DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Blinken Warns of Disinformation Threat to Democracies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned on Monday that a malicious “flood” of disinformation was threatening the world’s democracies, fueled in part by the swift rise of artificial intelligence, which he says sows “suspicion, cynicism and instability” around the globe. Mr. Blinken spoke in Seoul at the Summit for Democracy, a global gathering organized by the Biden administration, which has made countering the authoritarian models of nations like Russia and China a top priority. Mr. Blinken, who as a young man worked briefly as a journalist, said that changes to the international flow of information may be “the most profound” that he has experienced in his career, and that anti-democratic forces were exploiting those changes. “Our competitors and adversaries are using disinformation to exploit fissures within our democracies,” he said.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, ” Organizations: Summit for Democracy Locations: Seoul, Russia, China

☆ US welcomes new governments in fight against spyware as it finds more American personnel have been targeted
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A year ago, the Biden administration put the tally of US government personnel either suspected of or confirmed to have been targeted by spyware at 50. The market for commercial spyware has exploded over the last decade as companies from Israel to North Macedonia have hawked their services and many governments have been willing buyers. Poland’s prime minister has claimed the previous government used spyware on a long list of victims. The Biden administration’s review “did not identify widespread use” in the federal government of commercial spyware, the official said in a rare interview on the subject. Spyware companies often hide behind opaque corporate structures and companies to stay in business, according to US officials and researchers who track those companies.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “ Organizations: CNN, US National Security Council, NSC, US Treasury Department, Summit for Democracy, State Department, NSO Group, FBI, Pegasus, White Locations: Israel, North Macedonia, Poland, Ireland, Finland, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Seoul, ”, Africa, —

☆ Opinion | The U.S. Is Finally Trying to Fix Its Money-Laundering Problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Dec. 9, 2021, at the inaugural Summit for Democracy, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made a stunning admission: Her country had become the world’s most sought-after shelter for criminals’ money. “In the popular imagination,” she said, according to the prepared text for the virtual event, “the money-laundering capitals of the world are small countries with histories of loose and secretive financial laws. The good news: They’re slowly succeeding. New laws and rules, most of which were in the works before her speech, are stripping away veils of secrecy, making it easier to find and prosecute the bad guys. That’s good for democracy, because nothing corrodes faith in democracy more than the sense that the system is rigged and cheaters prosper.

Persons: Janet Yellen, ”, ” Yellen, They’re, Raymond W, Baker, Democracy — Organizations: for Democracy, “, Democracy Locations: United States

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department confirmed on Wednesday it had seized the Russia-linked online criminal marketplace Genesis Market, working in conjunction with international law enforcement and the Treasury Department. The announcements from Justice and Treasury came a day after the FBI and a consortium of international law enforcement authorities shut down Genesis Market. The international marketplace steals private information from victims' devices and offers it for sale, Treasury said in a release Wednesday. "Today's takedown of Genesis Market is a demonstration of the FBI's commitment to disrupting and dismantling key services used by criminals to facilitate cybercrime," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. "Treasury will continue to work closely with our law enforcement colleagues to disrupt this activity and hold malign cyber actors accountable."

☆ Janet Yellen says OPEC+ production cut is an 'unconstructive act'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the surprise OPEC+ oil production cut announced Sunday was an "unconstructive act," which could hurt U.S. efforts to lower inflation. "I think it's a regrettable action that OPEC decided to take. "We don't think cuts are advisable at this moment, given market uncertainty — and we've made that clear," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday. He added that the United States received advance notice of the OPEC announcement. The OPEC cut follows Russia's recent decision to trim oil production by 500,000 barrels per day until the end of 2023.

Updating liquidity stress tests to take into account high-speed digital withdrawals, and the ability of social media to spread information among depositors at a much faster pace than ever before. Increasing the frequency of stress tests for mid-sized banks. Several of the proposals the White House endorsed are already under consideration, according to bank regulators who testified this week before two congressional committees. Among these are stricter rules for measuring liquidity in mid-sized banks, those with over $100 billion in combined assets, but under $250 billion. On Wednesday, group of Democratic senators, led by financial regulatory hawk Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter to bank regulators demanding stronger bank capital requirements.

☆ EU's antitrust chief on Europe's competition crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEU's antitrust chief on Europe's competition crackdownMargarethe Vestager, European Commission executive vice president, joins 'Squawk Box' in an interview with CNBC's Kayla Tausche to discuss the focal points of the second Summit for Democracy that kicked off Wednesday.

