LA FED E LA CYBERSECURITY

FOCUS

• June 15, 2022. By  Giulia Fanti, Kari Kostiainen, William Howlett, Josh Lipsky, Ole Moehr, John Paul Schnapper-Casteras, and Josephine Wolff, Atlantic Council. The challenge of securing the dollar dates back to the earliest days of the United States. Benjamin Franklin famously printed currency with the phrase “to counterfeit is death”—and colonial England used fake currency to try to devalue the Continental Dollar during the American Revolution. In the modern era, security issues have multiplied with the rise of the Internet and the threat of cyberattacks. The United States Federal Reserve (Fed) considers cybersecurity a top priority and sees securing both the dollar and the international financial system as a core national security challenge. We are entering a new era of security and currency, one that requires responsible innovations in digital currency. This report examines the novel cybersecurity implications that could emerge if the United States issues a government-backed digital currency—known as a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or “digital dollar.”. Missing Key: The challenge of cybersecurity and central bank digital currency

THINK TANKS AND GLOBAL NEWS

AROUND THE WORD

Africa

• June 16, 2022. By HRW.  African governments should not tolerate or legally permit child marriage, denial of education, or other human rights abuses against girls, Human Rights Watch said today on the African Union’s Day of the African Child. The 2022 theme is “Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children.” African governments should adopt stronger measures to protect girls from practices that violate their rights. Africa: End Rights Abuses Against Girls

Australia

• June 16, 2022. By HRW. Australia’s new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, should adopt an ambitious human rights-centered foreign policy agenda and initiate urgent domestic rights reforms, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Australia: Prioritize Rights at Home, Abroad

Australia – Indonesia

• June 16, 2022. By Greg Earl, The Interpreter. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a textbook start to re-engagement with Indonesia taking a substantial delegation of ministers and businesspeople on his first bilateral visit – and then getting out of Jakarta to the broader country in Makassar. Economic diplomacy: New supply chains to Jakarta and beyond

Canada

• June 16, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is confident in the suitability of both potential sites under consideration to host a deep geological repository to store the nation’s used nuclear fuel. Safety reports confirm suitability of Canadian repository sites : Waste & Recycling

China

• June 16, 2022. By Kalpit A. Mankikar, ORF. The rise of other contenders in the CCP raises questions about Xi’s long-term political prospects. One-upmanship at the top shows cracks in China’s system

Europe – Israel – Egypt

• June 16, 2022. By Federica Marsi, Al Jazeera. When the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen signed an agreement to ship gas from Israel through Egypt to the European Union, she clearly wanted it to be seen as a big achievement. Is the EU deal with Israel and Egypt a way out from Russian gas?

Finland 

• June 16, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The issue of foreign material in the steam reheater of the Olkiluoto 3 EPR’s turbine has delayed the start of regular electricity generation by a further three months, operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) has announced. Olkiluoto 3 test production to continue until December : New Nuclear

India

• June 16, 2022. By Al Jazeera. Angry crowds in India set an office of the country’s ruling party on fire, attacked railway infrastructure and blocked roads in widening protests against a new military recruitment system, police officials said. ‘Agnipath’: Anger in India over Modi’s new army recruitment plan

India – Gulf Region

• June 16, 2022. By Elizabeth Roche, Al Jazeera. India’s political ties with the Gulf region may be strained over insulting remarks made by members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Prophet Muhammad, but the jury is out on whether tensions will impact the economic relationship that has evolved to new heights in recent years. Will Prophet remarks controversy shake India-Middle East trade?

Indo – Pacific

• June 16, 2022. By Henry Storey, The Interpreter. Since its resurrection in late 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) between Australia, India, Japan and the United States has gradually become a centrepiece of Australian foreign policy. Every effort was made to ensure that an exhausted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the 24 May Quad summit in Tokyo, just three days after his election win. Why Australia shouldn’t put all its eggs in the Quad basket
• June 15, 2022. By William Choong and Sharon Seah, East Asia Forum. The wilderness years of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad), after its initial inception during the 2004 Asian tsunami, are over. The latest summit in Tokyo reaffirmed its mission as a ‘force for good’ while promising a broad array of Indo-Pacific cyber security, maritime awareness, pandemic recovery, space, climate change and infrastructure initiatives. Broadening the Quad’s appeal in the Indo-Pacific
• June 14, 2022. By Rajaram Panda, VIF. In past three months or so there has been a flurry of diplomatic activities in the Indo-Pacific region with top leaders visiting countries with a view to deepen the strategic relations and promote understanding on a host of bilateral and regional issues. The US has reacted strongly and has come up with counter-strategy when certain country tries to make inroads into what it considers its sphere of influence. Such developments with breath-taking rapidity have threatened to upset the existing balance of power in the Pacific. Diplomatic Engagements by Stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific Region

