A hat shop in the US state of Tennessee was hit with backlash on Saturday, one day after promoting a yellow star patch like those worn by Jews in Nazi-era Germany, labeled 'not vaccinated’.&nbsp;

It was the latest skirmish in the culture war surrounding Covid vaccination in the United States, which has suffered the highest death toll of any country in the pandemic.&nbsp;

Iconic American hatmaker Stetson said on Saturday, it would no longer do business with the Nashville shop HatWRKS, which was excoriated on social media and targeted by protesters.&nbsp;

On Friday, HatWRKS shared on its Instagram account a now-deleted photo announcing the arrival of the $5 patches. It showed a woman, reportedly the business owner, wearing a yellow Star of David with the message ‘not vaccinated' on her black T-shirt.&nbsp;

"Your Nazi star badges are perhaps the most offensive, anti-Semitic thing I've ever seen," one user posted on the business's Facebook page, summing up the social media outcry in response to the post, while others used the hashtag #HATEWORKS.&nbsp;

Local media showed a few dozen protesters outside the shop on Saturday, including some who held up a banner declaring "No Nazis in Nashville!"&nbsp;

And Stetson, known for its Western hats, said on Saturday that "as a result of the offensive content and opinions shared, Stetson and our distribution partners will cease the sale of all Stetson products to HatWRKS in Nashville."&nbsp;

The business, which regularly posted content on social media expressing views against coronavirus restrictions and Democratic President Joe Biden, replaced its controversial post with another one addressing its critics.&nbsp;

"People are so outraged by my post? But are you outraged with the tyranny the world is experiencing?" it said. "If you don't understand what is happening, that is on you, not me."&nbsp;

The HatWRKS controversy came the same week that Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly equated Covid mask mandates with Nazis forcing Jews to wear yellow stars.&nbsp;

"Vaccinated employees get a vaccination logo just like the Nazi's forced Jewish people to wear a gold star," the freshman Republican from Georgia tweeted about a business making its employees who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus wear a vaccination logo on their name badge.&nbsp;

She was sharply criticised by leaders of both political parties.&nbsp;

Biden on Friday deplored recent anti-Semitic attacks in the United States, saying in a statement: "We cannot allow the toxic combination of hatred, dangerous lies, and conspiracy theories to put our fellow Americans at risk."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A hat shop in the US state of Tennessee was hit with backlash on Saturday, one day after promoting a yellow star patch like those worn by Jews in Nazi-era Germany, labeled 'not vaccinated’.

A hat shop in the US state of Tennessee was hit with backlash on Saturday, one day after promoting a yellow star patch like those worn by Jews in Nazi-era Germany, labeled 'not vaccinated’. It was the latest skirmish in the culture war surrounding Covid vaccination in the United States, which has suffered the highest death toll of any country in the pandemic. Iconic American hatmaker Stetson said on Saturday, it would no longer do business with the Nashville shop HatWRKS, which was excoriated on social media and targeted by protesters. On Friday, HatWRKS shared on its Instagram account a now-deleted photo announcing the arrival of the $5 patches. It showed a woman, reportedly the business owner, wearing a yellow Star of David with the message ‘not vaccinated' on her black T-shirt. "Your Nazi star badges are perhaps the most offensive, anti-Semitic thing I've ever seen," one user posted on the business's Facebook page, summing up the social media outcry in response to the post, while others used the hashtag #HATEWORKS. Local media showed a few dozen protesters outside the shop on Saturday, including some who held up a banner declaring "No Nazis in Nashville!" And Stetson, known for its Western hats, said on Saturday that "as a result of the offensive content and opinions shared, Stetson and our distribution partners will cease the sale of all Stetson products to HatWRKS in Nashville." The business, which regularly posted content on social media expressing views against coronavirus restrictions and Democratic President Joe Biden, replaced its controversial post with another one addressing its critics. "People are so outraged by my post? But are you outraged with the tyranny the world is experiencing?" it said. "If you don't understand what is happening, that is on you, not me." The HatWRKS controversy came the same week that Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly equated Covid mask mandates with Nazis forcing Jews to wear yellow stars. "Vaccinated employees get a vaccination logo just like the Nazi's forced Jewish people to wear a gold star," the freshman Republican from Georgia tweeted about a business making its employees who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus wear a vaccination logo on their name badge. She was sharply criticised by leaders of both political parties. Biden on Friday deplored recent anti-Semitic attacks in the United States, saying in a statement: "We cannot allow the toxic combination of hatred, dangerous lies, and conspiracy theories to put our fellow Americans at risk." (With inputs from agencies)

Backlash against US shop selling 'yellow star' Covid badges 

Summer has not even begun and Lake Oroville, the second-largest reservoir in California that provides drinking water to more than 25 million people, is at less than half of its average capacity at this time of year.&nbsp;

It is a worrying indication of the worsening drought conditions in the northern part of the Golden State.&nbsp;

"When we go into a year like this with the reservoir low and with really dry conditions throughout the state, that is concerning," John Yarbrough, the assistant deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources, told AFP.&nbsp;

"The reservoir is much lower than we would like to see it, much lower than typical at this time of year. It's about 47 per cent of average," he said, pointing to the cracked earth forming the lake wall.&nbsp;

Since May 10, California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency linked to drought in more than 40 counties. Conditions in Butte County, where Lake Oroville is located, are already seen as "extreme," the highest level.&nbsp;

And the situation, exacerbated by the effects of climate change across the western United States, is not expected to improve before the rains return in five or six months.&nbsp;

Yarbrough said that in 2019, which he called a 'good year’, the water level reached the trees on the edge of the dam, meaning it was about 50 meters (165 feet) higher than usual. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Residents of the area told AFP, they had never seen dry conditions like this before.&nbsp;

Many of them recalled how in 2017, they had to evacuate because torrential rains had prompted authorities to fear that the dam would break under the pressure. Not even five years later, the situation has shifted dramatically.&nbsp;

Summer has not even begun and Lake Oroville, the second-largest reservoir in California that provides drinking water to more than 25 million people, is at less than half of its average capacity at this time of year.

Summer has not even begun and Lake Oroville, the second-largest reservoir in California that provides drinking water to more than 25 million people, is at less than half of its average capacity at this time of year. It is a worrying indication of the worsening drought conditions in the northern part of the Golden State. "When we go into a year like this with the reservoir low and with really dry conditions throughout the state, that is concerning," John Yarbrough, the assistant deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources, told AFP. "The reservoir is much lower than we would like to see it, much lower than typical at this time of year. It's about 47 per cent of average," he said, pointing to the cracked earth forming the lake wall. Since May 10, California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency linked to drought in more than 40 counties. Conditions in Butte County, where Lake Oroville is located, are already seen as "extreme," the highest level. And the situation, exacerbated by the effects of climate change across the western United States, is not expected to improve before the rains return in five or six months. Yarbrough said that in 2019, which he called a 'good year’, the water level reached the trees on the edge of the dam, meaning it was about 50 meters (165 feet) higher than usual. Residents of the area told AFP, they had never seen dry conditions like this before. Many of them recalled how in 2017, they had to evacuate because torrential rains had prompted authorities to fear that the dam would break under the pressure. Not even five years later, the situation has shifted dramatically.

