As the world awaits news on who will be Iran’s next president, The Conversation discusses who is likely to become Iran’s next supreme leader after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, the man many expected to take on the supreme leader role after Ali Khamenei. In this article, Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Professor at SOAS university in London, argues that Raisi was unlikely to succeed Khamenei, given his lackluster religious credentials, and posits that even the Iranian political establishment does not know who is likely to succeed an increasingly unpopular Khamemei, to take on the role as one of the most powerful…

A recent panel discussion explored the complex relationship between emerging technologies and national security, with artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous weapons, and cyber warfare at the centre of the conversation. Leading experts examined the potential benefits and the lurking threats these advancements pose. Cybersecurity emerged as a primary concern. The sophistication of cyberattacks is likely to skyrocket as malicious actors leverage AI for more targeted and disruptive operations. The potential for AI to be weaponised for social control and warfare also sparked ethical concerns. “AI can be used by governments to suppress dissent,” warned a panellist, raising the spectre of authoritarian…

As the South African elections get under way, ISS Africa examines how vulnerable South Africa is to misinformation and disinformation through unverifiable social media posts, designed to influence voters. ISS discusses how information integrity is essential to protect democratic principals and processes. In this article, which we are republishing with ISS Africa’s permission, ISS reveals how its research has shown coordinated techniques similar to those used in other election settings, including ‘follow trains’ and ‘hashjacking’, to push particular agendas, often without readers being aware of such manipulation. Without access to social media data, ensuring voters have verifiable information rather than…

The ANC’s choice of coalition partner could not only alter South Africa’s path but also have wider regional and geopolitical implications due to the country’s strategic location along key maritime routes and its influence in African politics.

The end of official mourning for Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi has kick-started a competition in which as many as 20 potential successors have been proposed.All candidates have to be cleared by the 12-strong elite body known as the Guardian Council, and the regime is torn between ensuring continuity and allowing an open competition that affords the successful candidate true legitimacy.The election on 28h June, triggered by Raisi’s death in a helicopter accident last Sunday, has the potential to expose political divisions within the regime, something that the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will seek to avoid in the search for…

In the lead-up to South Africa’s national elections on May 29, an average of at least one politically motivated assassination occurred every two weeks between January and April 2024. This alarming trend is detailed in a new report, The Politics of Murder: Criminal Governance and Targeted Killings in South Africa, by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (Gi-TOC). One of the report’s authors, Chwayita Thobela, discussed in an interview with National Security News how political killings are on the rise in South Africa. Thobela identified key drivers as intra-party conflicts over political positions and competition for lucrative municipal tenders.…

As the digital battlefield rapidly evolves, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has become a critical case study in the effectiveness and strategies of cyber operations during crises. A recent cybersecurity conference in London hosted by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) painted a picture of a shifting cyberwar landscape. Experts highlighted a move away from the predicted cyber blitz towards a new era of digital espionage. “Early predictions focused on widespread disruption,” said Dmitri Alperovitch, Chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator. However, the reality has been scattered attacks and a struggle for Russia to leverage compromised systems for tactical gains. Alperovitch noted the…

US President Joe Biden has named Kenya as a major non-Nato ally, making it the first sub-Saharan African country to receive that designation. Mr Biden announced the move during a three-day state visit by Kenyan President William Ruto. It is the first such visit to Washington by an African leader in more than 15 years and comes as Russia and China have expanded their influence across the continent. Several governments in the Sahel region and western Africa have also fallen to military coups, leading to the removal of co-operation missions with western nations. The extension of major non-Nato ally status…

A coup attempt against President Félix Tshisekedi’s government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been foiled, resulting in three deaths.

Latvia could make the use of deepfakes in political campaigns illegal. President Edgars Rinkēvičs has proposed a law that would make the use of deepfake technology to spread false information about political candidates a criminal offense, punishable by up to five years in prison. This proposal reflects growing concerns that such technology is being weaponised to undermine democratic processes. In a proposed amendment to the Criminal Law, Rinkēvičs wrote, “Deliberately producing or disseminating false discrediting information about candidates for the position of the highest state officials in connection with the process of election, appointment or confirmation of these officials, using…

As the world moves away from fossil fuels, ISS Africa examines how Africa can transition to cleaner energies whilst dealing with increases in energy demand as the continent continues to experience rapid population growth. While other regions are transitioning to renewables, ISS Africa’s modelling, which we are republishing with their permission, shows that the continent is likely to struggle to meet its energy demands whilst making the difficult switch away from fossil fuels. Nuclear, ISS Africa argues, poses the most reliable and feasible solution for the continent. Africa’s large base-load energy demand will require a substantial investment in nuclear. In…

Russia is too scared to deploy its “cutting edge” Armata tank to Ukraine because President Vladimir Putin fears they will all be destroyed, the British Ministry of Defence has claimed. Intelligence chiefs have revealed that the Kremlin fears that its “prestige tank”, known as the T-14, could become an embarrassment to Russia due to “vulnerabilities” exposed cross the country’s tank fleet. Russia has already lost 2,600 tanks, with thousands destroyed in action or abandoned due to mechanical failure, as well as sustaining 450,000 casualties since the war in Ukraine began in 2022. The Armata, which costs between £3m and £7m…

The decision by International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of the Hamas organisation has ignited significant international backlash. On Monday, several of Israel’s closest allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria, condemned the legitimacy and timing of Khan’s actions. Netanyahu called the application for arrest warrants a “travesty of justice”. Kahn has created “a twisted and false moral equivalence between the leaders of Israel and the henchmen of Hamas,” Netanyahu said. “This is like creating…

