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☆ Factbox-Who Are the Key Players in Pakistan's General Elections?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan holds its national elections on Thursday as the country grapples with an economic crisis and political uncertainty following the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2022. Here are some facts about the main political figures trying to lead the nuclear-armed nation of 241 million people. NAWAZ SHARIFFormer prime minister Nawaz Sharif is considered a front-runner to lead the country, having buried a long-running feud with the country's powerful military, analysts say. Maryam, 50, was jailed along with her father shortly before the 2018 elections on corruption charges, which were later overturned. Nevertheless, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has tried to wage an unorthodox election campaign using social media and covert canvassing.

Persons: Imran Khan, NAWAZ SHARIF, Nawaz Sharif, MARYAM NAWAZ SHARIF, Nawaz, Maryam, SHEHBAZ SHARIF, Shehbaz Sharif, IMRAN KHAN, BILAWAL BHUTTO ZARDARI Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Benazir Bhutto, Bhutto Zardari, Asif Ali Zardari, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz, International Monetary Fund, Khan's Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Punjab, Pakistan's, Khan's Pakistan, Sindh province

“It is necessary to conduct this operation unilaterally and without notifying Venezuelan officials,” reads the 15-page 2018 memo expanding “Operation Money Badger,” an investigation that authorities say targeted dozens of people, including Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Within weeks, senior DEA officials plotted to deploy at least three undercover informants to surreptitiously record top officials suspected of converting Venezuela into a narco state. And “to limit or mitigate the exposure of the unilateral activities,” the document advised DEA officials to protect their informants and curtail in-person meetings with targets. I think they figured they had nothing to lose.”RELEASED BY ACCIDENTThe Operation Money Badger memo was never intended to be made public. The DEA memo authorized three informants to secretly record undercover meetings with the targets.

Persons: –, ”, Nicolás Maduro, Maduro’s, Alex Saab, Wes Tabor, “ We’re, Maduro, “, Biden, ” Maduro, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Joe Biden, ” —, Evan Criddle, William & Mary, there’s, Mike Vigil, Manny Recio, John Costanzo Jr, Costanzo, ” Michael Nadler, Washington –, launderer, Jose Vielma, Hugo Chávez, Vielma’s, Luis Motta, Vielma, Motta, Motta’s, Zach Margulis, Hugo Carvajal, Jennifer Farrar Organizations: MIAMI, The Associated Press, U.S . Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, Justice, AP, CIA, State, Justice Department, U.S, Attorney’s, Democratic, Supreme, William &, Saab, Miami Field Division’s, IRS Locations: Venezuela, United States, U.S, America, Venezuelan, Miami, Manhattan, Russia, China, OPEC, Mexico, Virginia, “, Colombian, New York, Houston, Washington, Investigative@ap.org

The terrorist threat from al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and their affiliates remains high in conflict zones in Africa and in Afghanistan – and threat levels have risen in some regions including Europe, U.N. experts said in a new report. The Islamic State group broke away from al-Qaida over a decade ago and attracted supporters from around the world. In Iraq, they are carrying out “a low-intensity insurgency with covert terrorist cells” while in Syria attacks have intensified since November, the experts said. In West Africa and the Sahel, the panel said, “violence and threat have escalated again” in conflict zones, raising concerns among U.N. member nations. The experts point to “a deficit in counterterrorism capabilities,” which Islamic State and al-Qaida affiliated groups are continuing to exploit.

Persons: Abu Hafs al, Hashemi, “, ”, Al Organizations: Islamic State, . Security, Central, Islamic Locations: Africa, Afghanistan, Europe, Iran, Pakistan, Central Asian, “, al, Iraq, Syria, Islamic, West Africa, Islamic State, Somali, Shabab, “ al, Mogadishu, Somalia, Israel, Gaza, Al, Islam, Jerusalem, France, Belgium

MIAMI (AP) — It was a plan the United States knew from the start would arguably violate international law. Here are some of the takeaways from the AP's exclusive report on the secret memo:Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesWHAT DOES THE MEMO REVEAL? The 15-page memo spells out a secret DEA plan directing confidential informants to record Venezuelan officials suspected of converting the South American country into a narco state. “It is necessary to conduct this operation unilaterally and without notifying Venezuelan officials,” officials wrote in the memo. None of the indictments of Venezuelan officials before or after the 2018 memo made any mention of U.S. spying.

