🔥 Assassination Attempt in Slovakia

Good Morning. Biden's making it rain on this payday—$1 billion to Israel and another $2 billion to Ukraine.

The Israeli package includes tank ammunition, tactical vehicles, and mortar rounds, stirring controversy among U.S. lawmakers, with Republicans pushing for unwavering support and some Democrats advocating for restrictions to minimize civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Ukrainian aid during a press conference in Kyiv, emphasizing the funds will enhance Ukraine's military capabilities and defense industrial base, as part of a broader $60 billion aid package.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

Slovak Prime Minister Shot, Wounded, But ‘No Longer’ in a Life-Threatening Condition

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is no longer in a life-threatening condition after being shot multiple times in an assassination attempt, according to a senior minister. The attack, which occurred three weeks before European parliamentary elections, has highlighted the deep political divisions within Slovakia.

Political Motivations and Arrest

The shooting, linked to Slovakia’s political polarization, took place in Handlová, where Fico was greeting the public. A 71-year-old man was detained as a suspect, with local authorities suggesting the attack was politically motivated following recent elections.

Calls for Unity and Democracy

The incident has prompted calls for political unity and an end to hateful rhetoric. Outgoing President Zuzana Čaputová condemned the attack as a threat to democracy and urged an end to vitriolic language against politicians.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY & DIPLOMACY

Counterterrorism

• Yemen's Houthi rebels have acknowledged targeting a U.S. Navy destroyer and a commercial vessel in the Red Sea, with the destroyer intercepting the missile. The attacks come amid a slowdown in Houthi assaults on shipping, attributed to U.S. military actions.

• At least 24 worshippers, including four children, were injured in an explosion at a mosque in Kano, Nigeria, early Wednesday morning. Police reported that the attack was carried out by a local man in response to a prolonged family dispute over inheritance.

• Human Rights Watch reports that an Islamist group in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province used boys as young as 13 in recent attacks on a town, with some child soldiers recognized by fleeing residents as missing relatives. The insurgents, affiliated with the Islamic State group, have a history of kidnapping children for use in their ongoing conflict, which has intensified this year after a period of relative calm.

Military & Defense

• The U.S. Air Force has deployed F-22 stealth fighter jets to South Korea's Kunsan Air Base, reinforcing defense commitments in the Indo-Pacific amid regional tensions. This marks the first deployment of F-22s to South Korea since October, enhancing the U.S. and South Korea's military interoperability and readiness for potential threats.

• A Taliban military helicopter crashed in Afghanistan's Ghor province during a rescue mission, killing at least one person and injuring twelve others. The MI-17 helicopter experienced a technical failure while attempting to assist civilians after a vehicle accident, leading to an emergency landing attempt that resulted in a collision with a wall.

• North Korea unveiled dozens of new Hwasong-11D short-range ballistic missiles, which were inspected by leader Kim Jong Un, according to state media. The missiles, with an estimated range of 100-180 kilometers, enhance North Korea's tactical capabilities and add to regional security concerns.

• Ukraine has withdrawn troops from several villages in the Kharkiv region amid heavy Russian fire, repositioning to more defensible locations. President Zelensky canceled upcoming foreign trips to focus on the escalating conflict, while the U.S. announced $2 billion in additional military aid to support Ukraine's defense efforts.

• Pakistan’s military announced the successful test-firing of the Fatah-II Guided Rocket System, which has a range of 400 kilometers and advanced navigation capabilities. This development aims to enhance Pakistan's defense against potential threats from neighboring India, with leaders congratulating the scientists and engineers involved.

• Pakistan’s military announced the successful test-firing of the Fatah-II Guided Rocket System, which has a range of 400 kilometers and advanced navigation capabilities. This development aims to enhance Pakistan's defense against potential threats from neighboring India, with leaders congratulating the scientists and engineers involved.

• France imposed a state of emergency in New Caledonia and deployed troops to ports and the international airport following three nights of deadly clashes over voting changes. The unrest, which has resulted in four deaths and hundreds of injuries, led to a ban on TikTok and increased security measures to restore order.
  

Cybersecurity

• Hackers are using DNS tunneling to conceal malicious traffic, enabling data theft and malware delivery, according to research by Palo Alto Networks. This method allows attackers to monitor victims' interactions with spam and phishing emails and perform network scans, potentially leading to further cyberattacks.

• Two new backdoors, likely deployed by the Russian hacking group Turla, have been discovered infiltrating a European government's network, according to Slovak cybersecurity firm ESET. The malware, named LunarWeb and LunarMail, has been active since 2020, targeting diplomatic institutions and highlighting ongoing cybersecurity tensions involving Russian state actors in Europe.

• The FBI and international law enforcement agencies have seized BreachForums, a notorious cybercrime marketplace for the second time in a year. The site, used for buying and selling stolen data, was initially shut down in June 2023 but resurfaced, leading to the latest crackdown that also targeted related Telegram channels.

• The UK's National Cyber Security Centre has launched a service to protect election candidates and other high-risk individuals from cyberattacks targeting their mobile phones. This initiative, announced amid rising threats, aims to prevent connections to malicious domains and enhance the security of personal devices for those in political, academic, journalistic, and legal sectors.

• The Russian-linked Turla hacking group has deployed new backdoors, LunarWeb and LunarMail, to infiltrate a European Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Middle Eastern diplomatic missions. ESET researchers attribute this cyber-espionage activity to Turla, which has a history of targeting government and diplomatic entities, using advanced techniques to evade detection.

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• President Joe Biden has ordered the sale of a Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mining facility located near a U.S. Air Force base in North Dakota due to national security concerns. The move highlights growing scrutiny and actions against foreign investments that may pose risks to critical infrastructure and national security.

