DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

President Biden has approved the deployment of another Patriot missile system to Ukraine, senior administration and military officials said, as the country struggles to fend off Russian attacks on its cities, infrastructure and electrical grid. Mr. Biden’s decision came last week, the officials said, after a series of high-level meetings and an internal debate over how to meet Ukraine’s pressing needs for bolstered air defenses without jeopardizing U.S. combat readiness. The new Patriot system — the second that the United States has sent to Ukraine — will come from Poland, where it has been protecting a rotational force of American troops who will be returning to the United States, officials said. The system could be deployed to Ukraine’s front lines in the next several days, U.S. officials said, depending on any maintenance or modifications it needs.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, Ukraine — Organizations: Patriot Locations: Ukraine, United States, Poland

The hostages in Gaza are being moved around, with Hamas shuttling some from one apartment to another to obscure their whereabouts, while others are believed to be in tunnels underground. More than one war is being waged in the Gaza Strip. For the most part, the world sees the airstrikes and the ground invasion, which Israel says are aimed at dismantling Hamas and have reduced much of the territory to rubble, setting off a humanitarian crisis. But the rescue on Saturday of four hostages was a reminder that Israel and Hamas are engaged in another, less visible battle:The militants are determined to hold on to the hostages they seized during their deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel, for use as human bargaining chips. The Israelis are determined to bring them home.

Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ U.S. Officials Return to Mideast to Push for Cease-Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Adam Rasgon | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Top NewsImage William J. Burns, the director of the C.I.A., was expected to arrive in Doha, Qatar, this week for talks about achieving a cease-fire in Gaza. But statements by Israeli and Hamas officials in recent days suggested that a breakthrough was still elusive. One of the biggest gaps between Israel and Hamas has been over whether a cease-fire deal would lead to a lasting truce. Mr. Biden said Israel’s proposal would ultimately lead to the “cessation of hostilities permanently,” comments that were welcomed by Hamas. Israel, Mr. Hamdan said, was interested in only a temporary cease-fire to free hostages, and would then resume the war.

Persons: William J, Burns, Nathan Posner, Brett McGurk, Biden, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, Majed al, Ansari, Osama Hamdan, Hamdan Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, U.S, Qatari Locations: Doha, Qatar, Gaza . Credit, Gaza, Cairo, U.S, Israel

☆ Allies Warn Former Fighter Pilots Not to Train Chinese Military Members
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Helene Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For years, U.S. officials have accused China of stealing American technology to design and build fighter planes. But while China learned how to build advanced fighters, its pilots could not fly them so well. U.S. and allied intelligence officials warned on Wednesday that Beijing was intensifying a campaign to entice former fighter pilots from Western nations to train Chinese pilots. “To overcome their shortcomings, China’s People’s Liberation Army has been aggressively recruiting Western military talent to train their aviators, using private firms around the globe that conceal their P.L.A. ties and offer recruits exorbitant salaries,” said Michael C. Casey, the director of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center.

Persons: —, “, ”, Michael C, Casey Organizations: Liberation Army, U.S . National Counterintelligence and Security Center Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

☆ Fake News Reports and Videos Seek to Undermine the Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Steven Lee Myers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

With its athletes barred from competing in the Summer Olympics under the country’s flag, Russia has turned its fury on the Games and this year’s host, Paris. Russian propagandists have created an hourlong documentary, spoofed news reports and even mimicked French and American intelligence agencies to issue fake warnings urging people to avoid the Games, according to a report released on Sunday by Microsoft. The report details the disinformation campaign created by a group the company calls Storm-1679. The campaign appears to have accelerated since March, flooding social media with short videos raising alarms about possible terrorist attacks and stoking fears about safety. The operation, while aimed at the Games, is using various techniques to spread disinformation that could also be employed in European and U.S. elections.

