United States&nbsp;officials on Friday (Oct 25) blamed ‘Russian actors’ for a viral video allegedly showing mail-in ballots for Republican presidential nominee&nbsp;Donald Trump being destroyed in&nbsp;Pennsylvania, a key battleground state.

The video shows a man deliberately destroying mail-in ballots for Trump from the state’s Bucks County.

However, the video was declared ‘fake’ on Thursday by the Bucks County board of elections. The board said the envelope and other materials seen in the video were not authentic and didn’t belong to them.

On Friday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint statement, saying the video was a part of the Russian disinformation agenda.

&nbsp;“Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania,” the statement said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjKnur5tKyJAxXNzDgGHYKWEmQQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-presidential-election-2024-can-you-vote-in-polls-without-a-permanent-address-770905" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/us-presidential-election-2024-can-you-vote-in-polls-without-a-permanent-address-770905&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjKnur5tKyJAxXNzDgGHYKWEmQQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE">US presidential election 2024: Can you vote in polls without a permanent address?</a>

“This Russian activity is part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans,” it added.

Researchers like Darren Linvill, co-director of Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub, also debunked the video and said it was linked to the Kremlin’s disinformation network known as “Storm-1516”.

<h2>Russia ‘undermining’ integrity of US elections</h2>

The joint statement accused Russia of trying to “undermine trust” in the integrity of the 5 November elections.

The US officials said, however, they were expecting Russia and other foreign actors to ramp up such efforts of interference.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjKnur5tKyJAxXNzDgGHYKWEmQQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-presidential-election-2024-key-issues-americans-will-be-voting-on-770932" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/us-presidential-election-2024-key-issues-americans-will-be-voting-on-770932&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjKnur5tKyJAxXNzDgGHYKWEmQQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">US Presidential Election 2024: Key issues Americans will be voting on</a>

American researchers claim that Storm-1516 has previously engaged in producing fake videos targeting the campaigns of Democratic presidential nominee&nbsp;Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.

US officials believe that apart from Russia, China and Iran are also trying to influence American elections and fan “divisive narratives.”

A statement by ODNI earlier said, “These actors probably perceive that undermining confidence in the elections weakens the legitimacy of our democracy and consequently makes the United States less capable of effectively pursuing policies that are counter to their interests.”

(With inputs from agencies)

United States officials on Friday (Oct 25) blamed ‘Russian actors’ for a viral video allegedly showing mail-in ballots for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state.

United States officials on Friday (Oct 25) blamed ‘Russian actors’ for a viral video allegedly showing mail-in ballots for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. The video shows a man deliberately destroying mail-in ballots for Trump from the state’s Bucks County. However, the video was declared ‘fake’ on Thursday by the Bucks County board of elections. The board said the envelope and other materials seen in the video were not authentic and didn’t belong to them. On Friday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a joint statement, saying the video was a part of the Russian disinformation agenda. “Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania,” the statement said. Also read: US presidential election 2024: Can you vote in polls without a permanent address? “This Russian activity is part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans,” it added. Researchers like Darren Linvill, co-director of Clemson University’s Media Forensics Hub, also debunked the video and said it was linked to the Kremlin’s disinformation network known as “Storm-1516”. Russia ‘undermining’ integrity of US elections The joint statement accused Russia of trying to “undermine trust” in the integrity of the 5 November elections. The US officials said, however, they were expecting Russia and other foreign actors to ramp up such efforts of interference. Also read: US Presidential Election 2024: Key issues Americans will be voting on American researchers claim that Storm-1516 has previously engaged in producing fake videos targeting the campaigns of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. US officials believe that apart from Russia, China and Iran are also trying to influence American elections and fan “divisive narratives.” A statement by ODNI earlier said, “These actors probably perceive that undermining confidence in the elections weakens the legitimacy of our democracy and consequently makes the United States less capable of effectively pursuing policies that are counter to their interests.” (With inputs from agencies)

US officials blame Russian actors for ‘fake’ video showing man destroying mail-in ballots

Russia has been spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic in the United States as election season nears, reports claim.

First reported by the New York Times, the report refers to declassified intelligence which claims that the Russian military intelligence, or the GRU, may have tied up with this resource centres like InfoRos to peddle misinformation regarding the pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/joe-biden-warns-of-russian-election-meddling-after-receiving-intelligence-briefings-314175" hreflang="en">Joe Biden warns of Russian election meddling after receiving intelligence briefings</a>

Virus made in the USA?

