DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Crises in Ecuador, Haiti Could Fuel Migration in 2024, Report Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kylie MadryMEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Thousands more people could be forced to leave Ecuador and Haiti in 2024 due to humanitarian crises such as intensifying violence, climate impacts and deepening poverty, the International Rescue Committee said in a report on Wednesday. "Multiple factors...will deteriorate living conditions for millions of people in Ecuador and Haiti, potentially forcing thousands to seek safety elsewhere," the IRC said. "The crises in Haiti and Ecuador are creating a ripple effect across the entire region," said IRC regional head Julio Rank Wright in a statement. "Without a functioning political system, the government will struggle to address violence and meet growing needs," the IRC said in the report. Food insecurity will likely also deepen in Haiti in 2024, the IRC said.

Persons: Kylie Madry, Julio Rank Wright, Jovenel Moise, Ariel Henry, Eli Moreno, Ros Russell Organizations: Kylie Madry MEXICO CITY, International, El, Global, Transnational, Global Initiative Locations: Kylie Madry MEXICO, Ecuador, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Darien, Caribbean, Kenya, Mexico City, Panama City

☆ Brazil's Candidate to Head Interpol Says Time for Non-Western Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Anthony Boadle and Ricardo BritoBRASILIA (Reuters) - Interpol should elect a new head from a developing nation to diversify the organisation and boost its credibility as crime becomes increasingly globalised, Brazil's candidate to head the international police agency, Valdecy Urquiza, told Reuters. This would help Interpol strengthen global cooperation to combat transnational crime, said Urquiza, currently Brazil's Federal Police Director for International Cooperation. Interpol's executive committee will elect a new secretary general Feb. 13 for a five-year term, succeeding its current head, Juergen Stock of Germany. The selected candidate will be put to Interpol's General Assembly in November. "Interpol cannot be used for geopolitical ends, so it is important that the secretary general comes from a neutral country, and Brazil has that.

Persons: Anthony Boadle, Ricardo Brito, Valdecy Urquiza, Urquiza, Britain's Stephen Kavanagh, Faisal Shahkar, Moscow, Brazil's, Ros Russell Organizations: Ricardo Brito BRASILIA, Reuters, Interpol, Federal Police, International Cooperation, Juergen, Germany, Police Services, Assembly Locations: Europe, United States, Nawa, Zambia, Pakistan, Lyon, France, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil

☆ The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and the Long Shadow of 1948
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Emily Bazelon | A Discussion Moderated Emily Bazelon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

In 1948, Jews realized their wildly improbable dream of a state, and Palestinians experienced the mass flight and expulsion called the Nakba, or catastrophe. It’s only in 1948 that the Arabs become Palestinians and the Jews become Israelis. Many Jews became lower-level officers during World War II, and they brought their new military expertise to the 1948 war. Zoltan Kluger/GPO, via Getty Images Palestinian bombers destroyed buildings on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem in March 1948. Bettmann/Getty Images A Palestinian refugee cut off from her home by the border established after the 1948 war.

