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Russian intelligence services are building up their presence in Mexico for spy operations targeting the United States, a return to Cold War tactics by an increasingly aggressive regime, according to U.S. officials and former intelligence officers. The Mexican Embassy and the Russian Embassy did not respond to a request for comment. “Part of this is a function of the fact that so many Russian intelligence officers have been kicked out of Europe. Those are Russian intelligence personnel, and they keep an eye very closely on their opportunities to have influence on U.S. opportunities and access,” VanHerck said. Russian intelligence could conceivably also take advantage of Mexico’s proximity to target Putin’s political enemies inside the U.S., former intelligence officers said.

Persons: Biden, William Burns, ” Burns, ”, Vincenzo Circosta, “, Paul Kolbe, Glen VanHerck, ” VanHerck, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Trotsky, —, ideologues, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Ramon Mercader, John Sipher, ” Sipher, Christopher Boyce, Andrew Daulton Lee, Lee, Boyce, Harold “ Jim ” Nicholson, Hector Cabrera Fuentes, Fuentes, Douglas London, enforcement’s, Natalia Sedova's, Claudio Cruz, ” Kolbe Organizations: U.S, NBC News, Mexican Embassy, Russian Embassy, CIA, “, Kremlin, Getty, . Air Force, U.S . Northern Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, TRW, Soviet Embassy, Bettmann, Museum Locations: Mexico, United States, Russia, Mexico City, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Mexican, Russian, Europe, London, Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, Balkans, U.S, “, Cuba, Soviet Union, Spanish, Los Angeles, Soviet, manacles, Seattle, surveilling, Miami, American, AFP, Colombia

☆ Wigs, robotic guns and exploding pagers: Israel has a long history of hunting down its enemies
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Over the years, Israel has viewed “targeted killings” as a way to deter attacks on the county, fuel fear among its enemies and exact revenge. Iran’s nuclear program is closer to building a bomb than ever, even after several nuclear scientists were killed, he said. But the Mossad operation dismayed Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, who demanded the resignation of the spy service’s chief. Almost four decades later, Israel killed a major Hamas official, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in a Dubai hotel in a complex plot involving more than two dozen Mossad operatives. In an echo of this week’s attacks in Lebanon, Israel killed a Hamas bombmaker, Yahya Ayyash, in 1996 with a cellphone outfitted with explosives.

Persons: ”, Bruce Riedel, Adolf Eichmann, Eichmann, David Ben, Gurion, God —, Russell Mcphedran, Ehud Barak, Ahmed Bouchikhi, Ali Hassan Salameh, Yasser Arafat, Bouchikhi, Israel, Mahmoud al, Mabhouh, Mohammed Salem, Ahmed Jibril, Ronen Bergman, Jibril, Yahya Ayyash, Ayyash, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Fakhrizadeh, Ismail Haniyeh, David Barnea, Israel “, ” Barnea Organizations: Lebanese, CIA, Argentine, Nazi, Damocles, Palestinian, Fairfax Media, Getty, Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas, New York Times Locations: Israel, British, Nazi, Argentina, Egypt, Munich, Beirut, Moroccan, Norwegian, Lillehammer, Europe, Dubai, Gaza, Israeli, Lebanon, U.S, Iran’s, Absad, Tehran, Syria, Iran, Mossad’s

☆ What Russia’s arrest footage of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan really tells us
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-05 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Russia’s pro-Kremlin media know how to create an alternative reality, and last week’s historic prisoner swap was no exception. On Monday, Russian state-backed media outlets treated viewers to lurid footage of the arrests of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan. And we see a handcuffed Paul Whelan on a hotel bed, flanked by Russian security officers. But in the cases of Gershkovich and Whelan, the aim of the Russian state was to build a bank of human collateral to trade for its valued agents held abroad. But the good news is that Gershkovich is out of Russian custody and can now write the definitive and reliable account of what happened during his arrest.

