In Show of Strength China Conducts Air, Maritime Drills Around Philippines – Defensemirror.com
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Trump might pause Blanche nomination as GOP senators object to IRS settlement– www.latimes.com
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Washington — The high-stakes nomination of Todd Blanche to be attorney general has turned into a clash of wills between President Trump and two Senate Republicans whose political careers he claims credit for ending.
After a vote on Blanche’s nomination was delayed over concerns raised by two lame-duck Republican senators, the president said Thursday he might put Blanche’s nomination on hold rather than meet their demands.
Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have indicated that they will vote to support advancing Blanche’s nomination only if the Justice Department provides written assurance that it has completely abandoned a controversial $1.8-billion “anti-weaponization” fund created as part of a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service and will limit the scope of tax audit immunity granted to Trump, his sons and a business.
Those provisions were part of a proposed settlement of a $10-billion lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS, which is part of his administration.
“The opposition to such a high-ranking executive branch nomination from within Republican ranks is quite unprecedented,” said Phil Brest, who was a top Democratic staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee during the nominations of Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr and Merrick Garland, who each served as attorney general.
Spain deploys military after thousands breach Morocco’s border– www.boston.com
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Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying in the attempt.
The announcement came after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that boiled over Thursday with large crowds of people breaching the border fence.
Spain’s government said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta.” It also announced that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday.
“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”
Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as “exceptional.”
“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,” he said.
Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia oil tanker | Houthis News– www.aljazeera.com
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Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group says it has fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, more than a week after imposing a naval blockade on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
In a post on X, Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said the group had “carried out a military operation targeting the Saudi oil tanker (NCC GHAZAL) for violating the maritime navigation ban” that the group had imposed on Saudi vessels.
He added that the group had used several ballistic missiles and forced the vessel to retreat.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a maritime security monitor, said a tanker reported an explosion while transiting the Red Sea, adding that the crew is safe and no environmental damage was reported.
The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and have fought the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which Saudi Arabia backs, for more than a decade.
On July 20, the Houthis announced their maritime blockade, accusing Saudi leaders of imposing “an unjust and oppressive siege” on Yemen for nearly 12 years, “plundering our resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade”.
It went on to affirm “the right of our great people to respond to the blockade with a blockade”.
CAUGHT: Democrat Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke Indicted on 12 Counts — Prosecutors Say a Steakhouse Envelope Came Before $170 Million in COVID Cash – KTSA
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Syria Pursuing Security Deal With Israel – globalpost.com
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U.S. walks out on UN meeting following France’s human rights criticism – National– globalnews.ca
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U.S. diplomats walked out as their French counterparts were speaking at the United Nations on Monday after America’s close European ally criticized the Trump administration’s human rights record.
The surprise move during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine followed U.S. opposition to giving U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk another four-year term. The reappointment on Friday got overwhelming support, including from France.
The U.S. walkout reflects not only the more strained relations between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also wider tensions between the U.S. and Europe. These include questions over Trump’s commitment to NATO, possible changes to U.S. troop deployments in Europe, and Trump’s desire to control Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.
Trump has complained that Europeans, who weren’t consulted, did not help the U.S. during the Iran war. Amid the tensions, Macron has taken a lead in trying to build up Europe’s military and ensure a nuclear umbrella as one of the continent’s two nuclear powers, along with Britain.
US Pauses FinCEN Oversight for Post-Earthquake ‘Aid’ as Caracas Demands Full Blockade Removal – Orinoco Tribune
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Netanyahu Will Attend UN General Assembly in New York City– legalinsurrection.com
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he will attend the UN General Assembly in New York City in September.
I figured Netanyahu would, even though communist Mayor Zohran Mamdani threatened to arrest him and encouraged people to “protest” him.
Netanyahu told Sean Hannity:
But I’m definitely going there. I’m going to speak the truth in front of this, you know. There’s just hate spewing elected official who’s pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others. He’s turning them against New York Jews. I mean, what, are we in the 1930s? What is this? You know, so much hate, so many lies.
BREAKING: Netanyahu confirms he’s going to New York City.
“First of all I’m going to New York… I’m going to speak the truth in front of this hate-spewing elected official.”
