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MUNICH (AP) — Top diplomats from the U.S. and China on Friday held a “candid and constructive” discussion on issues vexing their strained relations over Taiwan, the situation in the South China Sea, Russia’s war against Ukraine and synthetic opioids, the State Department said. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken had emphasized the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait as well as expanding on nascent counternarcotics efforts. Blinken also raised concerns about China's support for Russia’s defense industrial base that Washington sees as helping Moscow’s military operations against Ukraine. “The two sides had a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition in the relationship,” Miller said. Photos You Should See View All 33 Images“Both sides recognized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and (China) across a range of strategic issues, including consultations and high-level meetings in key areas in the coming months,” he said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Wang Yi, Joe Biden, Matthew Miller, Blinken, ” Miller, Blinken “, ” Organizations: —, State Department, Foreign, Munich, California . State Department, Washington, Ukraine, North Locations: MUNICH, U.S, China, Taiwan, South China, Ukraine, California ., Taiwan Strait, United States, North Korea

☆ Mayorkas defends his record on the southern border and slams House Republicans after historic impeachment
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Donald Judd | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday defended his record on the border, saying his impeachment by House Republicans has no basis in fact or law and he has no plans to slow down his work. Of course,” Mayorkas told Amanpour. As a member of the administration’s delegation to the conference, Mayorkas rebuffed the idea that Tuesday’s impeachment had compromised his standing with world leaders. Three Republicans – Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, and Tom McClintock of California – voted with Democrats against the measure. “I’ve interacted with the president countless times,” Mayorkas told Amanpour.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Mayorkas, “, ” Mayorkas, Amanpour, I’m, Alexey Navalny, Joe, Robert Hur’s, ”, –, Republicans – Ken Buck, Republicans – Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of, Tom McClintock, California –, Navalny’s, Vladimir Putin, Hur, Biden, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Homeland, House Republicans, Munich Security Conference, ” CNN, Republicans, United, Justice Locations: United States, Republicans – Ken Buck of, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, California, Ukraine

☆ Only the U.S. can force peace in the Middle East and it should pressure Israel, Lebanon foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lebanon's foreign minister called on the U.S. to pressure Israel and bring an end to its bloody war with Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has now entered its fifth month. "We want peace, I think the Palestinians are ready for peace and Americans should — [they are] the only country that can really enable peace," Bou Habib told CNBC's Silvia Amaro. "But they should exert some pressure over Israel like what happened in the 70s, Kissinger was there, and he exerted pressure on Israel to do the peace." Recent bills in the U.S. Congress have allocated tens of billions more in military aid since the Hamas terror attack of Oct. 7 that killed roughly 1,200 people. If the U.S. can't play a prominent role in stopping the hostilities, "then the war will continue," Bou Habib said.

Persons: Abdallah Bou Habib, Bou Habib, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Kissinger, Henry, Israel, Israel's Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, CNBC, Munich Security, Congressional Research Service, U.S . Agency for International Development, Washington, U.S, Congress Locations: Israel, Washington, U.S, Gaza

☆ What to expect as the 'Davos of Defense' kicks off in Munich with beefed up security
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH, Germany — Security forces descended on Munich, Germany on Friday as global leaders gathered for the city's annual security conference, which this year looks likely to be among the most consequential in its 60-year history. Dubbed the "Davos of Defense," the Munich Security Conference will see an estimated 60 heads of state and over 85 government officials meet for three days in the Bavarian city to discuss current and future global security issues. Front and center this weekend will be the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East — and the potential paths to resolution. Rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, NATO expansion, and the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House are also expected to be high on the agenda. Still, Trump's support for the Kremlin was seemingly rebuffed Wednesday when Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would prefer a "more predictable" President Joe Biden to win the 2024 U.S. election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden Organizations: Davos of Defense, Munich, NATO, Trump, Kremlin Locations: MUNICH, Germany, Munich, Davos, Bavarian, Europe, Russia

NEW YORK (AP) — The maker of ChatGPT is now diving into AI-generated video. The model can also generate video from an existing still image. Getting an AI system to generate videos is newer and more challenging but relies on some of the same technology. Still, industry analysts stress the apparent quality and and impressive length of Sora videos shared so far. Although Sora's abilities have astounded observers since Thursday's launch, anxiety over ethical and societal implications of AI-generated video uses also remains.