Organizations: Games, Microsoft, Storm Locations: Russia, Paris, American

William J. Burns, the C.I.A. This month, frustration boiled over between officials from Hamas and Israel, and the countries mediating — the United States, Qatar and Egypt — put the talks on hold. Israeli officials were upset with what they saw as shifting negotiating stances by Hamas, including the number of hostages to be released in a first phase. Hamas was upset by Israel’s operations in Rafah, the southern Gazan city, which have been progressing since. But core to the dispute were disagreements over how to define a cessation of hostilities between Hamas and Israel, and how different stages of the cease-fire would be put into effect.

Persons: William J, Burns, Egypt — Organizations: U.S Locations: Gaza, Europe, Israel, United States, Qatar, Egypt, Rafah, Gazan

Ukraine has asked the Biden administration to provide more intelligence on the position of Russian forces and military targets inside Russia as Ukrainian troops struggle to hold ground in the war, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials. A group of Ukrainian Parliament members also met with members of Congress in Washington to press for the United States to allow Kyiv to use American weapons in Russia. Ukraine’s requests have become more urgent in recent weeks as Russia has taken advantage of delays in shipments of American weapons and intensified military operations in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine. But White House officials said the administration’s longstanding policy remained unchanged: The United States is not encouraging or enabling attacks inside Russia. American officials, seeking to avoid escalating the war, have insisted they do not want U.S. weapons used in cross-border attacks or their intelligence reports used to target sites in Russia.

Persons: Biden Organizations: White Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, United States, Kyiv, Kharkiv, U.S

NATO allies are inching closer to sending troops into Ukraine to train Ukrainian forces, a move that would be another blurring of a previous red line and could draw the United States and Europe more directly into the war. As a result, Ukrainian officials have asked their American and NATO counterparts to help train 150,000 new recruits closer to the front line for faster deployment. So far the United States has said no, but Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that a NATO deployment of trainers appeared inevitable. For now, he said, an effort inside Ukraine would put “a bunch of NATO trainers at risk” and would most likely mean deciding whether to use precious air defenses to protect the trainers instead of critical Ukrainian infrastructure near the battlefield.

Persons: Charles Q, Brown Jr, “ We’ll, ”, General Brown Organizations: NATO, Joint Chiefs of Staff Locations: Ukraine, United States, Europe, Russia, Brussels

The Biden administration is increasingly concerned that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is gathering enough momentum to change the trajectory of the war in Ukraine. Credit... Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times

Persons: Biden, Vladimir V, Putin, Nanna Heitmann Organizations: The New York Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Russian Disinformation Videos Smear Biden Ahead of U.S. Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Steven Lee Myers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last month, a video began circulating on social media purporting to tell the story of an internet troll farm in Kyiv targeting the American election. Speaking in English with a Slavic accent, “Olesya” offers a first-person account of how she and her colleagues initially worked in support of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Then, she says, after a visit by mysterious Americans who were “probably C.I.A.,” the group began sending messages to American audiences in support of President Biden. “We were told our new target was the United States of America, especially the upcoming elections,” the woman in the video says. U.S. officials say the video is consistent with Russian disinformation operations as internet warriors aligned with Russia appear to be honing their strategy.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, “, Donald Trump Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, United States of America, Russia

Just 18 months ago, White House and Pentagon officials debated whether Russia’s forces in Ukraine might collapse and be pushed out of the country entirely. Now, after months of slow Russian ground advances and technological leaps in countering American-provided arms, the Biden administration is increasingly concerned that President Vladimir V. Putin is gathering enough momentum to change the trajectory of the war, and perhaps reverse his once-bleak prospects. In recent days, Moscow’s troops have opened a new push near the country’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, forcing Ukraine to divert its already thinned-out troops to defend an area that it took back from Russian forces in a stunning victory in the fall of 2022. Artillery and drones provided by the United States and NATO have been taken out by Russian electronic warfare techniques, which came to the battlefield late but have proven surprisingly effective. And a monthslong debate in Washington about whether to send Ukraine a $61 billion package of arms and ammunition created an opening that Russia has clearly exploited, even though Congress ultimately passed the legislation.

