Law
Israeli drones strike Lebanon despite US-brokered framework deal
What is Lebanon's Beaufort Castle? Why is Israel attacking Nabatieh? Two people have been injured in an Israeli drone strike on a pick-up truck in southern Lebanon, according to state-run media, the latest attack despite a United States-brokered framework agreement intended to pave the way for a phased Israeli withdrawal. The drone struck the vehicle as it was unloading garbage on the outskirts of the towns of Choukine and Kfar Dajjal in the Nabatieh district early on Friday, Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said. Later, NNA reported drones also targeted the towns of Kfar Reman and Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
Alarm over launch of facial recognition in UK shops that instantly alerts police
Customers inside a B&M store, which is one of more than 100 businesses that will be using the technology. Customers inside a B&M store, which is one of more than 100 businesses that will be using the technology. Civil liberties groups say Facewatch system in stores such as Sainsbury's and B&M is'dangerous escalation' Fri 10 Jul 2026 06.19 EDTLast modified on Fri 10 Jul 2026 06.57 Facial recognition technology in shops will soon alert police in real time to the presence of serious offenders, with civil liberties groups warning of a "dangerous escalation" towards surveillance and criminalisation in the retail sector. Facewatch, a facial recognition system used by more than 100 businesses including Sainsbury's, B&M and Spar to monitor thieves, said it was launching a UK-first feature to "alert police instantly when the most serious offenders trigger a live facial recognition match".
A New Phase of the AI-Jobs Panic
Silicon Valley is making a show of helping prepare the country for AI layoffs. In late March, I started receiving daily texts from the federal government about AI. " AI is changing how we work and live," one message read. "You might feel curious, skeptical, or unsure--that's normal." I had enrolled in an AI-literacy course from the Labor Department created to help workers succeed in the ChatGPT economy. The weeklong program, created in partnership with an AI start-up and delivered by text message, was supposed to equip Americans with "foundational AI skills," according to an agency press release.
Ghanaian influencer extradited to US over 8m scam targeting elderly Americans
A Ghanaian social media influencer known as Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi, has been extradited to the US to face trial for allegedly running a romance scam that defrauded elderly Americans of over $8m (£5.9m). He denies all the charges against him. Prosecutors said he used AI tools to create fake online identities, targeting victims through social media and dating sites, earning their trust then extorting their money. Kumi was flown to the US on Thursday and faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Kumi's lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, told the BBC he went to court on Thursday to stop the extradition before learning a short while later that Kumi had in fact already been extradited on board a Delta Airlines flight.
A Majority of European Lawmakers Voted Against Letting Big Tech Read Our Messages. They're Going to Anyway.
Companies will once again be allowed to scan citizens' personal texts, emails, and social media messages via the "chat control" bill to find child abuse material online. The European Parliament has voted to extend legislation allowing tech companies to voluntarily scan users' private messages for child sexual abuse material, despite a majority of lawmakers voting against the proposal. The ruling reinstates permissions for firms including Meta, Google, and Microsoft to scan private text, email, and social media messages through a bill nicknamed "Chat Control" by critics. End-to-end encrypted chats, such as those on WhatsApp and Signal, remain exempt. "It will mean that private companies may deny your right to have confidential digital conversations," Simeon de Brouwer, policy advisor at Brussels-based advocacy group European Digital Rights tells WIRED, "they could, if they want to, read every message you write, every email you send, every picture you share."
18-year-old man arrested over 2025 cyberattack on internet cafe operator
An 18-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a cyberattack on an internet cafe operator. An 18-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a cyberattack on the operator of the Kaikatsu Club internet cafe chain, according to investigative sources. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police Department's cybercrime countermeasure division arrested the company employee from Tokyo's Katsushika Ward, who was in the second year of high school at the time of the incident, on suspicion of fraudulent obstruction of business and violation of the law against unauthorized computer access. He has denied parts of the allegations, the sources said. In the cyberattack on the internet cafe chain operator Kaikatsu Frontier, a computer program that a high school boy from the city of Osaka developed using ChatGPT was used.
AI-related copyright losses cost celebrities up to 4.5 billion, study says
Such AI-generated content attracted approximately 335 million views on social media, resulting in financial losses estimated at ¥2 billion to ¥4.5 billion for celebrities and artists, according to the study. The estimated losses were calculated based on licensing fees related to using a person's likeness or voice, as well as the advertising value of view counts. However, the nonprofit added that the "actual financial losses might be significantly larger than the estimate," as the calculation only covered cases they were able to find. Only 1.1% of companies said they had guidelines on how to deal with these violations. Some 52% said they were "currently considering" options, while the rest had no plans as of date.
The 28 Million Mistake That Inspired Estonia's AI "Fuckup Finder"
The $28 Million Mistake That Inspired Estonia's AI "Fuckup Finder" Now Estonia is using AI to spot legal errors before they become law--and to automate more of the state. Estonia's AI embarrassment began with a single wrong phrase. In December, the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament, passed changes to the country's Gambling Tax Act meant to lower the tax rate on remote gambling. But the wording of the law referred only to "skill games" for that year, not games of chance or remote gambling. Estonia's entire gambling industry is worth around €300 million ($343 million), and its online gambling market is one of the fastest growing in the EU.