Iran

• June 16, 2022. By Sima Shine, Ephraim Asculai, INSS. Although the nuclear talks in Vienna were renewed over a year ago, a return to the deal is not on the horizon, and the regime of the ayatollahs has increased the pace of its violations of the deal, which will make it even harder for the parties to reach understandings. The coming weeks will be critical, and at this point the world powers, as well as Israel, must prepare for a reality where there is no agreement, accompanied by troubling Iranian progress on its nuclear program. The Iranian Nuclear Program Advances, with only a Slim Chance of Restoring Nuclear Agreement

Iraq

• June 15, 2022. By Mustafa Shilani, Kurdistan 24.  Iraqi Security Forces arrested four members of an ISIS cell tasked with conducting assassinations in the country’s central-eastern Diyala province on Wednesday. Iraqi Security Forces dismantle an ISIS assassination cell in Diyala

Iraq – Kurdistan

• June 15, 2022. By Mustafa Shilani, Kurdistan 24. The Kurdistan Region’s Council of Ministers held its weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday. KRG continues to preserve and defend the rights of all components in the region: PM Barzani
• June 15, 2022. By Wladimir van Wilgenburg, Kurdistan 24. The US-led coalition against ISIS confirmed that one of its unarmed drones malfunctioned and crashed north of Erbil in a statement on Wednesday evening. US-led coalition confirms one of its unarmed drones malfunctioned and crashed near Erbil

Italy

• June 16, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The dismantling of the former Fabbricazioni Nucleari di Bosco Marengo nuclear fuel fabrication plant has been successfully completed, Societa Gestione Impianti Nucleari SpA (Sogin), the Italian state-owned company responsible for dismantling the country’s nuclear power plants, has announced. It is the first decommissioned Italian nuclear facility to reach the so-called ‘brown field’ status. Dismantling of Italian nuclear fuel plant completed : Waste & Recycling

Japan

• June 16, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) task force that carried out a mission to Japan in March to review regulatory plans for the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the sea has published its initial findings. IAEA progress report on regulatory plans for Fukushima water release : Regulation & Safety

Pakistan

• June 16, 2022. By Al Jazeera. A minister in Pakistan’s newly elected government is facing criticism following his plea to the nation to drink less tea to help save on imports amid a deepening economic crisis. Pakistan minister slammed for ‘drink less tea, save money’ appeal

Russia

• June 16, 2022. By Emily Ferris, RUSI. In recent years, hard-line views once limited to ultra-nationalist Russian politicians like Vladimir Zhirinovsky have increasingly been espoused by the highest levels of the country’s leadership. How has this happened? How Extreme Views on Ukraine and the West Went Mainstream in Russia

Russia – Armenia – Azerbaijan

• June 15, 2022. By Vasif Huseynov, The Jamestown Foundation. On June 8–10, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov paid a two-day visit to Yerevan, where he met with Armenian leaders and attended a foreign ministerial session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) (Armeniasputnik.am, June 8). His talks with the Armenian representatives and his statements concerning the Armenia-Azerbaijani peace negotiations received more attention from the media and local observers than the meeting of the CSTO, the latter of which did not yield anything of note (Odkb-csto.org, June 10). Lavrov’s Yerevan Visit Raises Questions in Armenia and Azerbaijan About Russian Regional Intentions