The narrative pushed out by such agencies includes speculations of the virus being created by the US military, and claiming that Russia’s medical prowess could help the US.

Similar efforts were allegedly made by Russia in 2016, employing social media accounts and “bots” of the Internet Research Agency to pitch false information.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/putin-says-russian-navy-to-get-hypersonic-nuclear-strike-weapons-316099" hreflang="en">Putin says Russian Navy to get hypersonic nuclear strike weapons</a>

Just last week, US intelligence rang alarm bells by claiming that Russia, China, and Iran intend to interfere with the upcoming elections. To this, Democrats said there were no specifics, but that more information would be shared soon.

The pandemic is not the only swaying factor for misinformation.&nbsp; Allegedly, Russia is conducting an influence campaign in Eastern Europe to discredit the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Mandiant Threat Intelligence found that such campaigns were “aligned with Russian security interests”.

Recently, social media giant Facebook began labelling stories that emerge from state news outlets like RT and Sputnik.

Scattered across the web

InfoRos is where most of these reports were published. The site is currently controlled by the Russian government. Another web portal - OneWorld.Press was found to be pushing propaganda, and had ties to the GRU, the Russian equivalent of the CIA.

Besides false information on the pandemic, a think tank has been amplifying Russian narratives in the US, and is also currently under investigation by the FBI.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/uk-says-there-is-no-evidence-of-russian-meddling-in-brexit-vote-315165" hreflang="en">UK says there is no evidence of Russian meddling in Brexit vote</a>

Called The Strategic Culture Foundation, it depends largely on the SVR, another Russian intelligence agency.

OneWorld.Press responded to NYT and claimed that this information was “categorically false” in a statement. It further claimed how people from the “deep state” were trying to make Trump lose in the upcoming elections.

Many officials told the publication that GRU’s psychological warfare anti - Unit 54777, may be behind the propaganda.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/russian-envoy-denies-moscow-helped-hackers-target-virus-vaccine-314353" hreflang="en">Russian envoy denies Moscow helped hackers target virus vaccine</a>

NYT found that between May to early June, 150 such articles with misleading information were published on websites like InfoRos, OneWorld, and Tass.

One of these claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic is an experiment to taint the world, while another claimed how the US was using the pandemic to impose its worldview. After Beijing claimed that COVID-19 was a biological weapon from the US, a publication ran this piece as well.

The EU DisinfoLab, a nonprofit organisation had earlier claimed that OneWorld and InfoRos have links to Russia.

Russia has been spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic in the United States as election season nears, reports claim. First reported by the New York Times, the report refers to declassified intelligence which claims that the Russian military intelligence, or the GRU, may have tied up with this resource centres like InfoRos to peddle misinformation regarding the pandemic.

Russia has been spreading misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic in the United States as election season nears, reports claim. First reported by the New York Times, the report refers to declassified intelligence which claims that the Russian military intelligence, or the GRU, may have tied up with this resource centres like InfoRos to peddle misinformation regarding the pandemic. Also read: Joe Biden warns of Russian election meddling after receiving intelligence briefings Virus made in the USA? The narrative pushed out by such agencies includes speculations of the virus being created by the US military, and claiming that Russia’s medical prowess could help the US. Similar efforts were allegedly made by Russia in 2016, employing social media accounts and “bots” of the Internet Research Agency to pitch false information. Also read: Putin says Russian Navy to get hypersonic nuclear strike weapons Just last week, US intelligence rang alarm bells by claiming that Russia, China, and Iran intend to interfere with the upcoming elections. To this, Democrats said there were no specifics, but that more information would be shared soon. The pandemic is not the only swaying factor for misinformation. Allegedly, Russia is conducting an influence campaign in Eastern Europe to discredit the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Mandiant Threat Intelligence found that such campaigns were “aligned with Russian security interests”. Recently, social media giant Facebook began labelling stories that emerge from state news outlets like RT and Sputnik. Scattered across the web InfoRos is where most of these reports were published. The site is currently controlled by the Russian government. Another web portal - OneWorld.Press was found to be pushing propaganda, and had ties to the GRU, the Russian equivalent of the CIA. Besides false information on the pandemic, a think tank has been amplifying Russian narratives in the US, and is also currently under investigation by the FBI. Also read: UK says there is no evidence of Russian meddling in Brexit vote Called The Strategic Culture Foundation, it depends largely on the SVR, another Russian intelligence agency. OneWorld.Press responded to NYT and claimed that this information was “categorically false” in a statement. It further claimed how people from the “deep state” were trying to make Trump lose in the upcoming elections. Many officials told the publication that GRU’s psychological warfare anti - Unit 54777, may be behind the propaganda. Also read: Russian envoy denies Moscow helped hackers target virus vaccine NYT found that between May to early June, 150 such articles with misleading information were published on websites like InfoRos, OneWorld, and Tass. One of these claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic is an experiment to taint the world, while another claimed how the US was using the pandemic to impose its worldview. After Beijing claimed that COVID-19 was a biological weapon from the US, a publication ran this piece as well. The EU DisinfoLab, a nonprofit organisation had earlier claimed that OneWorld and InfoRos have links to Russia.

