Tag: us president joe biden

Joe Biden calls Zelenskyy ‘Vladimir’ at NATO summit: 5 times US President made a verbal faux pas

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In yet another gaffe, United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday, July 12, mistakenly took the first name of the rival he is trying to defeat while speaking at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Instead of referring to his Ukrainian counterpart,  Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden misspelt him as ‘Vladimir’, the Russian President Putin.

“Vladimir and I…I shouldn’t be so familiar,” said Biden while addressing a press conference in the Lithuanian capital. He, however, quickly corrected his mistake and again said, “Mr Zelenskyy and I talked about the kinds of guarantees we could make in the meantime when I was in Ukraine and when we met in other places.”

Watch video:

Biden calls Zelensky ‘Vladimir’ . 🙈pic.twitter.com/2PpQ7kSdSI

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 12, 2023

The video of Biden’s speech is now circulating on social media, attracting mixed reactions from people. Some expressed concern over Biden’s age and health, while some said that Biden should retire from politics, and others defended him, saying, “Volodymyr and Vladimir” sound similar.

The 80-year-old democratic leader has recently made several mix-ups and embarrassing gaffes during his public addresses. His verbal and physical slips have led to a huge outcry among Republicans, who have sought to claim that these expressions show that Biden lacks mental competence.

Let us take a look at some of his most notable gaffes.

‘Putin is losing Iraq war’

In one of the most infamous gaffes, Biden mispronounced Ukraine as Iraq while speaking to reporters at the White House last month. “Putin is losing the war in Iraq,” he said.

‘God save the Queen’

Earlier, he was heavily trolled for saying “God save the Queen” while concluding his speech on gun control reform at National Safer Communities Summit in Connecticut, United States. The misstatement raised the eyebrows of the audience because it was the national anthem of the United Kingdom dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022.

‘Global inflation is the cause of war in Iraq’

In November last year, while delivering a speech at the COP26 UN Climate Summit, Biden once again mistakenly ended up saying that global inflation is due to the war in Iraq. He also said that his son died there. “Inflation is a worldwide problem right now because of the war in Iraq and the impact on oil, and what Russia’s doing—excuse me, the war in Ukraine,” he said, justifying, “I think of Iraq because that’s where my son died.”

ALSO READ | George Bush calls Ukraine ‘Iraq’ in public gaffe — here’s a look at other US Presidents and their goof-ups

‘Mr President?’

Biden mistakenly called UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as “Mr President” when Sunak travelled to the US, for a two-day visit in June this year. As both leaders looked at the camera, Biden said, “Well, Mr President…” and quickly corrected himself, adding, “I demoted you, Mr Prime Minister.”

Biden incorrectly says he has four granddaughters

Earlier, Biden incorrectly said that he has four granddaughters when he has five while speaking at a White House event.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

‘War in Iraq’: President Joe Biden is back with another gaffe

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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US President Joe Biden has grabbed the headlines with another verbal slip-up. Biden, while speaking to reporters at the White House, on Wednesday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “losing the war in Iraq” when he meant to say Ukraine.

The 80-year-old President made the gaffe while speaking to reporters before departing the White House on a trip to Illinois, reported Reuters.

While reacting to the short-lived mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group against Russia’s Putin, Biden said, “It is hard to tell really. But he is clearly losing the war in Iraq. He is losing the war at home and he has become a bit of a pariah around the world. And it is not just NATO, it is not just the European Union. It’s Japan, it’s 40 nations.”

Putin is clearly losing the war in Iraq. pic.twitter.com/3qGWvbRwB2

— ̶B̶l̶u̶e̶ ̶C̶h̶e̶c̶k̶ Beth! (@torstrick) June 28, 2023

This was Joe Biden’s second slip-up in 24 hours on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. During a Democratic fundraising event in Maryland on Tuesday, Biden again referred to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the “onslaught on Iraq.”

ALSO READ | Want to strike truly ambitious trade deal with India, says UK PM Rishi Sunak

According to a report by ABC News, the US President remarked, “Think about this – if anybody told you, and my staff wasn’t so sure, either — that we would be able to bring all of Europe together in the onslaught on Iraq and get NATO to be completely united, I think they would have told you it’s not likely.”

This is not the first time that President Biden has made a series of erroneous gaffes. The octogenarian has received some criticism for his verbal slip-ups of late as his critics often take note of repeated misstatements and slurred speeches.

Earlier this month, President Biden had confounded many people with his baffling remarks during a speech on gun control reforms. While speaking at Connecticut’s National Safer Communities Summit, Biden ended his speech by saying, “God save the Queen, man.”