Russia – Czech Republic – Slovakia

• June 15, 2022. By Daniel McVicar, The Jamestown Foundation. On May 31, Denmark’s largest energy company, Ørsted, and the Netherlands’ state-owned GasTerra became the latest victims of Russian natural gas supply termination for refusing to pay for this resource in Russian rubles, as demanded by President Vladimir Putin. In prior weeks, Moscow halted gas flows to Poland and Bulgaria, followed by Finland (TNCZ, May 30; see EDM, May 2). In contrast, the Baltic States had initiated a self-imposed Russian gas embargo in early April, preempting any possible gas blackmail from Moscow (EurActiv, April 4). Assessing Czech and Slovak Dependence on Russian Gas

Russia – Ukraine 

• June 16, 2022. By John Psaropoulos, Al Jazeera. Ukraine’s weary defenders continued to score some successes against Russian forces in the 16th week of the war, but Ukrainian leaders say they are also outgunned and in danger of losing territory in the Donbas, where Moscow is focusing its offensive. As Russia advances, is Western support for Ukraine faltering?
• June 16, 2022. By Priyanka Shankar, Al Jazeera. When the war in Ukraine began more than 100 days ago, Charles Michel, the leader of the European Council, emphasised that the European Union was ready to support Ukraine “not just in words, but with concrete and military action”. Divisions over EU policy persist as top leaders visit Ukraine
• June 16, 2022. By Colin Demarest, Defense News. The U.S. will provide Ukraine with secure communications equipment as the Eastern European country’s fight against Russia rages into a fourth month. Ukraine to get thousands of secure radios in latest US package (defensenews.com)
• June 15, 2022. By Lee Ferran, Aaron Mehta, Breaking Defense. The White House today announced another $1 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, including for the first time two Harpoon coastal defense systems that will be mounted on trucks — a capability not currently in US inventory. US sends another $1 billion in weapons for Ukraine, including truck-mounted Harpoon systems
• June 15, 2022. By Patrick Tucker, Defense One. As the Ukraine war continues, U.S. officials worry that Russia might resort to new sorts of cyber attacks that could have big unintended consequences. Russia Might Try Reckless Cyber Attacks as Ukraine War Drags On, US Warns
• June 15, 2022. By Tara Copp, Defense One. The U.S. is sending an additional $1 billion in arms to Ukraine, including more howitzers, Javelins, long-range munitions, and Harpoon anti-ship systems. But Russia’s slow advance in the east is raising the larger question of whether those new weapons will be enough—and arrive fast enough—to make a difference. US Pledges More Weapons to Ukraine, But Milley Warns ‘The Numbers Clearly Favor The Russians’
• June 15, 2022. By Joe Gould, Defense News. The U.S. will send Ukraine another $1 billion in weapons to fight Russia, including Harpoon anti-ship launchers for the first time, and more ammunition for high-tech, medium-range rocket launchers, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. US sending Ukraine new $1 billion arms package amid grinding Donbas fight
• June 15, 2022. By  Mike Gruss, Defense News.  In the weeks leading up to its invasion of Ukraine, Russia telegraphed its intentions by destroying one of its own satellites in orbit and then hacking U.S.-based communications company Viasat, according to France’s top military space officer. How Russia telegraphed invasion of Ukraine in space and online
• June 15, 2022. By Caitlin Welsh, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Jennifer Jun, Emma Dodd, CSIS. Russia is targeting key agricultural infrastructure across Ukraine, including grain silos, railways, food warehouses, and ports. Since late February, Ukraine has been shipping agricultural exports via rail, road, and river routes at a fraction of its previous seaport capacity. Tens of millions of tons of agricultural products are blocked in port cities, alternate export routes face bottlenecks in neighboring states, and Ukrainian farmers are quickly running out of storage for harvested grain. Spotlight on Damage to Ukraine’s Agricultural Infrastructure since Russia’s Invasion
• June 15, 2022. By Karolina Hird, Kateryna Stepanenko, Mason Clark, and Grace Mappes, ISW. Western officials announced additional military aid for Ukraine on June 15. US President Joe Biden pledged $1 billion worth of military aid, including coastal defense weapons, advanced rocket systems, artillery, and ammunition to support Ukrainian operations. NATO members additionally announced they will additionally continue to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons and long-range systems and plan to agree on a new assistance package after consultations with Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. This newest round of military aid will be invaluable to support Ukrainian operations, especially in the face of increasingly protracted and artillery-heavy fighting against Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine, though Ukraine will require further sustained support. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 15