California already in throes of drought as summer looms 

A Chinese cargo spacecraft carrying equipment and supplies successfully docked with the core module of the country's future space station on Sunday, state media said.&nbsp;

A Long March 7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft, loaded with essentials such as food, equipment and fuel, blasted off late on Saturday from the Wenchang launch site on the tropical southern island of Hainan, the Xinhua news agency reported.&nbsp;

The docking with the space station's Tianhe core module was completed at 5:01 am Beijing time (2101 GMT Saturday), the agency said, citing the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).&nbsp;

China will need to carry out around 10 missions in total to complete assembly of the space station, named Tiangong, meaning 'heavenly palace', in orbit. &nbsp;

The station is expected to become fully operational in 2022. Once completed, it is expected to remain in low Earth orbit for up to 15 years.&nbsp;

With the possible retirement of the International Space Station after 2028, Tiangong could become the only human outpost in Earth's orbit.&nbsp;

Now, that the cargo craft has docked, China plans to begin preparations to send three astronauts up to unpack the goods, which include meals, such as shredded pork with garlic sauce and Kung Pao chicken, the agency said.&nbsp;

"We will transport support materials, necessary spare parts and equipment first, and then our crew," Xinhua quoted CMSA director Hao Chun as saying.&nbsp;

Beijing has pumped billions into its space programme in a bid to make up ground on pioneers Russia and the United States, with ambitious projects in Earth orbit and the landing of uncrewed craft on the Moon and Mars.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A Chinese cargo spacecraft carrying equipment and supplies successfully docked with the core module of the country's future space station on Sunday, state media said.

A Chinese cargo spacecraft carrying equipment and supplies successfully docked with the core module of the country's future space station on Sunday, state media said. A Long March 7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft, loaded with essentials such as food, equipment and fuel, blasted off late on Saturday from the Wenchang launch site on the tropical southern island of Hainan, the Xinhua news agency reported. The docking with the space station's Tianhe core module was completed at 5:01 am Beijing time (2101 GMT Saturday), the agency said, citing the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). China will need to carry out around 10 missions in total to complete assembly of the space station, named Tiangong, meaning 'heavenly palace', in orbit. The station is expected to become fully operational in 2022. Once completed, it is expected to remain in low Earth orbit for up to 15 years. With the possible retirement of the International Space Station after 2028, Tiangong could become the only human outpost in Earth's orbit. Now, that the cargo craft has docked, China plans to begin preparations to send three astronauts up to unpack the goods, which include meals, such as shredded pork with garlic sauce and Kung Pao chicken, the agency said. "We will transport support materials, necessary spare parts and equipment first, and then our crew," Xinhua quoted CMSA director Hao Chun as saying. Beijing has pumped billions into its space programme in a bid to make up ground on pioneers Russia and the United States, with ambitious projects in Earth orbit and the landing of uncrewed craft on the Moon and Mars. (With inputs from agencies)

China cargo craft docks with space station module 

The US government blocked imports of seafood on Friday from the entire fleet of a Chinese company that authorities say forced crew members to work in slave-like conditions that led to the deaths of several Indonesian fishermen last year.&nbsp;

Customs and Border Protection said it will place an immediate hold on any imports linked to the more than 30 vessels operated by Dalian Ocean Fishing, under a US law that bars goods suspected to have been produced with forced labour.&nbsp;

Imports from Dalian, which primarily fishes for tuna, have exceeded USD 20 million as recently as 2018. Shipments linked to the company have dropped over the past year to about USD 200,000, officials said.&nbsp;

"We will not tolerate any amount derived from forced labour," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters as he announced the measure.&nbsp;

CBP issued what is known as a withhold release order that halts shipments that have suspected links to forced labour, under a law that has been on the books for decades, ostensibly to protect US producers from unfair competition.&nbsp;

The law has been used with increased frequency in recent years, given the growing awareness of the prevalence of what is essentially modern-day slavery in a range of industries, with workers forced to work long hours for low pay, or none at all, and subjected to violence.&nbsp;

CBP found that Dalian's operations, across the fleet, met all 11 criteria for forced labour laid out by the International Labour Organisation, including the holding back of wages, inhumane conditions and physical intimidation, said John Leonard, the acting executive assistant commissioner of the agency's Office of Trade.&nbsp;

"This was a rather egregious example," Leonard said.&nbsp;

Both the State Department and Labour Department have also documented abusive conditions in the Chinese fishing industry, where mostly foreign crews often work 18 to 22 hours per day under abysmal conditions.&nbsp;

US authorities have used the Tariff Act of 1930 to halt imports from specific companies, individual fishing vessels and all cotton and tomato products from the Xinjiang region of China, where the Chinese government is waging a brutal assimilation campaign against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups.&nbsp;

The announcement on Friday marks the first time that the US has sought to block imports from a company's entire fishing fleet, a sign that the CBP's investigation found evidence of widespread abuse on Dalian vessels around the world.&nbsp;

Indonesia's government in May 2020 accused the company of 'inhuman' treatment of fishermen from that country, with dozens of men forced to work 18 hours a day for no pay or less than agreed upon. It said the conditions led to illnesses that killed at least three fishermen, whose bodies were cast overboard into the Pacific Ocean.&nbsp;

Dalian did not immediately respond to a request for comment made through its website.&nbsp;

The company has had recent financial troubles, but Leonard said it appears to be reorganising and planning to resume operations. "We need to be vigilant," he said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The US government blocked imports of seafood on Friday from the entire fleet of a Chinese company that authorities say forced crew members to work in slave-like conditions that led to the deaths of several Indonesian fishermen last year.

