International

Microsoft details Iran’s cyber operations to influence the US elections.

The American technology company Microsoft detailed this Friday in a report its latest findings on the cyber operations of the Iranian Government to influence the presidential elections of next November in the United States.

In the report, called ´Iran advances in the 2024 elections with cybernetically facilitated influence operations´, the company indicates that it has seen that activity in Tehran in the last three electoral cycles in the United States and “in recent months.”

Iranian operations are distinguished from Russian ones “because they appear later in the electoral season and use cyberattacks more inclined to electoral conduct than to influence voters,” explains the company, which also details activities of Russia and China.

Specifically, Iran has “laid the foundations” to make campaigns of influence on hot issues of the elections and has activated them to generate controversy among voters, “especially in hinge states”, key because they can lean towards one party or another.

For example, he cites websites “that pretend to be news” and that are “actively” attracting groups of voters at the extremes of the American political spectrum “with polarizing messages about presidential candidates, LGTBI rights or the Israel-Hamas conflict.

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The group behind that activity, called Storm-2035, is part of a broad campaign that has been operating since at least 2020 and has a dozen undercover news websites that target audiences that speak French, Spanish, Arabic and English with social and political content, the report says.

Those false media, among which he cites EvenPolitics and Nio Thinker, use artificial intelligence (AI) and plagiarize part of their content from the country’s publications.

Another group, the company suggests, “could be preparing for even more extreme activities” such as intimidation or incitement of violence against political figures to induce chaos, “undermine the authorities and sow doubt about the integrity of the elections.”

It also cites a third group linked to the Revolutionary Guard that carried out “phishing” or phishing in emails in a presidential campaign, and a fourth group that hacked the account of a county official in a hinge state.

In its corporate blog, Microsoft explains that its objective in publishing the reports is to “underline the importance of combating ‘deepfakes’ (manipulated audiovisual material) and promoting education and learning about possible foreign interference.”

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International

Former South Korean President Yoon sentenced to five years in prison

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for obstruction of justice and other charges, concluding the first in a series of trials stemming from his failed attempt to impose martial law in December 2024.

The sentence is shorter than the 10-year prison term sought by prosecutors against the 65-year-old conservative former leader, whose move against Parliament triggered a major political crisis that ultimately led to his removal from office.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, is still facing seven additional trials. One of them, on charges of insurrection, could potentially result in the death penalty.

On Friday, the Seoul Central District Court ruled on one of the multiple secondary cases linked to the affair, which plunged the country into months of mass protests and political instability.

International

U.S. deportation flight returns venezuelans to Caracas after Maduro’s ouster

A new flight carrying 231 Venezuelans deported from the United States arrived on Friday at the airport serving Caracas, marking the first such arrival since the military operation that ousted and captured President Nicolás Maduro.

On January 3, U.S. forces bombed the Venezuelan capital during an incursion in which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. Both are now facing narcotrafficking charges in New York.

This was the first U.S.-flagged aircraft transporting migrants to land in Venezuela since the military action ordered by President Donald Trump, who has stated that he is now in charge of the country.

The aircraft departed from Phoenix, Arizona, and landed at Maiquetía International Airport, which serves the Venezuelan capital, at around 10:30 a.m. local time (14:30 GMT), according to AFP reporters on the ground.

The deportees arrived in Venezuela under a repatriation program that remained in place even during the height of the crisis between the two countries, when Maduro was still in power. U.S. planes carrying undocumented Venezuelan migrants continued to arrive throughout last year, despite the military deployment ordered by Trump.

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International

Sheinbaum highlights anti-drug gains after U.S. says challenges remain

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday highlighted her government’s achievements in the fight against drug trafficking, after the United States said challenges remain in combating organized crime.

On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente held talks with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following the meeting, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that “despite progress, challenges still exist” in addressing organized crime.

“There are very strong results from joint cooperation and from the work Mexico is doing: first, a 50% reduction in fentanyl seizures at the U.S. border,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning press conference.

The president also said that authorities have seized nearly 320 tons of drugs and that there has been a “40% decrease in intentional homicides in Mexico” since the start of her administration on October 1, 2024.

Sheinbaum added that the United States should implement campaigns to reduce drug consumption within its territory and curb the flow of weapons into Mexico.

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“There are many results and there will be more, but there must be mutual respect and shared responsibility, as well as respect for our sovereignties,” she said.

On Monday, Sheinbaum held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss security issues. She said she once again ruled out the presence of U.S. troops in Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Security has been a recurring issue used by Trump to threaten tariffs on Mexico and to pressure negotiations over the USMCA (T-MEC) free trade agreement, which are scheduled for 2026.

The agreement is crucial for Mexico’s economy, as about 80% of the country’s exports are destined for the United States.