Persons: Matson, —, Khalil Raad, Yaakov Ben Dov Delegates, Haj Amin al, Husseini, ”, It’s, Avraham Avinu, David, Fox, King David Hotel, David Ben, Gurion, “, Hitler, Hans Pinn, Abd al, Qadir al, Chalil, Zoltan Kluger, Ben Yehuda, Hugo H, Mendelsohn, John Phillips, Palestine ”, UNSCOP, Bettmann, Ruth Orkin, David Seymour, Jordan, Israel, Abdullah, Nadim, Leena Dallasheh, Abigail Jacobson, Moshe Naor, ” Derek Penslar, ” Itamar Rabinovich, Salim Tamari, Emily Bazelon, Herzl, Faisal Al, Hashemi, James Russell &, Bain, Jabotinsky, Abraham Pisarek, Weizmann, Heinrich Hoffmann Organizations: Congress, Institute for Palestine, Palestinian, . Institute for Palestine, Matson, Palestine, Getty, of Congress British, Peel, Zionist, Jewish, British Armed Forces, Allied, King, of Congress Women, Hulton, Biltmore, British, Agence France, Getty Images, Refugees, West Bank, Shutterstock, United Nations, League of Nations, United, United Nations Jewish, Madver, The, Palestine Studies, Columbia University, Columbia University , New York University, Rice University, Islamic, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Center for Jewish Studies, Harvard University, Tel Aviv University, Birzeit University, Institute for Palestine Studies, The New York Times Magazine, James Russell & Sons, of Congress, Israel, Ben, General Photographic Agency, Society, International Affairs Locations: Palestine, City, Jerusalem, Canadian American, Israel, British, Jaffa, Damascus, Old City, Hebron, Safed, Europe, Arab, North Africa, New York City, Middle Eastern, Haifa, Cyprus, Jenin, U.S, United Nations, Iraq, Tel Aviv’s Lod, Lebanon, Eyal, el Bared, Egypt, Syria, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Palestinian, United States, Qatar, Iran, Columbia University ,, Nazareth, Israeli, Husseini

Export manufacturing and other mainstream business activities in Myanmar have suffered since the military takeover, wiping out jobs that millions relied on to get by. The economy is forecast to grow at a meager 1% pace this year and about half the population is estimated to be living in poverty. Fighting with pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed groups has escalated in recent months, raising pressure on the military, which has suffered some key defeats. However, United Nations officials estimate that nearly 18 million of the country's nearly 57 million people are in need of humanitarian aid. The Myanmar military administration reported $602 million in foreign direct investment last year, mostly in the energy sector, with only $112 million invested in manufacturing.

Persons: Aung, kyat, ” Miemie Winn Byrd, Daniel K, Inouye, “, ” Jeremy Douglas, ” Organizations: —, vise, Export, United Nations, U.S ., Pacific Center for Security Studies, U.S . Trade, Drugs, Southeast Locations: BANGKOK, Thailand, — Myanmar, Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar's, North Korea, Inouye Asia, Bangkok, “

“The group participants remain detained at the immigration center in a shared cell with 80 people,” the post said. The seven band members were arrested last Thursday after playing a concert on the southern resort island of Phuket, reportedly for not having proper working papers. After paying a fine, the band members were sent to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok. The detained musicians “include Russia citizens as well as dual nationals of Russia and other countries, including Israel and Australia,” the group Human Rights Watch said in a statement Tuesday. Andrei Lugovoi, a member of the lower house of Russia's parliament, called the band members “scum” for their criticism of Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

Persons: Ilya Ilyin, “, ”, Elaine Pearson, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Gudkov, Gudkov, Andrei Lugovoi, ” Lugovoi, Alexander Litvinenko Organizations: —, Facebook, RIA Novosti, Immigration Detention, Human Rights Watch, Rights Watch, AP, Kremlin, Russian Foreign Ministry, YouTube, Spotify Locations: BANGKOK, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Russian, Phuket, Bangkok, Australia, Asia, ”, Britain, London

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Iranian man who federal prosecutors say operates a criminal network that targets dissidents and activists abroad has been charged alongside a pair of Canadians with plotting to kill two people, including a defector from Iran, who had fled to the United States. In this case, prosecutors say, Naji Sharifi Zindashti conspired with two Canadian men between December 2020 and March 2021 to kill two Maryland residents. The intended victims of the murder-for-hire plot were not identified in an indictment, but prosecutors described them as having fled to the United States after one of them had defected from Iran. The plot was ultimately disrupted, the Justice Department said. Prosecutors say Ryan and Pearson are currently imprisoned in Canada on unrelated charges.

