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☆ Germany arrests three suspected of spying for China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Three German nationals have been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technologies that could be used for military purposes, German prosecutors said on Monday. The suspects were identified as Herwig F. and Ina F, a married couple who run a company in Dusseldorf, and Thomas R., whom prosecutors described as an agent for an employee of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). The Chinese contract partner was the MSS employee from whom Thomas R. received his orders, it added. The suspects also purchased a special laser from Germany on behalf of and with payment from the MSS and exported it to China without authorisation, according to the prosecutors. The Chinese embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Herwig, Ina F, Thomas R, Olaf Scholz Organizations: China's Ministry of State Security, Russia Locations: Dusseldorf, Germany, China, Beijing, Europe, Berlin

☆ China sees foreign threats ‘everywhere’ as powerful spy agency takes center stage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

But among the crowds you and I together are protecting national security,” the narrator concludes. Chinese soldiers look at a poster promoting national security in the southwestern city of Beihai on National Security Education Day on April 15, 2024. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesAccording to the MSS, foreign spies are omnipresent and infiltrating everything – from mapping apps to weather stations. But China’s spy agency has gradually stepped out of the shadows as Xi makes national security a key priority. “Shenyin Special Investigation Squad” is a comic series based on real-life counterespionage operations, according to China's spy agency.

Persons: –, “, ”, Xi, Xuezhi Guo, Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Mao Zedong, Greitens, Chen Yixin, Chen, “ Chen, ” Greitens, Xi –, denigrate, Bain, Alex Plavevski, Guo, influencers, China’s, can’t, James Zimmerman, Perkins Coie, Zimmerman, ” Zimmerman Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Security Education, “, Ministry of State Security, National Security, Publishing, CIA, National, Education, Capitol, Guilford College, Asia, University of Texas, Getty, Communist Party, FBI, National Security Propaganda, CCTV, Ministry of State, China’s National Security Commission, Group, China Development Forum, Perkins Coie LLP, ”, MSS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beihai, British, American, Beijing, Austin, AFP, Zhejiang province, Shanghai, New York, overreaching

☆ Biden administration to accuse Chinese hackers of targeting US companies in espionage campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration is preparing to publicly accuse several Chinese hackers of conducting sweeping hacks against US companies on behalf of China’s civilian intelligence service, three people familiar with the matter told CNN. An announcement identifying the hackers with names and photos is expected as soon as Monday, the sources said. The hackers have been using a Chinese technology company as a front to cover their hacking activity, one of the sources said. The British government is also preparing to accuse the hacking group of targeting UK organizations, the sources said. The cybersecurity industry knows the hacking group as APT31 or Judgement Panda, and researchers have found the hackers targeting everything from US law firms to European industrial organizations to international apparel companies.

Persons: Biden, Christopher Wray, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Wray Organizations: CNN, of State Security, Embassy, The, Microsoft Locations: Washington ,, China, Beijing, Wuhan, Tibet, Hong Kong

☆ Haiti’s prime minister is resigning. Will that bring calm to the gang-ravaged country?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Caitlin Stephen Hu | Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In Henry’s place, a transitional council will be established and endowed with some powers of the presidency – including the ability to name a new interim prime minister. It is unclear how long it could take to establish a transitional council to begin the transfer of power, though Haiti’s former PM Claude Joseph told CNN that it could be created within 24 hours. The big question is whether these changes can bring calm to Haiti, and put a stop to the terrible violence tearing apart Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. Talks with regional leaders continued, leading into the emergency CARICOM meeting on Monday. The United States will contribute $300 million to the Kenyan-led multinational security mission, Blinken said after attending the CARICOM meeting on Monday.

Persons: CNN —, Ariel Henry, Henry, Claude Joseph, Jimmy “, Henry’s, Cherizier, Odelyn Joseph, Romaine LeCoeur, Fanmi, Petit, Jimmy Cherizier, Viv Ansanm, “ ’ Viv Ansanm ’, ” Cherizier, Guy Philippe, Philippe, ”, “ we’re, State Anthony Blinken, William Ruto, “, ” Blinken, Mia Mottley, Will Ariel Henry, Blinken Organizations: CNN, CNN — Haiti’s, Caribbean, US State Department, AP, United Nations, Initiative, Transnational, CARICOM, Montana Group, Petit Dessalinnes, United Nations Security, Kenyan, senior State Department, State, State Department Locations: Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Kenya, Port, Prince, Swiss, EDE, CARICOM, “, Barbados, United States

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan lawmakers said Wednesday that parliamentary approval is required before the deployment of police to the Kenya-led peacekeeping mission in Haiti to combat gang violence that was approved by the U.N. Security Council this week. Opposition lawmaker Anthony Oluoch told a session of Parliament's lower house that the conditions for foreign deployment hadn't been met under the National Police Act. The Kenya-led mission would be the first time in almost 20 years that a force would be deployed to Haiti. The upcoming mission would be led by Kenya, with Jamaica, the Bahamas and Antigua and Barbuda also pledging personnel. The non-U.N. mission would be reviewed after nine months and be funded by voluntary contributions, with the U.S. pledging up to $200 million.

