Category Archives: Viva!

Russian General Pitches ‘Information’ Operations as a Form of War

Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, sometimes credited with inventing Russian “hybrid war,” described modern conflict as a blend of military, economic and political tactics.

US and South Korea scrap big military exercises to ease tensions with North

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Operations involving thousands of troops have always infuriated Pyongyang

The US and South Korea have said they will end their annual large-scale joint military exercises as Washington pursues efforts to improve ties with North Korea.

The decision comes days after the conclusion of Donald Trump’s second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, which ended without a formal agreement but with both sides suggesting they would keep talking.

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Trump is a national security risk – and still Republicans back him | Walter Shapiro

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The Great Jared Kushner Clearance Caper is just the latest affair to prove this presidency is a danger to America

Dating back to the cold war, voters have stubbornly clung to the image of Republicans as unflinching patriots and Democrats as feckless security risks. That was the political subtext of the angry chants of “Lock her up” at Donald Trump campaign rallies, which were often led by future felon and defrocked national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Related: Dave Eggers: why Donald Trump could win again

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Revealed: Facebook’s global lobbying against data privacy laws

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Social network targeted legislators around the world, promising or threatening to withhold investment

Facebook has targeted politicians around the world – including the former chancellor, George Osborne – promising investments and incentives while seeking to pressure them into lobbying on Facebook’s behalf against data privacy legislation, an explosive new leak of internal Facebook documents has revealed.

The documents, which have been seen by the Observer and Computer Weekly, reveal a secretive global lobbying operation that has targeted hundreds of legislators and regulators in an attempt to procure influence across the world, including in the UK, US, Canada, India, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia and all 28 states of the EU. The documents include details of how Facebook:

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Democratic oversight is ‘bullshit’: Trump goes off-script at CPAC

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Donald Trump sought to regain his footing after a torrid week with a fiery speech using two of his favourite tactics: going off script and hurling insults at opponents.

Related: Democrats: Cohen’s testimony will be a map to key witnesses and investigations

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