Persons: Sharifi Zindashti, Matthew Olsen, John Bolton, Trump, Biden, He's, Damion Patrick John Ryan, Adam Richard Pearson, Ryan, Pearson, “ Organizations: WASHINGTON, Justice Department, Department, Justice, Department's, U.S, Associated Press, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence, Security, Treasury Department, Monday Locations: Iran, United States, China, Maryland, Iranian American, Jordan, American, U.S, Canada, Minnesota

☆ DOJ charged an Iranian operative with hiring Hells Angels bikers for assassinations in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAn Iranian drug trafficker with ties to its spy agency has been charged by the US Department of Justice with hiring members of the Hells Angels biker group to carry out an assassination on American soil. AdvertisementThe DOJ's indictment alleges that Zindashti hired the Hells Angels bikers to conduct the assassination in January 2021. All three defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Advertisement"Zindashti's network has carried out numerous acts of transnational repression including assassinations and kidnappings across multiple jurisdictions in an attempt to silence the Iranian regime's perceived critics.

Persons: —, Naji Sharifi, Damion Patrick John Ryan, Adam Richard Pearson, Zindashti, Andrew Luger, Pearson, Ryan Organizations: Service, US Department of Justice, Hells Angels, Business, DOJ, District of, US Department of, Foreign Assets, United, Iran's Ministry of Intelligence, Security Locations: Maryland, Iran, Minnesota, District of Minnesota, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Sextortion is fastest-growing crime targeting minors in North America – and social media companies can do more to stop it, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

NCRI, a nonprofit, found cybercriminals used the social apps Instagram, Snapchat and Wizz to find and connect with their marks. And social media platforms should include a distinct category to report sextortion — as Snapchat did in early 2023. Parents and educators should "combat the belief that photos sent on Snapchat disappear, which can create a false sense of security," the NCRI study recommends. The NCRI study also strongly criticized Wizz, concluding: "Sextortion on Wizz is pervasive and dangerous. Apple's App Store and Google Play can also help, the NCRI study suggested, by carefully monitoring complaints about sextortion associated with social media apps, and enforcing their existing policies.

Persons: cybercriminals, Wizz, Paul Raffile, Alex Goldenberg, TikTok, Scribd, sextortion, Snapchat, Goldenberg, screenshotted, General Raúl Torrez, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, — Kevin Collier, Ben Goggin Organizations: Yahoo, Network, Research, FBI, Yahoo Boys, NBC News, CNBC, NBC, Secret Service, Facebook, YouTube, Meta, gov, National Center for Locations: North America, Australia, West Africa, Michigan, Wizz, New Mexico, U.S

☆ Pakistan accuses India of extrajudicial killings on its territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A top Pakistan official on Thursday accused India of killing two Pakistani nationals on its soil, citing what he called “a pattern” of alleged Indian assassination plots overseas and raising tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals. India has long accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists, particularly in the disputed and heavily militarized region of Kashmir, which both countries claim in its entirety. Qazi on Thursday compared the alleged killings in Pakistan to other purported recent Indian assassination plots in North America. India and many other countries have publicly warned Pakistan cautioning that it would be consumed by its own culture of terror and violence,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The Indian government has denied involvement in the American and Canadian cases and has set up a high-level committee to investigate the accusations in the US.

Persons: Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Muhammad Riaz, Shahid Latif, ” Qazi, –, Qazi, “, Randhir Jaiswal, Justin Trudeau Organizations: CNN, Pakistan, India’s, External Affairs, Canadian, American Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Kashmir, Sialkot, New Delhi, India, North America, Canada, United States, American

☆ Cesar Suarez: Ecuadorean prosecutor investigating TV station attack has been assassinated, attorney general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Tara John | Abel Alvarado | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An Ecuadorean prosecutor, who was reportedly leading an investigation into an attack on a local TV network, was assassinated on Wednesday in Guayaquil, according to Ecuador’s Attorney General Diana Salazar. Cesar Suarez was killed in the northern part of the city, known for being one of the most violent cities in the country. The TV station attack led Noboa to declare an “internal armed conflict” in the country, ordering security forces to “neutralize” several criminal groups accused of spreading extreme violence in the Latin American nation. Since then, Ecuadorian military and police have spread throughout the city of Guayaquil, a CNN team on the ground witnessed. This comes as rival criminal organizations fuel Ecuador’s worsening security situation in their battle to control drug trafficking routes.