The US government blocked imports of seafood on Friday from the entire fleet of a Chinese company that authorities say forced crew members to work in slave-like conditions that led to the deaths of several Indonesian fishermen last year. Customs and Border Protection said it will place an immediate hold on any imports linked to the more than 30 vessels operated by Dalian Ocean Fishing, under a US law that bars goods suspected to have been produced with forced labour. Imports from Dalian, which primarily fishes for tuna, have exceeded USD 20 million as recently as 2018. Shipments linked to the company have dropped over the past year to about USD 200,000, officials said. "We will not tolerate any amount derived from forced labour," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters as he announced the measure. CBP issued what is known as a withhold release order that halts shipments that have suspected links to forced labour, under a law that has been on the books for decades, ostensibly to protect US producers from unfair competition. The law has been used with increased frequency in recent years, given the growing awareness of the prevalence of what is essentially modern-day slavery in a range of industries, with workers forced to work long hours for low pay, or none at all, and subjected to violence. CBP found that Dalian's operations, across the fleet, met all 11 criteria for forced labour laid out by the International Labour Organisation, including the holding back of wages, inhumane conditions and physical intimidation, said John Leonard, the acting executive assistant commissioner of the agency's Office of Trade. "This was a rather egregious example," Leonard said. Both the State Department and Labour Department have also documented abusive conditions in the Chinese fishing industry, where mostly foreign crews often work 18 to 22 hours per day under abysmal conditions. US authorities have used the Tariff Act of 1930 to halt imports from specific companies, individual fishing vessels and all cotton and tomato products from the Xinjiang region of China, where the Chinese government is waging a brutal assimilation campaign against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. The announcement on Friday marks the first time that the US has sought to block imports from a company's entire fishing fleet, a sign that the CBP's investigation found evidence of widespread abuse on Dalian vessels around the world. Indonesia's government in May 2020 accused the company of 'inhuman' treatment of fishermen from that country, with dozens of men forced to work 18 hours a day for no pay or less than agreed upon. It said the conditions led to illnesses that killed at least three fishermen, whose bodies were cast overboard into the Pacific Ocean. Dalian did not immediately respond to a request for comment made through its website. The company has had recent financial troubles, but Leonard said it appears to be reorganising and planning to resume operations. "We need to be vigilant," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

US blocks seafood from Chinese fleet over crew mistreatment 

The Senate has confirmed geneticist Eric Lander to be President Joe Biden's chief science adviser, one of the last unfilled Cabinet posts in the Biden administration.&nbsp;

Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, was approved by a voice vote on Friday to serve as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, a position Biden has elevated to Cabinet rank. Lander, who also is a mathematician and molecular biologist, was lead author of the first paper announcing the details of the human genome, the so-called 'book of life’.&nbsp;

His nomination was delayed for months as senators sought more information about meetings he had with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a disgraced financier, who was charged with sex trafficking before his apparent suicide. Lander also was criticised for downplaying the contributions of two Nobel Prize-winning female scientists.&nbsp;

At his confirmation hearing last month, Lander apologised for a 2016 article he wrote that downplayed the work of the female scientists. At the hearing, he also called Epstein 'an abhorrent individual’.&nbsp;

Lander said he "understated the importance of those key advances'' by biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna. The two were later awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.&nbsp;

"I felt terrible about it, I made a mistake. And when I make a mistake, I own it and try to do better,'' Lander said.&nbsp;

"I should have written those paragraphs differently to make my intention crystal clear. I have enormous respect for Doctors Doudna and Charpentier and the important work they've done throughout their careers.''&nbsp;

He only met with Epstein twice, in 2012, Lander said, and never requested or received funds from Epstein or his foundation.&nbsp;

Sen Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said at a May 20 committee meeting that she wished Biden had named a woman as science adviser, but that Lander had pledged to work to elevate women and minorities in science.&nbsp;

Lander said in a statement on Friday that Biden's elevation of the science post made clear that science and technology will be central to solving the nation's most urgent challenges, including health, environmental quality and justice for all Americans.&nbsp;

Lander's confirmation leaves Biden's Cabinet nearly complete. The only remaining unfilled Cabinet post is that of Office of Management and Budget director. Shalanda Young has been serving as acting OMB director after her confirmation as deputy director. Neera Tanden withdrew her nomination for OMB head after several senators said they would not vote for her. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

The Senate has confirmed geneticist Eric Lander to be President Joe Biden's chief science adviser, one of the last unfilled Cabinet posts in the Biden administration.

The Senate has confirmed geneticist Eric Lander to be President Joe Biden's chief science adviser, one of the last unfilled Cabinet posts in the Biden administration. Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, was approved by a voice vote on Friday to serve as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, a position Biden has elevated to Cabinet rank. Lander, who also is a mathematician and molecular biologist, was lead author of the first paper announcing the details of the human genome, the so-called 'book of life’. His nomination was delayed for months as senators sought more information about meetings he had with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a disgraced financier, who was charged with sex trafficking before his apparent suicide. Lander also was criticised for downplaying the contributions of two Nobel Prize-winning female scientists. At his confirmation hearing last month, Lander apologised for a 2016 article he wrote that downplayed the work of the female scientists. At the hearing, he also called Epstein 'an abhorrent individual’. Lander said he "understated the importance of those key advances'' by biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna. The two were later awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. "I felt terrible about it, I made a mistake. And when I make a mistake, I own it and try to do better,'' Lander said. "I should have written those paragraphs differently to make my intention crystal clear. I have enormous respect for Doctors Doudna and Charpentier and the important work they've done throughout their careers.'' He only met with Epstein twice, in 2012, Lander said, and never requested or received funds from Epstein or his foundation. Sen Maria Cantwell, a Washington Democrat, who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said at a May 20 committee meeting that she wished Biden had named a woman as science adviser, but that Lander had pledged to work to elevate women and minorities in science. Lander said in a statement on Friday that Biden's elevation of the science post made clear that science and technology will be central to solving the nation's most urgent challenges, including health, environmental quality and justice for all Americans. Lander's confirmation leaves Biden's Cabinet nearly complete. The only remaining unfilled Cabinet post is that of Office of Management and Budget director. Shalanda Young has been serving as acting OMB director after her confirmation as deputy director. Neera Tanden withdrew her nomination for OMB head after several senators said they would not vote for her. (With inputs from agencies)

Senate confirms geneticist Lander as Biden science adviser  

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit.&nbsp;

Officials downplayed the cyber assault as 'basic phishing' in which hackers used malware-laden emails to target the computer systems of US and foreign government agencies, think tanks and humanitarian groups. Microsoft, which disclosed the effort on Friday, said it believed most of the e-mails were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam.&nbsp;

As of Friday, the company said it was "not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organisations at this time?”&nbsp;

Even so, the revelation of a new spy campaign so close to the June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin adds to the urgency of White House efforts to confront the Kremlin over aggressive cyber activity that criminal indictments and diplomatic sanctions have done little to deter.&nbsp;

"I don't think it'll create a new point of tension because the point of tension is already so big," said James Lewis, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.&nbsp;

"This clearly has to be on the summit agenda. The president has to lay down some markers ‘to make clear’ that the days when you people could do whatever you want are over."&nbsp;

The summit comes amid simmering tensions driven in part by election interference by Moscow and by a massive breach of US government agencies and private corporations by Russian elite cyber spies, who infected the software supply chain with malicious code. The US responded with sanctions last month, prompting the Kremlin to warn of retribution.&nbsp;

Asked on Friday whether the latest hacking effort would affect the Biden-Putin summit, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We're going to move forward with that."&nbsp;

The US, which has previously called out Russia or criminal groups based there for hacking operations, did not blame anyone for the latest incident.&nbsp;

In this case, hackers gained access to an email marketing account of the US Agency for International Development, and masquerading as the government body, targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. At least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work, Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post late on Thursday.&nbsp;

The company did not say what portion of the attempts may have led to successful intrusions but said in a separate technical blog post that most were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. The White House said even if an email eluded those systems, a user would still have to click on the link to activate the malicious payload.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit.