Joe Biden is the oldest American President, having assumed office at the age of 78.

Due to his frequent gaffes, a large number of US voters are concerned about the Democrat’s health. Biden has already announced his plans to run for re-election in the 2024 Presidential Election. His most likely Republic opponent will be Donald Trump.

ALSO READ | George Bush calls Ukraine ‘Iraq’ in public gaffe — here’s a look at other US Presidents and their goof-ups

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Joe Biden host largest-ever Diwali reception at White House, invites children on stage

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden on Monday hosted a Diwali reception at the White House in what they called the largest since the People’s House started celebrating the festival during the George Bush administration.

More than 200 eminent Indian Americans attended the reception at the East Room, a venue which has witnessed some of the landmark events related to the India-US relationship, including the signing of the nuclear deal and the joint press conference by then US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2008.

The reception saw some enthralling cultural events, including performances by sitarist Rishab Sharma and dance troupe The Sa Dance Company. The guests, dressed in traditional Indian attires such as saree, lehenga and sherwani, relished some mouthwatering Indian delicacies.

The room is full at the East state dining room This is a real celebration of what the Indian American community has achieved in the United States. “It’s a wonderful recognition by the President and by the White House to host all of us on Diwali. I feel very privileged to be here as an Indian American,” Atul Keshap, President of US India Business Council told.

President Joe Biden invited two children onto the stage and described them as his impression of light. The White House later said they Soren and Zara, children of Congressman Ro Khanna, who attended the impressive Diwali event along with some 200 eminent members of the community from across the country.

“And before I begin, how are you guys doing out front there? How are you? You want to come up here? You wanna come up? You don’t have to, but you can, Biden said amidst applause from the audience who were surprised by the president’s outreach to Soren and Zara. Can you walk them around?” he asked one of his aides to bring them on to the stage as the guests applauded. This is my impression of light, Biden said.

Also Read:PM Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers in Kargil, says it is a ‘festival of end of terror’

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

NASA’s James Webb telescope takes deepest, sharpest infrared image of universe yet

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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US President Joe Biden released on Monday one of the first images taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that shows the galaxy cluster named, SMACS 0723, which acts as a magnifying glass for the objects behind them. Due to the gravitational lensing, the image reveals spectacular details, including the faintest objects ever observed. The galaxy cluster shown in the image appears as it was 4.6 billion years ago.

It’s here–the deepest, sharpest infrared view of the universe to date: Webb’s First Deep Field.

Previewed by @POTUS on July 11, it shows galaxies once invisible to us. The full set of @NASAWebb‘s first full-color images & data will be revealed July 12: https://t.co/63zxpNDi4I pic.twitter.com/zAr7YoFZ8C

— NASA (@NASA) July 11, 2022

“This slice of the vast universe covers a patch of sky approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground,” NASA wrote in a release.

The image, JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera has taken images at different wavelengths of light in over 12.5 hours. Previously, the Hubble Space Telescope’s took weeks to capture deepest field images.

The full gallery of high-resolution colour images taken by the JWST will be released on Tuesday, July 12 around 8 pm (IST).

ALSO READ: NASA unveils first batch of coloured images captured by James Webb Telescope

Researchers will soon be able to learn more about the galaxies’ masses, ages, histories, and the origin of the universe as JSWT will seek the earliest galaxies in the universe.

NASA has confirmed that the JWST has five initial cosmic targets for observation. These include the Carina nebula, a celestial nursery where stars form. It is about 7,600 light years away and is home to many enormous stars which are several times larger than the sun.

Other areas of focus are the WASP-96 b, a giant gaseous planet outside our solar system, the southern ring nebula, a cloud of gas surrounding a dying star, 2,000 light years from Earth, and Stephan’s quintet, which is the first compact galaxy group discovered in 1877. Images from these targets will also be released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12.

The James Webb Space Telescope had been three decades in the making. It is a joint venture of NASA with the European Space Agency which has been in development since the mid-1990s and was launched into space last year in December.

Experts believe it could revolutionise our understanding of the cosmos by providing detailed infrared images from the oldest and distant parts of the universe.

The $10bn telescope can look inside the atmospheres of exoplanets and observe some of the oldest galaxies in the universe using its system of lenses, filters, and 18 hexagonal segments of gold-coated beryllium metal to detect infrared signals.

The JWST is the most powerful telescope ever to be sent into space. It is currently about 1 million miles from Earth, scanning the oldest galaxies.