Persons: Diana Salazar, Cesar Suarez, Salazar, Suarez, “, ” Salazar, ”, Daniel Noboa, Adolfo “ Fito ” Macias, Oliver, Noboa, “ Leo Organizations: CNN, Ecuavisa, TC Television, United, Ecuadorian, Ecuador’s Armed Forces Locations: Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Fito, Mexico, United States, Sinaloa, Colombia, Los Tiguerones, Victoria del, “, Peru, Europe

☆ Biden administration announces new financial strike force to curb deadly fentanyl trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The Treasury Department’s Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force will allow us to bring the Department’s unrivaled expertise in fighting financial crime to bear against this deadly epidemic. The strike force will be led by the department’s top sanctions official, Brian Nelson, and the chief of the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigations unit, James Lee. It will “redouble Treasury’s existing work streams, including using financial intelligence to understand risks and map transnational criminal organization (TCO) financial networks,” according to a news release. Several key units within the Treasury Department that specialize in financial crimes, sanctions, and tracking terrorist and illicit financing will be part of the new strike force. The new strike force will also help streamline the Treasury Department’s efforts to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement bodies on potential financial leads.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Brian Nelson, James Lee, ” Nelson, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Biden, Yellen, Nelson, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Monday, Treasury Department, Treasury, Network, Foreign Assets Control, of Intelligence, US Treasury Department, Strike Force, Department, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, Mexican, Biden Locations: United States, China, Ukraine, Mexico

CNN —US federal prosecutors have charged an Indian national in an alleged murder-for-hire plot to try to assassinate a Sikh political activist in New York City, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Canada in June, and the Canadian government said it had credible information linking India to the murder. People stomp on an Indian flag and a cutout of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during a Sikh rally outside the Indian consulate in Toronto to raise awareness for the Indian government's alleged involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia on September 25, 2023. Cole Burston/AFP/Getty ImagesNijjar and Pannun were associates, US prosecutors say, as they were both leaders of the Sikh separatist movement. The Indian official gave Gupta Pannun’s home address, phone numbers and details on his daily activities, prosecutors allege.

Persons: Nikhil Gupta, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Gupta, “, ” Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Narendra Modi, Cole Burston, Pannun, Nijjar, Nijjar “, – Organizations: CNN, Justice, Indian, Getty Locations: New York City, New York, India, Czech Republic, Canada, Toronto, British Columbia, AFP

Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target, although they did describe the latter as a U.S. citizen of Indian origin. The Indian official is described in the related indictment as a "senior field officer" with responsibilities in "security management" and "intelligence" employed by the Indian government who "directed the plot from India." It was a "matter of concern" that an Indian government official was linked to the plot, foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday, adding, "This is also contrary to government policy." 'WE HAVE SO MANY TARGETS'According to U.S. prosecutors, the Indian official recruited Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the assassination. The groups have kept alive the movement for Khalistan, or the demand for an independent Sikh state to be carved out of India.

Persons: Nikhil Gupta, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Gupta, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Damian Williams, Biden, Bill Burns, Narendra Modi, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Arindam Bagchi, Bagchi, Adrienne Watson, credibly, Pannun, Nijjar, Luc Cohen, Krishn Kaushik, Shivam Patel, Jeff Mason, David Brunnstrom, Heather Timmons, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Indian, U.S . Justice, New, New York City, Prosecutors, Biden, National, National Intelligence, White House National Security Council, Reuters, Administration, Air, Air India Boeing, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, New York, India, United States, Canada, Czech, Vancouver, New Delhi, China, Air India, Washington