The White House says it believes US government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month's planned presidential summit. Officials downplayed the cyber assault as 'basic phishing' in which hackers used malware-laden emails to target the computer systems of US and foreign government agencies, think tanks and humanitarian groups. Microsoft, which disclosed the effort on Friday, said it believed most of the e-mails were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. As of Friday, the company said it was "not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organisations at this time?” Even so, the revelation of a new spy campaign so close to the June 16 summit between President Joe Biden and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin adds to the urgency of White House efforts to confront the Kremlin over aggressive cyber activity that criminal indictments and diplomatic sanctions have done little to deter. "I don't think it'll create a new point of tension because the point of tension is already so big," said James Lewis, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "This clearly has to be on the summit agenda. The president has to lay down some markers ‘to make clear’ that the days when you people could do whatever you want are over." The summit comes amid simmering tensions driven in part by election interference by Moscow and by a massive breach of US government agencies and private corporations by Russian elite cyber spies, who infected the software supply chain with malicious code. The US responded with sanctions last month, prompting the Kremlin to warn of retribution. Asked on Friday whether the latest hacking effort would affect the Biden-Putin summit, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We're going to move forward with that." The US, which has previously called out Russia or criminal groups based there for hacking operations, did not blame anyone for the latest incident. In this case, hackers gained access to an email marketing account of the US Agency for International Development, and masquerading as the government body, targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. At least a quarter of them involved in international development, humanitarian and human rights work, Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt said in a blog post late on Thursday. The company did not say what portion of the attempts may have led to successful intrusions but said in a separate technical blog post that most were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. The White House said even if an email eluded those systems, a user would still have to click on the link to activate the malicious payload. (With inputs from agencies)

US says agencies largely fended off latest Russian hack 

Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to defeat his enemies no matter how many battles he faces, saying on Friday, he feels empowered after being re-elected for a fourth seven-year term.&nbsp;

Assad was elected in a predictable landslide on Thursday. The presidential vote was described as illegitimate and a sham by the West and his opponents.&nbsp;

In a nine-minute televised victory speech, Assad said the public had challenged enemies of Syria, and those questioning the election's legitimacy by turning out in large numbers to vote for him, calling it a 'fighting spirit'.&nbsp;

"People choosing me to serve for the next constitutional period is a great honour for me," a bespectacled Assad said. "I am certain that with this fighting spirit, we will be able to defeat all our enemies no matter how many the battles are or how hard the road is."&nbsp;

Syria's parliament speaker, Hammoud Sabbagh, announced the final results late on Thursday, saying Assad garnered 95.1% of the vote. He said turnout stood at 78.6%, in an election that lasted for 17 hours on Wednesday with no independent monitors.&nbsp;

Syria observers said the official number of participants in the vote 'over 14 million' appeared to exceed the number of Syrians living in government-held areas.&nbsp;

In a country ravaged by a 10-year-old conflict, areas controlled by rebels or Kurdish-led troops did not hold the vote. At least 8 million people, mostly displaced, live in those areas in northwest and northeast Syria. Over 5 million refugees 'mostly living in neighbouring countries' have largely refrained from casting their ballots. Syria's pre-war population stood at 23 million.&nbsp;

Assad's victory comes as the country is still devastated by the conflict. Fighting has subsided but the war is not over. An economic crisis is worsening and over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line, while the local currency is in a free fall.&nbsp;

Assad, close associates and government officials are facing widening Western sanctions, added to already existing ones that have escalated as the war unfolded. European and US governments blame Assad and his aides for most of the war's atrocities.&nbsp;

For the third straight day, there were celebrations on Friday in Damascus in rallies that appeared to be organised. They featured demonstrators raising Syrian flags and pictures of Assad, chanting: 'God, Syria, and Bashar only’. They rallied on election day, after the results, and on Friday before Assad's speech.&nbsp;

The election is likely to offer little change to conditions in Syria. While Assad and his allies 'Russia and Iran' may be seeking a new seal of legitimacy for a president in office since 2000, his re-election is likely to deepen the rift with the West, driving him closer to Russian and Iranian backers as well as China. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to defeat his enemies no matter how many battles he faces, saying on Friday, he feels empowered after being re-elected for a fourth seven-year term.

Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to defeat his enemies no matter how many battles he faces, saying on Friday, he feels empowered after being re-elected for a fourth seven-year term. Assad was elected in a predictable landslide on Thursday. The presidential vote was described as illegitimate and a sham by the West and his opponents. In a nine-minute televised victory speech, Assad said the public had challenged enemies of Syria, and those questioning the election's legitimacy by turning out in large numbers to vote for him, calling it a 'fighting spirit'. "People choosing me to serve for the next constitutional period is a great honour for me," a bespectacled Assad said. "I am certain that with this fighting spirit, we will be able to defeat all our enemies no matter how many the battles are or how hard the road is." Syria's parliament speaker, Hammoud Sabbagh, announced the final results late on Thursday, saying Assad garnered 95.1% of the vote. He said turnout stood at 78.6%, in an election that lasted for 17 hours on Wednesday with no independent monitors. Syria observers said the official number of participants in the vote 'over 14 million' appeared to exceed the number of Syrians living in government-held areas. In a country ravaged by a 10-year-old conflict, areas controlled by rebels or Kurdish-led troops did not hold the vote. At least 8 million people, mostly displaced, live in those areas in northwest and northeast Syria. Over 5 million refugees 'mostly living in neighbouring countries' have largely refrained from casting their ballots. Syria's pre-war population stood at 23 million. Assad's victory comes as the country is still devastated by the conflict. Fighting has subsided but the war is not over. An economic crisis is worsening and over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line, while the local currency is in a free fall. Assad, close associates and government officials are facing widening Western sanctions, added to already existing ones that have escalated as the war unfolded. European and US governments blame Assad and his aides for most of the war's atrocities. For the third straight day, there were celebrations on Friday in Damascus in rallies that appeared to be organised. They featured demonstrators raising Syrian flags and pictures of Assad, chanting: 'God, Syria, and Bashar only’. They rallied on election day, after the results, and on Friday before Assad's speech. The election is likely to offer little change to conditions in Syria. While Assad and his allies 'Russia and Iran' may be seeking a new seal of legitimacy for a president in office since 2000, his re-election is likely to deepen the rift with the West, driving him closer to Russian and Iranian backers as well as China. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria's Assad says reelection empowers him to defeat enemies 