Are Russian intelligence agencies running a disinformation campaign to influence US voters?

Roger Stone, a self-described “dirty trickster” and longtime adviser to Donald Trump, was found guilty on Friday of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Roger Stone: U.S. President's associate found guilty in wikileaks hacking case

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a member of his legal team, Emmet Flood, will leave his post later this month after helping him handle the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign.

"Emmet Flood, who came to the White House to help me with the Mueller Report, will be leaving service on June 14th. He has done an outstanding job – NO COLLUSION - NO OBSTRUCTION! Case Closed! Emmet is my friend, and I thank him for the GREAT JOB he has done," Trump said on Twitter.

Trump has been restructuring his legal team as he shifts from dealing with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe to battling Democratic-led investigations in the US Congress.

Flood, an experienced Washington lawyer, holds the job of special counsel to the president. Flood and Pat Cipollone, who holds the post of White House counsel, represent the presidency as an institution, not Trump as an individual.

Mueller concluded that Russia repeatedly interfered in the 2016 election and that Trump's campaign had multiple contacts with Russian officials, but he did not establish that there was a criminal conspiracy with Moscow to win the White House.

Mueller's report declined to make a judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice, although it outlined instances in which Trump tried to have Mueller fired or otherwise impede the investigation.

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a member of his legal team, Emmet Flood, will leave his post later this month after helping him handle the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign.

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that a member of his legal team, Emmet Flood, will leave his post later this month after helping him handle the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign. "Emmet Flood, who came to the White House to help me with the Mueller Report, will be leaving service on June 14th. He has done an outstanding job – NO COLLUSION - NO OBSTRUCTION! Case Closed! Emmet is my friend, and I thank him for the GREAT JOB he has done," Trump said on Twitter. Trump has been restructuring his legal team as he shifts from dealing with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe to battling Democratic-led investigations in the US Congress. Flood, an experienced Washington lawyer, holds the job of special counsel to the president. Flood and Pat Cipollone, who holds the post of White House counsel, represent the presidency as an institution, not Trump as an individual. Mueller concluded that Russia repeatedly interfered in the 2016 election and that Trump's campaign had multiple contacts with Russian officials, but he did not establish that there was a criminal conspiracy with Moscow to win the White House. Mueller's report declined to make a judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice, although it outlined instances in which Trump tried to have Mueller fired or otherwise impede the investigation.

Trump says lawyer Emmet Flood who helped him in Russian probe will leave in June

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election was never going to end with criminal charges against President Donald Trump but he did not clear him and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached.

In his first public comments since starting the investigation in May 2017, Mueller said <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/charging-trump-was-not-an-option-says-us-special-counsel-robert-mueller-222592">Justice Department</a> policy prevented him from bringing charges against a sitting president or filing sealed charges, telling reporters it was "not an option we would consider."

But he also said his two-year investigation did not clear Trump of improper behaviour and, while he did not use the word "impeachment," he pointed out there were other ways to hold presidents accountable.

"The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing," Mueller said as he announced his resignation from the Justice Department.

Congressional Democrats are debating whether to try to move ahead with impeachment in the Democratic-majority US House of Representatives, even though the Republican-controlled Senate would be unlikely to complete the process outlined in the US Constitution for removing a president from office by convicting him.

The White House and several top Republicans responded to Mueller's comments on Wednesday by saying it was time to move on to other matters, while several candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, called for impeachment.

One candidate, US Senator Kamala Harris, wrote on Twitter: "What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral."