Persons: Sora —, Sora isn't, Sam Altman, OpenAI, “, Sora isn’t, Fred Havemeyer, ” Havemeyer, “ You’re, — Forrester, Rowan Curran, Curran, “ We’re, Sora, ” OpenAI’s, Anna Makanju, Sora “, ________________ O'Brien Organizations: San Francisco, Meta, Associated Press, ” Tech, European Union, Munich Security Conference, OpenAI, Microsoft, The New York Times Locations: San, Macquarie, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ Navalny’s death puts a new spotlight on key dividing line between Trump and Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Make no mistake: Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death. A few moments earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken linked Navalny’s death directly to Russia’s president. Asked whether Navalny’s death might spur Congress to act in providing more Ukraine aid, Biden was hopeful. Even so, Johnson said in a statement Friday that Putin “is likely directly responsible” for Navalny’s death. “I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Biden said in Geneva, where the summit was held.

Persons: Alexey Navalny’s, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Putin, ” Biden, Roosevelt, “ Putin, ” Trump, Nikki Haley, Fani Willis ’, Trump, Putin’s, Biden, “ It’s, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, “, ”, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Putin “, Tucker Carlson, Carlson, Trump’s, ” Haley, Truman, “ Trump, he’d, Navalny, we’re, ” Harris, Harris, Navalny’s, CNN’s Haley Britzky, Lauren Fox, Kate Sullivan Organizations: CNN, White, GOP, Fulton, NATO, Biden, Munich Security Conference, Republican, Republicans, Ukraine, Fox News, South Carolina Gov, South, Putin, Super, Ukraine wavers, “, Trump Locations: Washington, Russia, Fulton County, Georgia, Europe, Moscow, Ukraine, Munich, United States, South Carolina, Michigan , Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Geneva, Asia, transatlanticism

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny attends a rally in support of political prisoners in Prospekt Sakharova Street in Moscow, Russia on September 29, 2019. Sefa Karacan | Anadolu | Getty ImagesWorld leaders and the wife of prominent Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny reacted with dismay and suspicion to reports of the Kremlin critic's death in a Siberian penal colony. Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's wife, was greeted on Friday with a standing ovation as she addressed the Munich Security Conference. "Alexei Navalny has been a strong voice for freedom, for democracy, for many years, and NATO and NATO allies have called for his immediate release for a long time." "We'll be talking to the many other countries concerned about Alexei Navalny, especially if these reports bear out to be true."

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Sefa, Yulia Navalnaya, Navalnaya, Vladimir Putin, Putin, …, Kai Pfaffenbach, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Navalny's, Navalny, Kamala Harris, Washington, Jens Stoltenberg, Yulia Morozova, Ursula von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Antony Blinken, Rishi Sunak, Olaf Scholz Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, Munich Security, Reuters, Ministry, Munich, NATO, IK Locations: Moscow, Russia, Munich, Germany, Vladimir, Russian

☆ Zelensky Visits Berlin and Paris to Shore Up Support as U.S. Wavers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Erika Solomon | Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is making a whirlwind trip through Berlin and Paris on Friday in a bid to shore up European backing at a critical moment for his country’s fight against Russia, with United States support wavering and Ukraine desperately in need of more arms. Arriving in Berlin on Friday morning, Mr. Zelensky signed a security agreement with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany. The Ukrainian leader was expected in Paris later Friday to sign a similar accord with President Emmanuel Macron of France, before an expected appearance at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. “A historic step,” Mr. Scholz wrote in a social media post that included a picture of him and Mr. Zelensky holding the agreement after it was signed. European leaders have been scrambling to offer more support to Ukraine amid growing concerns that a $60 billion United States aid package, which passed the Senate, may yet be scuppered by Republicans in the House.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Emmanuel Macron, Mr, Scholz Organizations: Russia, United, Munich, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Berlin, Paris, United States, Ukrainian, France, States

