HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Taiwanese authorities are investigating reports that a Chinese state-backed journalist showed up at a Taiwanese news outlet to edit content and make sure guests stuck to scripts.
Shannon Vavra is a national security reporter for The Daily Beast covering the politics of war, national security, hacking, disinformation, and espionage. She previously worked at Axios and CyberScoop, where she covered the NSA, Cyber Command, and cyber-espionage. She received her bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in international relations with a specialty in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Send her tips at shannon.vavra@thedailybeast.com or tips@thedailybeast.com. You can also use our anonymous document submission system, SecureDrop. Click here to find out how.
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APOLOGIA
A relative of the accused gunman spills to The Daily Beast.
POT MEET KETTLE
The Russian intelligence apparatus appears to have been caught off guard by the deadly attack in Dagestan—and the call might be coming from inside the house.
VLAD’S BEST FRIEND
Putin regularly receives dogs as gifts from foreign leaders—and now Kim Jong Un is playing his part, too.
THE PRINCE
A descendant of a Grand Duke and a former vice-governor of a region in Siberia allegedly helped the son of a Putin ally break out of house arrest.
VIP
The Russian president’s trip to North Korea is reportedly imminent.
MIA
The pilot couldn’t land the plane due to poor visibility, the country’s president said, adding that’s when authorities lost contact with the aircraft.
BARREL OF LAUGHS
Putin told the longtime adviser he was making “offensive” comments about Russia’s economy—but he appeared to be joking. The veteran aide will certainly hope so.
BLOOD TIES
Putin typically is secretive about his children—but a splashy appearance by his daughters at a major Russian forum may signal big changes.
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OR ELSE
Journalists and activists are reporting intimidating phone calls, psychological pressure, stalking, and even physical assaults.