South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has refuted claims that South Africa is taking sides in the Gaza war and that relations with the United States have soured due to the International Court of Justice case against Israel. The South African Government hauled Israel to the ICJ and alleged genocide in its action against Hamas for the October 7 attack, a move which has drawn widespread criticism from Western leaders. The ICJ issued a ruling at the end of January ordering Israel to “take all measures within its power” to prevent acts of genocide as it wages war against Hamas militants…

By Phumzile van Damme – republished from ISS African Futures How can we safeguard South Africa’s hard-won free and fair elections in the age of disinformation online? Phumzile Van Damme weighs in. On 9 March 2024, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of South Africa’s former president, Jacob Zuma, shared a video on X, formerly known as Twitter. In it, the former US president Donald Trump is seen saying: Greetings all South Africans. My name is President Donald Trump. I urge all South Africans to vote for uMkhonto WeSizwe on 29 May. The African National Congress of Cyril Ramaphosa has failed all South Africans.…

On Friday, the UN Security Council dismissed a new US draft resolution, calling for an “immediate and sustained cease-fire” in Gaza contingent on the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas. The failed resolution comes after China and Russia, permanent members of the council, decided to exercise its veto. The final vote tally showed 11 in favour of the resolution, three against from Russia, China, and Algeria and one abstention by Guyana.  The resolution marked a significant change for the US, which had previously opposed any calls for a cease-fire. However, the proposal linked a cease-fire and humanitarian…

Natasha Lindstaedt, University of Essex via The Conversation With Donald Trump leading in many of the polls for the upcoming US presidential election, his comments about global security and foreign policy have to be taken seriously. In February, Trump flippantly remarked that he would encourage Russia to do whatever it wanted to Nato states that failed to pay their bills. In a follow-up interview on GB News this week he warned allies “not to take advantage” of the US. Nowhere is this causing more concern than for the countries in the Baltic states – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Not only…

In the wild world of digital content, we’re facing a serious reality check – turns out, we’re pretty terrible at spotting deepfake videos and dodgy audio. Recent research shows that we can only identify deepfakes in videos about half the time, and individuals scored a not-so-impressive 73% in catching fake audio. It’s not just a tech problem; it’s a human one. Think you’re a pro at telling what’s real? Well, think again. Another study shows we’re way too confident in our deepfake-detecting skills. Surprisingly, we’re more likely to believe a deepfake is real than the other way around. The study…

Wagner Group, the infamous Russian private military company, has reignited its recruitment campaign on Facebook, preying on unsuspecting individuals worldwide, to lure them into joining the conflict in Ukraine. The targeted nature of this recruitment drive is clear as the ads specifically target Africans, promising an opportunity to engage in direct dialogue with recruiters. Astonishingly, the ad boasts of hundreds of registrations from various regions, including Africa, Vietnam, and Nepal, insinuating a vast network of potential fighters being lured into the fray. Amidst assurances of legitimacy and a disdain for scams, the ad claims no upfront fees, with the Russian…

The owners of TikTok will need to sell the social media platform or face a total ban in the United States, following a landslide vote in the House of Representatives. The move follows a campaign by Congressman Mike Gallagher, the lead sponsor of the bill, who argued he did not want to “censor speech” but insisted there was a need to ban the app because it’s “becoming the dominant news platform for Americans under 30”. Congressman Gallagher, the Republican chairman of the House select China committee, and the bill’s co-author Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, the panel’s top Democrat, introduced legislation to…

While the war in Ukraine continues to dominate headlines, a new battleground is emerging – one far above the clouds. General Stephen Whiting, head of the US Space Command, issued a stark warning: don’t underestimate Russia’s growing space capabilities. Despite facing setbacks on the Ukrainian battlefield, Russia appears to be intensifying its focus on space-based systems and unconventional methods of warfare. This shift has security experts rattled, particularly in light of recent US intelligence reports alleging a chilling development – Russia might be building a space-based nuclear weapon, a “space nuke.” Imagine a weapon so powerful it could cripple entire…

 The United States faces an “increasingly fragile world order,” strained by great power competition, transnational challenges and regional conflicts, intelligence agencies have stated.  The disclosures emerged in the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment report issued by the US Intelligence Community on March 11th.  The document on worldwide threats to US national security cautioned that China, Iran and Russia are challenging the current international rules-based order. Focusing on threats from China and Russia, the report notes the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. It also points at the risk of broader conflict related to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza since the October 7…

In 2024, the global political stage is buzzing with anticipation as national elections are either concluded, scheduled or expected in a staggering 64 countries, including the European Union. This collective represents nearly half of the world’s population, making it the busiest election year on record. Amidst this unprecedented electoral frenzy, a looming force threatens the core of democratic processes—deepfake technology. As elections approach in powerhouse nations like the United States, India, and Russia, the stakes for electoral integrity have never been higher. Enter the National Security News (NSN) project, ‘Deepfakin’ Democracy,’ aiming to unravel the impact of deepfake technology on…

In a technological revelation, researchers from the University of Colorado and esteemed counterparts in China uncovered a novel method to compromise biometric security measures. Dubbed PrintListener, this cutting-edge technique cleverly reconstructs a person’s fingerprints by analysing the sounds produced during the simple act of fingertip swiping on a touchscreen. The implications of this discovery extend beyond the realm of casual smartphone use, impacting biometric security systems employed in various applications, from smartphones to door access locks. While the technical details are complex, the essence of the threat lies in the ability to exploit the sounds generated as fingers traverse a…

Last week, a Russian media source disclosed an audio recording revealing a classified conversation among a group of senior German military officials. The conversation took place while one of the officials, reportedly a brigadier general, was staying at a Singapore hotel during the biennial Singapore Airshow. German authorities confirmed that the call, which took place on the Webex platform, was intercepted by Russian security services who had wiretapped the conversation. The incident, which is being viewed as human error, has raised concerns surrounding the risks of using unsecured networks for official communications. German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, confirmed that one…