FBI probes foreign hand in Capitol riots

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched a probe to find out if any foreign actors, including governments and groups, funded the rioters who attacked the US Capitol building in Washington D.C. on January 6, according to a news report published on Sunday.

The NBC News report, which cited a former and current FBI official, said the agency "is examining payments of $500,000 in bitcoin, apparently by a French national, to key figures and groups in the alt-right before the riot".

The officials told NBC News that tose payments were documented and posted online last week by a company that analyses cryptocurrency transfers.

Last week, a joint warning issued by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other security agencies said that since the riot staged by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, "Russian, Iranian, and Chinese influence actors have seized the opportunity to amplify narratives in furtherance of their policy interest amid the presidential transition".

ARMED MAN HELD NEAR CAPITOL

The US Capitol Police (USCP) has arrested a man when he tried to cross a checkpoint near the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., armed with a loaded gun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to media reported.