Even before Tehran had formally announced the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, conspiracy theories as to whether foul play was to blame began coming in rapidly. Was Israel’s Mossad, the go-to organisation Iran likes to blame for almost any catastrophe that befalls the Islamic Republic, behind the helicopter crash? Was it the CIA, the same organisation which swept the Shah to power in a coup d’état in 1953? Or was it one of many internal enemies Raisi had managed to accumulate after his years in power?Raisi, after all, had no shortage of enemies both within and outside the regime. He…

While Putin’s main aim of the visit to Xi was to convince Xi, “Look at what the West is doing to you in tariffs and they are trying to cut off your market – it is time to accelerate economic warfare and join in with us in this full-blown economic war with the West,” Hess’s impression is that President Xi is “certainly not ready to do so and hasn’t been.”

The United Kingdom and Canada have pledged to strengthen collaboration on Artificial Intelligence (AI) safety, building upon their shared commitment to responsible AI development. The announcement, confirmed by UK Technology Minister Michelle Donelan and Canadian Science and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, establishes a new partnership between the two countries’ respective AI Safety Institutes (AISIs). Donelan tweeted “The collaboration of AI Safety Institutes is vital to the responsible development of AI and the advancement of science worldwide.” The AI Safety Institute added, “This partnership is a key moment in the development of an international network of AI safety institutes.” Both governments…

The military’s most secretive unit is on a recruitment drive to select more men and women to carry out undercover operations, The Telegraph revealed. The Defence Human Intelligence Unit (DHU), also known as Defence Humint Unit, works closely with the Special Forces. The unit’s role is to obtain “human intelligence” for use by the British Armed Forces by creating a network of civilian agents in war zones, such as in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The DHU is currently deployed on operations around the world, working with the UK Special Forces, MI5 and friendly foreign nations. But like many specialist organisations within the military, the DHU is…

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a pivotal meeting in Beijing last week. Xi welcomed Putin with a grand reception, marking the start of what was celebrated as a ‘new era’ of cooperation in an increasingly ‘multipolar world’. This article, republished with permission from the Atlantic Council, features expert analysts examining the potential global implications of this newfound cooperation for the global community. New Atlanticist: May 16, 2024 Experts react: What will Putin and Xi’s ‘new era’ of cooperation mean for the world? By Atlantic Council experts Keep your “friends” close. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and…

In recent months, violence by insurgents in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province has escalated, highlighted by an ambush on Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces near Macomia, which damaged vehicles but caused no casualties. As the SADC prepares to withdraw in July amid criticisms of its effectiveness, Rwandan and Tanzanian troops have been praised for securing certain areas. Mozambique specialist Dr. Joseph Hanlon believes the $20 billion LNG project by TotalEnergies and the $30 billion project by ExxonMobil will proceed, as these companies trust the Rwandan forces to protect the crucial offshore gas fields and infrastructure. Hanlon noted the effectiveness of the Rwandan and Tanzanian troops compared to the SADC forces, suggesting that the LNG investments will continue despite the insurgency.

In a historic and emotionally charged session, the UN Security Council convened its first ever meeting solely focused on the hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during their attack on Israel on 07 October.  The meeting, initiated by the United States, brought together diplomats, survivors, and families of the captives to highlight the human toll of these abductions and call for the hostages’ immediate release. Shoshan Haran, who was taken hostage along with her daughter and two grandchildren, provided a harrowing account of the psychological impact on her three-year-old granddaughter. “Three weeks after we were released, Yahel only whispers, too afraid…

A major investigation was underway last night to try and establish the motive behind the attempted assassination of the controversial Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. The gunman has been named as Juraj Cintula, a 71-year-old poet, author and vocal critic of Fico’s government with possible links to a pro-Russian militarised group. Cintula, a resident of Levice, identifies himself as a writer and is a founding member of the Dúha Literary Club. Cintula’s background also includes past employment as security guard, with reports suggesting he himself was the target of an attack in a shopping centre. While details about his personal…

As the world moves towards a multipolar system, Africa’s future holds weight. Jakkie Cilliers, Head of African Futures and Innovation at ISS Pretoria, analyses this shift in a recent ISS Today article. He argues that the US needs to adapt to this new reality and collaborate with China, rather than compete, to maintain its influence in Africa. Cilliers highlights the dangers of a return to Cold War-style proxy conflicts and emphasises that strong trade partnerships, not political coercion, are key to Africa’s development. Retaining US influence in Africa requires bridge-building with China In a complex new multipolar world, a country’s…

A Russian drone regiment is recruiting members of the Kremlin elite so they can ‘sidestep’ military service on the front, according to the British government.The unit called “Bars Kaskad” is recruiting Russian elites, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.Bars Kaskad was created by the Russian State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, and it contains an “unusually high” number of pro-Putin United Russia Party members and sons of Kremlin elites — “up to 10 in total”, according to the MoD.The unit is primarily involved in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations…

The UK continues to cement its position as a global leader in AI safety with the launch of Inspect, the world’s first state-backed AI safety testing platform made available for free public use. Developed by the UK AI Safety Institute, Inspect empowers a wide range of users – from startups to international governments – to evaluate AI models for potential security risks. With super-powered AI models poised to hit the market this year, the need for robust safety measures has never been greater. Untested AI poses a risk of biased decisions, unforeseen accidents, and loss of control. “Inspect” tackles this…