Persons: Nicolás Maduro, ”, Wes Tabor, Jose Vielma, Hugo Chávez, ” Michael Nadler, Maduro’s, Alex Saab, Maduro, “, Biden, Evan Criddle, William & Mary Organizations: MIAMI, Associated Press, U.S . Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, IRS, U.S, Attorney’s, Justice Department, CIA, Supreme, William & Locations: United States, Venezuela, U.S, Manhattan, Miami, VENEZUELA, Latin America, Virginia, Investigative@ap.org

☆ 'Argylle' is getting panned by critics who are calling it 'exceedingly hollow' and 'unbearably smug'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sam Rockwell is a standout as an unconventional spy, but most of the cast is underused. Sam Rockwell as Aidan and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway in "Argylle." — Pete Hammond, Deadline"Most of the other supporting players — especially Cena and Samuel L. Jackson as yet another shadowy covert operative — appear in just enough scenes to make you wish their roles were more than glorified bit parts." — Matt Singer, Screen Crush"The overstuffed cast leaves legends like Samuel L. Jackson and Bryan Cranston mostly yelling in empty rooms." — Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair"You may go into 'Argylle' wondering, per the film's curiosity-baiting tagline, who is the real Agent Argylle?

Persons: Sam Rockwell, Aidan, Bryce Dallas Howard, Elly Conway, Peter, MARV, Matthew Vaughn, Pete Hammond, Cena, Samuel L, Jackson, — Matt Singer, Bryan Cranston, — Ben Travis, — Richard Lawson, assuredly, David Fear, Stone Organizations: Universal Pictures, Apple Locations: Ebbing , Missouri, Empire

☆ U.S. Troops Are Injured in Attack on Air Base in Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Eric Schmitt | Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Israel and Iran have been locked in a shadow war for years, long before the latest war in Gaza began. They have traded covert attacks by land, sea and air, as well as online. Israel has conducted targeted killings of key Iranian figures and strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities. Syria is a close ally of Iran and a conduit for Iranian weapons shipments to its proxies, especially Hezbollah. Iran and Pakistan Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza Clashes along Israel-Lebanon border Qatar Iranian strike targeting militants Saudi Arabia U.A.E.

Persons: Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel —, SANA, Hojatallah Omidvar, Haj Sadegh Omidzade, General Omidvar, Sayyed Razi Mousavi, Ronen Bergman, Victoria Kim Organizations: Guards, Quds Force, Islamic, Hamas, Revolutionary Guards, Human Rights, SYria AFghanistan IRAQ Israel Iran Clashes, West Bank, Qatar, Qatar INdia Saudi Arabia U.A.E, Red Sea, TURKEY U.S, EGYPT Qatar Saudi Arabia U.A.E, SYria IRAQ Iran Israel Clashes, West Bank KUWAIT PAK, Qatar Iranian, Saudi Arabia U.A.E, Quds Forces, Brig, Senior Locations: Iran, Damascus, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Gaza . Israel, Syrian, Britain, East TURKMENISTAN Syria, Iraq TURKEY Iran, SYria AFghanistan IRAQ Israel Iran, West, Gaza PAKISTAN KUWAIT Iran, Pakistan EGYPT, Qatar INdia Saudi Arabia, OMAN Red, YEMEN Sudan, Red, Red Sea U.S, Iraq TURKMENISTAN Iran, TURKEY, Gaza Iran, Pakistan KUWAIT PAKISTAN, EGYPT Qatar Saudi Arabia, Sudan YEMEN U.S, SYria IRAQ Iran Israel, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, OMAN, YEMEN, Iranian, Gen, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq, Israeli, United States

☆ Russia's electronic warfare is so intense, it may be messing up GPS signals in nearby countries: ISW
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewRussia's electronic warfare units are so widespread, they may be causing havoc with GPS signals in nearby countries, according to a report. The Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank, said that recent disruptions to GPS signals in Poland and the Baltic area have sparked rumors about the use of Russian electronic warfare systems nearby. AdvertisementThere was also speculation the interference could've been caused by secret NATO exercises or by Russian electronic warfare units in Russia's Kaliningrad enclave on the Baltic coast, said the ISW. Joakim Paasikivi of the Swedish Defense University told Swedish broadcaster SVT that the interference was likely a result of Russian hybrid warfare. Russia's electronic warfare units have played a pivotal role in its invasion of Ukraine, diverting drones and missiles by remotely scrambling the GPS coordinates and other electronic signals that enable them to be guided to their targets.

