Kremlin sowing chaos with bomb threats and bribery to thwart Moldova’s vote to join EU, authorities say
Buying off voters, calling in bomb threats and paying protesters to antagonize police — these are the tactics authorities say the Kremlin has taken up to thwart an upcoming election in Moldova. The tiny former Soviet state has been caught up in a battle between pro-Russian and pro-European forces ahead of an Oct. 20 vote for a new president and on a referendum on whether to join the European Union (EU). EU membership would deepen Moldova’s ties to the West — and is a direct effort to keep Russia’s influence out. Russia is intent on keeping Eastern European nations that were once a part of the Soviet Union — like Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine — out of the EU. Historically, a vote to join the EU often precedes a vote to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Cold War-era alliance designed to combat Russia. The vote comes as some call for NATO and the EU to allow war-torn Ukraine membership — a move that is seen by others as a risky provocation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moldovan authorities have accused a complex web of Russian agents of vote-buying, money laundering and illegal financing to shape the results of both the presidential election and the EU membership referendum. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Moldova has swung between pro-Western and pro-Russian leadership at its helm. And earlier this year, the U.S. pledged some $136 million to Moldova, with its roughly 3 million-person population, to reduce its dependency on Russian energy and counter Russian disinformation. PUTIN MEETS WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT TO CELEBRATE ‘VERY CLOSE’ RELATIONSHIP National police chief Viorel Cernauteanu said more than 130,000 Moldovans — or 5% of the nation’s voters — had been bribed by a Russia-managed network to vote against the referendum and in favor of Russia-friendly candidates in what he called an “unprecedented, direct attack.” “We are faced with the widespread phenomenon of financing and corruption with the aim of disrupting the electoral process in Moldova,” Cernauteanu told reporters. The issue has drawn the attention of U.S. politicians: Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote a letter Thursday to the CEOs of Meta, Alphabet and Google to urge them to commit resources to address disinformation in Moldova. He said some $15 million had been transferred in September alone to accounts opened at Russia’s Promsvyazbank. Ilan Shor, a pro-Russian oligarch living in exile, recently posted on Telegram offering to pay people to vote “no” on the referendum. Shor, who was convicted last year in a scandal that involved a $1 billion theft from Moldovan banks, is believed to be tied to a broader network of Russian state actors intent on keeping the nation out of the EU. Meanwhile, incumbent President Maia Sandu has portrayed the Oct. 20 contest as a test of her pro-European politics. Sandu, who is seeking a second term, has long accused Moscow of trying to overthrow her government, a charge Moscow denies. Writing on his own Telegram channel, Shor said Moldova under Sandu “has been turned into a police state for good,” referring to the detention of five of his supporters by prosecutors this week on charges of illegal financing of political parties. Moldova, which has a Romanian-speaking majority and a Russian-speaking minority, has alternated between pro-Russian and pro-Western governments since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. “Moldova has embarked on a journey of reform, of change, that’s why we have aspirations of joining the EU,” Moldova’s deputy chief of mission in the U.S. Anton Lungu told Fox News Digital, adding that he supports the referendum. “So, we must bear in mind the Soviet legacy and interest towards keeping spheres of influence. The expectation is that this malign influence will continue until Election Day.” Russian proxies in the nation are reportedly being trained on how to antagonize police and provoke them to use agents like tear gas to stoke anxiety and violent clashes ahead of the election. BIDEN, NATO HEAD CLAIM A STRONGER OBAMA RESPONSE TO CRIMEA INVASION MAY HAVE PREVENTED UKRAINE WAR Shor and his network are known to pay protesters up to $100 a night to sleep in protest camps. Fake bomb threats and cyberattacks against schools and government buildings are meant to stoke “controlled chaos,” according to Rebekah Koffler, former senior official in the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and author of “Putin’s Playbook.” In September, Moldovan police said they arrested two people who were vandalizing government buildings. They then discovered the pair were among a group of 20 young people who had been flown to Moscow to train on how to provoke police during protests and other destabilization activities, and had received more than $5,000 each to vandalize government buildings. Koffler likens Russia’s influence to the U.S.’ Monroe Doctrine — an 1823 doctrine that warned European nations against interfering in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere. Now applied to adversaries like Russia and China, the doctrine was invoked symbolically in 1962 when the Soviet Union began to build missile-launching sites in Cuba. “Russia, for centuries, relied on a strategic buffer, or strategic security perimeter, of which the former Soviet states Ukraine, Moldova are part of,” she said. NORTH KOREA TROOPS NOW FIGHTING FOR RUSSIA IN UKRAINE, SEOUL SAYS “With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, that strategic security perimeter has reduced, specifically the distance between NATO and Moscow and St. Petersburg,” Koffler said, referring to Russia’s capital and second-most key city. St. Petersburg is only about 100 miles from the border of a NATO country — Finland. Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership just after the outbreak of war in Ukraine and were incorporated into the alliance in 2023. Some observers believe the expansion of NATO up to Russia’s borders and the increasing U.S. influence among Eastern European states threatened Putin and prompted him to invade Ukraine in 2022. Others believe he’s long had territorial ambitions to restore the Soviet Union and could not have been dissuaded from invading.