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NASA successfully launches first commercial rocket from Australian spaceport

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Better.com saga gets worse as ex-employee sues CEO Vishal Garg for …

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Vishal Garg, the chief executive officer of Better.com who drew flak for firing 900 employees over a Zoom call, has been sued by a former employee for allegedly misleading investors.

In a lawsuit, Sarah Pierce, former executive vice-president for sales and operations at Better.com, alleged that Garg misrepresented the company’s statements to keep investors on board with the planned merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) instead of withdrawing due to its financial condition.

The digital mortgage firm’s merger with the SPAC Aurora Acquisition Corp was agreed to last year, but is yet to be closed.

Pierce claimed that she was pushed out of her role in February after she raised concerns about the deal. She said as an employee, she had pushed Better.com to issue a statement correcting Garg’s “misinformation” on terminated employees.

Also read: Weeks after mass layoffs, Better.com asks employees to resign ‘voluntarily

She claimed to have personally confronted Garg saying she “would not enable his false narrative.” Pierce is seeking financial compensation from the company and has also approached the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with a complaint alleging retaliation under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

A Better.com lawyer said in a statement that Pierce’s claims were “without merit.”

“The company is confident in our financial and accounting practices, and we will vigorously defend this lawsuit,” The Wall Street Journal quoted the lawyer as saying.

Also read: Better.com CEO Vishal Garg, who fired 900 employees via Zoom, is back ‘after a break’

Garg has also been accused of telling investors and directors that the company would return to profitability in the first quarter of 2022 after the digital mortgage firm lost $304 million last year.

According to Pierce, the operations team and the company’s finance department had informed Garg of internal projections that showed that the company would not be able to break even until at least the second half of this year, The Wall Street Journal report said.

According to the lawsuit, Garg allegedly changed one of the words in the acronym for the accounting phrase, “generally accepted accounting principles” or GAAP with a profanity. The lawsuit also said Garg had told other executives at Better.com that interest rates would continue to remain low as US President Joe Biden would contract COVID-19 and die.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Market nervous ahead of Biden-Powell meet

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Global markets are slightly nervous ahead of US President Joe Biden’s meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to discuss the state of the American and global economy. Inflation is on the top of the mind according to US President Joe Biden’s blog.

The US market will open today after a three-day extended weekend, so the market will react to the cues tomorrow.

Also Read: Trade setup for May 31: As Nifty50 overcomes key resistance, the bulls may extend the run

Indian equity benchmarks rose to nearly one-month closing highs on Monday as the bulls continued to dominate Dalal Street for the third consecutive session. Gains across sectors propelled the gain in both the main indices, with financial, IT, auto and FMCG shares being the biggest movers.

Continuing their selling spree, foreign investors have dumped Indian equities worth over Rs 39,000 crore this month so far amid rising bond yields in the US, an appreciating dollar and prospects of more aggressive rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Also Read: Oil jumps to $121 as EU agrees to cut Russian oil imports by 90%

The SGX Nifty is indicating a bit of a downtick at the start – down 56 points.

Watch the accompanying video of CNBC-TV18’s Anuj Singhal for more details.

Catch all the latest updates from the stock market here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Oil jumps to $121 as EU agrees to cut Russian oil imports by 90%

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Oil is back to $121 a barrel after the European Union has agreed on sanctions on Russian oil imports. Secondly, at the margin, it seems like some of the restrictions in China, since cases are starting to tick lower, are starting to go. Therefore, increased prospects of Chinese demand coming back into the oil markets is keeping oil pretty strong. It is not very far from the $124 per barrel, which was the high on March 24.

The equity market seems to be trading narratives and it doesn’t take very much for the narrative to change. For the last couple of months it was inflation, Fed tightening, then over the last fortnight it became about growth fears, maybe a Fed pause, and flipped once again – not conclusively, maybe.

One of the FOMC voting members, Christopher Waller, a Member, the Fed Board of Governors, is hawkish and focused on inflation. He said, “I support tightening policy by another 50 basis points (bps) for several meetings, in particular, I’m not taking 50 bps hikes off the table until I see inflation coming down closer to what 2 percent target. By the end of this year, I support having the policy rate at a level above neutral.”

Also Read: Trade setup for May 31: As Nifty50 overcomes key resistance, the bulls may extend the run

Moreover, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has published an op-ed ‘My Plan for Fighting Inflation’ by US President Joe Biden. It shows that even from the US administration and government perspective, tackling inflation is a priority. Biden agrees with Fed’s assessment that “Fighting inflation is our top economic challenge right now”.

Also Read: Market nervous ahead of Biden-Powell meet

The op-ed in WSJ gives a fair idea that it’s all going to be about inflation and ways to tackle inflation, which makes it clear that the Fed has got complete support from the US government.