Persons: Anthony Oluoch, hadn't, ”, Junet Mohamed, William Ruto, “, Joe Biden, Ruto, Nelson Koech, ” Koech, Kimani Ichung’wah, Alfred Mutua, Mutua Organizations: —, . Security, National Police, Kenyan, Security, Multinational Security, Kenyan Constitution, Associated Press, U.S, Kenyan Foreign Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Haiti, East Africa, Shabab, Jamaica, Bahamas, Antigua, Barbuda

CNN —The United Nations Security Council has greenlit the deployment of an armed multinational force to Haiti, as the Caribbean nation wrestles with rampant gang violence and political paralysis. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the United States have also strongly urged the international community to back such a mission. Though approved by the powerful UN Security Council, the force would not formally be under UN control. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22, Prime Minister Henry told fellow nations that it was “urgent” that the Security Council approve a military mission to reestablish order. The Security Council has found itself in repeated deadlock in recent years amid deepening geopolitical rivalries.

Persons: Ariel Henry, General Antonio Guterres, Henry, Jean, Junior Joseph, –, Antony Blinken, Washington, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Zhang Jun, Vassily Nebenzia, Jovenel Moise, Maria Isabel Salvador, ” Organizations: CNN, United Nations Security Council, Haitian, United Nations, UN Security Council, UN, Haitian National Police, United Nations General Assembly, Security Locations: Haiti, Caribbean, United States, Russia, China, Kenya, Antigua, Barbuda, Bahamas, Jamaica, Port, New York, UN

☆ A Chinese spy used fake LinkedIn profiles to target officials to hand over secrets, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Chinese spy created several fake LinkedIn profiles to target UK officials, The Times of London reports. Another Chinese agent previously confessed to using LinkedIn to find people likely to possess sensitive information. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese spy has been using LinkedIn to try to get UK officials to hand over state secrets, The Times of London reported. The UK's security minister Tom Tugendhat said in a statement shared with Insider that the Home Office is aware of Chinese Intelligence using LinkedIn and other social media sites to target British citizens. In a statement shared with Insider, a LinkedIn spokesperson said: "Creating a fake account is a clear violation of our terms of service.

Persons: Beijing –, Robin Zhang, Eric Chen Yixi, Robin Cao, Lincoln Lam, John Lee, Eric Kim, Tom Tugendhat, It's, Lazarus – Organizations: The, LinkedIn, Chinese Ministry of State, The Times, Times, Intelligence, National Security, Washington Post, Reuters, Prevention & Defense Locations: London, Beijing, China, North Korea

☆ As China's intelligence capabilities grow, spying becomes an increasing flashpoint in ties with US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

They underscore how intelligence gathering – an activity meant to go on without detection, out of the public eye – is becoming an increasingly prominent flashpoint in the US-China relationship. That pushes intelligence gathering itself to become “another factor that is complicating US-China relations,” he said. That’s especially the case, experts say, as China continues to expand its own intelligence gathering capabilities – catching up in an area where the US has traditionally had an edge. Other arms of the Communist Party apparatus also play a role in activities beyond conventional intelligence gathering, experts say. Heightened concern and awareness about Chinese intelligence gathering – or the potential for it – has exploded in the US in recent years.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Bill Burns, ”, Lyle Morris, Christopher Johnson, “, there’s, they’ve, Johnson, Xi Jinping, That’s, Xuezhi Guo, Guo, Xi, Hector Retamal, –, TikTok –, Edward Snowden, ’, Shou Zi Chew, Jabin, John Delury, John T, Downey, Delury Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, US, White House, CIA, CNN, Asia Society, Center for, Central Intelligence Agency, China, Group, U.S . Navy, AP, Guilford College, People’s Liberation Army, Ministry of State Security, Communist Party, Federal Bureau of Intelligence, The New York Times, Huawei, TikTok, Tiktok, US Justice Department, China Initiative, Center for Strategic, International Studies, National Security Agency, US Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, China ”, Energy, Commerce, Capitol, Washington Post, Subversion Locations: Hong Kong, United States, China, Beijing, American, Cuba, US, Center for China, South, Russia, AFP, Washington, USA, South China, Washington , DC