☆ U.S. troops will be on the front lines against Russia without further Ukraine aid, Senator Coons says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

MUNICH, Germany — The U.S. faces the prospect of direct combat with Russia if it fails to provide continued financial and military support for forces on the ground in Ukraine, U.S. Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said Friday. Calling for bipartisan support from the U.S. House of Representatives for a new $95 billion aid package that includes funds for Ukraine, Coons said that investment in Europe was the U.S.' best defense against Moscow. "In the next front against Russia, it will be Americans on the front lines," Coons told CNBC's Silvia Amaro at the Munich Security Conference. Without doing so, Coons said Putin was likely to target a NATO ally next. "If we don't stop Putin in Ukraine, he will next be attacking NATO allies of the United States," he said.

Persons: Sen, Chris Coons, Democratic Sen, Coons, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Vladimir, Putin, Joe Biden Organizations: Senate Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Democratic, U.S . House, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Munich Security, U.S, Senate, NATO Locations: Afghanistan, Washington ,, MUNICH, Germany, The U.S, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Europe, United States

☆ Lebanon foreign minister: We need a full solution in the Middle East, not half a solution
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLebanon foreign minister: We need a full solution in the Middle East, not half a solutionDr. Abdallah Bou Habib, Lebanon's minister of foreign affairs and emigrants, speaks to CNBC's Silvia Amaro from the Munich Security Conference.

Persons: Abdallah Bou Habib, CNBC's Silvia Amaro Organizations: Lebanon, Munich Security Conference

☆ Analysis: Death of leading critic Navalny is a reminder of Putin’s paranoia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

It is the why that is already the largest question, after the untimely death of Alexey Navalny. And with his death, Putin is in a riskier position. The Prigozhin death, critics of the Kremlin, had felt, was to some degree inevitable. He has long been a Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty ImagesNavalny’s death is a reminder of Putin’s paranoia. Does it speak of a man burdened by worry, and happy to endure the global outrage of Navalny’s death if it removes the tiniest possible risks to his rule?

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Putin, Navalny, Kamala Harris, Alexei Navalny, Vera Savina, Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Litvinenko, Boris Berezovsky, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ”, Alexander Nemenov, Putin’s Organizations: Germany CNN, Kremlin, Munich Security, NATO, IK, Police, Getty, Putin Locations: Munich, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, AFP, London, Moscow, Putin’s

☆ Belgium PM says NATO countries need to be 'more united than ever'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBelgium PM says NATO countries need to be 'more united than ever'Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Alexander De Croo, the prime minister of Belgium, tells CNBC's Silvia Amaro that NATO countries need to be more united than ever. His comments came as he addressed reports that Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny had died, describing him as "one of the most courageous people in Russia."

Persons: Alexander De Croo, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Alexei Navalny Organizations: Belgium, NATO, Munich Security Conference Locations: Belgium, Russia

☆ Leading tech firms pledge to address election risks posed by AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Now, a group of leading tech companies say they are teaming up to address that threat. More than a dozen tech firms involved in building or using AI technologies pledged on Friday to work together to detect and counter harmful AI content in elections, including deepfakes of political candidates. Tech companies generally have a less-than-stellar record of self-regulation and enforcing their own policies. “Every election cycle, tech companies pledge to a vague set of democratic standards and then fail to fully deliver on these promises. To address the real harms that AI poses in a busy election year … We need robust content moderation that involves human review, labeling and enforcement.”

