SWS News Center

CNN  —  A secret plan drawn up by Russia’s security service, the FSB, lays out detailed options to destabilize Moldova – including supporting pro-Russian groups, utilizing the Orthodox Church and threatening to cut off supplies of natural gas. The document appears to have been drawn up to thwart Moldova’s tilt to the West, which includes closer relations with NATO and an application to join the European Union. It repeatedly refers to the importance of preventing Moldova from joining NATO. It was obtained and first disclosed by a consortium of media, including VSquare and Frontstory, RISE Moldova, Expressen in Sweden, the Dossier Centre for Investigative Journalism and other outlets. CNN has seen the full document, which appears to have been written in 2021 by the FSB’s Directorate for Cross-Border Cooperation. Its title is “Strategic objectives of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova.” The document sets out a 10-year strategy…

Doctor explains 'alarming' new CDC report Deputy Dean of Public Health at Brown University Dr. Megan Ranney breaks down a new CDC report that shows that the nation's maternal death rate rose significantly in 2021, with the rates among Black women more than twice as high as those of White women. Source

Brisbane, Australia CNN  —  The US State Department has approved Australia’s request to buy up to 220 long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to arm its navy ships and the US nuclear-powered submarines it agreed to buy this week. According to a statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the deal will cost as much as 1.3 billion Australian dollars ($895 million), including maintenance and logistical support. “The proposed sale will improve Australia’s capability to interoperate with US maritime forces and other allied forces as well as its ability to contribute to missions of mutual interest,” the statement added. The acquisition is part of the AUKUS deal between the US, Australia and the United Kingdom, a three-way pact to share technology and resources to build a new fleet of nuclear-powered subs in the next two decades. Under the wider deal, the US will sell at least three Virginia-class submarines to Australia. Additionally,…

Single family homes are seen in a residential neighborhood in Miramar, Florida, on October 27, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images/FILE)The current turmoil in the financial market means it could get tougher to purchase a home, particularly if government regulators like the Federal Reserve crack down on banks in the wake of SVB’s collapse. The Fed has also been on a historic rate-hiking regime to keep inflation in check, and most economists expect that to continue."If banks are under stress, they might be reluctant to lend," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday in testimony to the Senate Finance Committee. "We could see credit become more expensive and less available.” “That could turn this into a source of significant downside economic risk," she added.The banking meltdown over the past week leaves more questions than answers. The stunning collapse of two American banks and the loss of investor confidence in Credit Suisse led to wild market swings and put…

Vessel with 2 bodies, 3 tons of cocaine intercepted in Pacific Ocean The Colombian Navy intercepted a semi-submersible ship containing two dead people and nearly 3 tons of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. Source

Go inside the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo Warner Bros. will soon open its Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo. The immersive experience will allow fans to experience the movies' iconic sets, props and effects. CNN's Marc Stewart goes behind the scenes. Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN. Source

CNN  —  At least 22 people, including three monks, were killed at a monastery in Myanmar’s Southern Shan State on Saturday as local insurgent groups and the military-backed junta accused each other of carrying out a massacre. Myanmar has been mired in political violence since military leader Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a 2021 coup that upturned any hope the Southeast Asian nation of 55 million people would become a functioning democracy. The coup was followed by a brutal military crackdown against pro-democracy protesters that saw civilians shot in the street, abducted in nighttime raids and allegedly tortured in detention. Since the coup, at least 2,900 people in Myanmar have been killed by junta troops and over 17,500 arrested, the majority of whom are still in detention, according to advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). The coup has also resulted in a surge in fighting between the…

Why sleeper trains are being revived across Europe - BBC News Source

London CNN  —  Human rights groups have condemned the conviction of a Polish activist for supplying a pregnant woman with abortion pillsin a landmark trial under the country’s ultra-strict abortion laws. A Warsaw court on Tuesday found activist Justyna Wydrzyńska guilty of assisting an abortion by supplying the drugs and sentenced her to 30 hours of community service a month for eight months, according to the judge. The case sets a precedent within the country that already has some of the most restrictive abortion legislation in Europe, which human rights watchers believe will further repress women’s reproductive rights. Wydrzyńska is a co-founder of the Polish activist group, Abortion Dream Team, which campaigns against abortion stigma in the country. In a post on its website, Abortion Dream Team said Wydrzyńska provided the pills to a woman named Ania, who was married to “an abusive man” who threatened to report a kidnapping…

CNN  —  Three elderly king penguins have been fitted with custom-made eye lenses during surgery to remove cataracts in what is believed to be a world first procedure to improve their sight, according to a Singapore zoo. In a statement Tuesday, vets with the Mandai Wildlife Group said the birds were among six elderly penguins to undergo cataract surgery two months ago and have since made a full recovery. They include three king penguins age 20 and older, and three Humboldt penguins, ages 7 to 13, which live in Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park. Cataracts, which causes cloudy areas in the eye that hinder sight, is a common age-related condition in both people and animals. “We noticed the cloudiness in their (eyes) and moving about like they were having difficulty seeing things in front of them,” said veterinarian Ellen Rasidi, explaining the decision to remove the cataracts. The king penguins received…