Tag: espoinage

Trudeau slams ‘political’ detentions, after China spy charges

by Michel COMTE OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday blasted China’s detention of two Canadians for “political ends,” following charges against them for spying. His comments came after China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Friday said it had begun the prosecution of ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, who were “suspected of foreign espionage” and “providing state secrets.” The move, 18 months after their arrest, came just weeks after a Canadian […]

Iran will execute spy who helped US target general

by Amir Havasi TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Tehran said Tuesday it will execute an Iranian for spying for the United States and Israel after his conviction was upheld for helping the US to locate a top Iranian general killed in a drone strike. Mahmoud Mousavi Majd was convicted of spying on Iran’s armed forces, “especially the Quds Force and on the whereabouts and movements of martyr General Qasem Soleimani”, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said in […]

Washington gives Huawei 45-day reprieve to operate in US

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Thursday granted Huawei another 45 days to sell to American companies while they search for alternatives to the Chinese telecommunications giant that Washington views as a security threat. The extension will “allow existing telecommunication providers — particularly those in rural US communities — the ability to continue to temporarily and securely operate existing networks,” the Commerce Department said in a statement. The decision to provide yet […]

Three charged in US with spying on Twitter users for S.Arabia

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) –Two former Twitter employees and a third man were charged in San Francisco Federal Court Wednesday with spying on Twitter users critical of the Saudi royal family, the US Justice Department announced. The two Saudi citizens and one US citizen allegedly worked together to unmask the ownership details behind dissident Twitter accounts on behalf of the government in Riyadh and the royal family, the department said. According to a court […]

China formally arrests Canadian ex-diplomat, businessman: report

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China has formally arrested two Canadians who have been detained for months on national security grounds, a Canadian newspaper reported on Thursday, in a case that has inflamed tensions between Ottawa and Beijing. A Canadian government source told The Globe and Mail that neither Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, nor Michael Spavor, a China-based businessman who organized trips to North Korea, have been formally charged. “Canada strongly condemns their arbitrary arrest […]

FBI has dozens of probes into Chinese economic spying

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The FBI is investigating Chinese economic espionage in nearly all of its 56 field offices around the country, underscoring the depth of the threat to US business, Director Christopher Wray told Congress Tuesday. “China writ large is the most significant counterintelligence threat we face,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee in a hearing on foreign threats. “We have economic espionage investigations, for example — that’s just one piece of it […]

Poland arrests Chinese businessman suspected of spying

WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Poland said Friday it had arrested a Chinese businessman suspected of spying for China, with local media identifying him as a Huawei director. The announcement comes weeks after Canada arrested Huawei vice president Meng Wanzhou, who is accused of violating Iran sanctions. The Chinese telecommunications giant is also facing increased scrutiny over its alleged links to Chinese intelligence services. Countries like the United States, Australia and Japan have blocked Huawei from […]