Israeli PM Netanyahu’s attendance at the U.N. General Assembly in September was in question after NYC… pic.twitter.com/h7qYZaMaLP
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 29, 2026
Khanna: Call to Arrest Netanyahu ‘Not Talking About Americans Who Are Subject to Our Own Law’– www.breitbart.com
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On Tuesday’s broadcast of CBS’s “The Takeout,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said that “We should not allow people in our jurisdiction who have an arrest warrant by the ICC.” But this isn’t a danger for Americans because “They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law. But that seems to be a consistent principle of international law, and I’d apply it to Putin like I’d apply it to Netanyahu.”
Khanna said, “Now, my view on Netanyahu is the same as my view on Putin, if you have a warrant for your arrest by the ICC, and you’re coming here — not to the U.N., because the U.N. has its own rules — but you’re coming to the United States, then you should be arrested. We should not allow people in our jurisdiction who have an arrest warrant by the ICC.”
He added, “People say, what about Americans? They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law. But that seems to be a consistent principle of international law, and I’d apply it to Putin like I’d apply it to Netanyahu.”
Russia charges Telegram founder with aiding terrorism and puts him on wanted list– abcnews.com
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Russia’s main domestic security agency said Wednesday that Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging app Telegram, has been charged with “aiding terrorism” and put on an international wanted list.
Telegram’s administration has not removed “numerous channels, chats and bots” that are “actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud” in Russia, the agency said in a statement Wednesday,
The Federal Security Service is also known as the FSB,
Charges against Durov come as Russia restricts Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country. Durov earlier this year announced that the Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation against him and accused them of fabricating pretexts to restrict access to Telegram as part of an attempt to “suppress the right to privacy and free speech.”
EU crisis chief urges tougher climate action amid France, Spain wildfires | Climate Crisis News– www.aljazeera.com
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The European Union’s crisis management commissioner says the bloc needs to invest more in tackling climate change and accelerate its response, as France and Spain prepare for another crippling heatwave that could ignite new wildfires and intensify blazes already burning.
Hadja Lahbib said the EU must ensure its climate strategy remains in lockstep with realities on the ground, as global warming advances faster than scientists previously projected. She has called for increased funding, better education on fire risk and a renewed focus on forest management.
“Climate change is accelerating. So our response must evolve just as quickly,” Lahbib told Reuters.
“We must prepare for risks before disasters strike and not simply react afterwards.”
Lahbib’s comments come as devastating wildfires continue to burn across parts of France and Spain, forcing the evacuation of 330,000 people.
Nearly 500 civilians dead in Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict, UN says – National– globalnews.ca
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Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has killed nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and wounded over 1,000 others between October and the end of June, the United Nations said Tuesday.
In a report on the human rights situation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the fighting between the neighbors that has defied international peace efforts.
In one case, the report said, civilians trying to rescue others from the rubble of an airstrike were hit by a second one.
The report also explores other human rights issues, including a deadly crackdown on protests in western Afghanistan over restrictions on women’s clothing, and decrees that essentially legalize child marriage.
US, Gulf Allies Launch Strikes On Iranian Proxies Following ‘Surprise’ Attack On US Base– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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The United States and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening conducted joint precision airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias in Eastern Iraq. The strikes follow a “surprise” missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan earlier in the day.
According to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple logistics and weapons sites. CENTCOM described the targets as belonging to Iran-aligned groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had directed to carry out attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Tuesday’s operation was launched in response to more than 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks over the preceding 72 hours. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory that targeted petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions.
Saudi Arabia’s statement framed the strikes as precise and targeted actions against objectives linked to those attacks, conducted in coordination with CENTCOM, and emphasized the kingdom’s right to self-defense while stating it does not seek escalation.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization that includes Iran-backed groups integrated into Iraq’s security structure, reported that the strikes hit headquarters and facilities in multiple locations, including Baghdad and sites in other provinces. The PMF said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded, with damage to buildings and facilities.
