The Justice Department on Wednesday unsealed charges against a Chinese intelligence official for allegedly stealing trade secrets and sensitive information from GE Aviation and other companies.
Why it matters: This marks the first time a Chinese spy has been brought to the country to face prosecution. John Demers, the head of the DOJ’s national-security division, said the “case is not an isolated incident. It is part of an overall economic policy of developing China at American expense.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the foreign ministers of Greece and Cyprus during meetings in Jerusalem last month that he doesn't see President Trump reducing the pressure on Turkey over the arrest of American pastor Andrew Brunson or an improvement in U.S.-Turkey relations in the near future, Israeli officials and Western diplomats told me.
Why it matters: Greece and Cyprus are two of Turkey's main adversaries. Israel has its own crisis with Turkey after the government in Ankara asked the Israeli ambassador to leave the country over violence in Gaza. And Netanyahu played a role in Trump's efforts to release Brunson when he agreed to Trump's request to release a Turkish citizen detained in Israel. As a result of the deal, which didn't lead to Brunson's release and led to U.S. sanctions against Turkey, Netanyahu has good knowledge of Trump's thinking on the issue.
Richard Pinedo, a 28-year-old Californian who struck a plea deal in February with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation for selling bank account numbers to Russians who engaged in election interference, has been sentenced to six months in prison, reports BuzzFeed News.
Military hardware is Russia's second-biggest source of income after oil, and the S-400 surface-to-air missile is one of the country's most advanced and marketable weapons systems in recent years.
Why it matters: Because of its capabilities, several countries including China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India and Qatar have said they are willing to buy the S-400. Almost every government that announced it was planning to buy the system was threatened with some kind of diplomatic retaliation from the U.S., NATO or adversaries. The reason for this blowback, according to several experts Al Jazeera interviewed, is not only because the S-400 is technologically advanced, it also poses a potential risk for long-standing alliances.
Dragonfly Ventures is raising a $100 million fund focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain investments, having already held a first close and deployed $20 million.
The plan: Co-founders Alex Pack, who previously led cryptocurrency investing for Bain Capital Ventures, and Bo Feng, often credited with helping bring Silicon Valley’s VC style to China, will invest in Western companies that have users or appeal in Asia.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in's office said that North Korea's Kim Jong-un told Moon during their summit last month that he would "enthusiastically" welcome a visit from Pope Francis in North Korea, the Associated Press reports.
The big picture: An invitation was offered to Pope John Paul II after a 2000 meeting between the two Koreas, which never resulted in a visit. Back then, the Vatican said a visit could only happen if North Korea — which is officially atheist and strictly monitors its citizens' religious activities — would allow priests inside its borders.