Persons: CNN — Russia’s, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Gershkovich, Whelan, –, Dow Jones, Almar Latour, Emma Tucker, “ Vladimir Putin, ”, Evan Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Wall Street, Bolshoi Theater, Gershkovich, US State Department, State Department, Dow Locations: Russian, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Russia, British

☆ ‘Twisters’ chose not to mention climate change. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Like its titular tornados, “Twisters” blasts through a lot in its 122-minute runtime. Generally, scientists are the least certain about the connection between tornadoes and climate change as it’s unclear how warming temperatures are changing storms themselves or the outbreaks. Cathy, a local farmer, gripes that storms and floods are becoming more frequent, and the price of wheat more expensive, while stopping short of citing climate change. However, for a film populated by scientists and clued-in citizens to not mention climate change is a little like the twisters themselves: there’s a hole at the center. !”“Making a ‘Twisters’ movie in Tornado Alley during storm season, tornado season, it’s kind of perfect.

Persons: Glen Powell’s brawn, –, “, Lee Isaac Chung, “ We’ve, ”, Javi, Anthony Ramos, Kate, Daisy Edgar, Jones, ” Lee, Maura Tierney’s, Cathy, that’s, Lee, Glen Powell, Mark L, Smith, Joseph Kosinski, it’s, we’re, Kevin Costner, Yorgos, Matt Smith, Fabien Frankel, Anya Taylor, Joy, Max, George Miller, Chris Hemsworth, Samsik, Kang, ’, Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Guy, Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, David Leitch, stuntmen, Jane Schoenbrun, Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy, Paine, Josh O'Connor, Idris Elba, Adam Pally, Hao Xuande, Sandra Oh, Chan, Henry Cavill, Alex Pettyfer, Guy Ritchie's, Guy Ritchie, Jerry Bruckheimer, Isabella Rossellini, Kristen Stewart, she's, Denis Villeneuve, Frank Herbert's, Jessica Chastain, Austin Butler, Ambika Mod, Leo Woodall, Molly Manning Walker, Bryan Cranston, Matthew Vaughn, Ava DuVernay, Aunjanue Ellis, Taylor, Paul Mescal, Andrew Scott, George Clooney, Pedro Alonso, Penelope Cruz, Laura Garello Ferrari, Adam Driver, Michael Mann, Emma Stone, Bella Baxter, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Ncuti Gatwa, Paul King, Hugh Grant's Oompa, Napoleon, Vanessa Kirby, Ridley Scott, Nicolas Cage, Emerald Fennell, Jacob Elordi, Priscilla, Sofia Coppola, Elvis Presley, Kitty Green, Justine Triet, Sandra Hüller, Palme, Ryu Seungryong, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Margot Robbie, Ken, Greta Gerwig, Mattel, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, Simon Pegg, Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Wes Anderson, Celine Song, Greta Lee, Halle Bailey, Javier Bardem, Kim Woo, Seung, Cho Ui, seok, Jan de Bont’s, ” Glen Powell, Melinda Sue Gordon, Ramos, Powell, everybody’s weirdly, ” Powell, Tyler Owens, “ I’m, anyone’s Organizations: CNN, ”, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros ., CNN CNN, Ungentlemanly, “ Locations: Midwest, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Korea, Modena, Palme d'Or, “

☆ Rogue to Victim: What Australia Sees in Julian Assange
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, received a hero’s welcome even before he was set to arrive back in his home country of Australia on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a felony charge of violating the U.S. Australian politicians sprinted to publish statements supporting a plea deal that gained him his freedom. Kevin Rudd, the former prime minister who is now Australia’s ambassador to the United States, even joined him in the U.S. courtroom on the Pacific island of Saipan. That Mr. Assange’s case concluded in a distant outpost — the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth tied to America through post-World War II imperialism — seemed fitting. He ended his standoff with the American government far from Washington, 14 years after he published classified military and diplomatic documents, revealing secret details about U.S. spycraft and the killing of civilians during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Persons: Julian Assange, Kevin Rudd, Assange’s Organizations: WikiLeaks, . Espionage, America, spycraft Locations: Australia, United States, U.S, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Washington, Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Bill Gates names his top book recommendations of the summer—and the one that's a 'must-read'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"I didn't intend to go deep on the idea of service, but it's certainly as relevant today as ever," Gates wrote. 'The Women,' by Kristin HannahHannah's bestseller, released in February, is a work of historical fiction set during the Vietnam War. In his new book, Anderson argues "that we need to expand our definition of generosity," Gates wrote. "Oldman plays the head of Slough House, who's basically the polar opposite of James Bond," wrote Gates. "More than a guide to better conversations, it's a blueprint for a more connected and humane way of living," Gates wrote.

