German think tank calls for 'climate tariffs' in response to US sanctions on Nord Stream 2

A German think tank says the EU should fight back against US sanctions related to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Washington's threats have already caused construction firms to drop out of the project.

The EU should enact "climate tariffs" against the US in response to sanctions against the bloc for the construction of the deep sea gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, according to an economist at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW).

Climate tariffs are necessary to prevent gas extracted through fracking, an ecologically harmful process, from being exported from the US to Germany and the EU, environmental economist Claudia Kemfert told Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper on Monday.

Kemfert, who leads the energy, transportation and environment department at DIW, characterized US sanctions against the EU as an "aggressive instrument in a fossil energy war." Both Russia and the US are using natural gas as a "political weapon," she said, adding that the intention behind the sanctions is to sell US gas to Germany and the EU at the highest possible cost.

https://www.dw.com/en/german-think-tank-calls-for-climate-tariffs-in-response-to-us-sanctions-on-nord-stream-2/a-51777853

Nepal police arrest over 120 Chinese nationals

Nepali authorities said it was the biggest crackdown on crime committed by foreigners. Over the past year, hundreds of Chinese nationals have been arrested across Asia for involvement in cybercrime.

Nepali police said on Tuesday that they had detained 122 Chinese nationals for suspected involvement in financial crimes.

"This is the first time that so many foreigners have been detained for suspected criminal activities," said Uttam Subedi, chief of police in Kathmandu.

Read more: Coming together against cybercrime

Targeted operation

Police seized laptops and passports during the raids. The suspects were held in detention centers across the Nepali capital.

The Chinese are suspected of carrying out cybercrimes and hacking into ATMs. Nepali officials said Chinese authorities were notified of the raids and offered support in cracking down on criminal activity committed by its nationals.

Nepali police said the suspects, eight women and 116 men, had entered the country on visas.

https://www.dw.com/en/nepal-police-arrest-over-120-chinese-nationals/a-51786544

Darknet cybercrime servers hosted in former NATO bunker in Germany

Police stormed a bunker hosting countless illegal darknet platforms in a quiet German town. The alleged owner of the operation was believed to be living in the underground data center that hosted criminal websites.

A cybercrime data center that was shut down by German authorities was housed inside a former NATO bunker in a sleepy riverside town, police revealed on Friday.

More than 600 law enforcement personnel including the GSG 9, Germany's elite federal police unit, were involved in an anti-cybercrime operation that took place in the town of Traben-Trarbach on the banks of the Moselle River.

Police officers succeeded in penetrating the building, a 5,000-square-meter former NATO bunker with iron doors, which goes five floors deep underground. The building was located on a 1.3-hectare (3.2-acre) property secured with a fence and surveillance cameras.

"We had to overcome not only real, or analog, protections; we also cracked the digital protections of the data center," said regional police chief Johannes Kunz.

https://www.dw.com/en/darknet-cybercrime-servers-hosted-in-former-nato-bunker-in-germany/a-50618469

UK on track for January 31 Brexit as Boris Johnson’s deal sails through parliament

Lawmakers vote 358 to 234 to pass second reading of Withdrawal Agreement Bill, paving way for Britain’s speedy departure from European Union

Final stages of ratification will take place after Christmas, with the lower house of parliament having until January 9 to approve the legislation

Prime Minister Boris Johnson won approval for his Brexit deal in parliament on Friday, the first step towards fulfilling his election pledge to deliver Britain’s departure from the European Union by January 31 after his landslide victory.

Lawmakers voted by 358 to 234 to pass the second reading of the legislation, underlining Johnson’s large majority in parliament that should ensure a smooth ratification of the divorce deal to implement Britain’s biggest policy shift in more than 40 years.

More than three years since Britain voted to exit the EU in a 2016 referendum, the deep uncertainty over Brexit has now been replaced by a firm deadline of the end of January. Only after that will the prime minister face talks to secure a trade deal with the bloc and another target date of the end of next year.

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3043055/uk-track-january-31-brexit-boris-johnsons-deal-sails-through

Patrick AFB, Canaveral fall under new U.S. Space Force

When President Donald Trump signed into law the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the United State Space Force was born, and with it was a shift in identity for some Central Florida Air Force personnel.

Both Patrick Air Force Base between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach as well as Cape Canaveral Air Force Station are among the bases in the nation now designated part of the Space Force, the new sixth branch of the military. That includes the 45th Space Wing, based at Patrick AFB, that supports launches from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral AFS.

That could mean a name change to Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, but no changes will be immediate.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-bz-space-force-patrick-air-force-base-20191224-6vhyfvcbjjaxpcn5wku4lgsvau-story.html

Travis Kalanick's scandal-filled reign at Uber is over

The US ride-hailing service Uber announced on Tuesday its co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick is stepping down from the company’s board of directors at the end of this month to focus on other projects.

“It seems like the right moment for me to focus on my current business and philanthropic pursuits,” Kalanick said in a statement. “I’m proud of all that Uber has achieved, and I will continue to cheer for its future from the sidelines.”

Kalanick has been steadily unloading his Uber shares since a lockup ended in November. According to SEC filings, he sold more than $2.5 billion worth of Uber stock, with roughly 5.8 million shares remaining, or less than 10 percent of his holdings. At the current pace, he’ll likely be completely divested from Uber within days.

https://www.rt.com/business/476758-uber-co-founder-kalanick-quits/

Ex-Chief of India's Biggest Carmaker Booked for Cheating State Owned Bank

New Delhi (Sputnik): The Punjab National Bank (PNB) has mentioned five accused persons in its complaint, including three guarantor companies, Khattar Auto India Pvt. Ltd., Carnation Realty Pvt. Ltd., and Carnation Insurance Broking Company Pvt.Ltd, but their direct role did not surface during the verification process.

India’s apex investigating agency the CBI has booked Jagdish Khattar, the former managing director (MD) of Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), in connection with a $15.4 million bank loan fraud allegedly committed by his new company Carnation Auto India Limited, an official said on Tuesday.

Carnation Auto India Limited was established as a car servicing and repair outlet of various brands. It also dealt in the sale and purchase of second-hand vehicles.

The CBI has registered a case under sections related to criminal conspiracy and cheating following a complaint by the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) after Khattar failed to repay the same.

According to the official complaint, the probe agency has named Mr Khattar and his new company Carnation Auto India Limited for allegedly causing losses to the state-run PNB.

https://sputniknews.com/asia/201912241077762066-ex-chief-of-indias-biggest-carmaker-booked-for-cheating-state-owned-bank/