The international coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria said there has been a "reduction in attacks" by jihadists in both countries this year.
The Chinese military tested an artificial intelligence-powered laser-guided artillery shell last year capable of striking human-sized targets 10 miles away.
Mali's army said it had arrested "12 terrorists" in the troubled northeast, where militants affiliated with IS have widened their control, but Tuareg ex-rebels claimed the fighters were theirs.