Persons: Biden, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Pentagon, Artillery, NATO Locations: House, Ukraine, Kharkiv, United States, Washington, Russia

After Hamas attacked Israel in October, igniting the Gaza war, Israeli leaders described the group’s most senior official in the territory, Yahya Sinwar, as a “dead man walking.” Considering him an architect of the raid, Israel has portrayed Mr. Sinwar’s assassination as a major goal of its devastating counterattack. Seven months later, Mr. Sinwar’s survival is emblematic of the failures of Israel’s war, which has ravaged much of Gaza but left Hamas’s top leadership largely intact and failed to free most of the captives taken during the October attack. Even as Israeli officials seek his killing, they have been forced to negotiate with him, albeit indirectly, to free the remaining hostages. Mr. Sinwar has emerged not only as a strong-willed commander but as a shrewd negotiator who has staved off an Israeli battlefield victory while engaging Israeli envoys at the negotiating table, according to officials from Hamas, Israel and the United States. Some spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence assessments of Mr. Sinwar and diplomatic negotiations.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, Sinwar’s, Sinwar, Sinwar — Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Egypt, Qatar

Israeli leaders declared on Thursday that they would not be deterred by President Biden’s threat to withhold more arms shipments if the military launched a major assault on densely populated areas of Rafah in southern Gaza. Defiant and at times disdainful of the Biden administration’s stance, their comments made clear the widening rift between Israel and the United States over the war and the prospect of a full-scale invasion of Rafah, where about a million Palestinians are sheltering. And they came as high-level negotiations aimed at reaching a cease-fire and hostage deal were derailed — at least for the moment — amid anger by some of the participants over a military incursion into Rafah by Israeli forces earlier this week. After that incursion, Mr. Biden said the United States, Israel’s closest ally, would not ship more weapons that could be fired into crowded sections of Rafah. On Thursday, an Israeli military spokesman said his nation had enough munitions on hand to proceed with its plans.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, United States

☆ Officials Describe Pact Hamas Has Embraced as U.S.-Israel Proposal With Small Changes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Edward Wong | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The officials said that the changes were made by Arab mediators in consultation with William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, and that the new version keeps a key phrase, the eventual enactment of a “sustainable calm,” wording that all sides had said earlier they could accept. The two officials said the response from Hamas was a serious one, and that it was now up to Israel to decide whether to enter into an agreement. In the second phase, the two sides would work toward reaching a “sustainable calm,” which would involve the release of more hostages, the officials said. The officials said that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was expected to push back against that definition.

Persons: William J, Burns, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Hamas Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza

☆ U.S. Seeks to Build World Pressure on Russia Over Space Nuclear Weapon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

American officials are trying to increase international pressure on Russia not to deploy an antisatellite nuclear weapon in space, and have obtained information that undermines Moscow’s explanation that the device it is developing is for peaceful scientific purposes, a senior State Department official said on Friday. Concern over the Russian development of a new generation of space nuclear weapons has been growing in Washington, especially since Moscow’s veto last month of a U.N. measure aimed at keeping space free of such weapons. Some Republicans believe that the Biden administration is not doing enough to deter Russian work on the device, and others are concerned about China’s apparent decision not to pressure Moscow to stop. On Friday, Mallory Stewart, the assistant secretary of state for arms control, said that while the United States had been aware of Russia’s pursuit of such a device for years, “only recently have we been able to make a more precise assessment of their progress.”Ms. Stewart, speaking at the nonpartisan Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the orbit the Russian satellite would occupy is in a high-radiation region not used by other satellites, information that undercuts Russia’s defense that it is not developing a weapon.

Persons: Biden, Mallory Stewart, “, Ms, Stewart Organizations: State Department, Strategic, International Studies Locations: Russia, Washington, Moscow, United States

covers the U.S. intelligence agencies and international security matters for The Times. He has written about security issues for more than two decades.

