INTERNACIONAL
Chinese officials claimed behind closed doors PRC played role in US cyberattacks: Report
Chinese officials acknowledged behind closed doors at a December meeting that their government was responsible for a series of cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, according to a Wall Street Journal report based on information from people familiar with the matter.
The news comes as the two countries continue to spar over tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and reciprocated and upped by President Xi Jinping.
In an exclusive, the Wall Street Journal reported that those who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed Chinese officials connected the cyberattacks on U.S. ports, airports, utilities and other important targets to America’s support for Taiwan.
The report noted that Biden administration officials learned of the discovery first hand during a summit in Geneva, as their Chinese counterparts blamed the campaign, referred to as Volt Typhoon, on a criminal organization.
CHINA ATTACKED US WITH HACKERS. WE NEED TO HIT BACK HARD
Hacker at work (Kurt «CyberGuy» Knutsson)
Chinese officials also accused the U.S. of pointing blame at China based on their imagination.
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital the State Department has made clear to Beijing that the U.S. will continue to take actions in response to Chinese malicious cyber activity targeting the U.S.
«Chinese cyber threats are some of the gravest and most persistent threats to U.S. national security,» the spokesperson said. «The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to safeguard U.S. critical infrastructure from irresponsible and reckless cyberattacks from Beijing. President Trump is committed to protecting the American people and U.S. critical infrastructure from these threats.»
The Chinese Embassy told FOX Business News that China «firmly opposes» the smear attacks against it without any factual basis.
BIDEN ADMIN DOUBLING TARIFFS ON CHINESE SOLAR PANEL PARTS AFTER REPORTED ‘INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE’
President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping
«Cyberspace is characterized by strong virtuality, difficulty in tracing origins, and diverse actors, making the tracing of cyberattacks a complex technical issue,» Embassy spokesperson Mr. Liu Pengyu said. «We hope that relevant parties will adopt a professional and responsible attitude when characterizing cyber incidents, basing their conclusions on sufficient evidence rather than unfounded speculation and accusations.
«The US needs to stop using cybersecurity to smear and slander China, and stop spreading all kinds of disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats,» he added.
The Biden administration warned state leaders in March 2024 that cyberattacks by hackers linked to Iran and China could take down water systems across the U.S. if cybersecurity measures were not taken out of precaution.
FORMER GOOGLE ENGINEER INDICTED FOR STEALING AI SECRETS TO AID CHINESE FIRMS
WASHINGTON, DC May 13, 2024: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during the Daily Briefing in The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Monday May 13, 2024. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Then Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael S. Regan and Jake Sullivan, the assistant to Biden for national security affairs, said in an email to state governors that cyberattacks were targeting water and wastewater systems throughout the U.S.
In the letter, the two Biden administration officials said the attacks could disrupt clean and safe drinking water and impose significant costs on affected communities.
While one attack was linked to Iran, the other threat came from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hacker group, Volt Typhoon, which compromised information technology of critical infrastructure systems, including drinking water facilities in the U.S. and its territories.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WARNS STATES OF POSSIBLE ATTACKS ON WATER SYSTEMS FROM FOREIGN HACKERS
Drinking water poured into glass (UBC)
As U.S. officials issued warnings about Volt Typhoon’s effort, they also accused the PRC of attempting to get into U.S. computer networks in an effort to unleash cyberattacks during any unforeseen conflicts in the future.
The FBI said in December that hackers in Beijing infiltrated networks of «multiple» telecommunication companies, gaining access to customer call records and private communications of «a limited number of individuals.» But the targets, the FBI noted in December, were Americans involved in government and politics.
A federal investigation uncovered a massive cyber-espionage campaign by the Chinese government, targeting U.S. telecommunications networks to steal Americans’ information. A top White House official confirmed in December that at least eight U.S. telecom companies had been affected by the hacking spree.
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The campaign was believed to have started a year or two ago, the Associated Press reported.
China,Cybercrime,Donald Trump,Infrastructure Across America,FBI,Joe Biden,State Department
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INTERNACIONAL
HHS probing hospital over firing of nurse who blew whistle on minors getting gender treatments
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is probing «a major pediatric teaching hospital» over the alleged firing of a nurse who sought a religious exemption to avoid administering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children.
