The Kremlin on Friday said that at least three Russians freed in a landmark prisoner exchange were undercover Russian agents, a rare public admission into the work of Moscow's top-secret security services. Moscow said Vadim Krasikov -- who was serving life in prison in Germany for the 2019 brazen murder of a former Chechen separatist commander in broad daylight in a Berlin park -- was an elite operative with Russia's FSB security agency. Krasikov was one of the central figures in Thursday's historic multi-country exchange, with Putin having publicly lobbied for his release in a bid to get the deal over the line in the face of hesitation from Berlin. The Kremlin almost never reveals details about its sprawling intelligence agencies, but it confirmed Friday that at least two others freed in the deal were also long-term undercover agents stationed in the European Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin has portrayed them as returning heroes, personally thanking them for their service to the "Motherland" and promising to shower them with state awards. For in-depth analysis on the largest US-Russia prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, FRANCE 24's Mark Owen is joined by Melinda Haring, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.

Putin's ominous message: 'We can kill people in broad daylight in EU, we'll take care of our people'

CBS News

Stunning new details emerged Friday on the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War, with the Kremlin acknowledging for the first time that some of the Russians held in the West belonged to its security services — and the children of a Russian couple posing as spies only learned their true nationality on the flight to Moscow.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a detained couple released in Slovenia —Artem and Anna Dultsev— were undercover intelligence officers commonly known as "illegals." Posing as Argentine expats, they used Ljubljana as their base since 2017 to relay Moscow's orders to other sleeper agents...

Spies' children found out they were Russian on flight to Moscow

Vladimir Putin called the attack a "provocation", but Kyiv's objectives are not immediately clear.

Why has Ukraine launched a raid into Russia?

Business Insider

It is not the first time that the Rostov-on-Don sub, which Ukraine says cost Russia $300 million, has been targeted in the conflict.

Ukraine says it sank a $300 million Russian submarine in what could be another big blow to Putin's Black Sea Fleet

Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday denounced NATO's summit promise to grant eventual membership to Ukraine and said Russia should work towards the "disappearance" of both Ukraine and the military alliance.

Former Russian president Medvedev says Moscow should seek 'disappearance' of Ukraine and NATO

Nancy Pelosi was asked if Donald Trump had messed up in selecting JD Vance. She responded by   calling it a "great choice" and laughing.

Nancy Pelosi burst out laughing after being asked if Trump screwed up by picking JD Vance

The New Republic

Nicknaming President Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe” doesn’t seem to be looking so good for Donald Trump now that he’s the old man in the race.A Morning Consult poll published Monday revealed that voters are suddenly viewing Trump as the decrepit candidate after Biden dropped his campaign. Americans are apparently far more likely to describe Vice President Kamala Harris as healthy, mentally fit, and a strong leader than the 78-year-old Republican presidential nominee.According to the poll, 71 percent of respondents agreed that Harris was “in good health,” while 52 percent said the same about Trump—6 percent fewer than believed the same...

Trump Just Got an Embarrassing Wake-Up Call From a Stunning New Poll

PureWow

Here’s all the royal news you need to know for the week leading up to August 2, 2024, from a royal baby gender reveal to a new update from Meghan Markle about her kids.

Royal News Roundup: a New Royal Baby, a Royal Gender Reveal & an Update on Archie & Lilibet from Meghan Markle

Wisconsin State

Detroit, MI

The Independent

 Vice President Kamala Harris pushed back against pro-Palestine protesters in Detroit, her first major hurdle amid an otherwise positive rollout of her presidential campaign. Harris was visiting Detroit as part of a tour with her newly-minted running mate Tim Walz. The two had held a large and raucous outdoor rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin earlier in the day.But Michigan, which has a large Arab-American population located in Dearborn outside of Detroit, has long been a hotbed of criticism for the Biden administration’s support for Israel in its war against Gaza.  Earlier this year, roughly 13 percent of the...

Kamala Harris slams protesters disrupting Detroit rally: ‘If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that’

uInterview.com

South Korean officials revealed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un regained weight and appears to be experiencing obesity-related health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes. South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on July 29 that Kim’s doctors are seeking new medicines abroad to treat him. The North Korean...