Persons: Brad Smith, OpenAI, “, ”, Sam Altman, ” Nora Benavidez Organizations: New, New York CNN, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Adobe, “ Tech Accord, ”, Munich, Tech, Free Press Locations: New York

Tech executives from Adobe, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and TikTok gathered at the Munich Security Conference to announce a new voluntary framework for how they will respond to AI-generated deepfakes that deliberately trick voters. Thirteen other companies — including IBM and Elon Musk's X — are also signing on to the accord. Instead, the accord outlines methods they will use to try to detect and label deceptive AI content when it is created or distributed on their platforms. That pressure is heightened in the U.S., where Congress has yet to pass laws regulating AI in politics, leaving AI companies to largely govern themselves. Many social media companies already have policies in place to deter deceptive posts about electoral processes — AI-generated or not.

Persons: TikTok, Elon Musk's, ”, Nick Clegg, ” Clegg, Joe Biden’s, Suharto, Jeff Allen, McAfee, —, Linda Yaccarino Organizations: . Tech, Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Munich Security, IBM, Elon, Facebook, “, Federal Communications Commission, Integrity Institute, Arm Holdings, Twitter, Associated Press, AP Locations: U.S, San Francisco

The reported death in prison of Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent political rival, sent shockwaves throughout Russia and the world on Friday – even if some were unsurprised by the outcome. “There is no doubt that the death of Navalny was the consequence of something Putin and his thugs did,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in remarks at the White House on Friday. The Latest Photos From Ukraine View All 91 ImagesHere is what you need to know about Navalny, his death and Russia’s handling of political prisoners. Who Was Alexei Navalny? Navalny later participated in several mass protests and lobbed criticisms more directly at Putin and other Kremlin officials.

Persons: Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Navalny, Joe Biden, “, ” Konstantin Sonin, ” Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, Navalnaya, ”, Leonid Volkov, Navalny’s, Evan Gershkovich, Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Alexei Gorinov, Maria Ponomarenko – Organizations: White, overdevelopment, Associated Press, Reuters, Washington Post, University of Chicago, Ukraine, Munich, Russia’s Federal, Service, Nenets Autonomous, Tass, Wall Street Locations: Russian, Russia, U.S, Moscow, Ukraine, Belarus, Germany, Russia’s, Nenets, Nenets Autonomous District, Kharp, Bucha

☆ Belgian PM Backs EU Bonds to Boost Defence Spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Andrew GrayBRUSSELS (Reuters) - Joint European Union borrowing could help fund higher defence spending but governments would still have to make tough political choices to sustain it, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said. To succeed, proponents will need to convince those traditionally sceptical of EU joint borrowing such as Germany, the Netherlands and Nordic nations. European defence spending has been on an upward curve since Russia first invaded Ukraine and seized Crimea in 2014. NATO said on Wednesday it expected defence spending by its European members would grow by $33 billion this year to $380 billion. Last year, NATO estimated Belgium would spend 1.13 % of GDP on defence in 2023, second lowest among NATO members.

Persons: Andrew Gray BRUSSELS, Alexander De Croo, Donald Trump, Kaja Kallas, Emmanuel Macron, Charles Michel, De Croo, Croo, Thierry Breton, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Alex Richardson Organizations: European Union, Belgian, NATO, Estonian, European, Reuters, Munich Security Conference, Nordic, European Defence Fund, EU Locations: European, Ukraine, Munich, Germany, Netherlands, EU, Russia, Crimea, Belgium, Europe, France, Paris

☆ Navalny’s Wife Makes Dramatic Appearance After Reports of His Death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just hours after her husband was reported dead, Yulia Navalnaya made a dramatic, surprise appearance at a gathering of world leaders in Munich on Friday. Conference organizers quickly wrapped up a session with Vice President Kamala Harris and turned the microphone over to Ms. Navalnaya. “We cannot believe Putin and his government,” Ms. Navalnaya told the audience. They will be brought to justice, and this day will come soon.”Ms. Navalnaya spoke clearly and calmly, with remarkable composure, her face etched with evident pain but under complete control. Standing at the lectern, she clasped her hands in front of her and stared straight ahead as if willing herself to focus on her message.