The Philippines has protested China's continuing 'illegal presence and activities' near an island in the South China Sea held by the Southeast Asian nation, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Manila lodged the diplomatic protest on Friday over the 'incessant deployment, prolonged presence, and illegal activities of Chinese maritime assets and fishing vessels' in the vicinity of Thitu island.&nbsp;

It demanded its giant neighbour withdraw the vessels.&nbsp;

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours.&nbsp;

Tensions between Manila and Beijing have escalated over the months-long presence of hundreds of Chinese boats in the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The Philippines says it believes the vessels were manned by militia, while Beijing has said they were fishing boats sheltering from bad weather.&nbsp;

"The Pag-asa Islands is an integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction," the foreign ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;

Thitu, known as Pag-asa in the Philippines, is 451 km (280 miles) from the mainland and is the biggest of the eight reefs, shoals and islands it occupies in the Spratly archipelago.&nbsp;

China has built a mini-city with runways, hangars and surface-to-air-missiles in the Subi Reef about 25 km (15 miles) from Thitu.&nbsp;

This was at least the 84th diplomatic protest the Philippines has filed against China since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016.&nbsp;

An international tribunal that year invalidated China's expansive claim in the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have competing claims to various islands and features in the area.&nbsp;

Duterte shelved the favourable ruling and pursued a rapprochement with Beijing in exchange for pledges of billions of dollars of loans, aid and investment, much of which are pending.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Philippines has protested China's continuing 'illegal presence and activities' near an island in the South China Sea held by the Southeast Asian nation, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The Philippines has protested China's continuing 'illegal presence and activities' near an island in the South China Sea held by the Southeast Asian nation, the foreign ministry said on Saturday. Manila lodged the diplomatic protest on Friday over the 'incessant deployment, prolonged presence, and illegal activities of Chinese maritime assets and fishing vessels' in the vicinity of Thitu island. It demanded its giant neighbour withdraw the vessels. The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside business hours. Tensions between Manila and Beijing have escalated over the months-long presence of hundreds of Chinese boats in the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The Philippines says it believes the vessels were manned by militia, while Beijing has said they were fishing boats sheltering from bad weather. "The Pag-asa Islands is an integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Thitu, known as Pag-asa in the Philippines, is 451 km (280 miles) from the mainland and is the biggest of the eight reefs, shoals and islands it occupies in the Spratly archipelago. China has built a mini-city with runways, hangars and surface-to-air-missiles in the Subi Reef about 25 km (15 miles) from Thitu. This was at least the 84th diplomatic protest the Philippines has filed against China since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016. An international tribunal that year invalidated China's expansive claim in the South China Sea, where about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have competing claims to various islands and features in the area. Duterte shelved the favourable ruling and pursued a rapprochement with Beijing in exchange for pledges of billions of dollars of loans, aid and investment, much of which are pending. (With inputs from agencies)

Philippines protests China's 'illegal' South China Sea presence 

Mali's constitutional court on Friday declared Assimi Goita, the colonel, who led a military coup this week while serving as vice president, to be the new interim president.&nbsp;

The ruling raises the stakes as West African leaders prepare to meet on Sunday to respond to the takeover, which has jeopardised a transition back to democracy and could undermine a regional fight against Islamist militants.&nbsp;

Goita became interim vice president after leading the coup last August that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. He ordered the arrests on Monday of President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane.&nbsp;

Both resigned on Wednesday, while still in detention. They were later released.&nbsp;

The court said in its ruling that Goita should fill the vacancy left by Ndaw's resignation 'to lead the transition process to its conclusion' and carry the title of 'president of the transition, head of state'.&nbsp;

The ruling set Mali on a collision course with the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has insisted that the transition, which is due to end with elections in February, remain civilian-led.&nbsp;

After agreeing in October to lift sanctions imposed after the coup against Keita, ECOWAS said in a declaration that the vice president of the transition 'cannot under any circumstances replace the president’.&nbsp;

ECOWAS heads of state are due to meet in Ghana on Sunday.&nbsp;

They and Western powers including France and the United States fear the political crisis could exacerbate instability in northern and central Mali, a home base for regional affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State.&nbsp;

Goita, a 38-year-old special forces commander, was one of several colonels, who led the coup against Keita. He ousted Ndaw after the interim president named a new cabinet that stripped two of the other coup leaders of their ministerial posts.&nbsp;

Late on Friday, Goita said on national television that he would name a new prime minister from among the members of the M5-RFP coalition, which led protests against Keita last year and fell out with Ndaw and Ouane during the transition.&nbsp;

Jeamille Bitar, a member of the coalition, said its pick for the post would be Choguel Maiga, a former government minister.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Mali's constitutional court on Friday declared Assimi Goita, the colonel, who led a military coup this week while serving as vice president, to be the new interim president.

Mali's constitutional court on Friday declared Assimi Goita, the colonel, who led a military coup this week while serving as vice president, to be the new interim president. The ruling raises the stakes as West African leaders prepare to meet on Sunday to respond to the takeover, which has jeopardised a transition back to democracy and could undermine a regional fight against Islamist militants. Goita became interim vice president after leading the coup last August that overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. He ordered the arrests on Monday of President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane. Both resigned on Wednesday, while still in detention. They were later released. The court said in its ruling that Goita should fill the vacancy left by Ndaw's resignation 'to lead the transition process to its conclusion' and carry the title of 'president of the transition, head of state'. The ruling set Mali on a collision course with the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has insisted that the transition, which is due to end with elections in February, remain civilian-led. After agreeing in October to lift sanctions imposed after the coup against Keita, ECOWAS said in a declaration that the vice president of the transition 'cannot under any circumstances replace the president’. ECOWAS heads of state are due to meet in Ghana on Sunday. They and Western powers including France and the United States fear the political crisis could exacerbate instability in northern and central Mali, a home base for regional affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State. Goita, a 38-year-old special forces commander, was one of several colonels, who led the coup against Keita. He ousted Ndaw after the interim president named a new cabinet that stripped two of the other coup leaders of their ministerial posts. Late on Friday, Goita said on national television that he would name a new prime minister from among the members of the M5-RFP coalition, which led protests against Keita last year and fell out with Ndaw and Ouane during the transition. Jeamille Bitar, a member of the coalition, said its pick for the post would be Choguel Maiga, a former government minister. (With inputs from agencies)

Mali's top court declares coup leader Goita as interim president

The Biden administration said on Friday, it is drawing up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government following the former Soviet republic's forced landing of a passenger jet and arrest of a journalist on board.&nbsp;

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was also suspending a 2019 agreement between Washington and Minsk that allowed carriers from each country to use the other's airspace, and taking other actions against the government of President Alexander Lukashenko.&nbsp;

In a statement, she called on Lukashenko to allow a credible international investigation into the events of May 23, when the Ryanair passenger jet flying from Greece to Lithuania was forced to land in Minsk.&nbsp;

Belarusian authorities scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force the plane to land, then detained an opposition journalist who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.&nbsp;

Psaki said the United States, with the EU and other allies, was developing a list of targeted sanctions against key members of Lukashenko's government 'associated with ongoing abuses of human rights and corruption, the falsification of the 2020 election, and the events of May 23'.&nbsp;

The United States last year, imposed sanctions on eight Belarus officials over an August 2020 election that the West said was rigged.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that sanctions against Belarus were 'in play', without giving details.&nbsp;

The Treasury Department will develop an executive order for Biden to sign that will provide increased authorities to impose sanctions on elements of Lukashenko's government, and the United States will re-impose 'full blocking sanctions' on nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises on June 3, prohibiting US persons from dealing with those businesses.&nbsp;

Last month, the United States revoked an authorisation for certain transactions with the nine sanctioned state-owned enterprises over alleged human rights violations and abuses.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

The Biden administration said on Friday, it is drawing up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government following the former Soviet republic's forced landing of a passenger jet and arrest of a journalist on board.