☆ Ukraine got the top tanks it wanted from the West, but they're not yet changing the game
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Ukraine got the Leopard, Challenger, and Abrams tanks it asked its Western partners for. It's up to Ukraine to either use the tanks to defend against Russian offensives or preserve them for next spring, experts told Business Insider. AdvertisementNow, almost two years into the war, Ukraine has a force of advanced Western tanks at its disposal. Advertisement"These Western type of tanks are qualitatively superior to even the best Russian tanks that the Russians are using in Ukraine," Gentile told Business Insider. There are also questions of whether or not these will be the only Western tanks Ukraine gets, or if there are more in the pipeline.

Persons: Abrams, —, Seth G, Jones, Harold Brown, There's, Gian Gentile, RAND's, Austin Berner Ukraine, M1 Abrams, Gentile, Iraq's, DANIEL LEAL, hasn't, it's, Philipp Schulze, there's, they're Organizations: Russian, Service, Leopards, Transnational, Center for Strategic, International Studies, RAND's Arroyo Center, US Army, Army Staff, Challenger, M1, Soviet, Defense, Ministry of Defence, Getty, Business, Bundeswehr, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Fort Benning, Ga, Soviet, Russia, Soviet Union, England, Zaporizhzhia, Azov, Crimea, Avdiivka, Russian, Lower Saxony, Bergen

☆ Crypto scam: Inside the billion-dollar ‘pig-butchering’ industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Of that, at least $9.1 million came from a crypto wallet that U.S. blockchain analysis firm TRM Labs said was linked to pig-butchering scams. Neither did the Thai government, the Thai police or the Bangkok-based trade group Wang represented, the Thai-Asia Economic Exchange Trade Association. The crypto account registered to Wang was held at Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, according to three blockchain analysis firms. In April, the U.S. Department of Justice said it seized about $112 million worth of crypto linked to pig-butchering scams, without identifying suspects. The crypto account in Wang’s name was registered in November 2020, according to the financial records Reuters reviewed.

Persons: Wang Yicheng, Wang, Emma, Lisa Wolk, Erin West, Jessica Jung, West, “ I’ve, Jeremy Douglas, Binance, Bitmain, ” Organizations: Thai, Reuters, TRM Labs, Asia Economic Exchange Trade Association, U.S . Federal Bureau of Investigation, Secret Service, FBI, Secret, Global, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S . Treasury, United Nations Office, Drugs, Workers, KK Park, Commerce Company, Cultural Exchange Center, Overseas, United, Washington, Cultural Exchange Locations: California, Bangkok, Thai, Asia, Southeast Asia, U.S, Binance, United States, Thailand, China, Myanmar, KK, Ningbo, China’s, Xiamen

☆ Gen. Richardson talks securing prosperity in the Americas and countering China's Belt and Road
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | 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 EmailGen. Richardson talks securing prosperity in the Americas and countering China's Belt and RoadMorgan Brennan sits down with General Laura Richardson, Commander of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), in an exclusive interview as they delve into the intersection of economic and national security in the Western Hemisphere. Gen. Richardson discusses the evolving threat profile, the impact of global dynamics, and the strategic competition between authoritarianism and democracy. The conversation explores China's growing influence through the Belt and Road Initiative, the role of US investments in the region, and the collaborative efforts to address transnational criminal organizations.

Persons: Richardson, Morgan Brennan, Laura Richardson Organizations: US Southern Command, Initiative Locations: Americas

☆ Organized scams are a growing issue for Southeast Asia, UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOrganized scams are a growing issue for Southeast Asia, UN saysPia Oberoi, senior advisor on migration and human rights at the United Nations Human Rights Office, says transnational crime groups are tricking people into working in casinos that have been repurposed into scamming compounds in Southeast Asia.

