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☆ China investigates citizen accused of spying for CIA, security ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Security cameras are seen at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, China July 26, 2018. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Aug 21 (Reuters) - China is investigating a Chinese national accused of spying for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the country's state security ministry said on Monday. The 39-year-old Chinese national, surnamed Hao, was a cadre at a ministry and had gone to Japan for studies, which was where the spying recruitment occurred, the ministry said. The statement came less than two weeks after the ministry said it uncovered another national also suspected of spying for the CIA after being recruited in Italy. Relations between the United States and China have soured in recent years over a range of issues, including national security.

Persons: Damir Sagolj, Hao, Ted, Li Jun, Li, Liz Lee, Elaine Lies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BEIJING, Japan, Italy, The U.S, Tokyo, United States, Washington, Shanghai

☆ Who is Travis King, and what comes next for the US soldier in North Korea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Picture of Travis King, the US soldier who ran across the military demarcation line into North Korea on Tuesday July 18. From Travis King/FacebookThe day before he crossed into North Korea, King was supposed to board a flight to Texas, where he was to face disciplinary procedures. The last American known to be held by North Korea was Bruce Byron Lowrance, who, according to North Korean state media, crossed from China into North Korea in 2018. While in North Korea, he appeared in propaganda films, taught the country’s spies English and spent up to eight hours a day studying the writings of North Korean leaders. He was allowed to leave North Korea in 2004, two years after his Japanese wife, who was kidnapped from her home in Japan in 1978 and left North Korea under a deal between Pyongyang and Tokyo.

Persons: Travis King “, ”, King, Travis King, Bryce Dubee, Christine Wormuth, King “, ” Jaqueda, King’s, “, Claudine Gates, Jonathan Franks, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Trump, Kim, KCNA, Washington “, Private King, Bruce Byron Lowrance, Lowrance, Otto Warmbier, Warmbier, Charles Jenkins, Jenkins Organizations: South Korea CNN, Joint Security Area, North, US, CNN, 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat, Armored Division, Army, Incheon International, Aspen Security, South Korean, US Navy, Korean Central News Agency, U.S . Army, Washington, Private, Swedish Embassy, Central Intelligence Agency Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Korean, Korea, Fort Bliss , Texas, Texas, Incheon, United States, ” Jaqueda Gates, Pyongyang, Washington, Busan, Japan, North, Maryland, Swedish, China, American, Tokyo

☆ China uncovers alleged Chinese spy for CIA - state broadcaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Chinese national surnamed Zeng, who had worked for a military industrial group, was recruited by a CIA agent based in Italy, China Central Television (CCTV) said in a report. Zeng was sent to Italy by the military industrial group for further studies and became acquainted with the CIA agent. After succeeding in "shaking" Zeng's political stance, the CIA agent sought sensitive information about the Chinese military from Zeng, according to the CCTV report. Zeng was found to have signed an espionage agreement with the U.S. and had received training before returning to China, CCTV reported. After returning to China, Zeng had provided on numerous occasions "core" intelligence, and had pocketed funds for the efforts, it said.

Persons: Zeng, Seth, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Jamie Freed, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, China Central Television, U.S, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Italy, U.S, Beijing, Washington, United States

[1/2] The logo of U.S. software company Palantir Technologies is seen in Davos, Switzerland January 22, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - Palantir Technologies (PLTR.N) raised its annual revenue forecast on Monday and said it would buy back shares worth up to $1 billion as the data analytics software maker enjoys "unprecedented demand" for its artificial intelligence platform. The company launched the platform, which includes an AI assistant that can help enterprises make decisions about their operations, in April. Its second-quarter sales and third-quarter revenue forecast were also above estimates, according to Refinitiv data. Still, the company expects full-year 2023 revenue to come in above $2.21 billion, compared with its earlier forecast of $2.19 billion to $2.24 billion.