Persons: —, Joakim Paasikivi, Paasikivi, Jukka Savolainen Organizations: Service, Business, NATO, Soviet Union, Swedish Defense University, Swedish, SVT, Finnish Center of Excellence, Warfare Locations: US, Poland, Russia's Kaliningrad, Baltic, Kaliningrad, Lithuania, Russia, Germany, Soviet, Russian, Swedish, Kaliningrad Oblast, Ukraine

☆ Why ISIS has unleashed its suicide bombers against Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

By the day's end of the day, scores of supporters of the rulers of Iran were dead, and hundreds were injured in a twin suicide bombing. AdvertisementHe was considered a hero, she said, by many in Iran for driving ISIS out of Iraq and helping to defeat them in Syria. Stringer/Anadolu via Getty ImagesIt was the latest in a string of attacks by the ISIS affiliate that has been targeting Iran for five years. The Iranian intelligence ministry sought to blame its old enemy Israel for the atrocity and said one of the bombers had Israeli citizenship, the Times of Israel reported. AdvertisementThey will continue to attempt attacks against Iran "no matter what," Washington Institute for Near East Policy expert, Aaron Zelin, told the VoA.

Persons: Qassem, —, Qassem Soleimani, Kerman, Barbara Slavin, Soleimani, Stringer, Khomeini's, Abdollah Tajiki, Slavin, It's, it's, White, John Kirby, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Saudi King Salman, Prophet Mohammed, Salvin, Donald Trump, Aaron Zelin Organizations: Sunni, Service, Revolutionary, Reuters, The Stimson Center, Iran Initiative, Asia Center, ISIS, Anadolu, Getty, Iranian, Ministry of Intelligence, Revolutionary Guard, Saudi, US, UK, Red, Quds Force, The Stimson, Washington Institute for Near East, VoA Locations: Kerman, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Asia, Kerman City, Tehran, Tajik, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Hormuz, Soleimani, Iranian, Fars, Republic, Yemen, Iran's, United States, al Qaeda, American

☆ China is producing vast undersea maps for submarine warfare, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Tom Porter | ) 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 previewChina is mapping vast areas of the Indian Ocean under the guise of civilian research — and it could be to plan submarine warfare, a think tank said. The CSIS said that while much of the research was in the western Pacific and South China Sea, Chinese research vessels increasingly focused on the Indian Ocean. AdvertisementUsing data from Windward, a maritime AI-data company, the think tank said it found Chinese research boats had conducted "hundreds of thousands of hours of operations globally over the past four years." AdvertisementThe Indian Ocean is a vital area for China's "strategic and economic interests," Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow at CSIS who worked on the report, told The Washington Post.

Persons: —, Matthew Funaiole, Andrew Scobell Organizations: Service, Business, Center for Strategic, International Studies, China's People's Liberation Army, CSIS, Washington Post, United States Institute of Peace, Associated Press Locations: China, Pacific, South China, Windward, Beijing, India, New Delhi, Sri Lanka

☆ Fox News ran a conspiratorial segment saying the Pentagon wanted to use Taylor Swift as a psy-op
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jesse Watters floated a theory the Pentagon wanted to make Taylor Swift a pro-Biden "asset." Speaking on "Jesse Watters Primetime," Watters started out with the conundrum of why Swift has so many fans. AdvertisementHe said: "Around four years ago, the Pentagon's psychological operations unit floated turning Taylor Swift into an asset during a NATO meeting," he said. AdvertisementIs Taylor Swift a Pentagon PsyOp asset? I include Taylor Swift in here because she's a fairly influential online person."

Persons: Jesse Watters, Taylor Swift, Biden, Swift, —, Joe Biden, Watters, she's, Alicia Marie Bargar —, yHp8WywKh8 — Jesse Watters, Bargar, NATO StratCom's, Johns Hopkins Organizations: Pentagon, Fox News, Service, Fox, NATO, 11th, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence, of Excellence, White Locations: Tallinn, Estonia