The Biden administration said on Friday, it is drawing up a list of targeted sanctions against key members of the Belarusian government following the former Soviet republic's forced landing of a passenger jet and arrest of a journalist on board. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was also suspending a 2019 agreement between Washington and Minsk that allowed carriers from each country to use the other's airspace, and taking other actions against the government of President Alexander Lukashenko. In a statement, she called on Lukashenko to allow a credible international investigation into the events of May 23, when the Ryanair passenger jet flying from Greece to Lithuania was forced to land in Minsk. Belarusian authorities scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force the plane to land, then detained an opposition journalist who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States. Psaki said the United States, with the EU and other allies, was developing a list of targeted sanctions against key members of Lukashenko's government 'associated with ongoing abuses of human rights and corruption, the falsification of the 2020 election, and the events of May 23'. The United States last year, imposed sanctions on eight Belarus officials over an August 2020 election that the West said was rigged. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that sanctions against Belarus were 'in play', without giving details. The Treasury Department will develop an executive order for Biden to sign that will provide increased authorities to impose sanctions on elements of Lukashenko's government, and the United States will re-impose 'full blocking sanctions' on nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises on June 3, prohibiting US persons from dealing with those businesses. Last month, the United States revoked an authorisation for certain transactions with the nine sanctioned state-owned enterprises over alleged human rights violations and abuses. (With inputs from agencies)

US drawing up targeted sanctions on Belarus officials after plane incident 

A newly disclosed effort by Russian intelligence to hijack the email system of a U.S. government agency prompted leading Democrats on Friday to urge stronger action against Moscow for accelerating cyberattacks before President Joe Biden’s summit next month with President Vladimir Putin.

The latest hack was brought to light late Thursday by Microsoft and other private firms. They exposed how Russia’s SVR, the same intelligence agency that Washington has blamed for a range of cyberattacks on American networks over the past decade, infiltrated a communications company that distributes emails on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Using that access, the hackers sent authentic-looking messages to human rights groups, nonprofit organizations and think tanks, including some that have been critical of Putin. The emails contained links to malware that gave the Russians access to the recipients’ computer networks.

The White House on Friday played down the severity of the attack, saying it was typical of daily cyberconflict. Officials said the fact that the attack had been caught quickly and neutralized — chiefly by Microsoft, which acted when it saw fake emails being sent — was evidence that enhanced defenses being deployed to defend government networks were beginning to show results.

But the timing was striking, and added to the sense that the scope of cyberattacks emanating from Russia — ranging from the most sophisticated to the most embarrassing, as seen in the ease with which hackers got into the email system used by the aid agency — is expanding rapidly despite warnings and retaliation from Washington.

A month ago, Biden imposed economic sanctions on Russia and expelled diplomats in response to one of the most sophisticated attacks ever seen on the “supply chain” of software that government and private sector networks rely on — one that gave Russian intelligence wide access to 18,000 networks. While the Russians used the access only to enter about 150 government agencies and companies, the attack demonstrated that it was possible to corrupt regularly scheduled software updates of the kind that government agencies and companies rely on to keep their systems current.

Then, this month, came a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, carried out by a criminal group that Biden said was based in Russia. The pipeline was shut down for days, prompting panic-buying, long lines at the pump and shuttering gas stations across the Southeast. Colonial paid a $4.4 million ransom, and the attack underscored the vulnerability of the United States’ critical infrastructure.

The latest attack, at a moment of heightened tension with Russia, was more basic, but it focused further attention on why the United States has not been able to deter the wave of attacks by making its adversaries pay a higher price for them.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, argued that years of efforts to deter such attacks from Russia were failing.

“If Moscow is responsible, this brazen act of utilizing emails associated with the U.S. government demonstrates that Russia remains undeterred despite sanctions following the SolarWinds attack,” Schiff said, referring to the attack last year on the software supply chain. “Those sanctions gave the administration flexibility to tighten the economic screws further if necessary — it now appears necessary.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed Schiff in calling for stronger consequences. “We must make clear to Russia — and any other adversaries — that they will face consequences for this and any other malicious cyberactivity,” he said.

Biden has already said that Russia’s cyberaggression would be part of the tense conversation he planned to have with Putin on June 16 in Geneva, at a moment when the two nations are at odds over Ukraine, human rights and Russia’s new generation of nuclear weapons.

Some analysts praised the way the U.S. government was responding.

“If you look at the steps the administration is taking to both defend and deter, which are the two key things we need to do here, they are going in the right direction in a significant way we have never seen before,” said Tom Burt, a senior Microsoft official who worked with the administration on several of the recent hacks. “But they are also facing a greater threat than we have ever seen.”

But some intelligence officials argued that sanctions and more covert actions — if there have been any — were showing few signs of deterring Putin. And so Biden is seeing the same kind of robust debate inside his own White House over whether more forceful responses are necessary, whether by exposing Putin’s financial entanglements, or by conducting retaliatory cyberstrikes.

Biden has shown caution, saying last month that he “chose to be proportionate” in response to the SolarWinds attack because he did not want “to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia.”

Some cybersecurity experts now argue that Biden should have responded more aggressively.

“The U.S. tends to get too hung up on proportionality,” said James Lewis, one such expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “We were too cautious in responding to SolarWinds, and that turned out to be a mistake. The way you set boundaries is through action, not by sending them nasty, diplomatic notes.”

U.S. officials have often been reluctant to respond to cyberaggression in kind, in part because the country’s own defenses are so inadequate. “Until we are confident in our own ability to deflect Russian cyberattacks, our actions will continue to be driven by concerns over what Putin will do,” said Kiersten Todt, managing director of the Cyber Readiness Institute.