Persons: Bill Gates, David Brooks, Gates, it's, Kristin Hannah Hannah's, Frances McGrath, I've, Hannah, Nightingale, Chris Anderson, Anderson, Mick Herron, Jackson Lamb, Gary Oldman, Oldman, who's, James Bond, Sal Khan, Khan, Melinda Gates, Sal, Brooks Organizations: Microsoft, New York Times, Army, Corps, TED, Apple, Slough House, Khan Academy, Melinda Gates Foundation, CNBC Locations: Vietnam, Slough

☆ Former U.S. ambassador spied for Cuba for decades, Justice Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that Victor Manuel Rocha, the former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, has been charged with acting illegally as a foreign agent for the government of Cuba, Dec. 4, 2023. Prosecutors say Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, spent more than 40 years spying for Cuba while he rose through the State Department, where he was U.S. ambassador to Bolivia during the Clinton administration. Rocha's case is "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent," Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday at a press conference. "To further that role, Rocha obtained and maintained employment in the United States government in positions that provided him: (1) access to nonpublic information, including classified information; and (2) the ability to affect United States foreign policy," wrote prosecutors. I have – have created the legend of a right-wing person," Rocha allegedly said, referring to the Cuban intelligence services.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Victor Manuel Rocha, Clinton, Merrick Garland, Rocha, Rocha's Organizations: State Department, United, Southern, Southern District of, Foreign Government, DOJ, Undercover, Cuban Locations: Bolivia, Cuba, American, Miami, U.S, United States, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Republic of Cuba, States, Cuban

☆ ‘Slow Horses’ Season 3 Review: A Stable of Spies Returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Gary Oldman Photo: Apple TV+It would be a stretch to describe “Slow Horses” as a “feel good” show, except for its ramshackle centerpiece, Jackson Lamb . Played by a deliciously derelict Gary Oldman , Jackson will certainly make the average viewer feel good about his or her own personal hygiene. Slow Horses, season 3 Wednesday, Apple TV+He’s also hilarious, usually right and never modest about it, which may infuriate the poor unfortunates around him but does make him a highly watchable and even quotable post-Le Carré Cold War hero—a reservoir of seemingly passé spycraft that nevertheless becomes critically important from episode to episode, and season to season. (“Slow Horses” now enters its third as one of the best series on television.) The infractions can be minor, but the damage to one’s career and credibility are never less than biblical, the ensuing duties clerical.

Persons: Gary Oldman, Jackson Lamb, Jackson Organizations: Apple, Slough House Locations: Slough

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Persons: Dow Jones Locations: orleans

☆ Cuba says its citizens were recruited to fight with Russia in Ukraine — but the government is only cracking down now 'because they got caught,' former counterintelligence officer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Lauren Steussy | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Cuban government says it's cracking down on efforts to recruit citizens to fight with Russia. But Cuba experts say it's likely that Cuba, a longtime Kremlin ally, was involved in these efforts. AdvertisementAdvertisementAndrés Albuquerque, a Miami-based political analyst, said it's also possible Russia worked alongside the Cuban government to recruit citizens. The recruitment in Cuba — as well as similar efforts in June in Kazakhstan — comes as Russia faces a manpower crisis. Just this past June, Cuba's Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera met with his Russian counterpart, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in Moscow.