Persons: Pia Oberoi Organizations: Southeast, United Nations Human Rights Locations: Southeast Asia, UN

☆ Fear is driving Chinese travelers away from two of Asia’s most popular destinations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Shalbha Sarda | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

But both are losing ground with Chinese nationals as safety concerns rise among younger travelers. Both countries were the top choices for Chinese holidaymakers earlier this year but fell in the third quarter — Thailand to No. 8 — according to the marketing company China Trading Desk, which gauges Chinese travel sentiment on a quarterly basis. Both countries now lag behind South Korea, Malaysia and Australia in terms of Chinese travelers' next vacation destinations, with Singapore — deemed one of the safest places for travelers in 2023 — rising to the top spot. The World Health Organization and other safety groups have said seafood from Japan is safe to eat, but fears among Chinese travelers have "turned one of their most popular destinations into one of their least popular," Bhatt said.

Persons: Singapore —, Subramania Bhatt, Bhatt, Pia Oberoi, Oberoi, There's Organizations: China Trading, China, World Health Organization, United Nations, United Nations Human Rights, High, Afp, Getty, ASEAN, CNBC Locations: Japan, Thailand, Asia, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Thailand —, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Southeast, South Asia, China, Taiwan, America, Pacific, perpetrating, Thu, People's Republic of China

HAWSTON, South Africa (AP) — Nearly every house in Hawston has a boat in its yard, sometimes two. It's reduced the endangered South African abalone to unprecedented low levels, wildlife groups say. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesAt first, the South African government banned abalone fishing completely. Hong Kong is importing between 2,000-3,000 metric tons of illegal South African abalone a year, the report estimated. Chan also rates South African abalone highly, as so many do, with its rich taste and slightly chewy texture.

Persons: Raphael Fisher, perlemoen, Fisher, ”, “ It’s, Wendy Chan, Chan, “, Keet, It's, Bertus van, van Oordt, Van Oordt, we'll, ” van Oordt, “ We'll, Markus Burgener, ” Burgener, Burgener, Zara, Toby, ” Fisher, Kanis Leung, Alice Fung Organizations: South, Global, Transnational, International Union for Conservation, Nature, Divers, Lookouts, Trade Monitoring, AP Locations: South Africa, Hawston, East Asia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, Gansbaai, HIK, Hawston's, Africa, africa

President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, will talk in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday for their second in-person meeting. The meeting is sure to cover many high-stakes topics, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict. While the meeting is noteworthy, the Biden administration is keeping expectations low given that the two countries disagree on many subject areas. Political Cartoons on World Leaders View All 228 Images“We're not talking about a long list of outcomes or deliverables,” a senior administration official told reporters on a Sunday call. “We're going to cover a whole range of topics that are potentially contentious,” a senior administration official said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, “ We’re, ” Biden, ”, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Biden “, “ We're, “ Organizations: San Francisco Bay Area, Economic Cooperation, U.S, Union, CBS, Defense Department Locations: San Francisco Bay, Ukraine, Israel, China, Asia, San Francisco, “ State, Pacific, U.S

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Wednesday in California for talks on trade, Taiwan and managing fraught U.S.-Chinese relations in the first engagement between the leaders of the world's two biggest economies in nearly a year. Thousands of protesters are expected to descend on San Francisco during the summit. Thousands of people protesting climate destruction, corporate practices, the Israel-Hamas war and other issues are expected to descend on San Francisco during the summit. San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott said his department expects several protests a day but doesn't know which ones will materialize where and when. ___Associated Press writer Janie Har in San Francisco and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed reporting.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, Xi, Karine Jean, Pierre, ”, Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Tsai Ing, Nancy Pelosi's, ” Biden, Bill Scott, Janie Har, Ken Moritsugu Organizations: WASHINGTON, Economic Cooperation, White, APEC, U.S ., Biden, Communist Party, Democratic, U.S, Beijing, Senate Intelligence, Pentagon, San Francisco Police Department, Associated Press Locations: California, Taiwan, Asia, San Francisco, U.S, China, San Francisco Bay, Beijing, United States, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Tehran, Israel, Bali , Indonesia, Taipei, American, South China, Philippines, States