Organizations: The Times

Israel’s military operations in Gaza have weakened Hamas. Thousands of its members have been killed, and at least one senior military leader has been eliminated. Yet Israel has not achieved its primary goals of the war: freeing hostages and fully destroying Hamas. The war and the tactics of the Israel Defense Forces have come at a great cost. Vast numbers of Palestinian civilians have been killed in the Israeli campaign; hunger is widespread in Gaza; and deaths around relief efforts have generated condemnation.

Persons: Israel Organizations: Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Locations: Gaza, Israel

The United States is considering imposing sanctions on one or more Israeli battalions accused of human rights violations during operations in the occupied West Bank, according to a person familiar with the deliberations. Mr. Netanyahu said in a social media post that his government would “act by all means” against any such move. The news about the possible sanctions, reported earlier by Axios, came only a day after the House approved $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza. The sanctions, if imposed, would not hold up the military aid that was just approved in Congress. On Sunday, Palestinians in the West Bank went on a general strike to protest a deadly Israeli military raid at a refugee camp.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Netanyahu, Axios Organizations: West Bank, Biden, Sunday Locations: States, Gaza, Israel

☆ C.I.A. Director Blames Hamas for Stalled Peace Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Negotiations for a cease-fire and the release of Israeli hostages have stalled because Hamas rejected the latest proposal put forth by Israel, Qatar and Egypt, the C.I.A. director said Thursday, putting the blame for a lack of progress in talks squarely on the group that led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. director and lead American negotiator, traveled to Cairo and pushed what he called “a far-reaching proposal” that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators took to Hamas. While Mr. Burns did not describe the details of that proposal, he said that so far Hamas has not accepted it. “It was a deep disappointment to get a negative reaction from Hamas,” said Mr. Burns, speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas.

Persons: William J, Burns, C.I.A, ”, George W, “ Organizations: Hamas, Qatari, Bush Presidential Center, Sunday Locations: Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Cairo, Dallas, Gaza

☆ China Could Threaten Critical Infrastructure in a Conflict, N.S.A. Chief Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China has been trying to find ways to gain access to critical infrastructure in the United States so that it can threaten those systems in the event of a conflict, the National Security Agency director said on Wednesday. and the U.S. military’s Cyber Command in February, said that Beijing had stepped up its cyberefforts and that the United States, in response, was working harder to disrupt that activity. Last year, U.S. officials uncovered an effort by China to gain access to critical infrastructure in Guam, home to U.S. military bases, and in the continental United States. Microsoft called the intrusions Volt Typhoon, after a Chinese network of hackers who often avoided using detectable malware and instead used stealthier techniques to enter wastewater systems and communication networks. “What you see in Volt Typhoon is an example of how China has approached establishing access to put things under threat,” General Haugh said at a security conference at Vanderbilt University.

Persons: Timothy D, Haugh, ” Organizations: National Security Agency, U.S, military’s, Command, Microsoft, Vanderbilt University Locations: China, United States, Beijing, Guam

Iran’s attack on Israel, an immense barrage that included hundreds of ballistic missiles and exploding drones, changed the unspoken rules in the archrivals’ long-running shadow war. In that conflict, major airstrikes from one country’s territory directly against the other had been avoided. Given that change in precedent, the calculus by which Israel decides its next move has also changed, said the Israeli officials who requested anonymity to discuss Iran. “We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression,” Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the spokesman for Israel’s military said on Tuesday. Iran, he added, would not get off “scot-free with this aggression.”