Sri Lanka

• June 16, 2022. By Dilanthi Koralagama, Menuka Udugama, ORF. The policy blunders by the Sri Lankan state have adversely affected the food security of the country. Sri Lanka: Food security impacted by flawed economic policies

Sudan

• June 16, 2022. By Marc Espanol, Al-Monitor. For the first time since last October’s military coup, and following mediation by the United States and Saudi Arabia, the coalition of civilian forces that co-governed Sudan during its fragile democratic transition met on June 9 with the generals who deposed them and seized power in the country. US, Saudi Arabia broker talks to break Sudan’s coup deadlock

Syria

• June 16, 2022. By Al Jazeera. The US-led coalition has said it detained a senior leader of the ISIL (ISIS) group in Syria during an early-morning raid on Thursday. ISIL leader detained in Syria: US-led coalition
• June 16, 2022. By Mohammed Hardan, Al-Monitor. The leader of Hayar Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, continues to promote his image as moderate and close to the public through a series of propaganda efforts. On June 9, he inaugurated a well project to supply water to several villages of the Druze-majority Jabal al-Summaq area of the northern Idlib countryside. Syrian HTS leader courts Druze community in Idlib
• June 16, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. Officials from Syria and Russia held a series of meetings to discuss further means to boost cooperation in different areas. Syria and Russia Discuss Cooperation in Various Fields
• June 16, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. The fourth Syrian-Russian Joint Meeting kicked off in Damascus on Tuesday to return Syrian refugees to their country. More People Try to Immigrate from Govt-Held Regions in Syria
• June 16, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. The scene of petrol queues has returned to the capital, Damascus, especially after one major gas station on the East Mezzeh Highway was burned down, and a number of the capital’s stations were closed and fined. Gasoline Queues Return to Damascus
• June 16, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres  expressed his concern and alarm over the recent Israeli aggression that targeted southern Damascus and its international airport, saying that this would “lead to a broader conflict in an already volatile region.”. Guterres “Concerned” and “Disturbed” by Israeli Attack on Damascus Airport
• June 16, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. The Syrian regime is exerting great pressure on the United Nations to finance its projects in energy, housing, services and industry sectors, as the UN is trying to satisfy all parties in a “problematic” and “illogical” way. Syrian Government Grabs More UN Agreements, Despite Sanctions
• June 16, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. A director of a relief organization was killed on Wednesday when an improvised explosive device exploded in his car in the opposition-held city of al-Bab east of Aleppo province. Explosion Kills Relief Organization Director in Northern al-Bab
• June 16, 2022. By The Syrian Observer. A session of official talks was held in the Kazakh capital this morning between the delegations of the Syrian Arab Republic headed by Dr. Ayman Sousan, Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister, and the delegation of the Russian Federation headed by Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria. Syria Rejects Turkish Regime’s Pretexts for Aggression

Ukraine – Romania

• June 16, 2022. By Alexandra Radu, Al Jazeera. The Romanian Black Sea port in the city of Constanta has become one of the main transit hubs for Ukrainian grain export, with the war-torn country in a race against time to export about 20 million tonnes of grain stuck in its silos in time to accommodate the harvest of its new crops, which is set to start next month. Romanian port becomes key transit hub for Ukrainian grain

