🔥 Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Massive Strikes, U.S. Bolsters Naval Presence

Good Morning. 

Elon Musk's Neuralink has announced that its second human trial participant is successfully using the brain-computer interface to play videogames and use design software without experiencing the thread retraction issue that affected the first patient.

The company has made improvements to its implantation process, including deeper insertion of threads into the motor cortex, and plans to implant eight more people this year.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon launched massive attacks against each other on Sunday, with Israel conducting airstrikes across southern Lebanon and Hezbollah firing hundreds of rockets and drones in retaliation for the recent assassination of a Hezbollah commander.

Despite the intensity of the attacks, both sides claimed limited casualties and damage, with Israel reporting one navy soldier killed and Hezbollah acknowledging the loss of three fighters.

The exchange has heightened tensions in the Middle East, prompting the U.S. to strengthen its military presence in the region by positioning two aircraft carrier strike groups, while cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Cairo.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY & DIPLOMACY

Counterterrorism

• Two Nigerian police officers were killed and three injured in an attack by a banned Shi'ite group in Abuja, according to police reports.

• Pro-Iran militants kill 2 Nigerian police officers in attack on Abuja checkpoint.

• UN criticizes Taliban's new morality law restricting Afghan women's freedoms.

• A roadside bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near a police office in southwest Pakistan, killing two children and a woman and wounding 15 people.

Military & Defense

• The U.S. has added 105 Russian and Chinese firms to a trade restriction list for allegedly aiding Russia's military efforts in Ukraine.

• Drone strikes allegedly carried out by Mali's army and Wagner mercenaries killed at least 21 civilians, including 11 children, in the northern Malian town of Tinzaouaten, according to Tuareg rebels.

• Ukrainian shelling kills 5 in Russia; Russian missile injures journalists in Ukraine

• China and Philippines clash over vessel collision in disputed South China Sea waters.

• Russia and Ukraine exchanged over 100 prisoners of war each on Ukraine's Independence Day.

Cybersecurity

• The Port of Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport report a possible cyberattack affecting their websites and phone systems.

• Halliburton, an oilfield-services company, has reported a cyberattack on its systems and is working to restore them while conducting an internal investigation.

• The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Georgia Tech and an affiliate company for allegedly failing to meet cybersecurity standards required for Pentagon contracts.

• Former Verizon employee Ping Li pleaded guilty to conspiring to serve as an agent of China by providing information about Chinese dissidents and cyber incidents to the Ministry of State Security.

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• Taiwan's High Court sentenced eight military officers to prison terms ranging from 18 months to 13 years for spying for China.

• The Dutch cabinet has banned phones and other connected devices from official meetings, requiring them to be kept in a vault during discussions to prevent espionage.

Transnational Organized Crime

• Indonesia destroys $1.3M worth of illegal imports as part of a government crackdown on underground economy and unregistered goods.

• Denmark and Sweden's justice ministers vowed to target organized crime leaders abroad who hire Swedish teenagers to commit violent crimes in Denmark.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, was reportedly arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday, prompting concerns from Russia and criticism from Elon Musk about free speech in Europe.

The arrest, which has not been officially confirmed by France, is allegedly part of an investigation into Telegram's moderation practices and cooperation with police, raising questions about the messaging app's role in geopolitics and content regulation.

In other news…

Indian AI startups are developing voice-based chatbots in local languages to reach a wider audience than text-based AI systems.

NASA extends two astronauts' stay on the International Space Station and decides they will return on a SpaceX capsule instead of Boeing's Starliner due to persistent technical concerns.

The Marine Corps is seeking AI-enabled sensors to detect and track unmanned systems and other targets for its Observation and Sensing System program.

IBM is developing quantum-centric supercomputers that combine quantum and classical computing, aiming to solve complex problems beyond the capabilities of current supercomputers.

National Geographic's new series "OceanXplorers" follows researchers aboard the advanced research vessel OceanXplorer as they explore uncharted ocean waters and study marine life.

DEALS & FUNDING

Y Combinator, the startup incubator behind successful companies like DoorDash and Airbnb, is backing its first weapons maker, Ares Industries, which aims to produce low-cost anti-ship missiles.

Ares plans to create missiles that are 10 times smaller and cheaper than current options, addressing potential U.S.-China conflicts and the need for a larger, more cost-effective missile stockpile.

This move reflects a growing interest from Silicon Valley in the defense sector, with Y Combinator comparing the potential disruption in the missile industry to SpaceX's impact on the space launch market.

In other news…

Sierra Nevada Corporation has been awarded a $991.3M contract to integrate sensors onto Bombardier Global 6500 jets for the Army's High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program, aimed at replacing legacy reconnaissance aircraft.

The U.S. Space Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a $200M contract to build its second Deep-space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) in Wales, U.K., as part of a trilateral agreement with Australia to enhance space domain awareness.