Watch the accompanying video of CNBC-TV18’s Prashant Nair for more details.

Catch all the latest updates from the stock market here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

18 children, 3 adults killed in Texas school shooting, teen gunman shot dead

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In one of the worst school shootings in American history, an 18-year-old gunman has killed 21 people, including 18 children, and rendered several other grievously injured at an elementary school in Texas state, before the assailant was eliminated in police firing.

Gunshots rang out of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde town, Texas, 134 km from San Antonio, at about 11.30 AM on Tuesday.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott identified the killer as Salvador Ramos, a resident of the area where the school was located. The shooter’s motive remains unclear.

“He shot and killed horrifically, incomprehensibly. Fourteen students and a teacher killed,” Abbott said in the evening; later the toll was raised to 18 children and three adults dead. Two law enforcement officers were shot but are expected to recover, Abbott said.

ALSO READ | When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby, asks President Biden on Texas school attack

Ramos was armed with a handgun and an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, law enforcement sources confirmed. The shooter also carried high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Names of the deceased and other details were yet to be released. According to the school website, its students are aged between 5 years and 11 years.

ALSO READ | Mass shootings in US in 2022: Over 200 incidents reported in just 5 months

Chief of Police, Uvalde, Pete Arredondo said the “mass casualty event occurred at Robb Elementary School at about 11:32 this morning”. He said the killer acted as an lone wolf – who was shot dead in police exchange.
The deceased children are in the second, third and fourth grades – aged between 7 years and 10 years, he said.

US President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting during his return flight from Japan where he attended the Quad Summit.

ALSO READ | US Treasury official heads to India as Washington seeks to restrict Russian oil purchase

Biden will address the media on the shooting in the evening after he returns to Washington, his Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Tonight, there are parents who will never see their child again. Parents who will never be the same.

To lose a child is to have a piece of your soul ripped away forever.

I ask the nation to pray for them — to give them strength in the darkness.

— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2022

In a tweet, Jean-Pierre wrote: “His (Biden’s) prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event”. Biden has ordered the US flag to be flown at half-mast until sunset on Saturday May 28, in memory of those killed in Texas.

His prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event, and he will speak this evening when he arrives back at the White House.

— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) May 24, 2022

The US flag across all public buildings, grounds, military posts, naval stations, naval vessels, embassies, consular offices and military facilities will be in half-mast. In Uvalde, all schools were locked once the gunshots were heard.

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In addition to the confirmed deaths, a number of people have been injured. No number on the injured has been released. Texans across the state grieved for the victims.

Abbott said, “Cecilia (wife) and I mourn this horrific loss and we urge all Texans to come together to show our unwavering support to all who are suffering.”
Abbott said he had instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to work with the local law enforcement to investigate the shooting.

A disturbing message on the school’s website read, “Robb Elementary Parents, please do not pick up students at this time. Students need to be accounted for before they are released to your care. You will be notified to pick up students once all are accounted for.”

Officials said the city’s civic center was being used as a reunification center where the kin of victims can procure information from the state and coordinate other functions. The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center issued a public appeal for blood donations.

They have already sent over 15 units of blood and are running out. There is currently a blood shortage at the local hospitals where the wounded are being treated. Emergency blood donation appointments are being held for Wednesday.

The shooting stoked the fiery debate on guns control. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said teachers should be armed to stop such incidents in the future.

Speaking to a conservative news outlet, Newsmax, Paxton said, “Having potentially teachers and other administrators be armed would help stop future attacks while authorities arrived.”

“First responders typically can’t get there in time to prevent a shooting. It’s just not possible unless you have a police officer on every campus,” he said. “I think you’re going to have to do more at the school.”

ALSO READ | Trump condemns white supremacy, vague on gun measures after US shootings

US Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) said in a tweet, “Today, the entire state of Texas is in mourning. The shooting at Robb Elementary School is every parent and teacher’s worst nightmare. My heart goes out to those in the hospital receiving care and to the loved ones of those who lost their lives. As a parent, I cannot imagine the pain they must be feeling.”

“I am in touch with local officials in Uvalde and plan to travel there as soon as I can get there. No parent, child, or teacher should ever have to wonder whether it’s safe to go to school. This is an excruciatingly painful time for the tight-knit Uvalde community and for all Texans.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz described the Uvalde shooting as “truly horrific”, but said gun reforms were not the way to prevent such crimes.

ALSO READ | Four injured in Berlin shooting, police say

Speaking to reporters, he said that restricting the rights of “law-abiding citizens… doesn’t work. It’s not effective. It doesn’t prevent crime.”