Calls to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump have grown among some Democrats, who have been frustrated by White House efforts to thwart congressional subpoenas seeking records and testimony related to the Russia investigation and other matters related to Trump and his family.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been more cautious and is arguing that lawmakers should push ahead with their investigations before deciding whether to impeach Trump.

On Wednesday she said she was sticking with that plan.

"Nothing is off the table, but we do want to make such a compelling case, such an ironclad case, that even the Republican Senate, which at the time seems to be not an objective jury, will be convinced of the path that we have to take as a country,” she said at a San Francisco event.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he would hold Trump "accountable" but declined to say whether he would bring impeachment charges.

"With respect to impeachment, all options are on the table and nothing should be ruled out," he said at a news conference after Mueller's appearance.

A redacted version of Mueller's report was published in April. It concluded that Russia repeatedly interfered in the 2016 election and that Trump's election campaign had multiple contacts with Russian officials, but did not establish a criminal conspiracy with Moscow to win the White House.

Mueller's report declined to make a judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice, although it outlined 10 instances in which Trump tried to have Mueller fired or otherwise impede the investigation.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller said. "We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime."

Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor, said he thought Mueller was "saying in his own way that a crime was committed."

A source close to Trump said the Mueller statement amounted to a "bad day for the home team."

"Mueller’s statement today was a direct assault on the president," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "And it will only empower the Democrats to be bolder and more aggressive in their move to impeach him."

Trump declares 'case closed'

Trump, who has repeatedly denounced Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt" and "hoax" meant to hobble his presidency, still took to Twitter to say the matter was settled.

"Nothing changes from the Mueller Report," he wrote. "There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you."

Mueller, a Republican who headed the FBI from 2001 to 2013, said he would not elaborate beyond what was contained in his 448-page report, signalling to Democrats that he was unlikely to provide them more ammunition for impeachment if he were to testify to a congressional committee.

Mueller, 74, said his office is formally closing its doors and he is now returning to life as a private citizen.

"Beyond what I've said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further," he said, adding that he would not go beyond what was in his report in any future testimony to Congress.

He did not take questions after making his statement.

It was not clear whether Mueller would testify to Congress. He made clear he would prefer not to, although House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said he still expects to hear from the special counsel.

"While I understand his reluctance to answer hypotheticals or deviate from the carefully worded conclusions he drew on his charging decisions, there are, nevertheless, a great many questions he can answer that go beyond the report," Schiff said.

The House Judiciary Committee's top Republican, Representative Doug Collins, said relitigating Mueller's findings would only divide the country. "It is time to move on from the investigation and start focusing on real solutions for the American people," he said.

Only one Republican so far, Representative Justin Amash, has said Trump has committed impeachable offences. "The ball is in our court, Congress," he wrote on Twitter.

Mueller's investigation ensnared dozens of people, including several top Trump advisers and a series of Russian nationals and companies.

Among them are his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who is serving 7-1/2 years in prison for financial crimes and lobbying violations, and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who recently began a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations and lying to Congress.

Since the report's release, Democratic lawmakers have tried without success to get the unredacted version and underlying evidence.

Barr now is leading a review of the origins of the Russia investigation in what is the third known inquiry into the FBI's handling of the matter. Trump harbours suspicions that the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama started the investigation in 2016 to undermine his presidency.

In attacking Mueller's probe, Trump also has often attacked the integrity of the FBI and its investigators.

Mueller appeared to offer a response to that criticism on Wednesday.

The prosecutors, FBI agents, analysts and others who worked with him were "of the highest integrity," he said.

He also defended the need to conduct the probe in the first place, saying Russia's actions during the election campaign to interfere "needed to be investigated and understood."

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election was never going to end with criminal charges against President Donald Trump but he did not clear him and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached.

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election was never going to end with criminal charges against President Donald Trump but he did not clear him and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached. In his first public comments since starting the investigation in May 2017, Mueller said Justice Department policy prevented him from bringing charges against a sitting president or filing sealed charges, telling reporters it was "not an option we would consider." But he also said his two-year investigation did not clear Trump of improper behaviour and, while he did not use the word "impeachment," he pointed out there were other ways to hold presidents accountable. "The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing," Mueller said as he announced his resignation from the Justice Department. Congressional Democrats are debating whether to try to move ahead with impeachment in the Democratic-majority US House of Representatives, even though the Republican-controlled Senate would be unlikely to complete the process outlined in the US Constitution for removing a president from office by convicting him. The White House and several top Republicans responded to Mueller's comments on Wednesday by saying it was time to move on to other matters, while several candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, called for impeachment. One candidate, US Senator Kamala Harris, wrote on Twitter: "What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral." Calls to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump have grown among some Democrats, who have been frustrated by White House efforts to thwart congressional subpoenas seeking records and testimony related to the Russia investigation and other matters related to Trump and his family. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been more cautious and is arguing that lawmakers should push ahead with their investigations before deciding whether to impeach Trump. On Wednesday she said she was sticking with that plan. "Nothing is off the table, but we do want to make such a compelling case, such an ironclad case, that even the Republican Senate, which at the time seems to be not an objective jury, will be convinced of the path that we have to take as a country,” she said at a San Francisco event. Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he would hold Trump "accountable" but declined to say whether he would bring impeachment charges. "With respect to impeachment, all options are on the table and nothing should be ruled out," he said at a news conference after Mueller's appearance. A redacted version of Mueller's report was published in April. It concluded that Russia repeatedly interfered in the 2016 election and that Trump's election campaign had multiple contacts with Russian officials, but did not establish a criminal conspiracy with Moscow to win the White House. Mueller's report declined to make a judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice, although it outlined 10 instances in which Trump tried to have Mueller fired or otherwise impede the investigation. "If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller said. "We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime." Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor, said he thought Mueller was "saying in his own way that a crime was committed." A source close to Trump said the Mueller statement amounted to a "bad day for the home team." "Mueller’s statement today was a direct assault on the president," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "And it will only empower the Democrats to be bolder and more aggressive in their move to impeach him." Trump declares 'case closed' Trump, who has repeatedly denounced Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt" and "hoax" meant to hobble his presidency, still took to Twitter to say the matter was settled. "Nothing changes from the Mueller Report," he wrote. "There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you." Mueller, a Republican who headed the FBI from 2001 to 2013, said he would not elaborate beyond what was contained in his 448-page report, signalling to Democrats that he was unlikely to provide them more ammunition for impeachment if he were to testify to a congressional committee. Mueller, 74, said his office is formally closing its doors and he is now returning to life as a private citizen. "Beyond what I've said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further," he said, adding that he would not go beyond what was in his report in any future testimony to Congress. He did not take questions after making his statement. It was not clear whether Mueller would testify to Congress. He made clear he would prefer not to, although House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said he still expects to hear from the special counsel. "While I understand his reluctance to answer hypotheticals or deviate from the carefully worded conclusions he drew on his charging decisions, there are, nevertheless, a great many questions he can answer that go beyond the report," Schiff said. The House Judiciary Committee's top Republican, Representative Doug Collins, said relitigating Mueller's findings would only divide the country. "It is time to move on from the investigation and start focusing on real solutions for the American people," he said. Only one Republican so far, Representative Justin Amash, has said Trump has committed impeachable offences. "The ball is in our court, Congress," he wrote on Twitter. Mueller's investigation ensnared dozens of people, including several top Trump advisers and a series of Russian nationals and companies. Among them are his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who is serving 7-1/2 years in prison for financial crimes and lobbying violations, and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who recently began a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations and lying to Congress. Since the report's release, Democratic lawmakers have tried without success to get the unredacted version and underlying evidence. Barr now is leading a review of the origins of the Russia investigation in what is the third known inquiry into the FBI's handling of the matter. Trump harbours suspicions that the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama started the investigation in 2016 to undermine his presidency. In attacking Mueller's probe, Trump also has often attacked the integrity of the FBI and its investigators. Mueller appeared to offer a response to that criticism on Wednesday. The prosecutors, FBI agents, analysts and others who worked with him were "of the highest integrity," he said. He also defended the need to conduct the probe in the first place, saying Russia's actions during the election campaign to interfere "needed to be investigated and understood."

Mueller says he could not charge Trump as Congress weighs impeachment

French voters are being deluged with false stories on social media ahead of the country&#39;s presidential election, though the onslaught of &quot;junk news&quot; is not as severe as that during last year&#39;s US&nbsp;presidential campaign, according to a study by Oxford University researchers.

The study to be published Friday and another published on Wednesday add evidence to complaints by officials in France, Germany and the United States that Russia is trying to replicate its cyber-powered election meddling in American politics.

