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☆ The Authorities Don’t Need A.I. When Your Neighbors Will Narc on You
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Annalee Newitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prisoners living under these towers never know whether the guards are looking at them, but they have to assume that they are being watched. This setup, Foucault explained, is a powerful metaphor for modern civilization: Our lives are circumscribed by a fear that invisible authorities have us in their sights. Two new books about state surveillance in the 21st century, one focused on China and the other on the United States, make it clear that Foucault was right. In China, as Minxin Pei explains in “The Sentinel State,” a centralized Communist government uses new tech to extend a centuries-old system of bureaucracy that rewards intelligence gleaned from informants and spies. And in the United States, Byron Tau’s “Means of Control” documents how a federal democracy formed shady alliances with private companies to collect data on its citizens.

Persons: Byron Tau, Minxin Pei, Michel Foucault, ”, Jeremy Bentham, Foucault, Byron Tau’s “ Organizations: Alliance of Tech, American Surveillance, Byron Tau THE, “ The Sentinel State, Communist Locations: China, French, United States, “

☆ China’s Hacker Network: What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Leaked documents posted online last week show how the Chinese government is working with private hackers to obtain sensitive information from foreign governments and companies. The hackers worked for a security firm called I-Soon, part of a network of spies for hire working closely with Beijing. The leak showed how China’s top surveillance agency, the Ministry of Public Security, has increasingly recruited contractors to attack government targets and private companies as part of a cyberespionage campaign in Asia. Its hackers were able to get private information including:records from a Vietnamese airline, with the identities of travelers. I-Soon is one of hundreds of private companies that support China’s hacking efforts through the sale of espionage services and stolen data.

Organizations: Ministry of Public Security, Facebook Locations: Beijing, Asia, Washington, United States, Vietnam

☆ Putin looms over a third successive US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —“Russia, Russia, Russia.”Ex-President Donald Trump’s scathing catch phrase for a torrent of investigations during his administration also serves as an apt catch-all for the current meltdown over Moscow roiling US politics. But Russia and its leader, whom President Joe Biden described as a “crazy S.O.B.” at a Wednesday fundraiser, won’t go away. All the ways Putin is playing in US politicsPutin is advancing Russian interests against the US on multiple fronts. Putin recently formalized his warming ties with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un by presenting him with a new limousine. The Russian leader was particularly incensed by the US-led operation to topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, won’t, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ukraine –, –, Alexander Smirnov, “, Trump, Smirnov, Biden, it’s, Putin can’t, ” Douglas, Alexey Navalny, Biden lambasts Trump, ” Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, he’s, he’d, Mike Turner, Ksenia, Paul Whelan –, Evan Gershkovich, Geopolitically, Kim Jong Un, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Moammar Gadhafi, Hillary Clinton, Robert Mueller, “ We’ll, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, United States, European NATO, ”, Moscow, House Republicans, GOP, CIA, NATO, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Trump, Marine, Wall Street, Putin, Biden, US, Democratic Locations: Russia, Moscow, United States, China, Soviet, East Germany, United, Ukraine, Russian, European, Washington, Asia, Sweden, Finland, Berlin –, Europe, Ukrainian, California, North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Helsinki, Geneva

☆ Alexander Smirnov told investigators he got Hunter Biden dirt from Russian intelligence officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The former FBI informant charged with lying about the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine told investigators after his arrest that Russian intelligence officials were involved in passing information to him about Hunter Biden, prosecutors said Tuesday in a new court filing, noting that the information was false. They said he previously told the FBI that he has longstanding and extensive contacts with Russian spies, including individuals he said were high-level intelligence officers or command Russian assassins abroad. The story, prosecutors noted, matches the story Smirnov told his handler about Hunter Biden being recorded in a foreign hotel. And, prosecutors wrote, Smirnov claims to have met with Russian intelligence officials as recently as November and December 2023. “He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Prosecutors, Alexander Smirnov, ” Smirnov, David Weiss ’, Smirnov, “ Smirnov, Joe Biden’s, Smirnov’s, Weiss, “ Mr, ”, “, CNN’s Holmes Lybrand, Cheri Mossburg Organizations: CNN, FBI, Prosecutors, House Republicans, ” Prosecutors Locations: Ukraine, Russia, United States, Kyiv, Russian

Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists have been killed or assaulted in a variety of way s. The Russian opposition has lost its brightest star with Navalny's sudden death in a prison colony. “This is a very difficult loss for the Russian opposition,” he told The Associated Press after his death. While Navalny was the first leader to build a national Russian opposition, there were other opposition factions who didn’t like him or his organization. While Navalny’s team continued to publish successful investigative reports, they ultimately suspended the protests and said they would switch to different tactics. OPPOSITION IN EXILEIn the meantime, the Russian opposition faces a future largely in exile without one of its brightest leaders.

