| By Derek Caney
The overseers of the U.S. intelligence community have not endorsed a CIA assessment that Russian cyber attacks were aimed at helping Republican President-elect Donald Trump win the 2016 election, although they don't dispute it either. "ODNI (Office of the Director of National Intelligence) is not arguing that the (CIA) is wrong, only that they can't prove intent," said one official. The FBI, whose standards require it to make cases that can stand up in court, have also not signed off on the CIA assessment. You can expect Trump to repeat these points in the coming days.
The Russian-backed Syrian Army has all but taken over the country's last rebel stronghold of Aleppo. There are reports of rocket fire from some rebel areas, and the frontlines of the battles keep changing. But the situation is bleak for the civilian population. Rupert Colville, spokesman of the U.N. human rights office, voiced deep fear of retribution against thousands of civilians still believed to be holed up in a "hellish corner" of less than a square kilometer of opposition-held areas. Quote of the day: "In all as of yesterday (Monday) evening we have received reports of pro-government forces killing least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, in 4 different neighborhoods." – Rupert Colville, U.N. human rights office
Digits of the day: $7.8 billion Japanese brewer Asahi Group plans to buy a group of eastern European beer bands from Anheuser Busch InBev for $7.8 billion. Anheuser-Busch InBev agreed to sell the brands, including Czech market leader Pilsner Urquell, Poland's Tyskie and Lech, Hungary's Dreher and Romania's Ursus, to ease clearance from competition regulators for its $100 billion takeover of SABMiller.
Drug treatment in the Philippines 
A patient undergoing drug rehabilitation holds a pet cat inside a government run rehab center in Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines December 12, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro
Around Wall Street - President-elect Donald Trump's challenges to China on trade and Taiwan are rattling American companies who have long benefited from stable relations between the two countries but now fear retaliation by Beijing if Trump were to act. "We hear now from reliable sources in Beijing who suggest the Chinese government, the Communist Party, are developing lists of U.S. interests against which they could retaliate, commercial interests, and obviously one merely has to look at top U.S. exports to China to get a quick sense of whose heads may be on the chopping block," said one China trade policy expert who interacts closely with U.S. business.
- About $9 billion of venture capital has flowed into online on-demand delivery firms –such as DoorDash and Deliv – over the past decade. Uber, the online ride service, seemed to confirm the gold rush when it jumped into the market last year with UberFood and UberRush. But VC firms are pulling back from the sector believing many of these startups will fail.
- Hackers targeting the global bank transfer system have succeeded in stealing funds since February’s heist of $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank as the attacks become more sophisticated. One new tactic involved using software that allows technicians to access computers to provide technical support.
Around the world - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani ordered the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to start planning the development of nuclear marine propulsion in reaction to what he called the United States' violation of the nuclear deal.
- Israel became the first country after the United States to receive the U.S.-built F-35 stealth jet which will increase its ability to attack distant targets, including Iran. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the planes were critical to maintaining Israel's military edge in the region.
- West African heads of state are trying to convince Gambia's long-ruling President Yahya Jammeh to relinquish power after losing an election this month. Jammeh, who seized power in a coup in 1994 and earned the reputation as a repressive leader, had conceded defeat to opponent Adama Barrow. But he changed his mind a week later, citing irregularities in the official results.
Around the country - Prosecutors in Montana will not appeal a 60-day jail sentence for a man who admitted to raping his 12-year-old daughter. The father's guilty plea would normally have triggered Montana's mandatory 25-year sentence for child rape, but the judge in the case ruled that the 40-year-old should only be incarcerated for 60 days, followed by probation. "We believe the judge used poor discretion in his ruling, and find the ruling reprehensible, but his ruling was legal under state law," Eric Sell, a spokesman for Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, said in an email.
- The recount effort by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein in three states came to an end, after weeks of legal wrangling yielded only one electoral review in Wisconsin that favored Republican winner Donald Trump.
Today's reason to live Steve Earle – Christmas Time In Washington |
没有评论:
发表评论