☆ Vietnam communist party chief, Biden agree to boost ties in phone call
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HANOI, March 30 (Reuters) - The chief of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed in a telephone call on Wednesday to "promote, develop and deepen" ties, Vietnam's state media reported. The United States is now Vietnam's largest export market and the two former foes are celebrating the 10th anniversary of a "comprehensive partnership" this year. The report said Trong, who is Vietnam's most powerful figure, and Biden repeated invitations to visit each others country. In October, Trong was the first foreign leader to meet Xi Jin Ping in Beijing after he secured a precedent-breaking third term as General Secretary at the Chinese Communist Party. Reporting by Khanh Vu in Hanoi and David Brunnstrom in Washington Editing by Ed Davies and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks during a virtual Summit for Democracy, which he is hosting from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden announced new funding to bolster democracies around the world at a meeting on Wednesday, although dozens of countries were holding back on a summit declaration laying out commitments to democratic principles. "To meet the rising challenges to democracy worldwide, we commit to strengthen democratic institutions and processes and build resilience," the declaration said. A senior administration official said the declaration remained open and additional countries could still endorse it. Biden announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event.

☆ Biden aims to lift democracies with more funds despite questions over effectiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Biden will announce $690 million to fight corruption, support free and fair elections and advance technologies that support democratic governments at a second White House-led Summit for Democracy, senior administration officials said on Tuesday. He announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event. The world has seen big changes since then with countries emerging from the global pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The summit will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia. Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Michael Perry and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden to announce new funding to boost democracies as critics question effectiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will announce new funding to bolster democracies around the world on Wednesday amid criticism his administration has made little progress in advancing human rights and democracy as a focus of its foreign policy. Biden will announce $690 million to fight corruption, support free and fair elections and advance technogies that support democratic governments at a second White House-led Summit for Democracy, senior administration officials said on Tuesday. He announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event. The world has seen big changes since then with countries emerging from the global pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The summit will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia.

☆ South Korea to host third 'Summit for Democracy' -joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, March 29 (Reuters) - South Korea will host a third "Summit for Democracy", President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a statement with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday. "The United States and the Republic of Korea share deep bonds, rooted in our common democratic values and respect for human rights, and we are committed to further strengthening our robust political, economic, security, and people-to-people ties," the statement said. The plenary session of the second summit is to be held on Wednesday, involving 120 countries, civil society groups and technology companies in an event critics say illustrates the halting progress the Biden administration has made in advancing human rights and democracy as a focus of its foreign policy. The second summit is being co-hosted by the United States, Costa Rica, Zambia, the Netherlands and South Korea. It was not immediately clear when the next summit will be held or whether other countries will co-host the meeting.

JERUSALEM, March 29 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Wednesday that he would find compromise with the political opposition over his judicial overhaul after the contested reforms drew a strong reproach from U.S. President Joe Biden. Separately, Netanyahu predicted on Wednesday that Israel would join the U.S. Visa Waiver Programme in September after passing legislation required by Washington. The national guard was launched last year under former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. "We don't trust the government and certainly not the prime minister and his gang," said 75-year-old retiree Chanoch Lipperman in Tel Aviv. But Biden, when asked by a reporter if he would be inviting Netanyahu, replied: "No, not in the near term."

☆ Israel isn't 'out of the woods' even though Netanyahu paused the plan that pushed his country into chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A judicial overhaul plan pushed by Netanyahu's government sparked a major crisis in Israel. "The crisis was deferred, but definitely not resolved," a former US ambassador to Israel told Insider. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to hit pause on a deeply controversial plan to overhaul the country's judiciary, but Israel's problems are far from over. One piece of the plan has already been passed into law, narrowing the circumstances under which a prime minister can be deemed unfit for office. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a voting session in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, Israel on March 27, 2023.

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - World leaders will gather virtually this week for the second U.S.-organized Summit for Democracy, an event critics say illustrates the halting progress the Biden administration has made in advancing human rights and democracy as a focus of its foreign policy. The administration has also been reluctant to make the hard choices needed to show it is putting human rights at the heart of its foreign policy, experts said. "I will defend the fact that human rights comes up in every bilateral relationship we have," a senior Biden administration official said. Conceived initially as an in-person gathering, the first summit was held virtually due to COVID-19. The second summit was delayed by several months and will now also be mostly online.

☆ NATO ally Hungary throws Putin a lifeline, saying it won't arrest him despite ICC warrant tied to Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hungary signaled it would not arrest Putin if he visited even though the ICC issued an arrest warrant. Hungary is an ICC member, but said that under Hungarian law it can't arrest Putin. "The ICC's statute has not been promulgated in Hungary," Gulyas said, adding that his government hasn't yet formed a stance on the arrest warrant for Putin. States Parties to the Rome Statute have a legal obligation to cooperate fully with the ICC," according to the ICC. Though the US is not an ICC member and does not recognize the court's jurisdiction, President Joe Biden said the arrest warrant for Putin was "justified."

Search resuls for: "Summit for Democracy"

16 mentions found