Defence (DoD) expressing concern over allegations that Elon Musk controlled Ukrainian soldiers’ ability to access satellite communications via Starlink. Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth have asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide clarification over an incident from last year in a letter sent on Friday according to NBC News. The incident, laid out in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Mr Musk, claims that the billionaire tech entrepreneur stopped the Ukrainian armed forces from accessing satellite communications via Starlink near the Crimean Peninsula thus thwarting a potential assault on Russian ships. Mr Musk clarified on X that he did not discontinue Starlink connectivity but refused a request by Ukraine to provide it there out of fear of escalating war. The three senators said the “confusion over what actually happened” demands answers and expressed great concern about Mr Musk’s role in the incident. “The reports raise serious concerns about whether Mr Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key US partner at a critical juncture,” a portion of the reported letter said. Several officials, including the three senators, have shared similar worries that commercial satellite companies similar to Starlink could cause issues by intervening on significant decisions like this one. Senator Jack Reed who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Armed Forces, said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg, that the situation with Mr Musk raised concerns about national security. “Neither Elon Musk, nor any private citizen, can have the last word when it comes to US national security,” Mr Reed said. “We’ve got to look at the broader satellite markets and the role of government outsourcing, the outsized role Mr Musk and his company have taken on here, and the Pentagon’s actions and contractual arrangements,” Mr Reed added. At the time of the incident, Starlink had no contract with the Pentagon and therefore no directive from US officials. Mr Musk said had he received an order from President Joe Biden to extend services to Ukrainians in Crimea he would have done so. In June, the Pentagon and Starlink signed a contract in which the DoD agreed to buy its services for Ukraine. Now, the three senators are imploring leaders to consider the implications of Mr Musk’s actions and look to prevent situations like this from arising in the future. “We are deeply concerned with the ability and willingness of SpaceX to interrupt their service at Mr Musk’s whim and for the purpose of handcuffing a sovereign country’s self-defense, effectively defending Russian interests,” the letter said according to NBC News. The senators requested Mr Austin provide answers by the end of October. The Independent has reached out to the offices of Ms Duckworth, Ms Shaheen and Ms Warren for comment. Read More Putin praises Musk as ‘outstanding person’ days after report Tesla boss stopped Ukrainian attack Elon Musk's refusal to have Starlink support Ukraine attack in Crimea raises questions for Pentagon Elon Musk ignores reporter after claims he stopped Ukrainian attack on Russia

The move comes just weeks after the death of the group's founder Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Twitter turned over at least 32 direct messages from former President Donald Trump's account -- @realDonaldTrump -- to special counsel Jack Smith earlier this year as part of the federal election subversion investigation, according to newly unsealed court filings.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's political fate is now in the hands of the state Senate, which began private deliberations in Paxton's impeachment trial just before noon Central time Friday after House impeachment managers and the attorney general's defense attorneys delivered their closing arguments.

The European Union has decided not to renew a ban on Ukrainian food imports heading to nearby countries

The United Arab Emirates has contradicted claims by the Nigerian government that it is to lift a year-long visa ban on Nigerian travelers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit the White House on Thursday as he seeks to solidify US support for the war against...

You’ll have everything you need for the season with top-rated tailgating essentials like coolers, pop-up tents, and more.

Almost all of Spain's women's World Cup-winning squad said Friday that the recent changes by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) did not go far enough for them...

As the Biden administration heralds the forthcoming release of five U.S. citizens detained by Iran, it’s also confronting questions about the price being paid to bring them home

Democrats and Republicans are maneuvering to win over young voters before next year's presidential election

A teenager has died after being shot in the southern suburbs of Stockholm – one of a spate of shootings in the country across the last week. Police received were called after loud bangs were heard in Vastertorp at around 8pm local time on Thursday, with the injured boy – whose age was not given – taken to hospital before dying of his wounds overnight. The other shootings include four in the university city of Uppsala – two of them fatal – and two others in Stockholm, where a 13-year-old teenager lost his life. Stockholm police said they were still seeking a suspect. “I don't have a clear answer as to whether this is connected to other murders recently, but it is something we are investigating,” said spokesman Towe Hagg. Sweden has faced an increase in recent years which police and authorities blame on criminal gangs fighting over arms and drug trafficking, using guns and explosive devices.. Earlier this week, the national police chief, Anders Thornberg told a press conference, that this wave of violence had reached an "unprecedented" level. “There have recently been after on an unprecedented scale,” Mr Thornberg said. “Several boys aged between 13 and 15 have been killed, the mother of a criminal was executed at home, and a young man in Uppsala was shot dead on his way to work,” he added. “Citizens are afraid, insecurity is increasing. And this at a time when we have raised our terrorist alert level in the country,” Mr Thornberg said. A number of crimes by gangs had been foiled in recent days, the police chief added, saying that such preventative work was key. “Several people have been arrested and weapons confiscated in Uppsala alone, where the situation is very serious,” Ulf Johansson, a police officer in the region, about 40 miles (65km) north of Stockholm. Up until the end of August this year – so not including the recent spate of incidents – there were 247 shootings across Sweden, according to national statistics. Those led to 30 deaths. Seventy-six of those incidents occurred around the region of Stockholm. In 2022, 62 people were killed in 391 shootings across the country, with 128 of those incidents around the Stockholm region. When announcing those statistics in December, the justice minister, Gunnar Strommer, called it a modern-day record. "Deadly gun violence has increased and unfortunately has hit a new, bloody record this year," he said. Mr Strommer said at the time that those 62 deaths compared to four in Norway, four in Denmark and two in Finland. In 2021, 45 people were shot dead in Sweden. In 2012, the total was 17 Also last year, there were 90 explosions and 101 attempted explosive attacks were recorded, according to the data. So far this year, more than 100 explosions have already been recorded. Sweden has gone from having one of the lowest incidences of gang violence to one of the highest over the last 20 years, according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, with the current government vowing to crackdown on gang crime. Read More Nobel Foundation raises the amount for this year’s Nobel Prize awards to 11 million kronor Things to know about Sweden's monarchy as King Carl XVI celebrates 50 years on the throne Sweden's figurehead king celebrates 50 years on the throne On the brink of joining NATO, Sweden seeks to boost its defense spending by 28% Sweden brings more books and handwriting practice back to its tech-heavy schools Trial starts in Sweden of 2 oil executives accused of complicity in war crimes in Sudan