Persons: Arnd, Alexander Karp, Palantir, David Glazer, Glazer, Chavi Mehta, Shinjini Organizations: Palantir Technologies, REUTERS, Investors, Central Intelligence Agency, Thomson Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Europe, Bengaluru

☆ Biden Elevates C.I.A. Director to Become a Member of the Cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Michael D. Shear | More About Michael D. Shear | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden on Friday elevated William J. Burns, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to become a member of his cabinet, citing the agency’s work in providing “good intelligence, delivered with honesty and integrity” on China, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and emerging technologies. “Bill has always given me clear, straightforward analysis that prioritizes the safety and security of the American people, reflecting the integral role the C.I.A. plays in our national security decision-making at this critical time,” Mr. Biden said in a statement. director had been a cabinet-level one until 2005, when the post of director of national intelligence was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Starting that year, the director of national intelligence, not of the C.I.A., served in the cabinet.

Persons: Biden, William J, Burns, Bill, ” Mr Organizations: Central Intelligence Agency Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ What do we know about the US solider in North Korea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —For the first time in decades a US soldier is believed to be in North Korean custody. The US Army has identified the soldier who crossed the demarcation line into North Korea on Tuesday as Pvt. The last American known to be held by North Korea was Bruce Byron Lowrance, who, according to North Korean state-run media, crossed from China into North Korea. While in North Korea, he appeared in propaganda films, taught North Korean spies English and spent up to eight hours a day studying the writings of North Korean leaders. He was allowed to leave North Korea in 2004, two years after his wife, a Japanese national who was kidnapped from her home in Japan in 1978, was allowed to leave North Korea under a deal between Pyongyang and Tokyo.

Persons: Travis King, King “, ”, “, Isaac Taylor, King, Bryce Dubee, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Trump, Bruce Byron Lowrance, Lowrance, Otto Warmbier, Warmbier, Charles Jenkins, Jenkins Organizations: South Korea CNN —, US Army, Joint Security, Democratic, Korean People’s Army, ” US Forces, 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat, Armored Division, Joint Security Area, US Navy, Swedish Embassy, Pyongyang, United Nations Command, Central Intelligence Agency, US, North Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North, United States, Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea, Korean, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, ” US Forces Korea, Fort Bliss , Texas, South, Washington, Busan, Japan, Swedish, China, American, Tokyo

☆ Fact Check-'Declassified CIA document’ on Stepan Bandera is a translation of Russian magazine article
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A translation of a Russian-language magazine article hosted on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) website, which says Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera is Adolf Hitler’s spy, has been mistaken online to be the findings of the CIA itself. Facebook (here and here) and Twitter (here) users are sharing screenshots and a link to the document, captioning it as a “declassified CIA document”, and writing: “Ukrainian hero Stepan Bandera was 'Hitler's professional spy, known as Consul II.' A copy of the original magazine article, from 1951, can be viewed on page 18, bit.ly/3JX25tt . In 2020, some Russian media released misleading articles regarding this document with a similar narrative. The document is a translation of a Russian-language magazine article, not evidence of a conclusion by the CIA.

Persons: U.S . Central Intelligence Agency’s, Stepan Bandera, Adolf Hitler’s, ”, Sotsialisticheskiy Vestnik, Petro Yarovyy, Read Organizations: U.S . Central Intelligence, CIA, Facebook, Twitter, of Ukrainian Nationalists, OUN, Nazi, Reuters Locations: Ukrainian, Bandera, Soviet, Ukraine

☆ Fox News regular who accused Hunter Biden of having nefarious ties to China is now being charged with having nefarious ties to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Gal Luft claims he has proof of Hunter Biden profiting off his family name in deals with China. Luft himself has been charged by the DOJ with false statements and being a foreign agent of China. After months of secrecy surrounding the charges against Luft, the indictment has been unsealed. Prosecutors allege Luft created a written "dialogue" between Woolsey and an associate at CEFC China Energy, a state-run energy company, which was then published in a Chinese newspaper online. Christopher Clark, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Persons: Gal Luft, Hunter Biden, Luft, Hunter, —, Trump, James Woolsey, Donald Trump's, Woolsey, LUFT, Biden, Biden's, Joe Biden's, Joe Biden, Christopher Clark, I'm Organizations: Service, DOJ, US, Monday, Foreign, Office, of, Luft Prosecutors, Global Security, New York Post, Central Intelligence Agency, Prosecutors, CEFC China Energy, United Arab, NY, China Energy, FBI, Biden, Washington Post, NY Post Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Chinese, Cyprus, FARA, Southern, of New York, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Brussels, Belgium, —