☆ The horror of Henry Kissinger’s legacy in Southeast Asia goes on
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —Fifty years after Henry Kissinger drove American foreign policy in Southeast Asia, the region continues to live with the fallout from the bombing and military campaigns backed by the former secretary of state, who died last week. That’s more than the Allies dropped during World War II, according to an account by Yale University historian Ben Kiernan. Experts say the devastation – which is especially acute for people in rural areas – will go on for years to come. That’s Kissinger’s legacy,” said Bill Morse, president of the nonprofit Landmine Relief Fund, which supports organizations including Cambodia Self-Help Demining. They play catch with it and it blows up 10 year old children … (unexploded ordnance) are where the injuries are coming from now,” he said.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, ”, Youk Chhang, Chhang, Nixon, Vietnam –, CNN It’s, Gerald Ford, Suharto’s, “ Kissinger, Chong Ja Ian, Ben Kiernan, …, That’s, Bill Morse, Morse, Le Duc Tho, “, Barack Obama Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Center of Cambodia, CNN, National University of Singapore, ”, Yale University, Paris Peace Accords, MPI, Getty, NPR Locations: Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Khmer Rouge, Phnom Penh, Khmer, Laos, East Timor, United States, Missouri, destabilized, Paris, United Kingdom

☆ U.S. Ex-Ambassador Charged as Secret Agent for Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( José De Córdoba | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Victor Manuel Rocha, pictured in 2001, served as a diplomat in Cuba, Bolivia, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Mexico. Photo: Gonzalo Espinoza/AFP/Getty ImagesA former senior U.S. diplomat who served in U.S. embassies across Latin America was accused of spying for Cuba’s intelligence service for decades in one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting security breaches of the U.S. government, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday. Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday. The unsealed complaint said that the 73-year-old Rocha had worked for Cuba as a covert agent since at least the early 1980s until now.

Persons: Victor Manuel Rocha, Gonzalo Espinoza, Rocha Organizations: Getty, ., Federal Bureau of Investigation Locations: Cuba, Bolivia, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, U.S, America

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

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

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

☆ US charges ex-ambassador with spying for Cuba over decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rocha, 73, was arrested and is expected to appear before a federal judge in Miami on Monday. Bolivian President Hugo Banzer shakes hands with Victor Manuel Rocha, the then U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, during a ceremony in the Goverment Palace in La Paz, August 3, 2000. File photo DM/JP/HB Acquire Licensing RightsRocha worked for the State Department from 1981 to 2002, the Justice Department said. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters he was unable to provide details on an ongoing law enforcement matter.

Persons: Victor Manuel Rocha, Merrick Garland, Rocha, Hugo Banzer, Matthew Miller, Miller, Andrew Goudsward, Katharine Jackson, Ismail Shakil, Simon Lewis, Rami Ayyub, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Justice, Justice Department, Cuban, United, Bolivian, HB, State Department, White, National Security Council, . military's Southern Command, Washington, Directorate of Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Bolivia, Cuba, Miami, Goverment, La Paz, Florida, U.S

☆ An ex-US ambassador charged with being a longtime secret agent for Cuba bragged about it to undercover FBI officer, feds allege
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An ex-US diplomat has been federally charged over allegations he worked as a secret agent for Cuba. Feds allege that Rocha even bragged about his work for Cuba as "more than a grand slam." AdvertisementAttorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that Rocha's arrest "exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent." "Those who have the privilege of serving in the government of the United States are given an enormous amount of trust by the public we serve," said Garland. We did more than they thought," Rocha told the undercover fed, the court documents allege.

Persons: Victor Rocha, Rocha, —, Merrick Garland, Garland, Fidel Castro Organizations: Feds, Service, United, Department of Justice, State Department, National Security Council, Justice Department, Cuban, Directorate, Intelligence, Department of State, US Southern Command Locations: Cuba, United States, Bolivia, Miami , Florida, Colombia, Republic of Cuba

MIAMI (AP) — A former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been charged with serving as a covert agent for Cuba's intelligence services dating back decades, the Justice Department said Monday. Newly unsealed court papers allege that Manuel Rocha engaged in “clandestine activity” on Cuba's behalf since at least 1981, including by meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives and providing false information to U.S. government officials. The complaint, filed in federal court in Miami, charges Rocha with acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. The 73-year-old had a 25-year career as a U.S. diplomat, including top posts in Bolivia, Argentina and the U.S. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Persons: —, Manuel Rocha, Rocha Organizations: MIAMI, Justice Department, Cuban, Associated Press Locations: American, Bolivia, Miami, U.S, Argentina, Havana

And if we say, ‘This is my land,’ they start to shoot live.” Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has intensified. Extremist Israeli settlers have been emboldened in what Palestinians say is an increased effort to seize their land with support from the Israeli Army. On Oct. 13, Sami Hourani’s cousin Zacharia al-Adara was shot and wounded by an Israeli settler in the Palestinian village of at-Tuwani. In 2012, Israel’s Security Agency accused him of leading covert and violent activity against Palestinians, and he was temporarily banned from entering the West Bank. In the past seven weeks alone, the U.N. says more than 1,000 villagers have been forced to leave their homes due to settler violence across the West Bank.