But both government officials and some experts argued that the hijacking of emails by the SVR was such bread-and-butter stuff in the modern world of constant cyberconflict that it did not mark an escalation from SolarWinds. “It’s not obvious to me that this type of attack is over the red line,” said Robert Chesney, director of the Strauss Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

In this case, Microsoft reported, the goal of the hackers was not to go after the aid agency itself. Instead, its motivation appeared to be to use emails purporting to be from the U.S. government to get inside groups that have revealed Russian disinformation campaigns, anti-corruption groups and those who have protested the poisoning, conviction and jailing of Russia’s best-known opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

According to SecureWorks, an Atlanta cybersecurity firm tracking the attacks, the Russian hackers targeted the Atlantic Council and EU Disinfo Lab, which have both exposed several Russian disinformation campaigns.

Other targets included the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which has drawn Putin’s ire for criticizing the fairness of elections in Belarus and Ukraine; the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center, and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, according to SecureWorks.

Putin had previously described the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as a “vile instrument of the West.” The fact that Russia took aim at these targets, not federal networks as it did with SolarWinds, suggested sanctions may have diverted Russia elsewhere.

“This may be Russia, and Putin specifically, saying, ‘Thanks for the sanctions — now we’re going to use America’s open and vulnerable networks for our own political purposes and vendettas,’” Todt said.

Microsoft, like other major firms involved in cybersecurity, maintains a vast sensor network to look for malicious activity on the internet, and is frequently a target itself. It was deeply involved in revealing the SolarWinds attack.

In the most recent case, Burt said that Microsoft had been tracking the hackers as they broke into a mass-email system run by a company called Constant Contact, which has the Agency for International Development as a client.

“They never had to enter a U.S. government system,” Burt said. Instead, they compromised the Constant Contact communications system and made their way into the agency’s account. That enabled them to send emails that appeared to be from the agency.

In a statement, Constant Contact, without confirming the identity of its client, suggested that hackers had used stolen security credentials to breach the agency’s Constant Contact email accounts. “This is an isolated incident,” the statement said, “and we have temporarily disabled the impacted accounts while we work in cooperation with our customer, who is working with law enforcement.”

But Russian hackers have seized on many such opportunities, intelligence officials say. Biden’s aides said that the fact that the hackers were caught so quickly underscored the need for government agencies and suppliers to adhere to new standards required by an executive order issued two weeks ago. That includes monitoring requirements that would most likely set off alarms in cases where malware is being transmitted in emails, and reporting requirements if there are attacks.

Presenting the new order this month, Anne Neuberger, Biden’s deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said the new order would “raise the game” for anyone who wanted to do business with the federal government, and that the higher standards of security would spread through private industry. There are some signs that is already happening.

But the adversaries are also improving. Microsoft noted that the Russian attack used new tools and tradecraft in an apparent effort to avoid detection. “Some people would call this ‘espionage as usual,’ and it was,” Burt said. “But no government wants some other government living in their networks for three months.”

A newly disclosed effort by Russian intelligence to hijack the email system of a U.S. government agency prompted leading Democrats on Friday to urge stronger action against Moscow for accelerating cyberattacks before President Joe Biden’s summit next month with President Vladimir Putin.

A newly disclosed effort by Russian intelligence to hijack the email system of a U.S. government agency prompted leading Democrats on Friday to urge stronger action against Moscow for accelerating cyberattacks before President Joe Biden’s summit next month with President Vladimir Putin. The latest hack was brought to light late Thursday by Microsoft and other private firms. They exposed how Russia’s SVR, the same intelligence agency that Washington has blamed for a range of cyberattacks on American networks over the past decade, infiltrated a communications company that distributes emails on behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Using that access, the hackers sent authentic-looking messages to human rights groups, nonprofit organizations and think tanks, including some that have been critical of Putin. The emails contained links to malware that gave the Russians access to the recipients’ computer networks. The White House on Friday played down the severity of the attack, saying it was typical of daily cyberconflict. Officials said the fact that the attack had been caught quickly and neutralized — chiefly by Microsoft, which acted when it saw fake emails being sent — was evidence that enhanced defenses being deployed to defend government networks were beginning to show results. But the timing was striking, and added to the sense that the scope of cyberattacks emanating from Russia — ranging from the most sophisticated to the most embarrassing, as seen in the ease with which hackers got into the email system used by the aid agency — is expanding rapidly despite warnings and retaliation from Washington. A month ago, Biden imposed economic sanctions on Russia and expelled diplomats in response to one of the most sophisticated attacks ever seen on the “supply chain” of software that government and private sector networks rely on — one that gave Russian intelligence wide access to 18,000 networks. While the Russians used the access only to enter about 150 government agencies and companies, the attack demonstrated that it was possible to corrupt regularly scheduled software updates of the kind that government agencies and companies rely on to keep their systems current. Then, this month, came a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, carried out by a criminal group that Biden said was based in Russia. The pipeline was shut down for days, prompting panic-buying, long lines at the pump and shuttering gas stations across the Southeast. Colonial paid a $4.4 million ransom, and the attack underscored the vulnerability of the United States’ critical infrastructure. The latest attack, at a moment of heightened tension with Russia, was more basic, but it focused further attention on why the United States has not been able to deter the wave of attacks by making its adversaries pay a higher price for them. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, argued that years of efforts to deter such attacks from Russia were failing. “If Moscow is responsible, this brazen act of utilizing emails associated with the U.S. government demonstrates that Russia remains undeterred despite sanctions following the SolarWinds attack,” Schiff said, referring to the attack last year on the software supply chain. “Those sanctions gave the administration flexibility to tighten the economic screws further if necessary — it now appears necessary.” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed Schiff in calling for stronger consequences. “We must make clear to Russia — and any other adversaries — that they will face consequences for this and any other malicious cyberactivity,” he said. Biden has already said that Russia’s cyberaggression would be part of the tense conversation he planned to have with Putin on June 16 in Geneva, at a moment when the two nations are at odds over Ukraine, human rights and Russia’s new generation of nuclear weapons. Some analysts praised the way the U.S. government was responding. “If you look at the steps the administration is taking to both defend and deter, which are the two key things we need to do here, they are going in the right direction in a significant way we have never seen before,” said Tom Burt, a senior Microsoft official who worked with the administration on several of the recent hacks. “But they are also facing a greater threat than we have ever seen.” But some intelligence officials argued that sanctions and more covert actions — if there have been any — were showing few signs of deterring Putin. And so Biden is seeing the same kind of robust debate inside his own White House over whether more forceful responses are necessary, whether by exposing Putin’s financial entanglements, or by conducting retaliatory cyberstrikes. Biden has shown caution, saying last month that he “chose to be proportionate” in response to the SolarWinds attack because he did not want “to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia.” Some cybersecurity experts now argue that Biden should have responded more aggressively. “The U.S. tends to get too hung up on proportionality,” said James Lewis, one such expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “We were too cautious in responding to SolarWinds, and that turned out to be a mistake. The way you set boundaries is through action, not by sending them nasty, diplomatic notes.” U.S. officials have often been reluctant to respond to cyberaggression in kind, in part because the country’s own defenses are so inadequate. “Until we are confident in our own ability to deflect Russian cyberattacks, our actions will continue to be driven by concerns over what Putin will do,” said Kiersten Todt, managing director of the Cyber Readiness Institute. But both government officials and some experts argued that the hijacking of emails by the SVR was such bread-and-butter stuff in the modern world of constant cyberconflict that it did not mark an escalation from SolarWinds. “It’s not obvious to me that this type of attack is over the red line,” said Robert Chesney, director of the Strauss Center at the University of Texas at Austin. In this case, Microsoft reported, the goal of the hackers was not to go after the aid agency itself. Instead, its motivation appeared to be to use emails purporting to be from the U.S. government to get inside groups that have revealed Russian disinformation campaigns, anti-corruption groups and those who have protested the poisoning, conviction and jailing of Russia’s best-known opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. According to SecureWorks, an Atlanta cybersecurity firm tracking the attacks, the Russian hackers targeted the Atlantic Council and EU Disinfo Lab, which have both exposed several Russian disinformation campaigns. Other targets included the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which has drawn Putin’s ire for criticizing the fairness of elections in Belarus and Ukraine; the Ukrainian Anti-Corruption Action Center, and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, according to SecureWorks. Putin had previously described the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as a “vile instrument of the West.” The fact that Russia took aim at these targets, not federal networks as it did with SolarWinds, suggested sanctions may have diverted Russia elsewhere. “This may be Russia, and Putin specifically, saying, ‘Thanks for the sanctions — now we’re going to use America’s open and vulnerable networks for our own political purposes and vendettas,’” Todt said. Microsoft, like other major firms involved in cybersecurity, maintains a vast sensor network to look for malicious activity on the internet, and is frequently a target itself. It was deeply involved in revealing the SolarWinds attack. In the most recent case, Burt said that Microsoft had been tracking the hackers as they broke into a mass-email system run by a company called Constant Contact, which has the Agency for International Development as a client. “They never had to enter a U.S. government system,” Burt said. Instead, they compromised the Constant Contact communications system and made their way into the agency’s account. That enabled them to send emails that appeared to be from the agency. In a statement, Constant Contact, without confirming the identity of its client, suggested that hackers had used stolen security credentials to breach the agency’s Constant Contact email accounts. “This is an isolated incident,” the statement said, “and we have temporarily disabled the impacted accounts while we work in cooperation with our customer, who is working with law enforcement.” But Russian hackers have seized on many such opportunities, intelligence officials say. Biden’s aides said that the fact that the hackers were caught so quickly underscored the need for government agencies and suppliers to adhere to new standards required by an executive order issued two weeks ago. That includes monitoring requirements that would most likely set off alarms in cases where malware is being transmitted in emails, and reporting requirements if there are attacks. Presenting the new order this month, Anne Neuberger, Biden’s deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said the new order would “raise the game” for anyone who wanted to do business with the federal government, and that the higher standards of security would spread through private industry. There are some signs that is already happening. But the adversaries are also improving. Microsoft noted that the Russian attack used new tools and tradecraft in an apparent effort to avoid detection. “Some people would call this ‘espionage as usual,’ and it was,” Burt said. “But no government wants some other government living in their networks for three months.”