Persons: Chris Simmons, Simmons, they've, Cuba didn't, it's, Putin, Albuquerque, Cuba —, Fidel Castro, Álvaro López Miera, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu Organizations: Service, Cuban, Russia, Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense Intelligence Agency, NPR, Defense, Western Military District, New York Times, Times, Kazakhstan —, Cuba's Army, Russian Locations: Cuban, Russia, Cuba, Kremlin, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Russian, Albuquerque, Miami, Kazakhstan, Soviet Union, War, Moscow

☆ Spies: Do You Know These Books and Their Screen Adaptations?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( J. D. Biersdorfer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s monthly quiz about books that have been made into television shows, movies, songs and more. This month’s challenge is about stories of spycraft, war and international intrigue that have made the jump to the screen. Tap or click your answers to the five questions below. New literary quizzes appear on the Book Review page every week and you can find previous installments in the Book Review Quiz Bowl archive online.

☆ Janet Yellen says U.S. economic competition with China must be 'fair to both sides'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

China has pivoted away from market reforms "toward a more state-driven approach that has undercut its neighbors and countries across the world," Yellen said. Her comments come as Washington, and the Republican-held House in particular, increase pressure on Beijing as part of a sustained U.S. backlash against China's economic tactics. WASHINGTON — The U.S. seeks healthy economic competition with China even as the country pursues intellectual property to gain an economic edge, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday. Hundreds of Chinese firms are listed on our stock exchanges, which are part of the deepest and most liquid capital markets in the world," Yellen said. Yellen vowed to partner with U.S. allies in countering China's "unfair economic practices" while advancing "our vision for an open, fair, and rules-based global economic order."

The Pentagon said on Thursday it was reviewing and updating its distribution lists of classified documents. This meant, naturally, that many more people could now view classified information. "One of the things we learned from 9/11 is ... we really need to share information," said Michael Atkinson, a former U.S. Intelligence Community inspector general. But they cannot track co-workers' private online activities - for example, posting classified information to impress others. "The Insider Threat Program was looking for other Bradley Mannings," said Aftergood.

☆ The worst Pentagon leak in years may have started in a gamer chatroom, where people weirdly keep posting classified documents trying to win arguments on the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The leaked Pentagon documents may have started in an online chatroom for gamers. It's not the first time users have leaked classified or sensitive information to the internet to settle a debate. "Here, have some leaked documents," the user wrote in response to the discussion. In recent years, players of "War Thunder" — a combat video game — have shared highly sensitive information to various chatrooms on multiple occasions, including content about tanks, fighter jets, and missiles. In one case, a user posted information from the manual of an F-16 fighter jet, as well as content about the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.

☆ Biden aides briefed former Trump officials on the Chinese spy balloon intrusions the ex-president has claimed never happened
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration has briefed key former Trump administration officials on China's spy balloons. "It never happened with us under the Trump administration and if it did, we would have shot it down immediately," he said on Sunday. He referenced "recent balloon/"object" incidents," but nothing from the Trump administration. During a February 6 briefing, Kirby told reporters that the Chinese surveillance balloons transited US airspace "for brief periods of time" during the Trump administration. Biden officials reached out to key officials from the Trump administration to offer briefings on the forensics they did.

The U.S. House’s Jan. 6 committee has performed its task with a dignity that verges on parody. They are doing criminal referrals while Rome burns. I think the criminal referrals are completely appropriate and, if anything, fail to capture the true scope of his malfeasance. He said as much himself in response to the Jan. 6 committee referral. One of the strongest grounds for prosecuting Trump for Jan. 6 is that only accountability will prevent something like it from happening again.

☆ ‘Slow Horses’ Season 2 Review: Spies and Sleeper Agents
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Cracking ice-cold cases, digging up former associates and unearthing decades-old mistakes by his not-so-beloved MI5 is what really gets the veteran British agent’s blood up. The slow horses of “Slow Horses.”Any season 2 is approached with apprehension, especially when a show has been as successful as this series was in season 1. But it may be even better now, with its likable misfits’ various back stories revealed and the characters established—especially Jackson, played with a malignant flourish by Gary Oldman . His character may not be quite as flatulent as he was last time around, but is just as untidy and unhygienic. (Jackson does suggest an excessively dissipated version of Le Carré’s George Smiley , whom Mr. Oldman played in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”)

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