Persons: Israel, Daniel Hagari, “ scot, ” Locations: Israel, Iran

Even as president, Donald J. Trump flaunted his animosity for intelligence officials, portraying them as part of a politicized “deep state” out to get him. And since he left office, that distrust has grown into outright hostility, with potentially serious implications for national security should he be elected again. House Republicans agreed to move the legislation ahead on Friday only after revising it to ensure that Mr. Trump would get another crack at shaping it to his liking if he wins the presidency again. Indicted last year on charges of hoarding classified documents after leaving office and obstructing efforts to retrieve them, Mr. Trump has also translated his anger into legal arguments, telling a federal court that there is no reason to believe the “meritless claims” of agencies like the C.I.A. Intelligence agencies have shown a bias against Mr. Trump since the first impeachment against him, his lawyers have argued in the classified documents case, promising a fight if officials testify that his actions put the country at risk.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, ” Organizations: Wednesday, House Republicans, Intelligence

☆ France Bracing for Cyberattacks During Summer Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Summer Olympics and tensions over the war in Ukraine are likely to make Paris a tempting target for a variety of hacking attempts, including from adversarial countries, France’s top cybersecurity official said on Monday. French officials, including Mr. Strubel, are in Washington this week for consultations with cybersecurity officials. The Paris Olympics will run from July 26 to Aug. 11. The opening ceremony of the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was marred by a cyberattack that caused internet disruptions. Security companies quickly blamed Russia, and the Fancy Bear hacking group tied to Moscow’s intelligence services, for that attack.

Persons: Vincent Strubel, France’s, ransomware, Strubel Locations: Ukraine, Washington, Pyeongchang, South Korea, Russia

☆ Middle East Crisis C.I.A. Director Is Heading to Cease-Fire Talks as Pressure Grows on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

During the call, Mr. Biden threatened to condition future support for Israel on how it addresses his concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Israeli statement did not give a timing for when the crossing would be reopened. Mr. Biden has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s approach to the war against Hamas in Gaza, saying that more must be done to protect civilians. Image Palestinians gathering to receive food in the town of Jabaliya in northern Gaza last month. Israel has rejected accusations that it is responsible for delays in the delivery of aid.

Persons: Israel, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordan — “, Erez, Adrienne Watson, “, ”, Netanyahu, —, Ms, Watson, Mahmoud Issa, Kerem, Lloyd J, Austin III, Patrick Kingsley Organizations: Israel, National Security Council, United, Defense, Pentagon, International Court of Justice Locations: Gaza, Ashdod, Israel, United Nations, “, Jabaliya, Kerem Shalom, Rafah, The Hague

☆ C.I.A. Director Is Heading to Cairo for New Truce Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

During a 30-minute call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Biden went further than ever in pressing for change in the military operation. Credit... Fatima Shbair/Associated PressBy the middle of the night in Jerusalem, Israel made its first gestures to Mr. Biden. The reported agreement came as American officials held out the prospect of consequences if Mr. Netanyahu resisted. But Mr. Kirby would not outline specific metrics for judging Israel’s response or what Mr. Biden would do if not satisfied. Mr. Biden called himself “outraged and heartbroken” over the incident and made a point of calling Mr. Andrés to express his condolences.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, President Biden, Biden, Biden’s, “, Netanyahu, ”, Fatima Shbair, Mr, Antony J, Blinken, ” Mr, Chris Coons, Coons, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Biden “, William J, Burns, Mohammed Saber, John F, Kirby, emboldening, John Hannah, José Andrés, Andrés, Zomi Frankcom, Damian Soból, Barack Obama, Bibi, ” Ben Rhodes, Obama, ” Jon Favreau, doesn’t, ‘, ’, aggravation, Jill Biden, Joe, ” Julian E, Barnes, Katie Rogers, David E, Sanger, Lara Jakes Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Credit, Associated, U.S . National Security Council, NATO, Democratic, CNN, Republican, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Iran, Central Kitchen, Shutterstock, Jewish Institute for National Security of America, Biden, Mr, Israel Defense Forces, White Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Jerusalem, Ashdod, Jordan, Brussels, Michigan, Washington, Delaware, Iran, Syria, United States, Cairo, “ Hamas, Haiti, Cyprus, U.S, “

Search resuls for: "Julian E. Barnes"

25 mentions found