USA 

• June 16, 2022. By Mark Melchionna, Health IT Analytics. While reviewing data from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers from the Washington Poison Center (WAPC) found that there was a substantial increase in reports of self-harm and suicide among the adolescent population. New Data Reveals Massive Spike in Self-Harm, Suicide Calls Among Adolescents
• June 16, 2022. By World Nuclear News. Nuclear fuel innovation company Clean Core Thorium Energy has signed a new strategic partnership agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) which details next steps for irradiation testing and qualification of its Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life (ANEEL) fuel in Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL’s) Advanced Test Reactor. Clean Core prepares for testing of innovative fuel : Uranium & Fuel
• June 15, 2022. By Vanessa Williamson, Brookings. The January 6 committee has demonstrated exactly how close the United States came to a coup last year. But, as we consider the risks facing American democracy, the aftermath of another election is equally worthy of our attention. In the year 2000, the presidential election came down to a single state with serious election administration issues and a margin of a few hundred votes; the election was ultimately determined when the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, surprising many legal observers, decided to stop the recount in Florida. Now consider what it would look like if 2024 is a replay of the 2000 election. It raises the painful question: if the formal institutions of the United States fail to protect the integrity of our elections, what then? Will Pennsylvania in 2024 be like Florida in 2000?
• June 15, 2022. By Elaine Kamarck, Brookings. In the hearing room on Capitol Hill this week, a parade of Trump advisors testified that they tried to tell the President that he had lost the 2020 election. It’s possible that Trump knew he had lost but decided to pursue another, more cynical route to power by persisting in what’s come to be known as the “Big Lie.” Or it’s possible that Trump’s narcissism was so powerful that he simply couldn’t believe the experts and pursued the Big Lie out of a delusional fantasy. Sorting this out will keep historians and psychiatrists busy for years to come. In the meantime, however, the Big Lie has become a prominent feature of some Republican primary races around the country and one more way of measuring Donald Trump’s strength within the Republican Party. What impact are the events of January 6 having on the Republican primaries?
• June 15, 2022. By Tom Wheeler, Brookings. As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on updating antitrust statutes to deal with new digital era abuses, the airwaves have been filled with emotional but fact-free advertising blasting any action. The Wall Street Journal headlined, “Big Tech Has Spent $36 Million on Ads to Torpedo Antitrust Bill,” and Politico reports the senate Majority Leader will not bring the legislation to the floor without 60 votes and that vulnerable Democrats may be backing off their support. History repeats itself with Big Tech’s misleading advertising
• June 15, 2022. By Mary Blankenship and Carol Graham, Brookings. This has been a horrific month in America. While Ukrainians fight for their nation and their lives amid an aggressive Russian invasion, Americans are dealing with the slaughter of their schoolchildren and peaceful grocery shoppers (among others) by their own citizens. And yet at least half of our polity is unmoved and unwilling to support restrictive measures against gun ownership that have proven effective at stopping mass murders in at least 10 other wealthy countries, including the U.K., New Zealand, Scotland, and Australia. How cynicism and misinformation add to the emotional costs of gun violence
• June 15, 2022. By Atlantic Council. Can they stop the runaway train? The US Federal Reserve hiked its benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point Wednesday in an effort to curb rocketing inflation. The single biggest rate increase since 1994 will probably cool down the economy—but it will be a difficult balance to tame inflation without sending the world’s largest economy into a downward spiral. Our global economic experts take you behind the numbers to understand what’s next in this uncertain monetary moment for the United States and the wider world. FAST THINKING: The Fed pulls the emergency brake. Will it work?

Zimbabwe

• June 16, 2022. By Chris Muronzi, Al Jazeera. For the first time in more than a year, Jeffrey Moyo, reporter for The New York Times in Zimbabwe, is breathing rather easy. In Zimbabwe, reporter’s conviction sparks fears of renewed abuse

DIGITAL, TECH

• June 15, 2022. By Anastasia Tolstukhina, Valdai Discussion Club. Over the past few years, a long-term trend towards the regulation of technology giants has clearly emerged in many countries throughout the world. Interestingly, attempts to curb Big Tech are being made in the United States itself, where corporate headquarters are located. The Big 5 tech companies are well-known to everyone – Microsoft, Amazon, Meta (banned in Russia), Alphabet and Apple. From small IT companies, they quickly grew into corporate giants; their total capitalisation today is approximately $8 trillion (more than the GDP of most G20 countries). The concern of American regulators about the power of corporations arose not so much because of their unprecedented economic growth, but because of their ability to influence domestic politics, censor presidents, promote fake news, and so on. American Big Tech: No Rules
• June 15, 2022. By George Ingram, John W. McArthur, and Priya Vora, Brookings. Digital technology is receiving growing attention in international dialogues on global prosperity and stability. In August 2021, the G-20 digital ministers identified ways digitalization can enhance the ability of the economy and government to contribute to a “resilient, strong, sustainable, and inclusive recovery” following COVID-19. In May 2022, the Indonesian government, as part of its G-20 presidency this year, encouraged the G-20 Digital Economy Working Group to prioritize digital connectivity, digital skills and literacy, and cross-border data flows. Meanwhile, for this year’s upcoming G-7 Summit at Schloss Elmau, the German presidency has proposed that the objective of “stronger together” should prioritize “social justice, equality, and inclusive digitalization.” . Digital public technology can help drive sustainable development progress