Persons: Yulia Navalnaya, Vladimir V, Putin, ”, Aleksei A, Navalny, Kamala Harris, Navalnaya, ” Ms Organizations: Munich Security Conference, Conference Locations: Munich, Russia, Russian

☆ China's Wang Yi Held 'Constructive' Talks With Blinken in Munich - Chinese Foreign Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed lifting sanctions against Chinese companies and individuals in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Saturday. Both sides also discussed facilitating people-to-people exchanges in the meeting held on Friday, the ministry said, adding the exchanges between the two were "frank, substantial and constructive". "Making 'de-risking' into 'de-China', and building 'small yards and high walls' and seeking 'decoupling from China'" will only backfire on the U.S. itself, Wang said, according to a statement from the foreign ministry. Both sides also exchanged views on regional issues including the Ukraine crisis and the Korean Peninsula, the statement said, without giving further details. China and the U.S. have made some progress in bilateral relations since Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President Joe Biden in November, where they reached agreements covering fentanyl, military communications and artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Persons: Wang Yi, Antony Blinken, Wang, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: China's, U.S, Munich Security Conference, Economic Cooperation, Treasury Locations: BEIJING, de, China, U.S, Ukraine, Asia, Beijing

☆ Chinese hackers' cyberattacks are reaching a 'fever pitch': FBI director
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

FBI chief Christopher Wray says Chinese cyberattacks are becoming a serious problem. Wray told Congress in January that China's hackers outnumber FBI cyber agents by at least 50 to 1. AdvertisementCyberattacks that Chinese hackers orchestrate on the US are reaching a "fever pitch," says FBI director Christopher Wray. Wray was speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday, where he flagged the massive cyber threat posed by China. AdvertisementLast month, Wray told Congress that the US needed to invest in its cyber capabilities to manage the Chinese cyber threat better.

Persons: Christopher Wray, It's, Wray, —, it's, Richard Moore, Moore, Politico's Anne McElvoy Organizations: Munich Security, Service, Munich, FBI, US Locations: China

The news of Mr. Navalny’s death shocked many at the conference and could add new urgency to the discussion. Ms. Harris said at the start of her address to the conference — which had already been expected to focus on Russia — that the United States was still trying to confirm the reports of Mr. Navalny’s death, but that it held Russia’s government responsible. “I made it clear to him that I believe the consequences of that would be devastating for Russia,” Mr. Biden told reporters after meeting with Mr. Putin in Geneva in 2021. “What do you think happens when he’s saying it’s not about hurting Navalny, all the stuff he says to rationalize the treatment of Navalny, and then he dies in prison?” Mr. Biden continued. “I saw Yulia Navalnaya and Leonid Volkov last night here in Munich,” said Michael McFaul, a former American ambassador to Moscow.

Persons: Aleksei A, Yulia Navalnaya, clampdown, Navalnaya, Leonid Volkov, Kamala Harris, Antony J, Blinken, Vladimir V, Putin, Navalny’s, Harris, ”, Mr, Biden, Navalny, “, ” Mr, it’s, Ms, Michael McFaul, Aleksei, ” Edward Wong Organizations: Munich Security Conference, ” Locations: Munich, Europe, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, United States, Geneva, American

☆ Navalny's wife urges the world to unite against Putin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alexey Navalny's wife spoke just hours after Russia announced he was dead. Yulia Navalnaya called on world leaders to band together against Vladimir Putin's regime. And she warned Putin that he will be punished for her husband's death. AdvertisementHours after Russia announced the death of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, his wife appeared at an international conference and urged the world to stand against Vladimir Putin. Yulia Navalnaya was in Germany for the Munich Security Conference when Russia announced that Navalny — a chief critic of Vladimir Putin — died in an Arctic prison.