Huge blow for Putin as Ukraine’s Zelensky hails major breakthrough | World | News– www.express.co.uk
Huge blow for Putin as Ukraine’s Zelensky hails major breakthrough | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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EXCERPT:
Volodymyr Zelensky has said Donald Trump agreed to grant Ukraine licences to produce Patriot air-defence interceptors after what he described as a “good meeting” at the White House on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian President also argued that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has lost the initiative on the battlefield because of heavy losses, as Kyiv continues to press for stronger Western military support.
The leaders spent just over an hour in talks amid an escalation in long-range strikes by both Ukraine and Russia, while US-led diplomatic efforts to bring the war to an end remain stalled.
Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity after the meeting, Zelensky said: “Today we had good meeting with President Trump.
“He accepted that he will give us (Patriot) licenses, and then I had meeting with representatives of production, very strong military companies of the United States. I hope that we will do co-production.”
Following the talks, Trump also struck an optimistic tone, posting photographs from the meeting on social media alongside the message: “Many things were discussed. The meeting went very well!”
CENTCOM Commander Warns of New Threat Aiding Iran: Cellphone Footage – RedState– redstate.com
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CENTCOM Commander and four-star Navy general Admiral Brad Cooper has identified a threat that helps Iran target U.S. bases in the Middle East: cellphone footage.
Social media posts and videos posted online are giving the Iranians clues to our activities, the commander wrote in a letter Tuesday:
Admiral Brad Cooper, in a previously unreported letter, said Iran was benefiting from being able to see the success or failure of its strikes in near real-time by searching news reports or online posts by journalists referencing “reactions, photos, and footage from the cellphones of our troops.”
“The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members and civilian residents in targeted Gulf countries,” Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, wrote in his July 28 letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
He called on troops to “redouble our focus on operational security,” without prescribing specific steps in the memo.
Cooper’s memo underscores the mounting tensions between real-time news reporting on the war, often aided by satellite imagery and first-person accounts, and the desire by the U.S. military to restrict any information that could aid Iran as it tries to kill and wound U.S.… https://t.co/0OBN2o1rtg
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) July 29, 2026
Trump asks supreme court to throw out $83m E Jean Carroll defamation verdict – The Guardian
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Dems must win 57 out of 77 competitive House seats to take majority– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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EXCERPT:
Democrats’ path to retaking the House in November has significantly slimmed as a result of the mid-decade redistricting war this cycle, a new analysis found.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report found that under the newly drawn maps across 10 states, the number of “competitive” swing seats has dropped from 87 to 77. For Democrats to win control of the House, the party would need to win at least 57 of the 77 seats.
The Cook Political Report’s elections analysis defines competitive seats as districts that either party won in the past two presidential election cycles by 5 points or less. Under the old lines, Democrats would have needed to win 59 of the 87 competitive seats.
Republicans are expected to gain eight seats due to mid-decade redistricting, while Democrats could have a net gain of two. The redistricting fight began this cycle in Texas after President Donald Trump urged the state legislature to redraw its state lines to be more favorable to Republicans.
ABC NBC Finally Cover Fauci Diaries Release Before Senate Hearing– www.newsbusters.org
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Since Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released on Saturday nearly 2,000 pages of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s diaries that delivered one bombshell after another about how he handled the coronavirus pandemic, ABC and NBC had yet to say a word on the leading morning or evening shows. However, that changed Wednesday morning with stories explaining away his behavior ahead of what became an explosive Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing.
ABC’s Good Morning America only mustered a partial segment tallying 89 seconds, starting with co-host Robin Roberts announcing Fauci was “set to testify on Capitol Hill” for “a grilling by longtime critic Senator Rand Paul over his role in handling the COVID pandemic.”
D.C.-based correspondent Jay O’Brien also said it’d “be a fiery hearing” with Paul going after “Fauci, 85-years-old, once the nation’s top infectious disease expert who retired in 2022.”
He added Paul has “accused Fauci of everything from misleading the COVID — mishandling the COVID response, to misleading the public about COVID’s origins, to even lying to Congress, all of which Fauci strenuously denies” with his attorney calling Paul’s behavior a “years-long public crusade.”
Incredibly, O’Brien seemed to cast doubt on the veracity of the diaries: “Ahead of this hearing, Paul releasing more than one thousand pages worth of what he says are diary excerpts that Fauci wrote in the early days of the pandemic.”
