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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 2 december 2016
Putin hopes to fix ties with US, pool anti-terror efforts

V. ISACHENKOV transition team.
Associated Press Putin said that Russia is
MOSCOW (AP) — In a con- open to a “friendly and
ciliatory state-of-the-nation equal dialogue” about
address, Russian President global security. He pointed
Vladimir Putin on Thursday to the European migra-
voiced hope for mending tion crisis as an example of
a rift with the U.S. and pool- even “seemingly prosper-
ing efforts in fighting terror- ous countries and stable
ism. regions” facing new divi-
The speech reflected Mos- sions.
cow’s hope that President- He mentioned an intention
elect Donald Trump could to develop stronger ties
help repair ties with Wash- with China and India, add-
ington that have sunk to a ing that it’s dictated by
post-Cold War low over the long-term interests rather
crisis in Ukraine, the Syria than a strain on Russia’s ties
war and other disputes. with the U.S. and the Euro-
Putin emphasized that pean Union.
friendly relations between Putin mostly focused his
the two superpowers are speech on economic and
essential for global stability. social issues, saying that
“Russia-U.S. cooperation in the Russian economy is on
solving global and regional the way to recovery, point-
problems answers the in- ing at a growth in some
terests of the entire world,” sectors of industry and ag-
he said. “We share respon- riculture. He said agricul-
sibility for ensuring global tural exports this year will
security and stability and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, left, and President Vladimir Putin walk after the president top $16 billion, surpassing
strengthening the non-pro- delivered his annual state of the nation address in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. weapons exports.
liferation regime.” 1, 2016. The Russian economy con-
Putin’s live address con- (Dmitry Astakhov/ Sputnik via AP ) tracted 3.7 percent in 2015
trasted with some of his re- with all tools involved — ornate, white-marble Krem- ism. and the recession has con-
cent speeches, in which he from the myths about Rus- lin hall. “Our servicemen in Syria tinued this year under the
launched scathing attacks sian aggression, (allega- “Unlike our foreign col- are fulfilling that task,” Pu- combined blow of low oil
on the U.S. and its allies. tions) of meddling in elec- leagues who are seeing tin added. Russia has con- prices and Western sanc-
Tensions escalated dur- tions to the hounding of our Russia as an enemy, we ducted an air campaign tions.
ing the U.S. election cam- athletes,” a reference to have never been look- in support of Syrian Presi- Putin noted that inflation,
paign, when President doping scandals. ing for enemies. We need dent Bashar Assad, help- which stood at nearly 13
Barack Obama’s adminis- But he also emphasized friends,” Putin said. “But we ing his forces make signifi- percent last year, is ex-
tration accused Moscow of that Russia bears no grudge won’t allow any infringe- cant gains, most recently in pected to slow down to 6
hacking American political against the West and is ment on our interests and Aleppo, Syria’s largest city percent this year.
sites and email accounts in open for a “friendly and neglect of them.” before the war. He said the government
an effort to interfere with equal” dialogue on global He said that Russia is “ready In a phone call on Nov. 16, should encourage growth
the vote. The Kremlin has issues. for cooperation with the Trump told Putin that he by cutting red tape, cre-
rejected the accusations. “We don’t want confronta- new American administra- looks forward to “a strong ating a more favorable
Putin noted in his speech tion with anyone,” he told tion,” and hopes to pool and enduring relationship business environment and
that Russia has faced “at- an audience of senior of- efforts with the U.S. in com- with Russia and the people offering new incentives to
tempts of foreign pressure ficials and lawmakers in an bating international terror- of Russia,” according to his high-tech industries.q

Police make 5 arrests in ‘unprecedented’ cybercrime takedown

RAPHAEL SATTER ket for cybercrime services. perfect example of crime 40 different countries were designed to trick users into
AP Cybersecurity Writer Unlike some past seizures as a service,” saying the involved and accused the thinking their computers
PARIS (AP) — U.S. and Euro- — which grabbed crooks’ massive network was rent- network of hosting some of had been locked down
pean officials say they’ve infrastructure while leav- ed out by players across the world’s most pernicious by law enforcement — ac-
knocked out a cybercrime ing the masterminds free to the underworld to send malware as well as several cording to Orla Cox, the
group accused of inflict- reorganize their networks spam, direct malicious soft- money laundering cam- director of security intelli-
ing hundreds of millions of — officials say they’re con- ware and to recruit money paigns. gence at Symantec Corp.,
dollars in losses worldwide, fident they’ve struck a fatal mules. As a cybercriminal, German Interior Minister a California-based security
putting five key suspects in blow this time. Ruiz said, “you will contact Thomas de Maiziere told firm which participated in
custody. “We have arrested the top, this organization, and this reporters at a press confer- the investigation. That in-
The European Union police the head of the snake,” organization will give you ence in the town of Luene- quiry eventually widened
agency said Thursday the Fernando Ruiz, the head of all you need.” burg that the size of the op- to include dozens of other
sweep was “unprecedent- operations at Europol’s Cy- He said the arrests Wednes- eration was “unique.” law enforcement agencies
ed in its scale” and resulted bercrime Center, told The day followed months of The network came into fo- investigating a wide array
in the seizure of 39 servers Associated Press ahead of preparation and years of in- cus in 2012 after German of misdeeds.
and hundreds of thousands the announcement. “We vestigation by law enforce- officials began looking into German authorities alone
of internet domains used are sure that this will have a ment agencies. In a sepa- the spread of fake police would eventually record
by the Avalanche network, very huge impact.” rate statement , the U.S. ransomware — an early 1,336 crimes in connection
a major player in the mar- Ruiz called Avalanche “the Department of Justice said form of extortion software with the groupq