The latest report by Freedom House — an organization that describes itself as a defender of human rights — reveals that more than 20% of the world’s national governments have reached beyond their borders to assassinate, assault, imprison, interrogate and deport dissenters. The analysis found that national governments are reportedly searching the world for political…

Artificial intelligence is quickly being integrated into various aspects of life, from navigation apps to word processing programs. Now, its application has extended to U.S. military strategies. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. military used AI to identify targets for air strikes in the Middle East in early February, marking a significant use of technology in…

The White House announced on Thursday, Feb. 29, that the U.S. is launching an investigation into whether Chinese “smart cars” are a national security risk, according to Reuters. The probe could also lead to restrictions due to concern over “connected” car technology, according to the Biden administration. The U.S. Commerce Department will be handling the…

It’s been two years since the start of Russia’s three-day special military operation to take Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of people are dead. Entire cities have been reduced to rubble. The 600-mile frontline hasn’t changed much over the last year, but if you believe what world leaders are saying, this next year could decide the…

Four foreign nationals have been charged in connection to a U.S. raid last month that resulted in two Navy SEALs losing their lives. According to the Justice Department, the four men, all with Pakistani identification on them, were allegedly transporting Iranian-made weapons on Jan. 11 when the Navy intercepted their small, unflagged vessel in the…

President Biden meets with the family of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as the U.S. prepares to impose hundreds of sanctions on Russia. And AT&T reveals what was behind the massive outage that left thousands without phone service. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. President Biden meets…

In what seems like a plot lifted from an international thriller, U.S. authorities charged a 60-year-old alleged Japanese Yakuza boss, Takeshi Ebisawa, with attempting to sell nuclear materials to Iran, officials announced Feb. 21. Ebisawa is accused of trying to distribute uranium and weapons-grade plutonium to an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA),…

The Houthis have a new weapon to use in their attacks on ships in the Red Sea; Iranian-made uncrewed underwater vessels (UUVs). Basically, drone torpedoes. U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the region, said U.S. naval forces took out the submersible threat, along with three cruise missiles and a suicide drone on…

President Biden’s ex-special Iran envoy Robert Malley is reportedly facing a probe from the State Department’s Inspector General. Last month, the inspector general’s office apprised Congress about the inquiry, which came against the backdrop of questions from lawmakers regarding Malley’s ties to Tehran, Semafor reported.

When ChatGPT burst into the spotlight in 2022, people hailed it for its sophistication and versatility. However, artificial intelligence experts and government officials soon raised concerns about potential exploitation by malicious actors. In a report Wednesday, Feb. 14, Microsoft and OpenAI found that hacker groups from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are leveraging AI…