Persons: ’, Sami, Zacharia al, Adara, Zacharia, Zvi, He’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Dalal al, Awad, They’ve Organizations: West Bank, Israeli Army, Observers, Israel’s Security Agency Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Zacharia, Tuba, Ma’on

☆ Meta thwarts Chinese propaganda threat to US democracy before 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meta did not attribute the network of fake Facebook accounts to a particular entity in China. It’s the latest in a series of warnings from tech firms documenting how Chinese propaganda and influence operations have more aggressively targeted American audiences in the last year. It wasn’t clear, Meta said in a report on foreign online threats published Thursday, what the Chinese network of fake accounts was trying to accomplish. While Meta and other tech firms tout their work to protect elections, recent moves by the company also show trends in the other direction. And Meta this month said it would allow political ads on its platforms to question the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.

Persons: Meta, Ron DeSantis, Nancy Pelosi, Iran —, haven’t, Nathaniel Gleicher, ” Ben Nimmo, ”, Liu Pengyu Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, Meta, Republicans, US, of Liberty, Microsoft, Embassy Locations: China, Russia, Iran, Washington

☆ China mourns Kissinger — ‘a most valued old friend’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“Farewell, old friend of the Chinese people,” said a top comment with thousands of likes. In July 1971, Kissinger became the first high-ranking US official to visit Communist China. Long after Kissinger left office, Beijing had regarded the well-connected diplomat as a potential helping hand in navigating the increasingly hawkish views towards China in Washington. State broadcaster CCTV called him a “living fossil” who witnessed the development of US-China relations. The tectonic shift in US-China relations that was formalized some eight years later opened the door for extensive economic engagement starting from the early 1980s.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, ”, Wang Wenbin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Wang, “, Kissinger, Washington –, Richard Nixon’s, Scott Kennedy, Washington . Long, Xie Feng, centenarian, ” Xie, – Kissinger, Biden, Xi, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Wang Yi, Nixon, Alfred Wu, Lee, ’, Wu, “ Kissinger, ” Wu, Zhou Enlai, Kennedy, China …, ” Kennedy Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China’s Foreign, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CCTV, Xinhua, Foreign, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore, Flying Tigers, CSIS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Weibo, United States, Washington, Communist China, “ China, American, selfTaiwan, Japan, Soviet Union, Moscow

☆ Meta's latest threats report shows risk of Chinese influence campaigns ahead of elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In its latest quarterly report on adversarial threats, Meta said on Thursday that China is an increasing source of covert influence and disinformation campaigns, which could get supercharged by advances in generative artificial intelligence. Meta said it disrupted three CIB networks in the third quarter, two stemming from China and one from Russia. One of the Chinese CIB networks was a large operation that required Meta to remove 4,780 Facebook accounts. Since then, the company has been under greater scrutiny to monitor disinformation threats and campaigns and to provide greater transparency to the public. Still, Meta warned that the upcoming elections will likely mean that "the defender community across our society needs to prepare for a larger volume of synthetic content."

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Donald Trump, we've Organizations: Meta, U.S, Senate, Intelligence, Capitol, Washington , D.C, CIB, Facebook Locations: Washington ,, China, Russia, Iran, United States, Europe, North America, Ukraine

☆ Trump legal team lays out strategy to argue he was right to doubt results of 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Katelyn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Trump’s defense team is asking for information from several past government investigations, including around the election results and about the recent classified documents probe into his former Vice President Mike Pence. Multiple investigations have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. The Pence investigation ended with no criminal charges in June. Pence testified to a federal grand jury in the 2020 election investigation in the spring. Pence’s confidential testimony in the Trump 2020 election case, some of his aides testified, was under oath before a federal grand jury, and a judge decided he must answer questions under subpoena.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Mike Pence, Trump, ”, “, Biden Administration’s, ’ ‘, ’, ‘ Department of Homeland Security’s, ’ ” It’s, Pence Organizations: CNN, Trump, “, ‘, White House Attorneys, Justice Department, Intelligence, ‘ Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency Locations: Russia