Top Democrats call for stronger action against Russia after latest cyberattack

Organisers of an annual vigil to commemorate the Chinese Communist government's bloody crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989 said on Saturday, they had lost an appeal to hold this year's rally.&nbsp;

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China planned to hold a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park next Friday.&nbsp;

This marks the second year that Hong Kong police have banned the vigil, citing coronavirus restrictions.&nbsp;

“We have to apologise to the public. Hong Kong Alliance can no longer organise the candlelight vigil this year in a lawful manner. We will stop promoting the vigil, said Richard Tsoi of the alliance to the press.&nbsp;

“On that day, we won’t, as an organisation and members of Hong Kong Alliance, appear and join.”&nbsp;

Tsoi said he believed Hong Kong people would still commemorate the June 4 crackdown on pro-democracy activists in a peaceful manner.&nbsp;

Samuel Chu, who runs the Hong Kong Democracy Council in Washington, retweeted an image of Tsoi making his statement, writing, “We will light a candle for you and all of Hong Kong.&nbsp;

Hong Kong's Security Bureau issued a statement warning people not to take part in illegal assemblies or violate the national security law imposed on the territory by Beijing.&nbsp;

Liauw Ka-kei, senior superintendent of the Hong Kong Island Region, told a news conference that the police welcomed the appeal board decision, also urging the public not to participate in or publicise any unauthorised assembly.&nbsp;

“Police have reasonable grounds to believe that the activities not only include the risk of infecting COVID-19 by participants and other people but also pose a serious threat to the life and health of all citizens, jeopardising public safety, and affecting the rights of others,” he said.&nbsp;

Liauw said the police would adopt a zero-tolerance approach and take resolute action against anyone who violated the law.&nbsp;

The security law combined with coronavirus restrictions have cleared the city's streets of protesters after anti-government demonstrations plunged the financial hub into turmoil in 2019. &nbsp;

Organisers of an annual vigil to commemorate the Chinese Communist government's bloody crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989 said on Saturday, they had lost an appeal to hold this year's rally.

Organisers of an annual vigil to commemorate the Chinese Communist government's bloody crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989 said on Saturday, they had lost an appeal to hold this year's rally. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China planned to hold a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park next Friday. This marks the second year that Hong Kong police have banned the vigil, citing coronavirus restrictions. “We have to apologise to the public. Hong Kong Alliance can no longer organise the candlelight vigil this year in a lawful manner. We will stop promoting the vigil, said Richard Tsoi of the alliance to the press. “On that day, we won’t, as an organisation and members of Hong Kong Alliance, appear and join.” Tsoi said he believed Hong Kong people would still commemorate the June 4 crackdown on pro-democracy activists in a peaceful manner. Samuel Chu, who runs the Hong Kong Democracy Council in Washington, retweeted an image of Tsoi making his statement, writing, “We will light a candle for you and all of Hong Kong. Hong Kong's Security Bureau issued a statement warning people not to take part in illegal assemblies or violate the national security law imposed on the territory by Beijing. Liauw Ka-kei, senior superintendent of the Hong Kong Island Region, told a news conference that the police welcomed the appeal board decision, also urging the public not to participate in or publicise any unauthorised assembly. “Police have reasonable grounds to believe that the activities not only include the risk of infecting COVID-19 by participants and other people but also pose a serious threat to the life and health of all citizens, jeopardising public safety, and affecting the rights of others,” he said. Liauw said the police would adopt a zero-tolerance approach and take resolute action against anyone who violated the law. The security law combined with coronavirus restrictions have cleared the city's streets of protesters after anti-government demonstrations plunged the financial hub into turmoil in 2019.

Hong Kong organisers lose appeal to hold Tiananmen vigil 

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