Polls Show Majority Of Americans Support Voter ID– thefederalist.com
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As the SAVE America Act stalls in the Senate, new polls show that an overwhelming majority of voters across both parties are largely in favor of supporting required voter ID laws.
Seemingly every day there are more reports about noncitizens participating in U.S. elections and undermining the integrity of America’s voting system. Senate Majority Leader John Thune also continues to clash with President Donald Trump, refusing to overturn the now four-month-long blockade of the SAVE Act in the upper chamber.
A recently published poll by Tea Party Patriots Action indicated over 80 percent of likely voters say that only U.S. citizens should vote in federal elections, while another poll conducted by Fox News found that over 80 percent of voters think that a photo ID should be required to register to vote.
The data released from TPPA surveyed 1,000 general election voters and was conducted by McLaughlin & Associates on July 22, 2026. John McLaughlin, strategic consultant and pollster, surveyed people nationwide who are “likely to vote,” and divided respondents evenly between “people who support Trump and people who don’t,” according to TPPA Chairman Jenny Beth Martin.
Mamdani’s NYC-Run Grocery Stores Tackle Affordability Issues– crooksandliars.com
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EXCERPT:
While Donald Trump tries to gaslight us into thinking his Trump-flation is not a problem, we non-billionaires know better. That includes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
On Monday, Mamdani announced that the city-run grocery stores he plans to open will sell food staples at a 30% discount from “the typical retail price in New York City.” He told SiriusXM’s Lurie Daniel Favors, “It’s going to apply to all fresh produce, meat, seafood, along with around 20 other items like cheese, milk, bread, as well as pasta, soup, beans, nuts, rice, and flour.”
Mamdani promised during his campaign that he’d open city-run grocery stores. He has now announced locations for stores in two boroughs: the Bronx and Manhattan. On SiriusXM, he said he plans to open one in each of the other three boroughs by the end of 2029.
Mamdani said he expects New Yorkers will save $90 a month and about $1,000 per year.
Democrats’ Fundraisers Are Also Running AI’s Congressional Access Operation– readsludge.com
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Democratic fundraising consultants working for Senate campaigns, including those of Sen. Jacky Rosen and Rep. Haley Stevens, also run a nonprofit backed in part by Google and Amazon that has become one of the AI industry’s primary channels for cultivating relationships with the congressional staff overseeing federal AI legislation.
The Innovative Future Collective (IFC), founded by Democratic fundraising consultants Ashley Kennedy and Tonya Fulkerson, has spent the past year flying congressional aides on industry-guided tours of Google, Meta, Amazon, Palantir, Anduril, and other companies at the center of the AI industry’s campaign to shape federal AI policy, including its push to preempt state AI regulation. The nonprofit describes the trips, built around briefings from company policy executives for committee counsels and chiefs of staff overseeing AI legislation, as “educational,” and told Sludge in March that it “does not engage in advocacy.”
Though IFC does not disclose its donors, two companies whose executives regularly participate in its congressional programs, Google and Amazon, have identified IFC among the political and policy organizations they fund in their own public political-engagement disclosures.
Kennedy and Fulkerson own Fulkerson Kennedy & Company (FK&Co.), a political fundraising firm that has been paid nearly $3 million this election cycle for fundraising consulting services by Democratic campaigns and committees, according to Federal Election Commission records. Its clients include Sens. Chris Coons, Jacky Rosen, and Martin Heinrich; Reps. Chris Pappas and Haley Stevens, who are running for open Senate seats; and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. IFC’s first federal tax filing, covering 2025, shows the nonprofit paid $179,079 back to FK&Co. for “management, staffing, and fundraising services.”
Fauci Diary Entry Reveals He Suffered Common COVID Vax Injury Five Months After Getting Jab › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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Former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci suffered a pulmonary infarction in June 2021—five months after he received his first COVID shot, his newly released diary reveals.
A pulmonary infarction occurs when part of the lung tissue dies because blood flow through the pulmonary arteries is blocked, usually by a blood clot originating from a deep vein thrombosis, that travels to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism.
