Latest news with #China-backed
Axios
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
Exclusive: Dems press Trump admin. for response to China-backed cyberattacks
A group of Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to clarify who is leading the government's efforts to eradicate China-backed hackers from U.S. critical infrastructure and telecom networks. Why it matters: Roughly 1,000 people have already left the nation's top cyber agency this year through voluntary buyouts and other workforce cuts. Those cuts could create dangerous weaknesses in the nation's cyber defenses, the lawmakers argue in a letter exclusively shared with Axios. Zoom in: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) sent a letter today to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard demanding more clarity on who is leading the response against two major China-backed cyberattacks uncovered during the Biden administration. Democratic Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Kathy Castor, Ro Khanna, Haley Stevens, Shontel Brown and Jill Tokuda joined Torres as signatories. The lawmakers are also requesting Noem and Gabbard provide an update on any ongoing investigations into both the Volt Typhoon attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure and the Salt Typhoon campaign to surveil high-profile individuals' cell phones. The group is also asking for an update on how proposed budget cuts and the recent workforce reductions at CISA will impact those investigations. What they're saying: "This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of grave consequence for the security of America both at home and abroad," the lawmakers write. "We owe it to the American people to protect them from the specter of a cyber 9/11 at the hands of our most formidable foreign adversary." Threat level: For years, top American officials have been warning about increasing cyber threats from China. China-backed Volt Typhoon has been prepositioning in critical infrastructure — such as water utilities, power plants and railways — for at least five years, according to congressional testimony. Salt Typhoon, another Chinese government-backed group, was caught hacking into several high-profile politicians' phones last year, including President Trump's. "Somewhere, Xi Jinping is smiling at America's insistence on degrading its own cyber capabilities," the lawmakers write.
Economic Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
150 trucks from Afghanistan offer a clue on why India is talking to the Taliban
Live Events You Might Also Like: Pakistan takes over chair of UNSC Taliban sanctions committee amid China-backed push in Afghanistan You Might Also Like: India holds talks with Talibans, discusses return of Indians You Might Also Like: Taliban's Chabahar bet signals shift from Islamabad to New Delhi (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The sole checkpoint between India and Pakistan opened again late last week — for one particular, highly symbolic convoy. More than 150 trucks from Afghanistan, carrying dried fruit and nuts, were allowed into Delhi had a point it wanted to make. The border was closed after the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Kashmir, as anger against Pakistan's military rulers built in India, concluding in days-long clashes between the two countries last month. But India's leaders wanted to make it clear that this anger did not extend to the army's former allies, the trucks' cargo is a hint that this gesture had more than economic logic behind it. Afghanistan has great cultural resonance in India: One of our most memorable short stories is about a trader in nuts and raisins from Kabul who strikes up a friendship with a family in 19th-century those days, the British ruled both Kabul and Calcutta (as it then was), and trade and traders could move freely across the subcontinent. Since then, borders have been erected across the subcontinent, but Afghan populations have remained a big part of the lives of many Indian cities is particularly true of New Delhi, which became a haven for Afghans when the Taliban seized control of their country in the 1990s. Many from the Kabul and provincial elite were educated in India, and helped staff and support various elected governments in Afghanistan over the past two the Indian government closed its embassy in Kabul once the Taliban stormed back to power in 2021, and visas were no longer available. The connection to Delhi was cut just when it had become most week, however, came news that visas would once again be handed out to Afghan nationals. This reflects a broader policy shift in India: Relations with the Taliban administration are gradually being normalized. There has been a flurry of high-level discussion between India and Afghanistan over the past months. India's chief diplomat met the acting Afghan foreign minister in January, and the foreign minister spoke to his Taliban counterpart last up to the Taliban isn't easy for New Delhi. India was a big backer of the democratic Afghan state the militants overthrew. People here still resent the West for withdrawing its military support to Kabul in 2021, as well as for having looked away while the Pakistani military kept the Taliban alive for its decades in the wilderness. The Taliban conducted multiple attacks on the Indian embassy in Kabul in that the reality of geography always prevails. Pakistan and Afghanistan will always have a testy relationship as long as their border is porous