Just days before France votes in the first round of a presidential election, the study said misinformation at times has accounted for one-quarter of the political links shared on Twitter in France. It defined &quot;junk news&quot; as deliberately false stories and those expressing &quot;ideologically extreme, hyper-partisan or conspiratorial&quot; views with logical flaws and opinions passed along as facts.

&quot;French voters are sharing better quality information than what many US&nbsp;voters shared and almost as much quality news and information as German users share,&quot; according to the study by the Oxford Internet Institute, which will be published on Friday but was made available on Thursday to Reuters.

The French study uses data from a recent week on Twitter but a greater role is being played by Facebook, said Kevin Limonier of the University of Paris VIII, who is studying social media manipulation in the election with a grant from the French government.

Facebook recently suspended 30,000 suspected automated accounts in France. Although it characterised the cleanup as an objective move against spamming, many of the profiles were distributing politically driven misinformation and propaganda.

On Twitter, where automated accounts are allowed, many of the same accounts that promoted Republican Donald Trump in the US&nbsp;campaign last year have turned their attention to pushing conspiracy theories and far-right viewpoints, according to Limonier and Clinton Watts, a former FBI agent and now a senior fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security.

&nbsp;

RUSSIA SHIFTS FOCUS TO GERMANY

&quot;A contingent of the Trump campaign supporters we believe to be &#39;bots&#39; and accounts from Russia have shifted to Germany,&rdquo; Watts said. &quot;If I had to estimate, about one-third of previous Trump supporter accounts are now trying to influence the German election.&quot;

Another study published this week from the private research group Bakamo showed a similar percentage of fake news versus real news on social media in France as that found by the Oxford researchers. Much of the fake news came from sources that were &quot;exposed to Russian influence,&quot; the Bakamo study said.

The Oxford researchers say their study of social media traffic in the days before the US&nbsp;presidential election last November showed that Michigan voters shared an equal amount of genuine and fake news with each other.

By contrast, in the days leading up to the less divisive German presidential election in February, the Oxford study &quot;found Germans sharing four professionally produced news stories for every one piece of junk.&quot;

&quot;All in all, US&nbsp;voters were sharing very poor quality news and information about major public policy debates at a critical time before a national election,&quot; Philip Howard, director of the Oxford Institute said. &quot;Both German and French voters are sharing much smaller amounts of junk news.&quot;

Before he left office in January, President Barack Obama said sharp political divisions made the United States particularly vulnerable to foreign influence and information warfare. US&nbsp;intelligence agencies have concluded that the Russian government interfered in the election to help Trump win.

The Oxford Institute said that while the biggest proportion of postings in France concerned moderate candidate Emmanuel Macron, who has done well in polls, &quot;highly automated accounts&quot; have &quot;occasionally generated large amounts of traffic about&quot; conservative Francois Fillon.

(Reuters)

The study to be published Friday adds evidence that Russia is trying to replicate its cyber-powered election meddling in American politics