Haryana’s new BJP government to be sworn in on October 17 in Panchkula, PM Modi to attend
The BJP had indicated during the assembly election that Nayab Singh Saini, who replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister of Haryana in March, would be its choice for the top post if the party won.
Shinde vs Thackeray: Both Shiv Sena factions lock horns over organising Dussehra rally as poll fever grips
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Former Cricketer Ajay Jadeja named heir to Jamnagar royal throne
Shatrusalyasinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja stated that Ajay agreed to become his heir. Shatrusalyasinhji, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, is the cousin brother of Ajay’s father.
‘We believe in Donald Trump’: More than a dozen Medal of Honor recipients endorse former president
More than a dozen Congressional Medal of Honor recipients endorsed former President Trump in the 2024 presidential race. “We, 15 recipients of the Medal of Honor, having served this great nation in wars, support and endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States,” they wrote. The recipients include those who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. HUNDREDS OF NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICIALS, EX-CABINET MEMBERS, GOLD STAR FAMILIES ENDORSE TRUMP “We believe that American citizenship is a revered privilege. We believe that a patriotic nation is a strong nation. We believe that the sacrifices by the men and women in our armed forces preserves and protects American freedom,” they wrote. “We believe that the integrity of our institutions is fundamental to the trust placed in them. We believe in the commitment to the United States Constitution and our solemn oaths to protect it. We believe valor is great fortitude when faced with profound adversity,” they continued. “We believe in the devoted pledge of allegiance to the United States of America. We believe that American veterans should be celebrated and supported by our nation,” they wrote. “We believe that our nation must have borders secure from our enemies.” The recipients also said they believe in “protecting the right for all citizens to participate in free and fair elections.” TRUMP, HARRIS LOCKED IN DEAD HEAT IN 7 BATTLEGROUND STATES, POLL FINDS: ‘COULD NOT BE CLOSER’ In an apparent swipe at Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the recipients said they believe that “fabricating military service is beneath the dignity of a veteran and demeaning to those who have served honorably in the Armed Forces.” Walz had come under fire for his service in the Minnesota National Guard. He retired in 2005 after 24 years of service ahead of his battalion being deployed to Iraq. He’s been faced with accusations of “stolen valor,” with some saying he retired early and did not complete trainings. The recipients also said they believe that “the enemies of freedom must be defeated,” and that “the flag is a powerful symbol of freedom.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We believe the United States of America is the greatest nation the world has ever imagined. We believe in mutually pledging to every American our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor,” they wrote. “We believe in Donald Trump.” Meanwhile, the Harris-Walz campaign touted in September the endorsements from “a bipartisan group of more than 700 national security leaders and former military officials.” The Harris-Walz campaign declined to comment on the Trump endorsements when reached Friday by Fox News Digital.
