Kremlin laughs off “fake news” about Putin

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🌐 Around the world:

• Kremlin laughs off “fake news” about Putin.

• Turkey’s ready to accept Sweden into NATO.

• China officially dumps its Defense Minister.

• Biden’s latest gaffe calling for Israeli ceasefire.

• US congresswoman sides with Hamas’ narrative.

Let’s get into today’s news.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov

🇷🇺 Kremlin Denies, Denies. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied two of the hottest rumors about Russian President Putin:

1. No, Putin didn’t suffer cardiac arrest on Sunday.

2. No, Putin is not using body doubles.

He even laughed at the thought of it, calling the rumors “fake news.”

To our many new readers today: Yesterday, we covered a claim by a Telegram channel called General SVR, which claims that Putin suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday in his apartment. The account is reportedly run by former and current members of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. To view yesterday’s newsletter, click here.

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🇹🇷 Turkey’s President Says Yes to Sweden’s NATO Bid. After blocking Sweden’s entry into NATO for several months, Turkey’s President Erdogan has finally sent Sweden’s NATO membership request to the parliament for approval.

If Turkey approves the bid, does that mean Sweden is all set to join NATO? Nope. Hungary still hasn’t ratified the application yet. However, it is expected to follow suit once Turkey finalizes the approval.

I wonder how Russia feels about this.

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👋 China Dumps Defense Minister After Mysterious Vanishing. China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu was officially fired on Tuesday after he went missing for two months. He was also stripped of his other senior positions in the military and the cabinet.

His vanishing follows a drama-filled disappearance and firing of former Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July. Our previous newsletter covered the whole “love child” conspiracy surrounding Qin Gang’s disappearance. If you are interested, click here.

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🤦‍♂️ Biden Bungles Ceasefire Call Amid Israel-Hamas War. US President Biden accidentally called for a ceasefire in Gaza, then corrected himself and said he meant hostage release. He was responding to a question about a possible deal between Israel and Hamas.

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US

US Congresswoman Triples Down
Siding with Hamas Claims

🚨 Tlaib Triples Down. Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is refusing to trust US and Israeli intelligence that overwhelmingly suggests that the fatal rocket that struck a Gaza hospital on October 17 was the Islamic Jihad’s own misfired rocket. Instead, she is upholding Hamas’ claims.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) evidence:

• Aerial footage comparing a normal IDF strike and the hospital explosion.

• Recording of Hamas terrorists discussing the explosion.

• Video of the misfired rocket.

• Comprehensive explanation.

Hamas evidence:

• Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry claimed Israel bombed the hospital.

🇮🇱 She Blames Israel for Everything. Soon after the hospital explosion was reported by news media, Tlaib was quick to accuse Israel on X of bombing a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds of civilians, based on Hamas’ claims.

Even after getting “Community Noted” on the platform, which challenged Hamas’ narrative Tlaib was echoing, she kept the X post online.

Here’s the post:

🗞️ Tlaib isn’t alone. In fact, many news media outlets initially echoed Hamas’ claims as well. The New York Times even issued an “Editor’s Note,” where it admitted that its original coverage of the incident…

Many other outlets also initially blamed Israel, only to walk back later:

😲 Tlaib Questions US Intelligence. But where Tlaib differs from The New York Times is her firm stance on casting doubt on US intelligence and seemingly siding with Hamas’ claims.

On Monday: Tlaib released a statement insisting on an “independent investigation” of the hospital bombing. She further states that she cannot trust the Israeli or the US governments since they have “long, documented histories of misleading the public about wars and war crimes.”

🌐 Opinion

Yesterday, I asked whether you believe the Iranian authorities, or human rights activists, or are unsure who to trust.

Here’s what you said:

🔴 ⚪️ ⚪️ ⚪️ ⚪️ 6%: Authorities
🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 74%: Activists
🟡 🟡 ⚪️ ⚪️ ⚪️ 20%: Unsure

Your explanations for your choices were relatively unified.

• Those who sided with the authorities generally agree that 4 seconds is too little time for the morality police to have spotted the girl and physically beat her into a state of coma.

• Supporters of the activists argue that:

  • The incident is a continuation of Iran’s shady past of dissent and crackdown on women’s rights.

  • Anyone who watches UFC knows that 4 seconds is more than enough to knock a person out.

  • It is sus that there are absolutely no cameras on board the Tehran train in question when most such trains are equipped with multiple cameras.

• People who are unsure who to trust point to:

  • Lack of evidence,

  • Prevalence of misinformation,

  • Their inability to come to a conclusion.

Also, there’s this:

I think this comment captures many people’s dilemma: opinions constantly sway as possibilities multiply and gaps in the story invite wild imaginations.

It is a never-ending cycle of doubt and conviction.

Thank you as always for voicing your valuable opinions.