French voters are being deluged with false stories on social media ahead of the country's presidential election, though the onslaught of "junk news" is not as severe as that during last year's US presidential campaign, according to a study by Oxford University researchers. The study to be published Friday and another published on Wednesday add evidence to complaints by officials in France, Germany and the United States that Russia is trying to replicate its cyber-powered election meddling in American politics. Just days before France votes in the first round of a presidential election, the study said misinformation at times has accounted for one-quarter of the political links shared on Twitter in France. It defined "junk news" as deliberately false stories and those expressing "ideologically extreme, hyper-partisan or conspiratorial" views with logical flaws and opinions passed along as facts. "French voters are sharing better quality information than what many US voters shared and almost as much quality news and information as German users share," according to the study by the Oxford Internet Institute, which will be published on Friday but was made available on Thursday to Reuters. The French study uses data from a recent week on Twitter but a greater role is being played by Facebook, said Kevin Limonier of the University of Paris VIII, who is studying social media manipulation in the election with a grant from the French government. Facebook recently suspended 30,000 suspected automated accounts in France. Although it characterised the cleanup as an objective move against spamming, many of the profiles were distributing politically driven misinformation and propaganda. On Twitter, where automated accounts are allowed, many of the same accounts that promoted Republican Donald Trump in the US campaign last year have turned their attention to pushing conspiracy theories and far-right viewpoints, according to Limonier and Clinton Watts, a former FBI agent and now a senior fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security. RUSSIA SHIFTS FOCUS TO GERMANY "A contingent of the Trump campaign supporters we believe to be 'bots' and accounts from Russia have shifted to Germany,” Watts said. "If I had to estimate, about one-third of previous Trump supporter accounts are now trying to influence the German election." Another study published this week from the private research group Bakamo showed a similar percentage of fake news versus real news on social media in France as that found by the Oxford researchers. Much of the fake news came from sources that were "exposed to Russian influence," the Bakamo study said. The Oxford researchers say their study of social media traffic in the days before the US presidential election last November showed that Michigan voters shared an equal amount of genuine and fake news with each other. By contrast, in the days leading up to the less divisive German presidential election in February, the Oxford study "found Germans sharing four professionally produced news stories for every one piece of junk." "All in all, US voters were sharing very poor quality news and information about major public policy debates at a critical time before a national election," Philip Howard, director of the Oxford Institute said. "Both German and French voters are sharing much smaller amounts of junk news." Before he left office in January, President Barack Obama said sharp political divisions made the United States particularly vulnerable to foreign influence and information warfare. US intelligence agencies have concluded that the Russian government interfered in the election to help Trump win. The Oxford Institute said that while the biggest proportion of postings in France concerned moderate candidate Emmanuel Macron, who has done well in polls, "highly automated accounts" have "occasionally generated large amounts of traffic about" conservative Francois Fillon. (Reuters)

Automated accounts sharing fake news ahead of French election, experts say

Allegations of Russian interference in US politics cast a shadow over inaugural preparations on Sunday, with the CIA chief warning that President-elect Donald Trump must tamp down his shoot-from-the-hip style to protect national security.&nbsp;

John Brennan&#39;s warning to the incoming Republican president -&nbsp;just days before Friday&#39;s inauguration -&nbsp;came as senators launched a bipartisan probe into Moscow&#39;s alleged meddling in the 2016 election.

&quot;I don&#39;t think he has a full appreciation of Russian capabilities, Russia&#39;s intentions and actions,&quot; ?Brennan said of Trump on Fox News Sunday.&nbsp;

Trump has been effusive in his praise of Vladimir Putin and said in a news conference last week that if the Russian leader &quot;likes&quot; him it would be an &quot;asset&quot; to help repair the strained US-Russian relationship.

&quot;I think Mr. Trump has to be very disciplined in terms of what it is that he says publicly,&quot; Brennan said. &quot;He is going to be, in a few days&#39; time, the most powerful person in the world, in terms of sitting on top of the United States government and I think he has to recognise that his words do have impact.&quot;

&quot;This is more than being about him, it&#39;s about the United States and national security... he&#39;s going to have the opportunity to do something for national security as opposed to talking and tweeting,&quot; he said.

&quot;Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests, so therefore, when he speaks, when he reacts, he has to make sure he understands that the implications and impact on the United States could be profound.&quot;

&#39;A sophisticated effort&#39;

US intelligence agencies allege that Putin ordered a covert effort to interfere in the election to boost Trump, 70, and harm his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Incoming Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday dismissed notions that the Trump team and the Kremlin had made contact during the 2016 race.

&quot;This is all a distraction,&quot; he said on NBC&#39;s Meet the Press. &quot;It&#39;s all part of a narrative to delegitimize the election and to question the legitimacy of his presidency.&quot;

A report from the Director of National Intelligence released this month said hackers working for Russia penetrated Democratic Party computers and accounts to release files embarrassing to Clinton, and also conducted a campaign of media manipulation with the same aim.

Asked whether she believed Russian efforts impacted the election&#39;s outcome, Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California -- vice chair of the Senate committee launching the bipartisan probe into the matter -- told NBC &quot;that&#39;s what I believe.&quot;

&quot;I have had all of the major classified briefings. I have been astonished at what has been a two-year effort at Russia to spearfish, to hack, to provide disinformation, propaganda, wherever it really could,&quot; the senator said.

&quot;I think it has been a very sophisticated effort.&quot;

&#39;Salacious allegations&#39;

Speculation was also swirling around an unproven dossier compiled by a former British MI6 intelligence agent, which alleged close ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and also said Moscow had compromising video of Trump.