Persons: Alexey Navalny's, Yulia Navalnaya, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, —, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Navalny —, Vladimir Putin —, Navalnaya, Navalny, Alexei Organizations: Russia, Service, Munich Security Conference Locations: Germany, Ukraine, Russia

☆ US and allies disrupt Russian cyber espionage operation against US and Europe, FBI chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The FBI and its international allies disrupted a network of over 1,000 hacked internet routers that Russia’s military intelligence agency was using for cyber espionage operations against the United States and its European allies, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday. The US has new intelligence on Russian military capabilities related to its efforts to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite system in space, CNN reported Wednesday. Wray’s announcement is the latest move by the FBI to use court orders to try to stifle complex hacking operations from Russian spy agencies. US intelligence agencies also use hacking operations to try to thwart Russia, China and other rival governments. But unlike the FBI’s court-authorized work, details of those US cyber operations rarely, if ever, are made public.

Persons: Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Wray, “ we’ve, Weeks, Russia’s Organizations: CNN, FBI, Munich Security Conference, Justice Department, Russian Embassy, US, “ Locations: United States, Russian, Washington , DC, Munich, Russia, China, Beijing, Ukraine, “ Russia

MUNICH (AP) — Long regarded as a celebration of the U.S.-led post-World War II international order, the Munich Security Conference this year will be more of a reflection of America’s political turmoil. And overshadowing it all will be Trump’s threat to not automatically come to the defense of European allies should they be attacked by Russia. That is a cornerstone of NATO’s founding treaty, which has taken on additional significance since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine in 2022. Blinken, too, will be conveying that message in Munich, according to the top U.S. diplomat for Europe, James O’Brien. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assailed Trump’s comments.

Persons: — Long, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Alejandro Mayorkas, Adolf Hitler, Harris, Blinken, laud, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan, ”, James O’Brien, O’Brien, “, Olaf Scholz, Trump’s, Jens Stoltenberg Organizations: Munich Security, Homeland, Republican, Nazi Party, laud American, Republicans, NATO, Democratic Locations: MUNICH, U.S, Munich, Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Bavarian, Europe, Congress, United States, Finland, Sweden

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A missile strike on the Russian city of Belgorod near the Ukraine border on Thursday killed six people, including a child, and injured 18 others, a Russian official said. It was the latest in exchanges of long-range missile and rocket fire in Russia's war on Ukraine. Five of the 18 people injured in Belgorod, a city of around 340,000 people, were children, regional Gov. Dozens of people were killed and injured in an attack there over Russia’s New Year holiday weekend. The Russian missiles used on Thursday included Iskander ballistic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, guided aviation missiles and adapted S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.

Persons: Vyacheslav Gladkov, Roman Starovoit, ”, Vladimir Putin’s, Oleh Syniehubov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Olaf Scholz, Zelenskyy, Kamala Harris, Andrii Sadovyi, ___ Burrows Organizations: Gov, Telegram, Tass, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Security, U.S, Ukraine, Command Locations: KYIV, Ukraine, Russian, Belgorod, Russia, Ukraine's, Russia's Kursk, “, Ukrainian, Velykyi, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, salvos, France, Berlin, Germany, Russia’s Kursk, London, russia, ukraine

☆ In Munich, Harris Aims to Reassure European Allies as Trump Disparages NATO
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As Air Force Two taxied for takeoff bound for Germany, Vice President Kamala Harris made her way through the plane handing out heart-shaped Valentine’s Day cookies. It was good practice for her trip to the Munich Security Conference, where her mission will be to reassure European allies that America still loves them. Arriving in Munich even as House Republicans block military aid to Ukraine and former President Donald J. Trump vows to encourage Russia to attack “delinquent” NATO allies, Ms. Harris has the unenviable task of telling European leaders not to worry too much about those things. And she faces the challenge of making the case that Mr. Trump and his backers are wrong about the value of alliances. While the meetings she and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will have in Munich will be aimed at calming European leaders, the speech she will deliver to the conference on Friday will be aimed as much at the American audience back home.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald J, Trump, Harris, Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Harris’s Organizations: Air Force, Munich Security Conference, Republicans, NATO Locations: Germany, America, Munich, Ukraine, Russia

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