He said “going after felons” is what prevents such crimes and he criticised other politicians for trying to “advance their own political agenda” by calling for gun control. He added that from past experience, armed law enforcement on campus is the most effective way of keeping children safe.

ALSO READ | Disgruntled city worker kills 12 in Virginia beach resort; suspect also killed

“We don’t know the details of what happened at Robb Elementary School, but there will be a lot of time to examine what steps could have been taken proactively to enhance the safety and security of the school right now,” he said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

PM Modi to participate in 2nd global summit on COVID, to be hosted by US President Joe Biden

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the second global virtual summit on COVID-19 on Thursday being hosted by US President Joe Biden, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said the summit intends to galvanise new actions to address the challenges of the pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture.

Modi participated in the first global virtual summit on Covid hosted by Biden on September 22 last year. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Second Global COVID Virtual Summit on May 12 at the invitation of the President of the USA, Joseph R Biden Jr,” the MEA said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Summit intends to galvanize new actions to address the continued challenges of the Covid pandemic and build a stronger global health security architecture,” it said. The MEA said the prime minister would deliver his remarks in the opening session of the summit on the theme ‘Preventing Pandemic Fatigue and Prioritising Preparedness’.

Also read: India-UK FTA on fast track as third round of talks covers most policy areas

“India is playing a key role in ongoing global efforts to combat the pandemic by supplying safe and affordable vaccines, medicines, development of low-cost indigenous technologies to test and treat, genomic surveillance, and capacity building for health care workers,” it said.

“India is also proactively engaged in multilateral fora with the objective of strengthening and reforming the global health security architecture with WHO at its centre,” the MEA said. Leaders of a number of countries are expected to participate in the summit.

The summit will also be attended by heads of state/government of Belize in its capacity as Chair of CARICOM, Senegal as Chair of African Union, Indonesia as President of G20 and Germany as President of G7 respectively.

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Director General of World Health Organization and other dignitaries would also participate. The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation of 15 member states in the Caribbean region having the primary objective to promote economic integration and cooperation among the members.

Also read: India-UAE CEPA framework will facilitate economic growth in both nations: UAE’s minister for economy

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Russia-Ukraine War: Kremlin’s cyberwar is underway, say experts

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The threat of cyberattacks on Ukraine and its supporters, including the US, has been looming since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. While US military officials and experts remain vigilant, the battle online continues to escalate, said experts.

On February 24, the day Russia launched a military operation on Ukraine, over 10,000 modems of the satellite broadband provider Viasat were knocked offline in a multifaceted cyber hack in Ukraine and parts of Europe. The US has attributed the attack to Russia.

Almost a month later, US President Joe Biden warned private companies and organisations of possible cyberattacks by Russia on the US in retaliation of the sanctions imposed on it for its unprovoked attack on Ukraine, BBC reported.

UK’s cyber authorities supported the White House’s claim, although neither government provided evidence that Russia was planning a cyberattack. On Thursday, UK intelligence officers said Russia was on the lookout for cyber targets.

Also read: FM exclusive: India buying oil from Russia, says Nirmala Sitharaman; adds prioritizing India’s energy security

A report by Google’s Threat Analysis Group said this week that Russian hackers had tried to penetrate the networks of NATO and militaries of some eastern European countries although it did not reveal the names of the targets, Reuters reported.

According to Google, the success rate of the “credential phishing campaigns” launched by a group called Coldriver, or Callisto, based in Russia, is unknown.

Although these developments indicate that things are heating up on the cyber front, Russia has been slow in its approach till date, The Guardian quoted Theresa Payton, former White House chief information officer, as saying.

Payton listed two reasons for the slow deployment of Russia cyber tactics in the war. Already reeling under sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin may want to avoid further retaliation from the US and its allies. He may also not feel the need to launch cyberattacks at this point of the war, Payton said.

Also read: Biden spurs record emergency oil release in ‘moment of peril’ for world

It could also be that the Russian cyber operatives are at play and are waiting for Putin’s order to launch a full-blown attack. “It is possible that digital attacks are under way and not fully understood in the fog of a ground war,” Payton said.

According to Glenn S Gerstell, former general counsel of the National Security Agency and Central Security Service, the Russian attacks are more likely to focus on cyber reconnaissance missions than forceful attacks.

Gerstell said Russia may be using its resources to “find out about sanctions and other intel”, adding that it was difficult to predict Moscow’s line of offensive as its strategy throughout the conflict has been unpredictable.

Also read: Bullish FY22 for commodities: From tackling pent-up demand to impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow