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Italy averted Russian-linked cyberattacks targeting Winter Olympics websites, foreign minister says

ROME (AP) — Italy has foiled a series of cyberattacks targeting some of its foreign ministry offices, including one in Washington, as well as Winter Olympics websites and hotels in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters during a trip to the U.S. capital, Tajani said the attempted attacks were “of Russian origin,” but didn’t provide additional details.

“We prevented a series of cyberattacks against foreign ministry sites, starting with Washington, and also involving some Winter Olympics sites, including hotels in Cortina,” Tajani said, just two days from Friday’s opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium.

The Winter Olympics got underway Wednesday with the first curling matches in Cortina.

Italy’s Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi told parliament on Wednesday that 6,000 security officers are being deployed across the Games sites — which stretch from Milan to the Dolomites — including bomb disposal experts, snipers and anti-terrorism units.

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

By WTOP Staff
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
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