Why Trump is headed into ‘the belly of the beast’: The strategy behind his blue state stops
With three-and-a-half weeks until Election Day, former President Trump is holding a rally in Southern California on Saturday. His campaign also announced this week that the Republican presidential nominee will hold a rally in New York City’s Madison Square Garden later this month. On Friday, Trump stopped in Colorado, and on Tuesday he’s scheduled to parachute into Illinois. It’s been 40 years since a Republican carried New York in a presidential election, 36 years since California and Illinois went red in a White House race, and two decades since the GOP captured Colorado. THE CLOSER: FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA HITS THE TRAIL FOR HARRIS IN THE CLOSING STRETCH With time an extremely precious commodity for the presidential campaigns in the final stretch of a White House showdown in a margin-of-error race with Vice President Kamala Harris, many are wondering why Trump is stopping in blue states, which his chances of carrying are extremely slim to nonexistent. “We just rented Madison Square Garden. We’re going to make a play. We’re going to make a play for New York. Hasn’t been done in a long time. It hasn’t been done in many decades,” Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania this week, hours after his campaign announced the New York City date. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING IN THE 2024 ELECTION “We’re making a play for New Jersey. We’re making a play for Virginia,” Trump continued, before adding that he’s also aiming to compete in Minnesota and New Mexico. Despite the former president’s bravado about expanding the electoral map, the latest Fox News Power Rankings in the 2024 presidential election rank New York, New Jersey, California and Colorado as solid Democrat, with Minnesota, New Mexico and Virginia as likely blue. Trump on Saturday will headline a rally in Coachella, a city in California’s Riverside County southeast of Palm Springs that’s best known nationally for a music festival that takes place nearby every April. “President Trump’s visit to Coachella will highlight Harris’ poor record and show that he has the right solutions for every state and every American,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. The stop in Coachella may also benefit Trump with Latino voters — who have been trending towards the GOP in recent years — not only in southeast California, but more importantly in neighboring Arizona and Nevada, two of the seven crucial battleground states that will likely determine if the former president or Harris wins the 2024 election. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS Trump’s rally in Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27 will be his third major campaign event in Democrat-dominated New York this year. Last month, he packed the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, just outside of New York City. And he attracted thousands at a rally in NYC’s borough of The Bronx in May. He also held a large rally in May along the shore in New Jersey. “Choosing high-impact settings makes it so the media can’t look away and refuse to cover the issues and the solutions President Trump is offering,” a senior Trump campaign adviser told Fox News when asked about the strategy of holding October events in blue states. “We live in a nationalized media environment and the national media’s attention on these large-scale, outside-the-norm settings increases the reach of his message across the country and penetrates in every battleground state.” Longtime Republican strategist Jesse Hunt, a veteran of multiple GOP presidential campaigns, noted that these stops in blue states are less about geography and more about the message. “Trump is creating a lot of unique and interesting contrast situations that can then be beamed into a mass audience in states that they care about,” Hunt said. “You have to create compelling narratives, compelling contrasts. I think that’s part of what Trump is doing.” Hunt argued that Trump is a pro “at creating these moments that penetrate our fractured media environment” and that “voters in Georgia, voters in North Carolina, are certainly going to consume news about Trump’s event in Madison Square Garden.” Pointing to veteran campaign strategists Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, who are steering Trump’s 2024 campaign, Hunt said they’re “a pretty smart team… and they’re not going to waste his time.” Seasoned Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett agreed that “we are at a point where everything is nationalized.” He argued that the Trump blue state events “will spin an entire news cycle. It will give his supporters talking points. And I think there’s admiration of going into the belly of the beast, to going into your opponent’s territory.” Bartlett added that “of course, there’s a downside.” “In the waning days, if this strategy proves ineffective, it could be similar to what Hillary Clinton did, which was mismanaged her time in the last few days of 2016, by not being in the critical swing states, not being in places where you have to drive turnout,” he warned. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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‘Before this government wakes up…’: LoP Rahul Gandhi’s scathing attack after Tamil Nadu train accident
An express train, at 75 kmph speed, hit stationary goods train on Friday in Tamil Nadu as it entered a loop line instead of getting into the main line, railway officials said, adding that a number of passengers were injured and a coach caught fire.
Good news for Delhi-NCR commuters, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway nears completion, set to open by…
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Trump calls for death penalty for migrants who kill US citizens, police
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for the death penalty for migrants who kill United States citizens or members of law enforcement, as part of an incendiary rally in Aurora, Colorado. In his Friday night speech, Trump, a former president, repeated false and misleading claims about immigrants in the US, leaning into nativist sentiment as he campaigns for a second term. “Now America is known all throughout the world as occupied America,” he told the rally, citing a supposed “invasion” of migrants. Trump also laid out a stark vision for his first days in office, if re-elected, with policy proposals hinged on mass deportation. “To everyone here in Colorado and all across our nation, I make this pledge and vow to you: November 5, 2024, will be liberation day in America,” he said, with a reference to election day. Trump has repeatedly sought to demonise migrants in the run-up to the vote, pointing to an increase in southern border crossings under the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat. But critics have drawn parallels between Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and the language used historically by white supremacist movements. A town in the national spotlight Trump’s campaign stop in Aurora was poised to drum up fears of immigration: He has long used the city as an example of the alleged lawlessness of migrants. The city has been besieged by misinformation in recent months, as rumours swirled that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua had wrested control over parts of the city. Those claims were false. Media reports indicated they arose after a property management company — faced with accusations of decrepit conditions in its apartment buildings — blamed a gang presence for the lack of repairs. But Trump and his allies have nevertheless continued to repeat the false rumours, despite pushback from local officials. Ahead of Friday’s rally, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, a Republican, said in a statement on Facebook, “Concerns about Venezuelan gang activity have been grossly exaggerated.” Only a handful of incidents related to the Tren de Aragua gang have been reported in the city of 400,000, he added. “Former President Trump’s visit to Aurora is an opportunity to show him and the nation that Aurora is a considerably safe city — not a city overrun by Venezuelan gangs,” Coffman said. Furthermore, several studies have shown that undocumented migrants are far less likely to be arrested for felony and violent crimes than US-born citizens. Aurora Police Department statistics have also shown that major crimes in the city have dropped since last year. Preview of a second term Regardless, Trump repeated his false accusations on Friday, promising to “rescue” Aurora and other cities from an “invasion” of migrants. “We will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States,” Trump said. “We will close the border. We will stop the invasion of illegals into our country. We will defend our territory. We will not be conquered.” The Republican candidate also invoked racist and xenophobic stereotypes, including that migrants were likely to carry illness. “They’re very sick, very sick. They’re coming into our country. They’re very, very sick with highly contagious disease, and they’re let into our country to infect our country,” Trump said. His speech included references to what he would do in his first days back in the White House if he wins November’s election. “I’m announcing today that, upon taking office, we will have an Operation Aurora at the federal level to expedite the removals of these savage gangs,” Trump said. Part of the plan, he explained, was to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, an antiquated law that allows the federal government to round up and deport foreigners belonging to a country with which America is at war. Trump then added he would seek harsh penalties for migrants involved in crimes. “I’m hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer,” he said, to cheers from the crowd. Race enters final phase The Aurora rally comes as Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, enter the final stretch of the election season, with just 23 days until the vote. Trump has long promoted anti-immigrant sentiment, even before his first successful run for office in 2016. In the early and mid-2010s, he spread conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama’s citizenship and whether the Democratic leader was secretly Muslim. When he announced his bid for the presidency in 2016, Trump campaigned in part on depictions of Mexican immigrants as “rapists”. That rhetoric continued throughout his term in office, which ended in 2021. Experts have warned that dehumanising language about migrants and foreigners can increase the likelihood of violence. But polls consistently show immigration as one of the top election issues in the US, making it fertile ground for politicians. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, have focused intensely on the issue as the November election approaches. They have sought to paint Harris as a “border czar” — a false designation — who left the US with “open borders” vulnerable to mass immigration. While southern border crossings did spike under Biden — reaching 250,000 crossings in the month of December 2023 — they have since returned to numbers similar to those seen during Trump’s term. Speaking to Latino voters during a Univision town hall on Thursday, Harris defended the Biden administration’s policy on immigration. She pointed to a recent bipartisan bill that would have toughened restrictions on the border. The bill was reportedly scuttled by Republicans loyal to Trump, reportedly at the former president’s behest. Still, critics say Harris has lurched further to the right on immigration issues. During a visit to Arizona last month, she promised to impose tougher restrictions on asylum than Biden, who has already taken action to limit asylum claims. Trump and Vance, meanwhile, have zeroed in on communities in cities like Aurora and Springfield, Ohio, to advance apocalyptic claims about immigration. Last month, for instance, the