January 14, 2022

Daily News Brief

*) Russia considering sending troops to Latin America if tensions with West rise Russia has raised the stakes in its dispute with the West over Ukraine and NATO expansion after a top diplomat refused to rule out a military deployment to Latin America if tensions with the United States and its allies escalate. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said he could "neither confirm nor exclude" the possibility of Russia sending military assets to Cuba and Venezuela. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan dismissed the statements about a possible Russian deployment to Latin America as "bluster in the public commentary". *) US arrests far-right militia chief for role in Capitol invasion Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group, has been arrested and charged with seditious conspiracy in the attack on the US Capitol. 10 other people were also charged in connection with the attack on January 6, 2021, when members of the extremist group raided Washington to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. These are the first charges of seditious conspiracy that the US Department of Justice has brought in connection with the attack led by supporters of former president Donald Trump. ​​​*) UN calls for release of Afghanistan funds to avoid destitution The United Nations has urged the United States and the World Bank to unfreeze Afghan funds, locked since the Taliban's return to power. "We must ... rapidly inject liquidity into the economy and avoid a meltdown that would lead to poverty, hunger and destitution for millions," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. He called on Washington to take the lead in helping the country avoid a collapse "because the major part of the world financial system works in dollars". Washington seized nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank also suspended activities in the country. *) North Korean hackers stole $400m in cryptocurrency in 2021 North Korea launched at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms that extracted nearly $400 million worth of digital assets last year, blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis reported. "From 2020 to 2021, the number of North Korean-linked hacks jumped from four to seven, and the value extracted from these hacks grew by 40 percent," the report read. Pyongyang was accused of using stolen funds to support its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes to circumvent sanctions by a United Nations panel of experts. North Korea does not respond to media inquiries, but has previously released statements denying allegations of hacking. And finally … *) Queen Elizabeth strips Prince Andrew of military roles and HRH title Queen Elizabeth II's second son Prince Andrew, often called the Queen's "favourite son", has been effectively stripped of his position in royal life as he faces a US civil case for sexual assault. He will no longer use the "His Royal Highness" title, which designates senior members of the royal family, in any capacity. Andrew faces a US civil case for sexual assault brought by Virginia Giuffre who said he sexually assaulted her in 2001 when she was 17. She said she was delivered to Andrew by Jeffrey Epstein Andrew strenuously denies the allegation, claiming to have no memory of meeting Giuffre.