DEFENSE, MILITARY, SECURITY, CYBER

• June 16, 2022. By Jaspreet Gill, Breaking Defense. General Dynamics Information Technology has been denied a bid protest over a contract, worth potentially up to $11.5 billion, according to a new ruling released Wednesday by the Government Accountability office. GAO denies GDIT protest over $11.5bn contract won by Leidos
• June 16, 2022. By Justin Katz, Breaking Defense. The US Navy and the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy have officially opened a joint London-based “tech bridge” to increase investment in new technologies for both countries. US, Royal navies open London-based tech hub
• June 16, 2022. By Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Defense One. The internet, microwaves, and synthetic rubber came into our lives as products invented for military purposes. Even everyday things, such as undershirts and concentrated fruit juice were created to improve the combat readiness of armed forces. Though many people typically associate the military with war and suffering, this industry has been a source of incredible progress, producing inventions that made our lives longer, healthier, and easier. These days, innovation is likely to run the other way, with the military benefiting from inventions developed with private funding.  NATO Must Ensure Defense and Civilian Industries Work Together
• June 16, 2022. By Samuel Petrequin, AP, Defense News. NATO defense ministers gathered Thursday for talks focusing on bolstering forces and deterrence along the military alliance’s eastern borders to dissuade Russia from planning further aggression. NATO ministers discuss boosting eastern front forces
• June 16, 2022. By James Coker, Info Security. During the recent RSA Conference 2022 in San Francisco, California, Infosecurity had the pleasure of catching up with two cybersecurity industry stalwarts from WithSecure. Over a delicious hotel breakfast, the renowned Mikko Hypponen, the company’s chief research officer, and Cale Black, senior security consultant at WithSecure, answered our questions on a range of pertinent topics in the industry. #RSAC Interview: WithSecure’s Mikko Hypponen and Cale Black
• June 16, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. The war in Ukraine continues to offer cyber-criminals new opportunities to monetize conflict, with threat researchers observing ads offering to smuggle men out of the war-torn country. Cyber-Criminals Smuggle Ukrainian Men Across Border
• June 16, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. Interpol has hailed a two-month anti-fraud operation that saw thousands of suspects arrested and tens of millions of dollars intercepted. Global Police Arrest Thousands in Fraud Crackdown
• June 16, 2022. By Phil Muncaster, Info Security. Specialist hackers are selling access to enterprise networks for under $1000, thanks in part to a cybercrime underground flooded with compromised credentials. Corporate Network Access Selling for Just $2000 on Dark Web
• June 16, 2022. By Sushant Singh, Al Jazeera. “It’s the economy, stupid.” The iconic phrase that guided Bill Clinton’s victory over George H W Bush in the 1992 presidential election in the United States has unleashed itself on the Indian military three decades later. Analysis: New India army plan may have ‘devastating consequences’
• June 16, 2022. By Andrew Eversden, Breaking Defense. As House lawmakers weigh pushing the Army to explore the “feasibility” of adding autonomy to Strykers, the Army’s ground vehicle leader is warning that adding the capability to the armored troop carrier wouldn’t be a simple, straightforward process. Autonomy on a Stryker? ‘It’ll be challenging,’ general says
• June 16, 2022. By Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense. The Space Force says risks in its effort to develop software for a new radar to survey deep space are actually decreasing — some six months after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) fretted that it was “immature” and potentially a source of program delay. Space Force says DARC software on track, following GAO concerns
• June 16, 2022. By  Mike Gruss, Defense News. One of the U.S. Army’s top robotics experts is pushing the service to develop a “Warrior Suit,” a long dreamed-of exoskeleton that could help boost soldiers’ physical characteristics, and said the first steps toward launching such a program could come as soon as next year. The Army could take a run at developing a robotic ‘Warrior Suit’
• June 16, 2022. By  Sebastian Sprenger, Defense News. German sensor specialist Hensoldt expects to sell a small number of its Twinvis passive radar kits to the country’s air force, a move that would thrust the service into a growing and still-secretive technology field. Hensoldt may get a new customer for its stealthy radar kits: the Luftwaffe
• June 16, 2022. By Michael Shoebridge, The Strategist. Echoing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s description of his war in Ukraine, China’s Xi Jinping has released a directive that licenses his armed forces to conduct ‘special military operations’. Peaceful words, aggressive actions: why Beijing’s ‘thaw’ with Australia looks temporary
• June 16, 2022. By Graeme Dobell, The Strategist. Australia is removing the qualifications from its quasi-alliance with Japan. The visit to Japan by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles is another step in the fading of the qualifiers: ‘quasi alliance’, ‘small “a” ally’ and ‘alliance lite’. Australia and Japan as allies
• June 16, 2022. By Al Jazeera. North Korea has essentially completed restoration work at its Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility and appears to be expanding construction activity into a second tunnel, according to a new analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). New activity detected at North Korea’s nuclear testing facility
• June 15, 2022. By Jayadeva Ranade, VIF. The timing of the ‘leak’ of the video of a ‘War Preparedness Mobilisation Exercise’ convened by the Guangdong Province Communist Party Committee on May 14, 2022 is interesting. It is yet unclear whether the video was deliberately ‘leaked’ by the Chinese as part of psywar, or it was an unauthorised recording of the meeting by a disgruntled People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer. It will nonetheless certainly be carefully analysed by China’s neighbours and competitors. Initial Analysis of Leaked Video of Chinese War Preparedness Exercise in Guangdong
• June 15, 2022. By Naval News. Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, is awarded an $867 million Missile Defense Agency contract to deliver SM-3 Block IIAs to the United States and partners. Raytheon Missiles & Defense gets $867 million contract for SM-3 Block IIA