«The Department will robustly enforce federal laws protecting these courageous whistleblowers, including laws that protect healthcare professionals from being forced to violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions,» Acting HHS OCR Director Anthony Archeval said in a statement.
While HHS has not confirmed the hospital’s identity, it is believed to be Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) — the largest children’s hospital in the U.S. — as the investigation follows whistleblower nurse Vanessa Sivadge’s testimony on Capitol Hill. Sivadge first came forward publicly in June 2024 and was later fired in August 2024.
Protesters during a rally at Churchill Square in support of trans youth in Alberta following the ‘Sing With Love’ concert at McDougall United Church, on Feb. 11, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
DEMS SPAR WITH WHISTLEBLOWER WHO EXPOSED CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOR PERFORMING TRANS SURGERIES ON MINORS
Sivadge told lawmakers that she had witnessed «disturbing trends and concerning practices» relating to the treatment of children diagnosed with gender dysphoria. She also said that she «observed the powerful and irreversible effects» of treatments that patients were told were «lifesaving.»
«I witnessed firsthand how doctors emotionally blackmailed parents by telling them that if they did not affirm their child’s false identity, their child would harm themselves. In particular, I was saddened to see young girls suffering from profound mental health struggles like depression and anxiety, many of whom had also suffered sexual abuse or trauma, persuaded by doctors at Texas Children’s that a hormone would resolve their gender confusion,» Sivadge told lawmakers.
Dr. Eithan Haim speaks to the media after appearing for an arraignment hearing Monday, June 17, 2024, in Houston. Haim, who calls himself a whistleblower on transgender care for minors has been indicted on federal charges of illegally obtaining private information on patients who were not under his care, with intent to cause harm to the nation’s largest pediatric hospital. He has pleaded not guilty. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
HOSPITALS WARNED THEY MUST PROTECT CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION: HHS AGENCY MEMO
Dr. Eithan Haim, who was accused of violating HIPAA while in surgical training at Baylor College of Medicine, which is affiliated with TCH, also blew the whistle on the hospital for «lying about the existence of its transgender program.» The Biden DOJ brought charges against Haim for the alleged HIPAA violations, but the case was ultimately dropped under the Trump administration.
Haim claimed the hospital was engaging in fraudulent billing practices to hide the fact that it was carrying out transgender procedures on minors even though it was against Texas law. This included recording mastectomies as «breast reduction» surgeries and billing testosterone prescribed to a teen girl under a male diagnosis.
HHS memo reminds hospitals and providers about Trump’s policies forbidding child mutilation. (Getty Images)
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In her testimony, Sivadge said that federal agents came to her home when investigating the whistleblower, now known to be Haim, because of her objections to transgender medicine. She described the interaction as intimidating and said that one of the special agents «effectively asked me to compromise my Christian beliefs and made veiled threats regarding my career and safety if I didn’t comply with their demands.»
Sivadge’s attorney filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on April 11, alleging that she «observed TCH doctors, after very little deliberation or critical analysis, embarking children on dangerous and often irreversible courses of ‘gender-affirming’ treatment.»
According to the complaint, TCH «temporarily» paused «gender-affirming services» for minors after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in February 2022 that such treatments could constitute child abuse. The treatments were banned in the state following the passage of a bill in May 2023, which went into effect in September 2023. According to Sivadge’s attorney, she asked to be transferred back to cardiology in May 2024, citing her religious beliefs.
Sivadge publicly blew the whistle on TCH on June 18, 2024, and was asked not to report to work the next day, according to the complaint. Just days later, on June 21, she was placed on administrative leave and was officially terminated in August 2024. TCH alleged that the termination of her employment was due to improper access to medical records.
On Jan. 28, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the «Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation» order, which prevents minors from undergoing transgender treatments. In accordance with this order, HHS has issued guidelines for prospective whistleblowers.
Fox News has reached out to TCH and HHS for comment.