and undefined. The Pakistani army might have supported the Taliban when it was out of power, but once the militants became the Kabul establishment, bilateral ties soon settled into a familiar, antagonistic pattern. In December, 46 Afghans were killed when the Pakistani air force struck across its western border. Relations are particularly tense because Islamabad has already deported tens of thousands of Afghans, and has threatened to expel millions patrons in Beijing have tried to intervene, hosting officials from both sides at talks in China. Pushed by the Chinese, Islamabad last week finally appointed an ambassador in these efforts are unlikely to succeed, as long as the Pakistani state views Afghanistan as its own backyard. Military planners there long assumed that their smaller western neighbor would, willingly or otherwise, provide the Pakistani army with 'strategic depth' in a war. Obviously no Afghan government could ever agree to that. But the Pakistanis also tend to worry, during confrontations with India like the one last month, that whoever is in power in Kabul will permit a second front to open on their reintegration of the Taliban into regional politics — another of its old enemies, Iran, is reaching out as well — was inevitable once it settled into power. But the West should welcome closer relations between India and Afghanistan in particular. It might be the only thing keeping China from taking over the management of the was certainly associated in most Afghans' minds with their deposed state. Most here don't want to dilute India's identification with democracy by embracing the Taliban wholeheartedly. New Delhi's engagement with Afghanistan focused on people-to-people relations, and institution building, not security. This served to preserve and reinvigorate cultural ties dating back to the time when Afghan traders selling dried fruit and preserves were a familiar sight in Indian neighborhoods. Realpolitik matters, but people matter more.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
150 trucks from Afghanistan offer a clue on why India is talking to the Taliban
Live Events You Might Also Like: Pakistan takes over chair of UNSC Taliban sanctions committee amid China-backed push in Afghanistan You Might Also Like: India holds talks with Talibans, discusses return of Indians You Might Also Like: Taliban's Chabahar bet signals shift from Islamabad to New Delhi (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The sole checkpoint between India and Pakistan opened again late last week — for one particular, highly symbolic convoy. More than 150 trucks from Afghanistan, carrying dried fruit and nuts, were allowed into Delhi had a point it wanted to make. The border was closed after the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Kashmir, as anger against Pakistan's military rulers built in India, concluding in days-long clashes between the two countries last month. But India's leaders wanted to make it clear that this anger did not extend to the army's former allies, the trucks' cargo is a hint that this gesture had more than economic logic behind it. Afghanistan has great cultural resonance in India: One of our most memorable short stories is about a trader in nuts and raisins from Kabul who strikes up a friendship with a family in 19th-century those days, the British ruled both Kabul and Calcutta (as it then was), and trade and traders could move freely across the subcontinent. Since then, borders have been erected across the subcontinent, but Afghan populations have remained a big part of the lives of many Indian cities is particularly true of New Delhi, which became a haven for Afghans when the Taliban seized control of their country in the 1990s. Many from the Kabul and provincial elite were educated in India, and helped staff and support various elected governments in Afghanistan over the past two the Indian government closed its embassy in Kabul once the Taliban stormed back to power in 2021, and visas were no longer available. The connection to Delhi was cut just when it had become most week, however, came news that visas would once again be handed out to Afghan nationals. This reflects a broader policy shift in India: Relations with the Taliban administration are gradually being normalized. There has been a flurry of high-level discussion between India and Afghanistan over the past months. India's chief diplomat met the acting Afghan foreign minister in January, and the foreign minister spoke to his Taliban counterpart last up to the Taliban isn't easy for New Delhi. India was a big backer of the democratic Afghan state the militants overthrew. People here still resent the West for withdrawing its military support to Kabul in 2021, as well as for having looked away while the Pakistani military kept the Taliban alive for its decades in the wilderness. The Taliban conducted multiple attacks on the Indian embassy in Kabul in that the reality of geography always prevails. Pakistan and Afghanistan will always have a testy relationship as long as their border is porous and undefined. The Pakistani army might have supported the Taliban when it was out of power, but once the militants became the Kabul establishment, bilateral ties soon settled into a familiar, antagonistic pattern. In December, 46 Afghans were killed when the Pakistani air force struck across its western border. Relations are particularly tense because Islamabad has already deported tens of thousands of Afghans, and has threatened to