• June 15, 2022. By Naval News. The French Navy kicked off multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise called “SQUALE” in Toulon on June 13, 2022. French Navy kicks off “SQUALE” ASW exercise in Toulon
• June 15, 2022. By Aaron Mehta, Breaking Defense. As NATO members work to figure out what Turkey will accept in exchange for allowing Sweden and Finland to join the alliance, an emerging question is whether Turkey would be allowed back into the F-35 program as part of the negotiations. HASC Chairman: Turkey ‘not coming back’ to F-35 program as NATO trade
• June 15, 2022. By Andrew Eversden, Breaking Defense. The US Army’s “highest level” requirements for the next two phases of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle is for a tracked, medium-weight platform, a top general said, as the service looks to choose up to three vendors to move forward. Army details ‘highest level,’ but ‘not final’ OMFV requirements for next phases
• June 15, 2022. By Jaspreet Gill, Breaking Defense. The Pentagon is still struggling to deliver working software for its weapon systems in a timely matter, with programs lagging behind commercial standards that call for deliveries as frequently as two weeks, according to a new watchdog report.  DoD software deliveries are lagging behind industry standards
• June 15, 2022. By Barry Rosenberg, Breaking Defense. In mid-2021, a report on Future Vertical Lift (FVL) by the Center for Strategic Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) made a splash when it broke down the numbers for the program and determined that the Army could afford to buy both the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). Since the issuance of the report, much has changed in the world — from inflation to supply chain shortages to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Last year, CSBA said the Army could afford both FVL variants. What’s changed since then?
• June 15, 2022. By Breaking Defense. “The new state of conflict is a yet-to-be-fully-conceived blend of strategic weapons, tactical operations, and dominance in information warfare,” writes former DoD Chief Data Officer David Spirk. “And a new warfighting paradigm is needed to be competitive.”. Rethinking what conflict involves in the age of exponential data
• June 15, 2022. By Jacqueline Feldscher, Defense One. NATO must station more forces in the Baltic nations to provide a more credible deterrent after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Estonian defense secretary said Wednesday. ‘Obsolete’ NATO Force Presence in Baltics Needs Upgrade, Estonian Defense Leader Says
• June 15, 2022. By Tara Copp, Defense One. A set of five planned U.S. missile-warning satellites are often described as “replacing” the Space-Based Infrared Systems satellites that currently keep an eye out for enemy launches. That’s not the case, a Space Systems Command leader said Wednesday. Tomorrow’s Missile-Warning Satellites Will Join SBIRS, Not Replace Them: Space Systems Command
• June 15, 2022. By  Stephen Losey, Defense News. The Defense Department awarded Pratt & Whitney a bridge contract worth nearly $4.4 billion to provide at least 250 engines for the F-35 fighter. Pratt & Whitney wins $4.4 billion contract for F-35 engines
• June 15, 2022. By Bill Greenwalt, Jerry McGinn and Christopher Zember, Defense News. Recently, the Biden administration has come under criticism for its use of a law which, until its application during the COVID-19 pandemic, was relatively unknown. The Defense Production Act has been on the books since 1950, but only in the past few years has its potential value been so broadly recognized, with both parties championing its use from the White House and Congress. However, recent claims that the president is abusing the DPA’s power in pursuit of partisan objectives are threatening the viability of this unique tool for rebuilding a robust, resilient and globally competitive American industrial base. The Defense Production Act is helping rebuild the US industrial base. Let’s keep it that way