☆ A little-known Russian spy agency left feces in the suitcases of diplomats as its calling card, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A mysterious Russian spy agency left unsettling calling cards for US targets, the Journal reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The Russian Department for Counterintelligence Operations, or DKRO, is a secretive organization that operates under the FSB, Russia's security agency. They know us extremely well," Dan Hoffman, a former Central Intelligence Agency station chief in Moscow, told the Journal. American officials told the Wall Street Journal the DKRO was likely behind the arrest of Gershkovich, who has now been imprisoned in Russia for more than 100 days.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, They've, Dan Hoffman, Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, Whelan, Reed Organizations: Service, Wall Street Journal, Russian Department for Counterintelligence Operations, Central Intelligence Agency, Wall Street, Journal, American Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, American, America, Moscow, Russia

NUCLEAR WEAPONS? Amid today's Ukraine war, the biggest land war in Europe since 1945, the town is again being enclosed by the tentacles of distant tumult. "No one is ever going to tell you where the tactical nuclear weapons are stationed - you should understand that," Kasinsky said. He repeatedly refused to confirm or deny whether the nuclear weapons were outside Osipovichi. "You should not try to make some sort of horror story out of the tactical nuclear weapons," said Kasinsky.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Alexander Lukashenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Leonid Kasinsky, Kasinsky, Osipovichi, Hans Kristensen, Vladimir Lenin, Ilya Petrov, Lukashenko, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Putin, Town, Bolshevik, Foreign, Belarus OSIPOVICHI, Red Army, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Federation of American Scientists, CIA, Communist, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Belarusian, Russia, Osipovichi, Tsel, Russian, Minsk, Ukrainian, Grand Duchy, Lithuania, Nazi Germany, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, West

Odesa, Ukraine CNN —Vladimir Putin’s response to the armed Wagner rebellion was “weak” and the Russian President is losing control of his own people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN in an exclusive interview. It’s weak,” Zelensky told CNN’s Erin Burnett in Odesa, in an interview taped on Sunday. Zelensky told CNN he was “surprised” to see his meeting with Burns reported in the media. Speaking at a news conference in Kyiv Saturday, Zelensky said Prigozhin’s rebellion had “greatly affected Russian power on the battlefield” and could be beneficial to Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Asked whether there was any scenario under which there could be peace without Crimea, Zelensky said: “It will not be victory then.”

Persons: Erin Burnett’s, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine CNN — Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ” Zelensky, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Prigozhin, ’, Zelensky, Prigozhin’s, Bill Burns, ”, Burns, “, ” Burns, Burnett Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, US Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Kyiv Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Moscow, Russia, Rostov, Kyiv, Crimea

☆ CIA's Burns: U.S. needs to de-risk and diversify away from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 1 (Reuters) - Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said on Saturday that decoupling from China would be foolish given the deep economic interdependence so the United States should try to diversify its supply chains. "China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do so," Burns said in a lecture in Oxfordshire, England. "In today's world, no country wants to find itself at the mercy of a 'cartel of one' for critical minerals and technologies," Burns said. "The answer to that is not to decouple from an economy like China's, which would be foolish, but to sensibly de-risk and diversify by securing resilient supply chains, protecting our technological edge and investing in industrial capacity." Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William Burns, Burns, Guy Faulconbridge, Louise Heavens Organizations: Central Intelligence Agency, Thomson Locations: China, United States, Oxfordshire, England

☆ CIA's Burns: armed mutiny shows damage Putin has done to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns said on Saturday that the armed mutiny by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had shown the corrosive effect on Russia of President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. "It is striking that Prigozhin preceded his actions with a scathing indictment of the Kremlin's mendacious rationale for the invasion of Ukraine and of the Russian military leadership's conduct of the war," Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow, said in a lecture to Britain's Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire, England. "The impact of those words and those actions will play out for some time - a vivid reminder of the corrosive effect of Putin's war on his own society and his own regime." Burns cast the mutiny as an "armed challenge to the Russian state" but said it was an "internal Russian affair in which the United States has had and will have no part." Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow; Editing by Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William Burns, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Burns, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: . Central Intelligence Agency, Ditchley, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Moscow, Oxfordshire, England, United States