South Korean Officials Fear North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un May Die From Obesity-Related Health Problems

Winchester, VA

Law & Crime

A man who vowed to light VP Kamala Harris on fire and "personally pluck out her eyes" reacted with surprise when investigators showed up at his door, a complaint alleges.
The post ‘I will personally pluck out her eyes’: Man who threatened to light Kamala Harris on fire is baffled feds were at his door ‘over a comment,’ complaint alleges first appeared on Law & Crime.

'I will personally pluck out her eyes': Man who threatened to light Kamala Harris on fire is baffled feds were at his door 'over a comment,' complaint alleges

Mediaite

Former Bush campaign manager Karl Rove joined Fox News on Friday and predicted Vice President Kamala Harris will soon have a solid lead over Donald Trump in the polls. “So let’s talk about where the race is, because in some battleground states, the polls seem to have been narrowing. Let’s put it up here Arizona. Trump still leads, though one poll has got Harris up by two. Same thing in Nevada. Wisconsin, Trump holds a very narrowly missed Michigan. Trump is ahead, but Harris is up 11 in one new poll, which I think might be an outlier. Trump continues to lead in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. He’s still got the advantage, Karl, but she’s gaining momentum, there’s no question,” began anchor John Roberts.

Karl Rove on Fox News Predicts Kamala Harris’s ‘Momentum’ Will Soon Give Her a Solid Lead Over Trump

Fox News

Speaker Mike Johnson is demanding that President Biden hasten and expand plans to support Israel as it faces a potentially imminent threat of attack from Iran.

Mike Johnson demands Biden 'immediately release' any withheld aid to Israel as Middle East tension grows

"I actually started off supporting Donald, and then I got to know him better," Cuban told Vivek Ramaswamy in an interview.

Mark Cuban says he once supported Trump. Then he got to know him: 'He was unethical then, and he's still unethical.'

The US Sun

HUNDREDS of Americans are eligible for part of a massive $6.49 million settlement that could result in tens of thousands of dollars being deposited in their bank accounts. Individuals that were impacted in a 2022 data breach are eligible to claim part of the large settlement. The settlement stems from...

Americans to get one-time $10,000 payment as company coughs up $6.49m for data breach – and you don’t need documentation

FanBuzz

Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has spoken out after her eligibility for competing at the Paris Games has been brought into question, sparking international outrage. To point out, the International Boxing Association previously ruled that both Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting were not eligible to fight at the 2023 World Championships last year, and that they have XY chromosomes which is found in biological males.

'Failed Gender Test' Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif Breaks Silence On Eligibility Controversy

FLASHY swimmer Luana Alonso has hit out at her “North Korea” style punishment after Paraguay claimed to boot her out of the Olympics. Alonso failed to progress past the women’s 100m butterfly heats and allegedly decided to spend a day out in Paris complete with a trip to Disneyland, infuriating team bosses. The 20-year-old Paraguayan […]

Olympic star Luana Alonso rages at ‘North Korean’ punishment after claim she was booted out for ‘acting inappropriately’

A $10 million cash withdrawal in Cairo made just days before former President Donald Trump took office in January 2017 triggered a secretive Justice Department investigation that sought to uncover whether he received financial support from Egypt’s government. The investigation, revealed in an exclusive report by The Washington Post...

Mysterious $10 Million Cash Withdrawal Triggered DOJ Investigation into Whether Trump Took Egyptian Funds

Ohio State

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance says that the process to become Donald Trump's running mate was extremely "intrusive."

JD Vance says he was asked in front of his wife if he had 'any secret family' during vice presidential vetting

HuffPost

The six-time gold medalist isn't holding back this Olympics. Like, at all.

Simone Biles Turns 1 Of Donald Trump's Controversial Terms Into A Winning Tweet

NewsBreak

3,000 evacuated, state of emergency declared after Ukraine’s raid into Russia

A state of emergency has been declared in Kursk following a Ukrainian incursion into the Russian border region. Around 3,000 residents have been evacuated from the...

3,000 evacuated, state of emergency declared after Ukraine’s raid into Russia

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