This Russian Tech Bro Helped Steal $93 Million and Landed in US Prison. Then Putin Called

In the epic US-Russian prisoner swap last summer, Vladimir Putin brought home an assassin, spies, and another prized ally: the man behind one of the biggest insider trading cases of all time.

Wired - 6h

Putin offers Russian and Ukrainian rare minerals to US

The proposal to give the US access to minerals would also include those from territories taken from Ukraine.

BBC News - 5h

If road deaths were a virus, we’d call it a pandemic. Safer transport helps us all – and we need it urgently | Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Jean Todt

Deaths on the road costs countries up to 5% of GDP. Centring transport around people, not cars, can propel development. If you had to guess the leading cause of death for children and young people ...

The Guardian - 3d

Work Has Given Me Tech Neck. This Device Is Helping Undo the Damage

Hours of screen time lead to stiffness, pain, and brain fog. I tested the Chirp Wheel to see if it could help—and the results were surprising.

Wired - 5d

Trump-Putin summit preparations underway, Russian foreign minister says

The U.S. offered a draft U.N. resolution that stops far short of a competing European-backed statement demanding an immediate withdrawal of all of Moscow's forces from Ukraine.

CBS News - 2d

Football fraudster back in prison after US arrest

The former footballer fled the UK after he was released from prison on licence, Derbyshire Police said.

BBC News - 21h

El Salvador’s prisons are no place for US deportees

New U.S. policies risk perpetuating a cycle of violence and abuse that has for decades undermined the rights of Salvadorans and prompted migration to the United States.

The Hill - 1h

Trump declines to describe Putin as a 'dictator' after calling Zelenskyy one

President Donald Trump hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House, where they discussed the status of Ukraine-Russia peace talks.

ABC News - 16h

China’s Xi affirms 'no limits' partnership with Putin in call on Ukraine war anniversary

Chinese President Xi Jinping affirmed his “no limits” partnership in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, China’s state media reported, on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion ...

NBC News - 13h

Domestic abuse experts to help police in 999 call rooms after murders

The pilot in five police force areas comes after Raneem Oudeh and her mother were murdered in 2018.

BBC News - 4d

Joseph Parker vs. Martin Bakole results: New Zealander lands thunderous blow as Bakole's corner call it off

Bakole steps in on 48 hours' notice after Daniel Dubois fell ill

CBS Sports - 2d

A Signal Update Fends Off a Phishing Technique Used in Russian Espionage

Google warns that hackers tied to Russia are tricking Ukrainian soldiers with fake QR codes for Signal group invites that let spies steal their messages. Signal has pushed out new safeguards.

Wired - 6d

US drives Ukraine war measure through UN with Russian backing

Security Council resolution calling for ‘swift end’ to conflict deals further blow to western unity

Financial Times - 17h

FirstFT: US drives UN resolution on Ukraine war with Russian backing

Also in today’s newsletter, US companies left out of defence stock rally and BP abandons pledge to cut oil and gas output

Financial Times - 11h

Schumer accuses Trump of 'siding' with Putin over US allies

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) in a statement on the Senate floor marking the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine accused President Trump of “siding” with Russian President ...

The Hill - 18h

As Israel uses US-made AI models in war, concerns arise about tech’s role in who lives and who dies

U.S. tech giants have quietly empowered Israel to track and kill many more alleged militants more quickly in Gaza and Lebanon through a sharp spike in artificial intelligence and computing services

ABC News - Feb. 18

Donald Trump halting anti-bribery laws will harm, not help US companies

President’s order means a race to the bottom rigged against US, argues anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International. Bribery is not a victimless crime. Stories listing the amount paid or the ...

The Guardian - 4d

GOP rep calls US-Ukraine resource deal 'victim extortion'

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said Sunday that forcing Ukraine to agree to a resource deal with the U.S. in exchange for the possibility of support against Russia is akin to “victim extortion.” ...

The Hill - 2d

Spain calls for EU to forge China policy without US

‘Europe must take its own decisions’, says foreign minister José Manuel Albares

Financial Times - 1d

Call Of Duty Uses Generative AI For Some Content, Activision Admits

An update to the Call of Duty HQ page on Steam confirms that Activision's development teams do in fact use "generative AI tools" as a means to "help develop some in-game assets.". About a year ago, ...

GameSpot - 3h

US, Russian officials to meet again within 2 weeks to discuss Ukraine war: Russia

U.S. and Russian officials will meet again within two weeks to discuss ending the war in Ukraine after re-establishing diplomatic relations this week, Russia says.

ABC News - 2d

This New Drug Could Help End the HIV Epidemic—but US Funding Cuts Are Killing Its Rollout

Lenacapavir, a twice yearly injection that prevents HIV transmission, was named the breakthrough medicine of 2024. But without US foreign aid dollars, its delivery to millions worldwide is under ...

Wired - 3d

‘It allowed us to survive, to not go mad’: the CIA book smuggling operation that helped bring down communism

From George Orwell to Hannah Arendt and John le Carré, thousands of blacklisted books flooded into Poland during the cold war, as publishers and printers risked their lives for literature. The ...

The Guardian - 3d

Trump calls US hockey team ahead of 4 Nations Face-Off final against Canada

President Donald Trump has called the U.S. hockey team to wish players good luck ahead of their 4 Nations Face-Off final against Canada

ABC News - 4d

UN Security Council passes US resolution calling for ‘swift end’ to war in Ukraine

Move that was backed by Russia and China deals further blow to western unity

Financial Times - 1d

3 red flag phrases 'gaslighters' use in romantic relationships: Gaslighting is 'extremely hard to call out,' psychologist says

"The behavior is intended to control the other person and ultimately make them more dependent on the gaslighter for reassurance or security," one expert says.

CNBC - 1h

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