Persons: — Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin, “ You’re, ”, Navalny, turncoat, Putin, “ Alexei Navalny, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Graeme Robertson, ” Khodorkovsky, Garry Kasparov, Mikhail Kasyanov, Vladimir Kara, Murza Jr, PUTIN, “, Nigel Gould, Davies, PUTIN Putin, Robertson, Khodorkovsky, Navalny’s, “ Putin Organizations: Kremlin, Associated Press, University of North, Chapel Hill, Corruption Foundation, Corruption, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Russia, University of North Carolina, London, Russian, Ukraine, British, Belarus, Eurasia, Moscow, Germany

Here are some key findings from an Associated Press investigation into Rocha's alleged betrayal and the missed red flags that could have helped him avoid scrutiny for decades. Rodríguez told AP he believed at the time he received from the Cuban defector in 2006 was an attempt to discredit a fellow anti-communist crusader. It wasn’t just Rodríguez’s tipster — whom he refused to identify to the AP but says was recently interviewed by the FBI. Officials told the AP that as early 1987, the CIA was aware Castro had a “super mole” burrowed deep inside the U.S. government. The FBI and CIA declined to comment, and the State Department didn’t respond to requests.

Persons: Manuel Rocha, Félix Rodríguez, Rocha, “, ” Rodríguez, MANUEL ROCHA, ”, Fidel Castro’s, Fidel Castro, “ El, Liliana Ayalde, Castro, Evo Morales, Ayalde, retracing, “ Che ” Guevara, Rodríguez, tipster, Peter Romero Organizations: MIAMI, Ivy League, CIA, Cuban, Miami, FBI, State Department, Associated Press, WHO, Yale, of Intelligence, Authorities, The Taft School, Prosecutors, U.S, AP, Officials, . Locations: America, Cuban, Cuba, Chile, Colombia, New York City, Connecticut, Bolivia, U.S, Paraguay, Brazil, Latin America, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Temu returns to Super Bowl ad slate as lawmaker ire swells
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Temu, the controversial Chinese e-commerce giant looking to take on Amazon , is returning to the big game on Sunday with a Super Bowl ad that lawmakers are calling on Paramount Global and CBS not to run. The multi-million dollar investment put Temu on the map and by the end of 2023, it was the No. On Wednesday, 11 Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the CEOs of CBS, which is airing the Super Bowl, and parent company Paramount urging them not to run the advertisement. "Specifically, Temu 'does not have any system to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). Allowing Temu's commercial to air "would be a touchdown for the Chinese Communist Party against the home team," the letter stated.

Persons: haven't, Temu, Carol Miller, Byron Donalds, Jim Banks, Nicole Malliotakis, Christopher Smith, Pete Stauber, Ronny Jackson, Michelle Steel, Beth Van Duyne, James Baird, Mike Carey Organizations: Paramount Global, CBS, PDD Holdings, U.S, Republican, Paramount, Bowl, Chinese Community Party, Uyghur, Labor, Chinese Communist Party, Reps, Ohio . Paramount Locations: U.S, United States, Ohio

☆ CNBC Special Podcast: China’s Corporate Spy War
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

CNBC Documentaries examines the case of a Chinese government spy who tried to steal trade secrets from some of America's biggest companies, including GE, Boeing and Honeywell. Correspondent Eamon Javers talks with prosecutors, intelligence experts and government officials, including the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray — all of whom say the case is an example of China's desire to dominate global markets through any means necessary, including stealing technology from the heart of corporate America. In this special podcast series, Javers explores the shadowy world of spies and the industrial battle space that has millions of U.S. jobs on the line. "China's Corporate Spy War" originally aired on CNBC in June 2023. To watch China's Corporate Spy War and other CNBC Documentaries go to: https://www.cnbc.com/documentaries/

Persons: Eamon Javers, Christopher Wray —, Javers, China's Organizations: CNBC, GE, Boeing, Honeywell, FBI Locations: America

☆ Queen of the skyscrapers Darcy Stacom to leave property giant CBRE
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"After more than 20 years at CBRE Darcy Stacom has decided to leave the company at the end of March to launch her own commercial real estate firm, and we wish her well with her new endeavor," the email read. The end of Stacom's tenure reflects sweeping challenges and generational shifts in commercial real estate. And in 2018, Stacom represented Google in its $2.4 billion acquisition of a new office property overlooking the Hudson River. "She's had an unbelievable career," said Jon Mechanic, chairman of the law firm Fried Frank's real estate practice, who has worked with Stacom on countless deals. The person did not want to be identified because they had not been authorized by CBRE to speak about Stacom's exit.

Persons: Darcy Stacom, Matthew Van Buren, Chris Ludeman, CBRE Darcy Stacom, Stacom, Paul Massey, Stacom's, Peter Cooper, Zhang Xin, She's, Jon Mechanic, Fried, Adam Spies, Doug Harmon, Newmark, CBRE, Doug Middleton Organizations: Skyscrapers, New, State, Business, CBRE, Real, Advisors, Stuyvesant Town, General, Google, New York Locations: New York, CBRE's Tri, New York City, CBRE, Stuyvesant, Hudson

☆ Chinese Embassy in Netherlands Says China Would Never Allow Cyberattacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) -China would never allow any Chinese entities or individuals to conduct illegal activities such as cyberattacks or use Chinese facilities for such attacks, the Chinese embassy in the Netherlands said in a statement on Wednesday. The embassy was responding to a report by Dutch intelligence agencies that said Chinese state-backed cyber spies gained access to a Dutch military network last year. "China opposes any malicious speculation and groundless accusations, and advocates joint efforts to safeguard cybersecurity through dialogue and cooperation," an embassy spokesperson was quoted as saying in the statement. According to a Reuters report, the U.S. government in recent months launched an operation to fight a pervasive Chinese hacking operation that compromised thousands of internet-connected devices. The Netherlands embassy spokesperson said the "Chinese government has always resolutely opposed and cracked down on all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law."

Persons: Bernard Orr, Tom Hogue Locations: BEIJING, China, Netherlands, Dutch, Philippines, U.S

☆ The 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' reboot is nothing like the original movie — and that's what makes it must-watch television
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

If you were among the many who wondered why anyone would make a "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" reboot, this time without Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, when the project was announced in 2021, you'd be forgiven. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," co-created by Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane (who previously worked with Glover on "Atlanta") remixes the film's premise. AdvertisementThis central relationship is the true hook of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," a show that's more about cultivating intimacy and vulnerability than it is espionage. While a previous iteration of the series starred "Fleabag's" Phoebe Waller-Bridge alongside Glover, it's hard to imagine "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" without Erskine. All eight episodes of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" are streaming now on Prime Video.

Persons: Smith, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, you'd, Pitt, Jolie, Donald Glover, Francesca Sloane, Glover, John, Jane Smith, Maya Erskine, Jane, David Lee, Erskine's Jane, Glover's John Smith, they've, Sarah Paulson, Michaela Coel, Paul Dano, Toby, Ron Perlman, Fleabag's, Phoebe Waller, it's, Erskine, Glover's John, Erskine elucidates, David Fleming's unnerving Organizations: Service, Business, New, New York City Locations: New York City, New York

☆ The 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' show's opening cleverly says goodbye to the original Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie movie — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Prime Video's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" series stars Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. Thankfully, Prime Video's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" TV series stands apart from the usual pitfalls of nostalgia bait and familiarity. While neither Pitt or Jolie appear in the Amazon TV show alongside Glover and Erskine, the opening episode finds a metaphorical way of saying goodbye to the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" movie. AdvertisementSo while audiences will already be familiar with the idea of married spies, the "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" series feels fresh enough to stand on its own two feet. "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is streaming now on Prime Video.

Persons: Smith, Donald Glover, Maya Erskine, It's, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, —, John, Jane Smith, it's, Jane, Pitt, Jolie, Glover, Erskine, Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza Gonzalez, they've, Jane's, Gonzalez, Doug Liman Organizations: Service, Amazon Locations: York

☆ THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' 19 years later
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Back in 2005, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie starred in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" as two married spies secretly working for competing agencies, who are assigned to kill each other. Although the film itself got a middling reaction on release, it became an iconic noughties movie, because it sparked a relationship between Pitt and Jolie. After Pitt and the "Friends" star divorced in 2005, he and Jolie became an item, and so "Brangelina" was born. Now, almost 20 years after the movie's release, Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star in Amazon's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" TV series, which loosely follows the same idea of spies in a fake marriage. AdvertisementHere's what the original "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" cast were doing when it was filmed, and what they're doing now.

Persons: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Smith, Pitt, Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Donald Glover, Maya Erskine Locations: Amazon's

☆ Expect a 'sexualized' Donald Glover in the 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' reboot: 'I know how people are looking at me'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Glover looks extremely good in the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" reboot — and rest assured, that's part of the point. "We really wanted it to be about intimacy, and making intimacy sexy," Glover told Business Insider at the show's New York City premiere on Wednesday. AdvertisementMaya Erskine and Donald Glover in "Mr. and Mrs. "It makes you feel vulnerable in a way where like, I just never thought of myself that way," Glover told BI. Advertisement"Mr. and Mrs. Smith" premieres Friday, February 2 on Prime Video.

Persons: Donald Glover, Smith, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Glover, Maya Erskine, John, Jane Smith, Stephen ), Erskine, David Lee, Video Glover, Francesca Sloane Organizations: New, New York City Locations: New York, Atlanta

☆ Webb telescope spies millions of stars in stunning spiral galaxies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The James Webb Space Telescope has captured scintillating portraits of 19 spiral galaxies — and the millions of stars that call them home — in unprecedented detail never seen before by astronomers. Astronomers believe that about 60% of all galaxies are spiral galaxies — and our solar system resides in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way galaxy. Webb’s observations can help astronomers better understand star formation and the evolution of spiral galaxies like our own. The James Webb Space Telescope captured images of 19 spiral galaxies in near- and mid-infrared light. The images will be used to help astronomers determine the distribution of gas and dust in spiral galaxies, as well as how galaxies both nurture and cease the formation of stars.

Persons: James Webb, Janice Lee, Thomas Williams, ”, Webb’s, cocooned, Erik Rosolowsky, Webb, Rosolowsky, ” Webb, Adam Leroy, Eva Schinnerer, Max Planck, Leroy, ” Leroy Organizations: CNN, Telescope, James Webb Space, NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Hubble, Telescope Science, University of Alberta, Ohio State University, Max, Max Planck Institute, Astronomy Locations: Oxford, Chile, Baltimore, Edmonton, Columbus, Heidelberg, Germany

☆ The 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' showrunner enlisted her father-in-law, who happens to be Ron Perlman, to play a 'baby man' on the show
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read preview"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" showrunner Francesca Sloane brought on her father-in-law, Ron Perlman, to appear in the series opposite Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. Perlman guest stars in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" as Toby, a man with an almost certainly unethical past who's being pursued by assassins. AdvertisementMaya Erskine, Donald Glover, and Francesca Sloane at the premiere of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" in New York City. "We wanted for that individual part to be somebody who plays badass roles all the time and is always the scarier, on-their-feet character," Sloane told BI. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" premieres on Prime Video on Friday, February 2.

Persons: —, Smith, Francesca Sloane, Ron Perlman, Donald Glover, Maya Erskine, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Glover, Erskine, Perlman, Toby, John, Jane, Guillermo del Toro's, Clay Morrow, Hannibal Chau, Sloane, Marion Curtis, StarPix, Video Perlman, Ron, — Sloane Organizations: Service, Business, New, New York City, BI Locations: Toro's, New York City, New York

☆ ‘Argylle’ review: Henry Cavill, John Cena and Dua Lipa play spies in Matthew Vaughn’s action comedy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —After a trio of “Kingsman” movies, director Matthew Vaughn essentially hits the reset button with “Argylle,” another fun, highly stylized and less violent spy movie. Cast to the hilt, the film proves inventively twisty if a little convoluted, with the modest disclaimer that it’s not as good as the trailer makes it look. Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell as an author and spy, respectively, in "Argylle." As Elly’s guide on this overwhelming journey, Rockwell steals the show, presenting a more human-scale spy who still does amazing things with smart-alecky wit and bravado. As noted, Vaughn’s work stands out for its energetic and playful approach to action, which is very much in evidence here.

Persons: Matthew Vaughn, Argylle, ”, Said, Elly Conway, Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, James Bond, Dua, John Cena, Elly, Catherine O’Hara, she’s, Aidan, Sam Rockwell, Peter, Jason Fuchs, “, Bryan Cranston, Ariana DeBose, Sofia Boutella, Samuel L, Jackson, Rockwell, “ Napoleon, Kingsman ” Organizations: CNN, Apple Locations: Dua Lipa

☆ Donald Glover said Brad Pitt ‘Brad-Pitted’ his way out of giving him advice on ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ series
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Donald Glover thought he might consult Brad Pitt when he decided to take on a new series version of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Pitt, charmingly, according to Glover, declined. He was like, ‘Yeah, you know, you’ll do great.’”Glover admitted he hadn’t seen the 2005 movie until recently, because he first wanted to work out how the show would go. Glover’s costar Maya Erskine also appeared on “The Tonight Show.”The new Prime Video series follows two spies who are forced into new identities in an arranged marriage. & Mrs. Smith” starts streaming Feb. 2.

Persons: Donald Glover, Brad Pitt, Smith, ” Pitt, Glover, Jimmy Fallon ”, Pitt, Angelina Jolie, ” Glover, ’ ” Glover, hadn’t, ”, “, It’d, Maya Erskine, Smith ” Organizations: CNN Locations: charmingly

☆ Maya Erskine, of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ Thinks She Would Make a Good Spy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Alexis Soloski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“What would happen if James Bond had a blister?” Maya Erskine wondered recently. Erskine, 36, an actor and writer, has been thinking of hypotheticals like these ever since Donald Glover (“Atlanta,” “Swarm”) approached her about starring in “Mr. This eight-episode series, created by Glover and the writer Francesca Sloane, arrives on Amazon Prime Video on Feb. 2. The new John and Jane Smith, played by Glover and Erskine, are spies hired by a shadowy organization to pose as a married couple. While completing high-risk missions and racking up casualties, John and Jane are also achieving various relationship milestones — first date, first kiss, first vacation.

Persons: James Bond, Erskine, Donald Glover, “, Smith, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Glover, Francesca Sloane, John, Jane Smith, Phoebe Waller, Jane, —, ” Organizations: Amazon Prime, Glover’s Locations: Atlanta

☆ US sees signs Iran is worried about escalating proxy attacks amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Officials cautioned that there is no sense that Tehran’s growing wariness is likely to change its broader strategy of supporting proxy attacks on US and Western targets — although it could signal adjustments around the margins. But officials do believe that Iran is pursuing a calibrated approach to the conflict that is designed to avoid sparking all-out war. But some current and former US officials are skeptical that Iran will substantively change its tactics. ‘Varying degress of loyalty’The escalations also underscore the varying degrees of control that Iran actually has over its proxy groups. Among the groups, Iran has the least amount of operational control over the Houthis in Yemen, multiple officials told CNN.

Persons: Biden, Bill Burns, Norm Roule, Roule, “, Fadel, Ahmad Al, Jonathan Lord, ”, ” Lord, Israel “, Hossein, Mohammed Hamoud, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Iran ”, we’re Organizations: Militant, Iranian, CNN, White, CIA, Foreign Affairs, Getty, Middle East Security, Center, New, US Navy, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US, Anadolu Agency, Command, UN, Chinese Foreign, White House Locations: Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, United States, Tehran, China, India, Gaza, Europe, Baghdad, AFP, New American, Israel, Africa, Beijing, Bani, Sanaa, Red, Somalia, Bangkok, “ Beijing

☆ War in Ukraine Has Weakened Putin, C.I.A. Director Writes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The war in Ukraine has “quietly corroded” the power of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, wrote in an essay published on Tuesday. While Mr. Putin’s grip on power was unlikely to soon weaken, Mr. Burns wrote in Foreign Affairs, disaffection had “gnawed away at the Russian leadership and the Russian people,” allowing the C.I.A. The agency has made a series videos aimed at recruiting Russian officials. Mr. Burns echoed this sentiment in his article.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, William J, Burns, “ Organizations: Foreign Affairs, YouTube Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, U.S

☆ Odawara: Japanese castle town invites travelers to become ‘daimyo’ for a day
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Julian Ryall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Simon Celestine arrived at Odawara castle as a tourist from France but he is now lord of one of the most impressive feudal-era fortresses in Japan – if only for a day. Odawara Tourism AssociationOdawara has been selected as one of the first recipients of government assistance to tell its story and local tourism authorities have been busy devising initiatives that play on its strengths. Five generations of the Hojo clan made Odawara castle one of the most formidable in the country and it was never successfully stormed in battle. Odawara Tourism AssociationThe innermost courtyard is across another bridge over a moat, up a flight of steep steps and through a gate set into a two-meter-thick wall. The “Lord of the Castle” experience can be booked through the official Odawara Tourism Association website.

Persons: Simon Celestine, Hojo, Naoya Asao, ” Celestine, ”, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi, Meiji, Celestine, Tomomi Iwayama, Iwayama, sashimi Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN, Odawara Tourism, Odawara, Odawara Tourism Association, CNN Travel Locations: Odawara, Japan, France, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone, Izu, Sagami Bay, Mount Fuji, Edo, Kanto

☆ My sister tricked our family into watching 'Saltburn' during the Christmas break. I wouldn't recommend watching the movie with your parents.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The scandalous hit movie "Saltburn" premiered on Prime Video during 2023's Christmas period. AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rebecca Schwartz Altholz about her experience watching "Saltburn" with their family. In hindsight, I would not choose "Saltburn" for a family movie night. In the final scene, Oliver reveals to the last living member of the Catton family, Elspeth, that he was after her family's fortune. Everyone should watch "Saltburn," but I would skip putting it on at your next movie night unless your family is as weird as mine.

Persons: Rebecca Schwartz Altholz, —, Sarah, Barry Keoghan, Oliver, Felix, Jacob Elordi, Felix's, Venetia Catton, Alison Oliver, Elspeth Catton, Rosamund Pike, Barry Keoghan's, Oliver Quick, it's, Catton, Elspeth, Oliver's Organizations: Service, Oxford University, Saltburn, Amazon, MGM, Amazon Studios Locations: Mexico, Christmas

☆ The Farmers Had What the Billionaires Wanted
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Conor Dougherty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For six years a mysterious company called Flannery Associates, which Mr. Sramek controlled, had upended the town of 10,000 by spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to buy every farm in the area. It sued a group of holdouts who had refused its above-market offers, on the grounds that they were colluding for more. Residents worried it could be a front for foreign spies looking to surveil a nearby Air Force base. The truth was that Mr. Sramek wanted to build a city from the ground up, in an agricultural region whose defining feature was how little it had changed. They and others from the technology world had spent some $900 million on farmland in a demonstration of their dead seriousness about Mr. Sramek’s vision.

Persons: Jan Sramek, Flannery, Sramek, Michael Moritz, Reid Hoffman, Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs Organizations: American Legion, Flannery Associates, Air Force, Silicon, LinkedIn, Emerson, Apple Locations: Rio Vista, Calif, Rio

☆ Jordan Says Southern Gaza Hospital Badly Damaged by Israeli Shelling Nearby
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Palestinian health officials said seven people were killed by Israeli air strikes that damaged homes near the hospital. Explosions from shelling and air strikes sounded further west in Khan Younis as the Israeli tanks moved on, with lines of thick black smoke rising from bomb sites. Israel said it had killed six Palestinian fighters, including the southern district Hamas officer in charge of interrogating suspected spies. The Israeli military said its forces had eliminated a "terrorist cell" during a precise air strike on a car near the Balata camp in the city of Nablus.

Persons: Arafat Barbakh, Tyrone Siu, Nidal, Khan Younis, Nasser, Sean Casey, Israel, Bilal Nofal, Tahreer, Yoav Gallant, Gazans, there's, John Kirby, Abdullah Abu, Crescent, Nidal al, Dan Williams, Clauda, Philippa Fletcher, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, World Health, COMMUNICATIONS, Communications, Palestinian, U.S, House, WEST, West Bank, Israel Locations: GAZA, ISRAEL, DOHA, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, Jordanian, Khan, Rafah, Qatar, France, Egypt, Nablus, Tulkarm, Mughrabi, Doha, Jerusalem, Dubai

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