• The UK has summoned the Chinese ambassador to address allegations of espionage following the arrest of two individuals suspected of spying for China. This diplomatic move underscores the escalating tensions between the two nations over security and intelligence concerns.

• India's Supreme Court has granted bail to NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, ruling his arrest under antiterrorism laws for allegedly receiving Chinese funds was illegal. The court's decision highlights ongoing tensions between India and China and concerns over press freedom under Prime Minister Modi's government.

• Russian disinformation campaigns have been circulating fake videos to influence the upcoming U.S. presidential election, targeting right-wing voters with fabricated messages about President Biden, according to U.S. officials. Microsoft identified a group, Storm-1516, as responsible for these videos, which employ updated tactics similar to those used in previous elections.

Transnational Organized Crime

• The FCC has identified and named a malicious robocall group "Royal Tiger," aiming to enhance efforts to block and track these fraudulent actors. This classification is part of a broader initiative to combat robocall scams through increased international collaboration and industry awareness.

• Eleven people were killed in mass shootings in Chicomuselo, Chiapas, an area plagued by cartel violence near Mexico's border with Guatemala. The region has seen increasing violence as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels fight for control over migrant and drug smuggling routes.

• Albania has installed British-funded cameras and drones along its border with Kosovo to curb illegal migration and criminal activity, part of a broader strategy to reduce the flow of migrants into the UK. This $2 million initiative aims to monitor hard-to-reach areas and identify vehicles used by criminals, marking significant cooperation between Albania and the UK in addressing cross-border issues.

• Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm was sentenced to 64 months in prison for his role in laundering $2 billion through the cryptocurrency mixing service. The case highlights the U.S. government's crackdown on crypto-related crimes, with Storm's activities facilitating transactions linked to North Korean hackers and other illicit actors.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Japan and the United States have formalized an agreement to co-develop the Glide Sphere Interceptor, a missile defense system designed to counter the threat of hypersonic weapons from adversaries like China and Russia.

Project Details and Funding

Set for deployment by the mid-2030s, the project allocates responsibilities and initiates the development process, with Japan contributing $490 million for initial phases. The total estimated development cost exceeds $3 billion, with components to be developed by Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman.

Strategic and Regional Implications

This collaboration marks a significant step in Japan's military buildup, reflecting heightened regional security concerns and Japan’s evolving defense strategy, including easing weapon export policies.

In other news…
☁️ Quantum startup Alice & Bob has released a fault-tolerant boson cat qubit chip on the Google Cloud Marketplace, enhancing quantum computing reliability. This collaboration aims to broaden access to advanced quantum technology for industry and research applications.

🔢 Cerebras has announced major advancements in materials science and AI model training, achieving speeds 179 times faster than top supercomputers and significantly reducing training parameters. The company partnered with Aleph Alpha to develop AI solutions for government agencies, starting with Germany's armed forces.

☄️NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) successfully demonstrated that crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid can alter its trajectory, providing a viable method for planetary defense. The mission's impact on asteroid Dimorphos slowed its orbit, showcasing the potential of kinetic impactors in preventing future asteroid collisions with Earth.

🚁 Airbus has unveiled its new Racer aircraft, which combines elements of a helicopter and an airplane to enhance flight times for emergency responders. Presented in Marseille as part of the EU's Clean Sky 2 program, the Racer aims to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20 percent compared to conventional aircraft.

DEALS & FUNDING

AI data platform company Weka has raised $140 million in a Series E funding round led by Valor Equity Partners, with contributions from Nvidia, Norwest Venture Partners, and others, doubling its valuation to $1.6 billion. This funding aims to enhance Weka's capabilities in managing large-scale, data-intensive workloads, crucial for AI and machine learning applications.

Innovative Data Management Solutions

Weka's platform offers advanced tools for building data pipelines that handle diverse data sources, optimizing performance for next-generation compute hardware. The company's technology reduces AI model training times by streamlining data transfer processes, positioning Weka as a strong competitor in the data management industry.

Strategic Partnerships and Future Prospects

Weka's strategic partnership with Aleph Alpha focuses on developing AI solutions for government agencies, including Germany's armed forces. With a robust customer base and plans for further growth, Weka is on track to achieve cash flow positivity by December 2024, reflecting its significant market potential and operational efficiency.

In other news…

💾 British minicomputer maker Raspberry Pi has announced plans to go public, aiming to raise $630 million through a UK stock market listing. The funds will be used to expand its engineering team, bring semiconductor design in-house, and develop new, higher-end products, while the Raspberry Pi Foundation remains the majority shareholder.

🌩️Cloud networking startup Alkira has raised $100 million in a Series C funding round led by Tiger Global, bringing its total capital to $176 million. The funds will be used to enhance Alkira's platform, which facilitates seamless connections between data centers, cloud environments, and employee devices without the need for additional on-premises hardware.

💸 LogRhythm, owned by Thoma Bravo, has announced a merger with its rival Exabeam, combining their technologies in threat detection, investigation, and response. The merger, expected to close in the third quarter of 2024, aims to enhance AI-driven security operations and expand service and support capabilities for their customers.

🔉 The UK Ministry of Defence announced it will award contracts worth GBP1 billion to develop a sovereign hypersonic strike capability. This initiative, managed by the Defence Equipment and Support arm, aims to expedite defense procurement and enhance the country's technological edge through the Hypersonic Technologies & Capability Development Framework.

🔱 India has signed a ten-year agreement to manage Iran's Chabahar Port, enhancing its strategic foothold in the region and strengthening bilateral ties. The deal aims to facilitate trade and economic cooperation, positioning Chabahar as a key transit hub between Central Asia and South Asia.