expel millions patrons in Beijing have tried to intervene, hosting officials from both sides at talks in China. Pushed by the Chinese, Islamabad last week finally appointed an ambassador in these efforts are unlikely to succeed, as long as the Pakistani state views Afghanistan as its own backyard. Military planners there long assumed that their smaller western neighbor would, willingly or otherwise, provide the Pakistani army with 'strategic depth' in a war. Obviously no Afghan government could ever agree to that. But the Pakistanis also tend to worry, during confrontations with India like the one last month, that whoever is in power in Kabul will permit a second front to open on their reintegration of the Taliban into regional politics — another of its old enemies, Iran, is reaching out as well — was inevitable once it settled into power. But the West should welcome closer relations between India and Afghanistan in particular. It might be the only thing keeping China from taking over the management of the was certainly associated in most Afghans' minds with their deposed state. Most here don't want to dilute India's identification with democracy by embracing the Taliban wholeheartedly. New Delhi's engagement with Afghanistan focused on people-to-people relations, and institution building, not security. This served to preserve and reinvigorate cultural ties dating back to the time when Afghan traders selling dried fruit and preserves were a familiar sight in Indian neighborhoods. Realpolitik matters, but people matter more.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
India wants WTO's dispute settlement mechanism back
PARIS: India has identified the restoration of the dispute settlement mechanism as the first priority for WTO members and called for maintaining special treatment for poor and developing countries. After a meeting of trade ministers here, commerce & industry minister Piyush Goyal also reiterated India's opposition to bringing plurilateral initiatives such as investment facilitation under the ambit of the multilateral body. India has argued that the China-backed proposal for investment facilitation will reduce policy space for govt and is meant to pursue Beijing's investment agenda. "Ideally, issues that have been mandated by the WTO and are within the trade framework should get priority and should be the first issues to be resolved," the minister told reporters after the meeting. At the mini-ministerial meet of trade ministers, Goyal urged other ministers to bring back the focus on issues such as agriculture, which have been agreed to by the membership in the past but a decision has been pending for more than a decade. He also called for removal of non-tariff barriers. "We have all resolved to collectively work to strengthen the working of the WTO, to ensure the core principles are respected and work towards global good and global growth in trade," he said, while dismissing concerns of WTO facing an "existential crisis". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Viva a melhor experiência de estudo no exterior (Inscreva-se agora) Study Abroad Saiba Mais Undo Putting in place the dispute settlement mechanism is seen to be at the heart of reinvigorating WTO amid a series of blows by the US during successive presidential tenures, starting with Barack Obama. The US has blocked appointments to the appellate body for resolving disputes, rendering it useless. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
India should open way for developing nations: WTO
PARIS: While acknowledging unprecedented disruption of multilateral trading system, WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Tuesday raised the issue of China-backed investment facilitation. While India is opposing this, Okonjo-Iweala wants New Delhi to support the move. "We spoke about issues of reform, about issues that India is interested in, like agriculture and how India needs to be a leader for MC 14 (next year's ministerial meeting)... India needs to open the way for other developing countries, for example, on investment facilitation for development, we want it to support, because so many developing countries, 90 out of the 126, who are members, would like to move with this. But for agriculture, we also need to listen to what India's issues are and try to be as supportive as possible," she said after a meeting with commerce & industry minister Piyush Goyal. India had virtually single-handedly blocked attempts to include investment facilitation as a plurilateral matter under the WTO framework. The comments came ahead of the mini-ministerial meeting of trade ministers later Tuesday. WTO chief said the issue of reform is expected to come up for discussion, at a time when multilateral trading system has been "disrupted in a way it hasn't been before". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Durable Perforated Stainless Steel Sheets Online – Trusted Suppliers Stainless Steel Sheets | Search ADS Search Now Undo "Sometimes I see challenges as opportunities, and I think this is a very good opportunity for WTO members to look at what are those things that work and should be kept and there are many. For example, three quarters of world goods trade is still taking place on WTO terms, on MFN terms and members want to safeguard that," she said. She said that each member will put their ideas on the table, paving the way for discussions at the next year's ministerial meeting. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
