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Covert Action: Evaluating the Future Leadership of US Strategic Covert Operations | FPRI

Two new essays from the Foreign Policy Research Institute debate whether the CIA or DoD should lead U.S. covert action, weighing legal authority and discretion against scale and integration. While one supports maintaining CIA control and the other proposes a modernized DoD-led OSS, both agree that stronger interagency coordination is needed. (Read More)​

UN Warns Haiti Nears State Collapse as Gangs Control Nearly 90% of Port-au-Prince

Haiti is nearing total state collapse as armed gangs now control nearly 90% of Port-au-Prince and are expanding into previously stable regions, United Nations (U.N.) officials told the Security Council on Wednesday. “The state’s capacity to govern is rapidly shrinking,” Ghada Fathy Waly, Executive Director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime told ambassadors in the Security Council during a briefing on Wednesday. (Read More)​

Russian Navy Deputy Commander Killed in Suspected Ukrainian Strike

Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy commander of the Russian Navy, was killed Wednesday in the Kursk region during combat near the Ukrainian border. In a Telegram post on Thursday, Russia's Ministry of Defense said Gudkov died “during combat operations in one of the border districts of the Kursk region” on Wednesday but did not specify the circumstances. (Read More)

Colombian Navy Captures Starlink-Operated Narco Submarine

The Colombian Navy has seized an unmanned drug-smuggling vessel equipped with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service off the Caribbean coast near Santa Marta. While the drone semi submersible was not carrying drugs at the time, authorities said it belonged to the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking group, and had the capacity to transport 1.5 tons of cocaine. Officials believe the vessel was part of a test run by the cartel. (Read More)​​

Sky Fortress—Ukraine’s Acoustic Detection System That Tracks Drones Cheap and Fast | United24 Media

Ukraine is using sound to defend against drones. Two systems, Sky Fortress and Zvook, detect threats by their noise, including the loud Shahed drones. With over 14,000 sensors, Sky Fortress supports mobile fire teams and offers a low-cost solution. NATO is taking interest as Ukraine’s approach proves both effective and affordable. (Read More)​

Drone Strike Hits Energia Plant, Halting Russian Weapons Production

A Ukrainian drone attack on Thursday struck multiple sites in Russia’s Lipetsk region, including the Energia plant in Yelets, a key supplier of batteries for Russian missiles and drones. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with other defense units, carried out the precision strike on the plant to disrupt Russia’s military production. (Read More)​

Ethiopia Completes Nile Mega-Dam

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Thursday the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a $4 billion hydroelectric project on the Blue Nile that has fueled more than a decade of tension with Egypt and Sudan. Built in Ethiopia’s northern highlands, where most of the Nile's water originates, the dam is Africa’s largest and a critical component of Ethiopia’s push to expand electricity access. (Read More)​

Pentagon Expands Military Zones Along US-Mexico Border

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday an expansion of its military presence along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the expansion covers approximately 140 miles of federal land near the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range in Arizona, along with a 250-mile designated military zone stretching along the Rio Grande in South Texas. (Read More)​

US Teen Influencer Detained in Antarctica While Attempting Solo Flight to 7 Continents | CNN

Chilean authorities detained 19-year-old American pilot Ethan Guo after he made an unauthorized landing in Antarctica. Guo, attempting a solo flight across all seven continents, filed a false flight plan from Punta Arenas before diverting to a Chilean Antarctic base. Prosecutors say he broke multiple aviation laws. His lawyer claims he faced in-flight complications. Guo must remain in Chile during a 90-day investigation. (Read More)​