The fact that intelligence agencies had briefed the president-elect on the dossier -- which was later published online by BuzzFeed -- lent the allegations credence, but Brennan said the intelligence community was only &quot;making sure that the president-elect was aware that it was circulating.&quot;

&quot;I think there are some very salacious allegations in there -- again, unsubstantiated,&quot; he said, adding it was &quot;a responsibility in the minds of the intelligence directors&quot; to inform Trump as well as the Obama White House of the report.

Brennan bristled at Trump&#39;s likening of the US intelligence community to Nazi Germany, a comparison the president-elect made last week in a tweet after &nbsp;suggesting it was those agencies that had leaked the report.

&quot;What I do find outrageous is equating the intelligence community with Nazi Germany,&quot; the outgoing spy chief said of Trump&#39;s outburst. &quot;I do take great umbrage at that.&quot;

Speaking earlier Sunday on CBS, Pence blamed the scandal on &quot;media bias.&quot;

That some news organizations &quot;actually trafficked in a memo that was produced as opposition research and associated that with intelligence efforts -- I think that could only be attributed to media bias,&quot; the vice president-elect said.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Trump said last week that if the Russian leader 'likes' him it would be an 'asset' to help repair the strained US-Russian relationship

Allegations of Russian interference in US politics cast a shadow over inaugural preparations on Sunday, with the CIA chief warning that President-elect Donald Trump must tamp down his shoot-from-the-hip style to protect national security. John Brennan's warning to the incoming Republican president - just days before Friday's inauguration - came as senators launched a bipartisan probe into Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2016 election. "I don't think he has a full appreciation of Russian capabilities, Russia's intentions and actions," ?Brennan said of Trump on Fox News Sunday. Trump has been effusive in his praise of Vladimir Putin and said in a news conference last week that if the Russian leader "likes" him it would be an "asset" to help repair the strained US-Russian relationship. "I think Mr. Trump has to be very disciplined in terms of what it is that he says publicly," Brennan said. "He is going to be, in a few days' time, the most powerful person in the world, in terms of sitting on top of the United States government and I think he has to recognise that his words do have impact." "This is more than being about him, it's about the United States and national security... he's going to have the opportunity to do something for national security as opposed to talking and tweeting," he said. "Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests, so therefore, when he speaks, when he reacts, he has to make sure he understands that the implications and impact on the United States could be profound." 'A sophisticated effort' US intelligence agencies allege that Putin ordered a covert effort to interfere in the election to boost Trump, 70, and harm his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton. Incoming Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday dismissed notions that the Trump team and the Kremlin had made contact during the 2016 race. "This is all a distraction," he said on NBC's Meet the Press. "It's all part of a narrative to delegitimize the election and to question the legitimacy of his presidency." A report from the Director of National Intelligence released this month said hackers working for Russia penetrated Democratic Party computers and accounts to release files embarrassing to Clinton, and also conducted a campaign of media manipulation with the same aim. Asked whether she believed Russian efforts impacted the election's outcome, Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California -- vice chair of the Senate committee launching the bipartisan probe into the matter -- told NBC "that's what I believe." "I have had all of the major classified briefings. I have been astonished at what has been a two-year effort at Russia to spearfish, to hack, to provide disinformation, propaganda, wherever it really could," the senator said. "I think it has been a very sophisticated effort." 'Salacious allegations' Speculation was also swirling around an unproven dossier compiled by a former British MI6 intelligence agent, which alleged close ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and also said Moscow had compromising video of Trump. The fact that intelligence agencies had briefed the president-elect on the dossier -- which was later published online by BuzzFeed -- lent the allegations credence, but Brennan said the intelligence community was only "making sure that the president-elect was aware that it was circulating." "I think there are some very salacious allegations in there -- again, unsubstantiated," he said, adding it was "a responsibility in the minds of the intelligence directors" to inform Trump as well as the Obama White House of the report. Brennan bristled at Trump's likening of the US intelligence community to Nazi Germany, a comparison the president-elect made last week in a tweet after suggesting it was those agencies that had leaked the report. "What I do find outrageous is equating the intelligence community with Nazi Germany," the outgoing spy chief said of Trump's outburst. "I do take great umbrage at that." Speaking earlier Sunday on CBS, Pence blamed the scandal on "media bias." That some news organizations "actually trafficked in a memo that was produced as opposition research and associated that with intelligence efforts -- I think that could only be attributed to media bias," the vice president-elect said. (AFP)

US: CIA chief urges Trump to temper impulses amid Russia claims