Free Republic

| A 4.5-magnitude earthquake shook La Palma in Spain’s Canary Islands in what was the strongest recorded temblor since volcanic eruptions began 26 days ago, authorities said Thursday. The quake was one of around 60 recorded overnight, Spain’s National Geographic Institute said, as the Cumbre Vieja volcano continued to spew fiery rivers of lava that are destroying everything in their path and dumping molten rock into the Atlantic Ocean. The lava has partially or completely destroyed more than 1,600 buildings, about half of them houses, officials said, though prompt evacuations have so far prevented any deaths. Around 7,000 people have...

Boston Dynamics has published a pair of videos showcasing its Atlas robots completing a complex obstacle course that requires balancing on beams and vaults. he company's Atlas robotics program is a platform for its engineers to perform research and development on sensory and perception systems. In a sandbox environment, Boston Dynamics tasked two of its Atlas robots with parkouring through various obstacles. The parkour routine entailed one of the two robots running up a series of banked plywood panels, broad jumping a gap, and running up and down a set of stairs. The second robot, meanwhile, was programmed to leap...

The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center will lead implementation of responsible AI across the Defense Department, according to a new directive. In a departmentwide memo signed last week, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks enumerated foundational tenets for responsible AI, reaffirmed the ethical AI principles the department adopted last year, and mandated the JAIC director start work on four activities for developing a responsible AI ecosystem. “As the DoD embraces artificial intelligence (AI), it is imperative that we adopt responsible behavior, processes, and outcomes in a manner that reflects the Department's commitment to its ethical principles, including the protection of privacy and...

orkers in Chinese car factories were mobilized by the People's Liberation Army on Saturday as the country stepped up its wartime preparedness with joint military and civilian drills. The PLA Army conducted its strategic military-civil "deep fusion" exercises in conjunction with the municipal government of Chongqing in southwestern China, Beijing's official military news site JS7tv reported the day after. Among the protocols simulated was a requisition order for large platform trailers. Automobile factories temporarily repurposed their equipment and staff in order to convert 20-ton semi-trailer trucks into wider, sturdier vehicles capable of transporting a 40-ton Type 59 main battle tank...

Recent media reports claim that a covert Kenyan paramilitary team is responsible for the unconstitutional killing of terror suspects in nighttime raids. The reports are based on interviews with US and Kenyan diplomatic and intelligence officials. The team was trained, armed and supported by US and British intelligence officers. It has been reported that since 2004, a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) programme has been operational in Kenya without public scrutiny. For its part, the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) has played a key role in identifying, tracking and fixing the location of targets. This has drawn renewed attention to the...