The new political advertising rules, which were agreed by EU countries and European Parliament lawmakers late on Monday, will force social media groups such as Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), Meta Platforms to be more transparent and accountable. All online political ads will be available in an online ad repository. "We also secured a favourable environment for transnational campaigning in time for the next European Parliament elections," Gozi said. The European Parliament will hold elections in June next year, with many concerned about disinformation and foreign interference in the run-up to the polls. Until then, measures regulating the non-discriminatory provision of cross-border political advertising - including for European political parties and political groups - will already be in place for the European Parliament elections in 2024.

Persons: Arnd, Sandro Gozi, Gozi, Foo Yun Chee, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Big Tech, Union, EU, Google, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Rights BRUSSELS, EU

☆ Putin says some Western weapons for Ukraine are ending up in the Taliban's hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with members of the country's Civic Chamber in Moscow, Russia, November 3, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that some Western weapons supplied to Ukraine were finding their way to the Middle East through the illegal arms market and being sold to the Taliban. Well of course they are because they are being sold," Putin said. Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, Western powers have sent Ukraine tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons in an attempt to defeat Russian troops. In June 2022, the head of Interpol, Jürgen Stock, warned that some of the advanced weapons sent to Ukraine would end up in the hands of organised crime groups.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Bradley, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Chamber, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Interpol, Jürgen, Global, Transnational, United, Kiel Institute, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, East, Russian, United States, Africa, Europe

☆ Robocalling is already an issue for Americans. AI is making it worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Rachel Curry | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Yet, the nearly $300 million fine against a massive transnational robocalling operation by the Federal Communications Commission shows just how widespread this issue has become. This is called an interactive voice response (IVR) and it's used in a type of spam called voice phishing or "vishing." According to McAfee's CTO Steve Grobman, these types of calls are bound to remain less likely than other, more obvious spam calls, at least for the time being. Spotting AI scamsThat preparation depends on a combination of consumer education and the war between technologies, or more specifically, white-hat AI fighting black-hat AI. Educating people about deepfake audio spam calls

Persons: —, Jonathan Nelson, Nelson, McAfee, it's, Steve Grobman, Grobman, Kristofor Healey, Healey Organizations: Getty, Federal Communications Commission, Hiya Inc, Companies, McAfee, Department of Homeland Security, Black Bear Security

☆ Israel Gaza war: How goes Hamas get its weapons? A mix of ingenuity, tenacity, resourcefulness and a key mentor, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images/FILEThe Iran factor“Hamas acquires its weapons through smuggling or local construction and receives some military support from Iran,” the CIA’s World Factbook says. Video Ad Feedback Retired general explains why he thinks Iran helped support Hamas attacks 01:08 - Source: CNNBut Iran has been a mentor, too, analysts say. A senior Hamas official based in Lebanon gave details of the Hamas’ weapons manufacturing in an edited interview with Russia Today’s Arabic-news channel RTArabic published on their website on Sunday. And Tehran keeps the training of Hamas’ weapons makers current, he added. Gaza has none of the heavy industry that would support weapons production in most of the world.

Persons: It’s, –, Said Khatib, ”, Bilal Saab, Daniel Byman, Charles Lister, Byman, “, ” Ali Baraka, Mahmud Hams, Lister, ” Lister, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, what’s, Alkhatib, Aaron Pilkington, Baraka, ” Pilkington Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Brigades, Getty, ’, Defense and Security, Middle East Institute, Transnational, Center for Strategic, International Studies, MEI, CSIS, Hamas National Relations, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas ’, CIA, Washington Institute for Near, Fikra, US Air Force, Middle, University of Denver Locations: Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Palestinian, AFP, Iran, Islamic Republic, Hamas, Washington, “ Iran, Lebanon, Russia, Kalashnikovs, Tehran, Iran’s, Saudi

Search resuls for: "Transnational"

25 mentions found