🔥 UNSC Resolution Passes

Good Morning. Italy and France have both increased their security levels following the recent terrorist attack in Moscow.

The Islamic State affiliate (ISIS-K), active in Europe and responsible for past attacks, was linked to recent and potential threats, prompting precautionary measures in anticipation of major events like the Paris Olympics.

THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

Ceasefire in Gaza Resolution Passed By United Nations

In a departure from its prior stance, the United States refrained from vetoing a UN Security Council resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

First Successful Attempt at Peace Calls

The resolution marks the first successful call for peace since the conflict commenced in October after multiple unsuccessful efforts.

Demand for Hostage Release 

The resolution also insists on the swift and unconditional release of all hostages. This shift in the U.S. position reflects an increasing divergence with its ally Israel regarding the latter's military operations in Gaza.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY & DIPLOMACY

Counterterrorism

• Italy and France heightened security in response to a suburban Moscow concert hall attack claimed by an Islamic State affiliate, amid renewed concerns over extremist threats in Europe ahead of major events like the Paris Olympics and the European Championship in Germany.

• Russia charged four men with committing a terrorist act after over 130 people were killed in a Moscow concert hall attack on Friday, with the Moscow Basmanny District Court identifying them as Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, Saidakrami Rachabalizodu, Shamsidin Fariduni, and Muhammadsobir Fayzov.

• Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary, 57, pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges, including membership in the banned group al-Muhajiroun and encouraging support for it, in a London court on Monday.

• France plans to bolster its 'Operation Sentinelle' anti-terror unit with an additional 4,000 military personnel, raising the total to 7,000 members deployed to guard key sites nationwide, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced on Monday.

Military & Defense

• Following Russia's invasion two years ago, Ukrainians of all ages rushed to volunteer for the military, though initial enthusiasm has faded as the conflict enters its third year, marked by mounting casualties and growing pessimism about defeating Moscow's forces.

• New Zealand plans to send defense personnel, helicopters, and the naval ship HMNZS Canterbury to assist with next month's national election in the Solomon Islands, where China relations will be a central theme.

• Russian forces targeted the Ukrainian capital with Zircon hypersonic missiles from Crimea early Monday, March 25.

• Japan and the United States are engaged in discussions to enhance military cooperation amid escalating concerns over China's threat, with plans to significantly upgrade US operations in Japan, according to government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday.

Cybersecurity

• The British government has accused China of cyberattacks on voting records, marking a significant shift from the previously celebrated "golden era" of British-Chinese relations, and announced sanctions against individuals and a company linked to these attacks.

• The StrelaStealer malware campaign, first observed in November 2022 targeting Spanish-speaking users, has expanded its reach, impacting over a hundred organizations in the U.S. and Europe by stealing email credentials through large-scale phishing attacks.

• The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned two Chinese nationals, Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, for their ties to the APT31 hacking group and involvement in cyberattacks threatening U.S. national security, as part of a coordinated action with the Department of Justice, FBI, Department of State, and UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

• Last month, Japan conducted its inaugural cyber defense exercise with five Pacific island nations in Guam to enhance the region's cybersecurity, involving officials and network providers from Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Palau, with Fiji and Tonga as observers.

• The Iran-linked group MuddyWater initiated a phishing campaign in March 2024, deploying the legitimate Atera RMM tool to attack Israeli sectors in manufacturing, technology, and security, as observed between March 7 and 11.

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• In the aftermath of the devastating terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall, Russia launched a disinformation campaign blaming Ukrainians or Americans for the attack without evidence, despite ISK (Islamic State Khorasan) legitimately claiming responsibility for the attack that left at least 137 dead and over 150 injured. This marks the deadliest terrorist incident in Russia in two decades, with gunmen attacking concertgoers and setting the venue ablaze.

• China has imposed new guidelines prohibiting the use of US-made AMD and Intel processors in government computers, along with banning Microsoft Windows and foreign database products, opting for domestic alternatives amid the ongoing tech trade war with the US.

Transnational Organized Crime

• Ecuador's youngest mayor at 27, Brigitte Garcia, and her press officer were found shot dead in a car on Sunday in San Vicente, where García had been elected mayor last year. This latest political assassination, with no arrests or clear motive yet, follows the killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year, highlighting a concerning trend of violence against politicians in Ecuador.

• As Haiti faces escalating violence from armed groups, human rights advocates and civil society groups are renewing their calls to halt the flow of illicit firearms from the United States to criminal gangs. Amid a surge of deadly gang attacks in Port-au-Prince, Rosy Auguste Ducena of the National Human Rights Defense Network emphasizes, "Haiti has no weapons or ammunition factory," underlining the external source of the crisis.

• The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime reports that China's expanded influence in the Pacific has introduced criminal organizations from China, operating under the guise of legitimate business ventures, alongside genuine entrepreneurs. Virginia Comolli, leading the Initiative's Pacific program, highlighted that most of this criminal conduct is orchestrated by entities with legitimate fronts.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

In a bleeding edge study known as the BIG-bench project, 450 researchers created 204 tasks to evaluate the performance of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, uncovering a phenomenon where models exhibit sudden leaps in ability on certain tasks. This "breakthrough" behavior, akin to a phase transition in physics, has sparked discussions on AI safety, highlighting the unpredictable emergence of complex abilities as models scale.

Stanford Study Challenges Predictability 

However, a recent Stanford University study challenges the perceived unpredictability of these emergent abilities, attributing the sudden advancements to the methodologies used in evaluating LLM performance rather than inherent model complexities.

Prediction Made Possible

Senior author Sanmi Koyejo suggests that these transitions are more predictable than previously thought, emphasizing the influence of measurement approaches on perceptions of AI model behaviors.

In other news…

🕯️A light-harnessing new computer chip design that uses the power of photons, which is a measurement of light or radiation, rather than electrons, which are stable, negative electricity particles, to power the energy it needs to perform calculations holds AI rapid training promise, allowing for faster graphics cards to train AI, say scientists.

🫳A reportedly mysterious futuristic first-person view suicide drone that was developed by the Russian Regional Industrial Company has fallen into Ukraine’s hands, and within a partially intact state. The drones have been used by Russia since October 2023, and have remote mining operations and target engagement capabilities.

📲Silvus Technologies is set to develop StreamCaster, which is a variant for small Unmanned Aircraftl System (UAS) vehicles.

DEALS & FUNDING

The Biden administration has announced plans to allocate up to $6 billion towards pioneering technologies aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions in major industries such as steel, cement, chemicals, and aluminum. These sectors are significant contributors to global warming, yet their decarbonization has been notably challenging.

Decarbonization Goals

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm highlighted that this funding would support 33 different projects across 20 states, representing "the single largest industrial decarbonization investment in American history."

Aluminum Gets a Boost

Among the beneficiaries, Constellium, an aluminum producer, is set to receive up to $75 million for constructing a unique aluminum casting plant in Ravenswood, West Virginia, which emphasizes cleaner operations.

In other news…

♻️ Circular.co is set to take its recycling facility to mass scale after security $10.5 m in new funding.

🤖 AI decision making startup Real Sage will embark on a project to transform real estate asset management after successfully raising $4M.

🍁 Despite efforts to curtail China investments through the late 2023 legislation Canada introduced known as the Investment Canada Act (ICA) to curb Chinese economic influence, granting the government power to scrutinize and reject foreign investments not seen as beneficial to the Canadian economy and society, China is buying stakes in Canadian mining entities.