Healthcare,Health,Donald Trump,Children’s Health,Health Policies
INTERNACIONAL
Ucrania y Estados Unidos quieren cerrar el acuerdo de explotación de minerales antes del 26 de abril
Ucrania y Estados Unidos aspiran a finalizar el acuerdo de explotación de recursos minerales antes del próximo 26 de abril y firmarlo “cuanto antes” a partir de esa fecha, según el texto del memorando de intención firmado la víspera y publicado este viernes por el Ministerio de Economía ucraniano.
Para ello, el primer ministro ucraniano, Denís Shmigal, viajará la próxima semana a la capital estadounidense para reunirse con el secretario del Tesoro de EEUU, Scott Bessent.
Según dijo este viernes el viceministro de Economía de Ucrania y representante comercial, Taras Kachká, la delegación ucraniana llegará en concreto el próximo jueves en Washington.
El fin del viaje es concluir las discusiones técnicas sobre el fondo de inversión para la reconstrucción de Ucrania que se creará en el marco del acuerdo.
Los equipos negociadores deben informar sobre los progresos antes del 26 de abril, con la intención de “completar las conversaciones para esa fecha y firmar cuanto antes” el acuerdo, según consta en el texto del memorando.
Kachká señaló que todo depende de cuán constructivo será el diálogo la próxima semana, pero el proyecto de acuerdo incluye “decenas de páginas” y algunos de los puntos más sensibles que no se podrán resolver a nivel técnico requerirán decisiones políticas.
Después la firma, la Rada Suprema (Parlamento) de Ucrania y el Congreso de EEUU deben aprobarlo.
El memorándum recoge que EEUU y Ucrania “pretenden establecer un fondo de inversión en la reconstrucción como parte de una alianza económica entre las dos poblaciones y los dos gobiernos”.
“Esperamos que el fondo se convierta en un instrumento eficaz para atraer inversiones en la reconstrucción de nuestro país, la modernización de la infraestructura, el apoyo a empresas y la creación de nuevas oportunidades económicas”, escribió el jueves en su cuenta de la red social X la ministra ucraniana de Economía, Yulia Sviridenko.
La ministra consideró “muy importante” que el memorándum recoja el “deseo de los estadounidenses de invertir con los ucranianos en una Ucrania libre, soberana y segura”.
En el texto se recoge que EEUU ha aportado una importante ayuda financiera y material a Ucrania desde la invasión rusa a gran escala en febrero de 2022 y reafirma que ambas partes buscan “una paz duradera” y una “fuerte alianza entre sus gentes y gobiernos”.
EEUU y Ucrania reconocen además la contribución de Ucrania “al fortalecimiento de la paz y la seguridad internacionales a través del abandono voluntario del tercer mayor arsenal nuclear” por parte de Kiev en 1994 en el Memorando de Budapest.
Otro punto importante para Ucrania era dejar claro que quiere evitar conflictos con sus compromisos y sus obligaciones con la Unión Europea (UE) en su camino hacia la adhesión, al igual que con las instituciones financieras internacionales y otros acreedores públicos.
El memorando sienta las bases para una futura cooperación en la explotación de recursos minerales ucranianos con la que EEUU quiere recuperar la ayuda prestada a Ucrania para hacer frente a Rusia.
El acuerdo preliminar, que se debía haber firmado en la fallida visita del presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelensky, a la Casa Blanca del 28 de febrero, preveía la creación de un fondo de inversión conjunto dominado por EEUU en el que se depositaría el 50% de los beneficios que genere la explotación de los recursos naturales ucranianos.
Aunque el acuerdo marco nunca llegó a firmarse, Washington presentó a Kiev a finales de marzo un nuevo documento con más detalles que pretendía obligar a Ucrania a reconocer como deuda el monto de la ayuda militar recibida como donación de EEUU.
Zelensky dejó claro que no aceptaría esta condición y, según medios ucranianos y estadounidenses, EEUU habría aceptado en las negociaciones eliminar algunas de las condiciones más desfavorables para Ucrania.
Kachká explicó que, no obstante, EEUU “ganará al menos tanto como la asistencia aportada” mediante ese fondo de inversión.
(Con información de EFE)
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