☆ No direct evidence COVID started in Wuhan lab - US intelligence report
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 23 (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies found no direct evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic stemmed from an incident at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, a report declassified on Friday said. "The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency remain unable to determine the precise origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both (natural and lab) hypotheses rely on significant assumptions or face challenges with conflicting reporting," the ODNI report said. The report said that while "extensive work" had been conducted on coronaviruses at the Wuhan institute (WIV), the agencies had not found evidence of a specific incident that could have caused the outbreak. U.S. President Joe Biden in March signed a bill declassifying information related to the origins of the pandemic. As of March 20, four other U.S. agencies still judged that COVID-19 was likely the result of natural transmission, while two were undecided.

Persons: WIV, Joe Biden, Biden, Christopher Wray, Dan Whitcomb, Rosalba O'Brien, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Wuhan, of Virology, National Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, coronaviruses, Wall, U.S . Energy Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wuhan, United States, Beijing, China

☆ A Basement of Horrors in Seoul, Where Past and Present Collide
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Lauretta Charlton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The hostel in central Seoul has a lot to recommend it. The rooms are tidy and affordable enough for K-pop fanatics on a budget and families in need of lots of space on vacation. It’s perched at the base of Namsan, the scenic, leafy mountain peak in the heart of town. Namsan, with its winding trails and springtime cherry blossoms, has long been a top destination for tourists in Seoul. Torture was common, and one of the preferred venues was the basement of the Seoul Municipal Youth Hostel, which once housed the K.C.I.A.

Persons: “ Organizations: Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Youth Locations: Seoul, There’s

☆ 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

It is still unclear exactly what happened to Nord Stream, a multibillion-dollar project that carried Russian gas to Germany. Some U.S. and European officials initially suggested Russia had blown up its own pipelines, an interpretation dismissed as idiotic by President Vladimir Putin. Sub-sea cables which criss-cross the world's oceans have become the arteries of global communications. The intelligence chief of the NATO military alliance cautioned in May that Russia may sabotage undersea cables to punish the West for supporting Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly said the West was behind the Nord Stream blasts - particularly the United States and Britain, which both deny involvement.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Medvedev, Dmitry Peskov, Pulitzer, Seymour Hersh, Joe Biden, Peskov, Philippa Fletcher, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Russia, CIA, U.S, The Washington Post, The New York Times, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Ukraine, Russia's Security, ., NATO, Reuters, White House, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Moscow, Nord, Baltic, Germany, Russia, Russian, China, United States, Ukraine, NORD, Britain

☆ C.I.A. Told Ukraine Last Summer It Should Not Attack Nord Stream Pipelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | Michael Schwirtz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Central Intelligence Agency told Ukrainian officials last summer that it had learned of what it thought was an aborted plot by the Ukrainians to attack the Nord Stream pipelines, and the agency reinforced its objection to any such operation, U.S. officials said. In June 2022, Dutch intelligence officials shared information with the C.I.A. that they had learned the Ukrainian military had been planning an operation using divers to blow up one of the pipelines, according to U.S. and European officials. But the original tip by the Dutch, according to U.S. officials, was that Ukraine had already reconsidered and canceled the operation. In reality, American officials now believe, the operation was not aborted but delayed, potentially with a different Ukraine-aligned group carrying out the attack.