This information was made public for the first time through the release of Fauci’s private diary entries.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released Fauci’s private diary entries over the weekend, allowing the public to scrutinize his day-to-day activities during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. The bombshell diary entries reveal his arrogance, duplicity and preoccupation with fame and adoration as infections rose.
During an appearance on Fox New’s “Ingraham Angle” Monday night, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. commented on the new revelation about Fauci’s June 2021 medical emergency.
“[Fauci] got vaccinated at a very, very public press conference in January of 2020 and then five months later…he had a pulmonary infarction—which is one of the adverse events NIH, CDC and FDA said are expected from the vaccine. He never told anybody,” Kennedy told host Laura Ingraham. “He got treated for it privately by the best doctors in America at the same time he was telling everybody that that was not an adverse event,” the HHS Secretary added.
Ukraine Calls Out Russia, Urges India To Act After Attacks On Sailors– www.ndtv.com
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Ukraine has publicly urged India to take a tougher stand against Russia, accusing Moscow of repeatedly putting Indian seafarers in danger through attacks on civilian ships and port infrastructure in the Black Sea.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the Ukrainian Embassy in India questioned whether New Delhi would once again summon Russia’s representative, as it had after an earlier deadly attack involving Indian sailors.
13 Indian Crew Members Still Trapped
According to Kyiv, 13 Indian crew members remain stranded aboard the cargo vessel MV AMIR 1 at the Port of Chornomorsk, where the threat of Russian missile and drone strikes continues.
Disturbing news continues to emerge from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports as Russia intensifies its attacks on civilian vessels and port infrastructure.
Thirteen Indian seafarers remain stranded aboard MV AMIR 1 in the Port of Chornomorsk, under the continuing threat of Russian missile… pic.twitter.com/YoXtg9ccwQ
— Ukraine in India (@UkrembInd) July 29, 2026
Xi urges pooling strength of overseas Chinese – China Daily
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EU will require companies to label AI-generated content starting Sunday– www.techspot.com
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EXCERPT:
The takeaway: Companies operating in the European Union are now subject to a new requirement: clearly label content created or altered by artificial intelligence. Beginning Sunday, the EU’s latest transparency rules take effect, covering everything from chatbot responses to AI-generated images, audio, and video. The aim is simple: users should be able to tell, without guessing, whether what they are seeing or hearing is real or machine-generated.
The rule is part of the EU’s broader artificial intelligence law, which is being rolled out in phases. This first step focuses on disclosure. If content is generated by AI or significantly manipulated by it, companies must make that clear. That includes adding visible labels as well as technical markers, such as watermarks or embedded metadata, that help identify synthetic material.
The push comes as deepfakes and other AI-generated media become more convincing and easier to produce. Regulators are particularly concerned about how quickly this content can spread and how difficult it has become to determine what is real.
The requirements apply mainly to content created in professional contexts. Material designed to inform the public about matters of general interest must carry a label if it is produced by AI without human editorial oversight. At the same time, the EU has carved out exceptions. Individuals using AI for personal purposes are not covered, and exemptions exist for “artistic, creative, satirical, fictional” works.
Meta has added an “AI Info” label to posts on Facebook and Instagram to identify content created with artificial intelligence.
Trump’s Top General Issues Chilling Warning To US Troops Overseas– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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EXCERPT:
The top U.S. commander in the Middle East is warning American troops that their own cellphone videos could help Iran kill U.S. service members.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, issued the stark warning in a July 28 letter as the military moves to crack down on troops posting footage from bases targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.
Cooper said Iran is watching videos, photos and news reports in near real time to figure out whether its strikes are hitting American positions.
Personnel deployed across the Middle East could soon be ordered to surrender their phones, according to Reuters, even as thousands of troops rely on mobile devices to communicate with spouses, children and other family members back home.
‘The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members and civilian residents in targeted Gulf countries,’ Cooper wrote to the troops in letter dated July 28.
The warning comes as U.S. forces remain under pressure across the region following the collapse of President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran.
Sudan and Turkey sign diplomatic deal, discuss Red Sea security – Sudan Tribune
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Elon Musk’s xAI sues Minnesota Attorney General over AI deepfake law – WDAY Radio
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