Goeshawk No.8/Feb 9
Hey! Welcome to Geoshawk, by Shawknews. Geoshawk curates recent information operations and geopolitics-related headlines in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia, MENA, and the US.
Global:
Google Joins C2PA to combat digital misinformation and deep fakes (thehindu)
US:
US right-wing Project Veritas admits to spreading election disinformation lie (france24)
“The organization and its founder James O'Keefe, known for sting operations targeting progressives, admitted in statements Monday they had helped broadcast the lie, after settling a defamation lawsuit brought by the postmaster.”
Midjourney to ban Biden, Trump images ahead of 2024 US elections fearing AI-generated misinformation (firstpost)
US regulators declare AI-generated robocalls illegal (euronews)
Misinformation circulates on failed US immigration reform proposal (factcheck.afp)
Russia:
Russia Is Boosting Calls for ‘Civil War’ Over Texas Border Crisis (wired)
“Russian lawmaker Sergey Mironov even offered Texas help: ‘If necessary, we are ready to help with the independence referendum. And of course, we will recognize the People’s Republic of Texas if there is one,’”
Russian Intelligence Is Pushing False Claims of U.S. Biological Testing in Africa, U.S. Says (wsj)
“At the heart of the Russian campaign is “African Initiative,” an online news service set up late last year that has used social media to promote criticism of Western public-health efforts in Africa and convened a conference in which participants disparaged Western pharmaceutical companies.”
Russian “foreign agents” hold congress in Berlin, strive to politically organize (eurasianet)
MENA:
Nicaragua has applied to join SA in genocide case against Israel, says ICJ (businesslive)
Biden says Israel’s military conduct in Gaza has been ‘over the top’ (washingtonpost)
Two Americans detained by IDF in Gaza, family says (cnn)
Jordan king to be first Arab head of state to visit Biden at White House since Oct. 7 (axios)
Caucasus:
Armenia: Prominent government opponent ejected from Yerevan city council (eurasianet)
Same old, same old in Azerbaijan's snap presidential election (eurasianet)
“What is new, however, is the conduct of elections in Karabakh, including in its abandoned former de facto capital, where President Aliyev cast his vote.”
Ilham Aliyev won the election with 93.9% of the vote.
For more - OSCE Observers Assess Presidential Election in Azerbaijan
Georgia-Ukraine Relations Strained Over Accusations of Illegal Activities (caucasuswatch)
Central Asia:
Amnesty warns of dire state of civil society in Kyrgyzstan (eurasianet)
China Introduces Strict Rules In Xinjiang On Islam, Other Religions (rferl)
“The Muslim-majority region will introduce a set of regulations that -- among other things -- will require all new places of worship to reflect "Chinese characteristics and style…The sweeping legislation will come into force on February 1 as part of a broader multiyear campaign aimed at controlling religion in Xinjiang, which is home to mainly Muslim ethnic groups such as Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Hui (aka Dungans).”
Relatives Of Ethnic Kazakhs Incarcerated In Xinjiang Resume Protest Near Chinese Consulate In Almaty (rferl)