Organizations: Central Intelligence Agency Locations: U.S, Ukraine, Russia, Europe

☆ 2024 US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

May 24 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday he is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, joining former President Donald Trump in a growing list of Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden. Here is a list of declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. The former Kansas congressman was one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants and initially backed his false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. Several of his key staff, though, have recently joined the DeSantis camp, suggesting that Youngkin is not going to run in 2024. She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, JOE BIDEN Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Biden, Trump, RON DESANTIS, DeSantis, SCOTT, Scott, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, MIKE, Pence, Trump's, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Christie, CHRIS SUNUNU The, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, ROBERT KENNEDY JR, Kennedy, Robert F, MIKE POMPEO Trump's, GLENN YOUNGKIN, MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, Ross Colvin, Colleen Jenkins, Nick Zieminski, Mark Potter Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Biden, Trump, Republican Party, New, Walt Disney Co, Black Republican U.S, Reuters, United Nations, ASA, White House, U.S . Capitol, Republican White House, YouTube, Central Intelligence Agency, White, Democrat, Thomson Locations: Florida, U.S, New York, Ukraine, South Carolina, Arkansas, Pence, New Jersey, CHRIS SUNUNU The New Hampshire, England, Kansas, Virginia

☆ After years of war, Assad returns to Arab fold
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

* Aug. 2011 - U.S. President Barack Obama says Assad has lost legitimacy to rule and should surrender power. * Nov. 2011 - The Arab League suspends Syria and urges its army to stop killing civilians. * Sept. 2015 - Russia joins the war on Assad's side, deploying war planes that bomb rebel-held areas - a turning point in the conflict. * March 2022 - Assad visits the United Arab Emirates and meets its leaders, his first trip to an Arab state since 2011. Assad says he will only meet Erdogan when Turkey is ready to withdraw forces from Syria.

May 16 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday its agencies were tracking Western spy activity after the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency published a video encouraging Russians to make contact via a secure internet channel. Published nearly 15 months into Moscow's war with Ukraine, the video invites Russians to take a colossal risk. Asked about the video, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had not paid attention to it, but added: "I am convinced that our special services are monitoring this space in the necessary way." Some Russians reacted sceptically to the video on social media, saying it looked like a "provocation" by Russia's FSB security service. "The CIA wants to know the truth about #Russia, and we are looking for reliable people who know and can tell us this truth," it said.

☆ CIA launches video to recruit Russian spies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The CIA first posted the video on Telegram, which ends with instructions on how to get in touch with the CIA anonymously and securely. The video is also being posted to its other social media platforms, including YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. It appeals to their sense of patriotism and plays on Russian culture, quoting lines from Leo Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. The emotional two-minute video shows different Russians going about their lives, appearing to contemplate major decisions. Monday’s video mirrors a more blunt outreach on social media by the CIA a year ago, two months into the war in Ukraine.

The release of a House Oversight Committee memo came as Hunter Biden faces legal scrutiny on other fronts, including on his taxes. Photo: Susan Walsh/Associated PressHouse Republicans released a pair of reports Wednesday related to President Biden’s family as they sought new momentum in investigations involving his son, Hunter Biden . In a memo from a House Judiciary subcommittee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, GOP committee staff alleged that an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency inappropriately sought at least one signatory for a letter aimed at helping both Bidens on the eve of the 2020 presidential election.

☆ Wiz's rapid ascent to $10 billion valuation in market downturn shows cloud security is 'still huge'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The accelerated shift to cloud computing has boosted adoption of security software that can identify the spots where hackers can wage attacks. Older security companies such as Palo Alto Networks and Rapid7 have widened their portfolios to specialize in securing the cloud. Regardless of how Thomas views Wiz, in February his company added the startup to its list of competitors, putting it alongside Palo Alto Networks . Rappaport called out Palo Alto Networks, which has an offering called Prisma Cloud, as his company's best place to snag business. Rappaport also knows plenty about Microsoft, having sold his prior security startup, Adallom, to the company for $320 million in 2015.

☆ Shares of data analytics firm Palantir surge 22% on profit forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The data analytics software maker, known for its work with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, late on Monday reported quarterly results that beat Wall Street's expectations, lifted by bigger projects from existing commercial and government clients. The platform uses the same technology behind ChatGPT, the popular chatbot from OpenAI. The surge on Tuesday drove Palantir's stock to its highest price since mid-February and brings its gain in 2023 to 49%. Palantir's plan to turn quarterly profits throughout 2023, helped by cost cuts, opens the potential for it to join the S&P 500 (.SPX) index, D.A. More than $1.5 billion worth of Palantir's stock had been exchanged as of midday on Tuesday, putting it among Wall Street's 12 most traded stocks by turnover.

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