☆ Donald Trump rape accuser E. Jean Carroll can share his infamous Access Hollywood tape to support her defamation claim, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Carroll sued Trump when he loudly denied her claim that he raped her in the mid-1990s. Thus, in order to prevail on her libel claim, Ms. Carroll must prove that Mr. Trump sexually assaulted her," Kaplan wrote in his ruling. "Mr. Trump's alleged sexual assaults on Mss. Indeed that surely is why Mr. Trump seeks to exclude it." Representatives for Trump and Carroll did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Judge Kaplan's ruling Friday.

☆ How China planted an FBI mole who was discovered only after gutting the CIA's vast spy network
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

At the time, four years after the handover from Britain to China, much of Hong Kong remained a world of neon and noise. "Five years ago, everyone looked down on you if you spoke Mandarin," said a Beijing executive living in Hong Kong. As soon as the Hong Kong Arts Festival ended, the Hong Kong International Film Festival began. In February 2006, Alex Ma, China's mole in the FBI, sent David photos he received from his handlers of five suspected human sources. Born in Hong Kong like Alex, Lee grew up in Hawaii and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

When I first started investigating China’s top spy agency in 2020 for my book, “Spies and Lies: How China’s Greatest Covert Operations Fooled the World,” I thought espionage was its main game. In October, the Justice Department charged 13 people with plotting to covertly advance China’s interests in the United States. Several of those charged are allegedly officers of China’s Ministry of State Security. I soon realized that the Ministry of State Security’s covert influence operations have been at the forefront of its work to shape the world. Many countries, including the United States, are working to combat espionage but lack laws suited to tackling covert influence operations.

A Chinese intelligence officer convicted of conspiring and attempting to steal sensitive trade secrets from a U.S. company was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison. The Justice Department had asked that Yanjun Xu, 42, get 25 years behind bars for his "very extensive" yearslong scheme to steal secrets from U.S. aviation companies. Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileXu is the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited to the U.S. to face criminal charges, Justice Department officials said. "Xu targeted multiple employees at multiple international aviation companies over multiple years. They noted that his scheme to steal secrets from GE wasn’t successful and said he was just following his country's orders.

☆ Twitter whistleblower alleges at least one Chinese spy is at the company
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter whistleblower Peiter Zatko claims Twitter has at least one Chinese spy at the company. Twitter has said Zatko's complaint is "riddled with inaccuracies." Zatko alleged that the FBI warned Twitter that the company employed a Chinese foreign agent. "Today's hearing only confirms that Mr. Zatko's allegations are riddled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies," a Twitter spokesperson told Insider. "While it was disturbing to hear, I and many others had recognized the state of the environment at Twitter," Zatko said.

☆ 72 de ani de la al doilea val de deportări din Basarabia
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-06 | by ( Milena Onisim | ) www.zdg.md time to read: +14 min

Astăzi se împlinesc 72 de ani de la al doilea val de deportări, cel mai mare, al celor mai buni basarabeni în înghețurile Siberiei. A fost o „operațiune” planificată din timp, scopul căreia a fost decapitarea acestei așchii de popor român din Basarabia. Astfel, soarta a peste 40000 de oameni, între care mai mult de 1/3 copii până la 17 ani, a fost pecetluită printr-o singură trăsătură de condei. În final, la 6 iulie 1949 a început al doilea val al deportărilor. Acesta a fost motivul de bază al acestei deportări.

Persons: RSSM I, Iosif Mordoveţ, Ion Țurcanu, Stalin, Moldovei, Leonid Brejnev, ., I.A . Serov, Andronovici, Ivan Ilici, Colonelul, Alexandr, Colonel, Serghei Zaharovici, Maiorul, Căpitanul, Lev Zinovievici, Leonid Iosifovici, I, Mordoveţ, Rudi G, Valeriu Dulgheru Organizations: CC, Ministerul Agriculturii, Central, Interne Locations: basarabeni, Siberiei, Basarabia, Siberia, PCUS, URSS, RSS Moldovenească, RSSM, Moldova, Moscova, Sud, Basarabiei, RSS, Kurgan, Tiumeni, Irkutsk, Habarovsk, Kazahstan, Kazahstanul de Sud, Rusia, Republicii Moldova, Corneşti, Neagra, Odesa, basarabean, Rudi, săteşti, România

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