International
South Korea suspends DeepSeek service in the country due to security risks
The Government of South Korea suspended the local service of the Chinese Artificial Intelligence (AI) application DeepSeek due to doubts about the data collection system, which are stored on servers in China, and the possibility of leaking sensitive information.
The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said on Monday that the service was suspended at 18:00 local time on Saturday (9.00 GMT) and will resume after “improvements” are made in accordance with South Korea’s personal information protection laws.
The measure comes after the PIPC issued an official warning about the Chinese AI model advising against its use and local government ministries and agencies blocked its use.
The warning came after the PIPC sent a query to the startup asking for detailed information about its data collection policy, and said it plans to request cooperation from the Chinese authorities on the matter through official diplomatic channels.
Meanwhile, the South Korean car company Hyundai Motor had already restricted its employees’ access to DeepSeek, also about possible leaks of their data.
The Ministries of Finance and Environment of South Korea announced two weeks ago the blockade, at least provisionally, of DeepSeek, and thus joined those of Foreign Affairs, National Defense and Economy, Trade and Industry, which prevented connecting to this model of the Chinese language from their terminals.
The Interior portfolio had already recommended to ministries and the 17 regional governments of the country to exercise caution against possible data leaks due to the use of DeepSeek in the face of what it considers a non-transparent data storage process by the Chinese startup.
DeepSeek has revolutionized the global AI landscape after its presentation last month of its most recent language model, which has impressed experts for its more efficient and economical performance when compared to the United States competition.
However, its data management has led countries such as Italy or Australia to analyze the service more deeply and impose access restrictions on public institutions arguing risks to national security.
Meanwhile, the Chinese digital giant Tencent, developer of the most popular messaging platform in the country, WeChat, rose more than 6% on the stock market on Monday before the launch of a beta of that application that allows you to make queries on DeepSeek’s R1 artificial intelligence (AI) model.
Specifically, Tencent securities, the highest value per trading weight of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, rose 6.15% around 10.00 local time and exceeded Hong Kong $500 ($64.3) per unit for the first time since mid-2021.
At the moment, this beta is only available for the Chinese version of the application, which has more than 1.3 billion users.
In it, it will be possible to select the DeepSeek model apart from the one developed by Tencent, called Hunyuan. This, according to a representative of the company quoted by the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post, will allow access “to the full version of the DeepSeek R1 model for free to enjoy a more diverse search experience.”
International
FBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday that it had disrupted an alleged plot to attack the White House during a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Washington over the weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the threat was identified on June 10 through a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. According to Patel, swift action by authorities led to the arrest of several suspects before the alleged plan could be carried out.
“On June 10, the FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat targeting UFC America 250 in Washington. Thanks to the rapid response of the FBI and our partners, multiple individuals are now in custody, and the alleged attack plans were stopped before they could be executed,” Patel said.
He emphasized that the operation demonstrated the ability of security agencies to detect and prevent potential threats at large public gatherings. Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released as court proceedings move forward.
According to reports from U.S. media outlets, five individuals have been arrested so far. The suspects were identified as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of 18 additional individuals.
Investigators allege that the plot involved the use of drones equipped with explosives to target buildings near the sporting event. The plan reportedly sought to trigger a mass evacuation and direct attendees toward areas where snipers were allegedly positioned. Authorities further claim that a second phase of the operation included an attempted assault on the White House.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it worked closely with the FBI throughout the operation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that security teams conducted extensive efforts to identify those involved and eliminate any threat to attendees and protected facilities.
The investigation reportedly uncovered communications conducted through the messaging application Signal, where several suspects allegedly discussed details related to the planned attack. A forensic analysis of one of the seized mobile phones revealed at least 23 users participating in conversations connected to the alleged planning activities.
Court documents also indicate that some of the suspects allegedly intended to target U.S. political figures. Among the reported targets were members of Congress who had received contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Investigators further stated that one of the primary suspects had posted antisemitic messages and expressions of support for Adolf Hitler on social media, evidence that is now part of the ongoing judicial investigation.
International
Brazil helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro kills six, including pilots and international figures
The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed on Monday the identities of three of the six victims killed in a helicopter collision that occurred the previous morning in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
All three identified victims are Brazilian nationals: the pilots of the aircraft, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza, and music producer Lucas Brito.
The identities of the three foreign victims have not yet been officially confirmed. They include U.S. singer Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim—known online as “Gaspi”—and Argentine producer Lucas Vignale, all of whom were listed on the flight manifest.
According to police, forensic experts from the Legal Medical Institute have already collected DNA samples in order to identify the foreign victims, whose bodies were severely burned.
One of the helicopters crashed into a private parking lot, triggering a fire that destroyed around twenty electric vehicles. That aircraft was carrying the pilot and four passengers, including the three foreign nationals.
The second helicopter, which had only the pilot on board, crashed approximately 100 meters away from the first impact site.
Rio de Janeiro’s deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, stated that both helicopters were operating transport flights toward Angra dos Reis on the Rio coastline and toward the mountainous region of the state.
Oliver Tree, 32, was in Brazil as part of an international tour. The artist, known for songs such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” had performed to a large audience in São Paulo a week earlier and was scheduled to continue his tour in Europe.
Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim, 23, had built a following of more than two million on social media platforms, gaining popularity for humorous and often controversial video productions that had occasionally been removed by hosting platforms.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
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