☆ Russia has activated a sleeper network of spies in Ukraine to try to exploit internal divisions, Ukrainian official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia has activated a sleeper network of spies in Ukraine to exploit tensions, an official said. Oleksiy Danilov told The Times of London that they are spreading "false narratives" to sow division. AdvertisementIn recent months, Russia has activated a web of sleeper agents in Ukraine to try to exploit "so-called tensions" between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and military leaders, according to a Ukrainian official. Danilov told the newspaper that other tactics being deployed by the Russian agents include stirring up opposition to the government, setting up anti-war protests, and targeting soldiers' relations. Russia and Ukraine have struggled to make any significant breakthroughs in recent months along the 745-mile front.

Persons: Oleksiy Danilov, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Danilov Organizations: Times, Service, Ukraine's Security Service, National Security and Defense, of, Ukrainska Pravda Locations: Russia, Ukraine, London, Kyiv, of Ukraine, Soviet Union, Ukrainian

☆ US officials helped Cisco sneak a cybersecurity prototype into Ukraine using a plane carrying humanitarian aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cisco created a prototype device that could help keep Ukraine's power grid running this winter. In a covert operation first reported by CNN, the devices were delivered using a US plane carrying humanitarian aid. AdvertisementCisco created cybersecurity prototypes for Ukraine to protect its power grid, but getting them into Ukraine required a bit of subterfuge. US agencies helped sneak the devices into the country, in part by using a US Air Force plane carrying humanitarian aid, according to a new report from CNN. Thanks to the covert operation, the prototypes could help Ukraine keep its power running through another brutal winter of war.

Persons: —, Joe Marshall, Cisco —, isn't, Marshall Organizations: Cisco, CNN, Russian, Service, US Air Force, US Department of Commerce, Pentagon, Department of Energy, Department of Commerce Locations: Ukraine, Rzeszów, Poland, Ukrainian

Populist Javier Milei, a libertarian economist and self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” won a presidential runoff election on Sunday with 55.7% of the vote. He said Monday that he would move quickly to privatize the country's state-owned media outlets and look to do the same with other public companies. “Everything that can be in the hands of the private sector will be in the hands of the private sector,” Milei told Bueno Aires station Radio Mitre. Experts immediately questioned how far Milei would get in fulfilling that vision without the support of Argentina's National Congress, where his party holds a relatively small share of seats. Monday was a public holiday in Argentina so financial markets weren’t open, but the stocks of Argentine companies that trade in New York soared.

Persons: —, privatizations, Javier Milei, ”, ” Milei, Bueno, Mariano Machado, Milei, Diana Mondino, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, YPF, Andrés Gil Domínguez, Mariel Fornoni, Gustavo Arballo, ” Arballo Organizations: Bueno Aires, Radio Mitre, Argentina's National, Americas, Verisk, Central Bank of, U.S, Central Bank, Argentine, Liberty, University of Buenos, Management, La Pampa National University Locations: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Argentina's, Central Bank of Argentina, New York, Argentine, University of Buenos Aires

☆ Eagle-eyed buyer made over $120,000 after discovering old Range Rover probably belonged to Queen Elizabeth II
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Range Rover was sold for $165,000 after evidence emerged that it probably belonged to Queen Elizabeth II. AdvertisementA 2004 Range Rover with suspected ties to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has shattered auction records, selling for $165,000. The auction's outcome was more than double the pre-sale estimate of £60,000, or $75,000 — 10 times the usual price for a second-hand Range Rover that old. AdvertisementBefore the video's discovery, the only original ownership information was a letter from Jaguar Land Rover, which builds the Ranger Rover, identifying warranty recalls in July 2004 at a Land Rover dealer in London's high-end Mayfair district and one in Aberdeen, Scotland. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, spent 16 years designing his own hearse: a modified Land Rover.

Persons: Queen Elizabeth II, Historics Auctioneers, —, HRH Prince Phillip, The Duke, Edinburgh, Tim Graham, Historics, Historics Auctioneers Rob Hubbard, Duke, Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh Organizations: Service, Rover, Jaguar, Land Rover, Scottish Highlands, Windsor Horse, Royal Windsor Horse, Getty, Vehicle, Epsom, Rovers Locations: Birmingham, Mayfair, Aberdeen, Scotland, Balmoral, Scottish, Windsor , England, Epsom Green, Windsor

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