• June 15, 2022. By  Leo Shane III and Megan Eckstein, Defense News. A day after House appropriators backed the White House’s defense funding plan for fiscal 2023, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said he expects spending totals to be increased in coming days in response to rising inflation. Defense spending plan for next year will see a significant hike, lawmakers say
• June 15, 2022. By Courtney Albon, Defense News. When Lt. Gen. Chance Saltzman thinks about how the Space Force will train its Guardians and test its systems in the future, he pictures an integrated, digital infrastructure. Saltzman, the service’s deputy chief of space operations, cyber and nuclear, envisions a future testing and training enterprise where space operators can connect virtually to practice tactics and new satellites and sensors are assessed in realistic simulated environments to make sure they’re working as designed. Space Force envisions digital future for testing and training
• June 15, 2022. By  Vivienne Machi, Defense News. The European Commission is looking for companies to develop new technology worth nearly €1 billion starting in 2023, with a semi-autonomous naval vessel and space-based early warning capabilities topping the list of demands. Half-autonomous ships and space systems top European Defence Fund’s 2023 wish list
• June 15, 2022. By Dumitru Minzarari, The Jamestown Foundation. While Ukraine is engaged in an all-out effort to convince its Western partners to increase and speed up weapons assistance so that it can defend itself more effectively against Russian aggression, Moldova has taken a different tack. Ever since the start of the Russian re-invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the Moldovan authorities insisted there was no risk of that conflict spilling over into Moldova (Stiri.md, March 3); and they promised that the country faced no imminent security risk because of the war next door (Newsmaker.md, April 27). This mantra had become the standard response to all possible variations of questions directed at Moldovan officials regarding the government’s degree of preparedness to defend the country in case of military aggression. War in Ukraine, Public Pressure Compel Moldovan Authorities to Review National Defense Policy
• June 15, 2022. By Anthony H. Cordesman, CSIS. At the best of times, the U.S. tends to rush out heavily politicized studies of the lessons of war that are more political ammunition than serious analyses, and while these are followed by long formal studies that are often quite good, they then are often ignored as the flow of events moves on. These are scarcely the best of times. The collapse of the Afghan government and forces has occurred during one of the most partisan periods in American politics, followed by a totally different kind of conflict in Ukraine, all while the U.S. focus on terrorism and regional conflicts that began with 9/11 has been replaced by a focus on competition with nuclear superpowers like Russia and China. The Lessons of the Afghan War That No One Will Want to Learn
• June 15, 2022. By Matthew P. Funaiole, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., Brian Hart, CSIS. Satellite imagery from June 14 reveals that the launch of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Type 003, is imminent. The dry dock where the carrier is positioned is now flooded and the vessel’s flight deck has been cleared—two telltale signs that CSIS previously flagged as part of the pre-launch checklist. Additionally, the blast deflectors for the catapults are raised and the elevators are in the up position. China Readies to Launch Its Newest, Most Advanced Aircraft Carrier
• June 15, 2022. By Melanie W. Sisson, Brookings. The United States has a deterrence problem. Precisely what that problem is, however, depends upon whom you ask. The answer for some is that Washington suffers from an overall lack of credibility, caused by a recent past in which red lines in Syria were “written in disappearing ink” and threats of reprisal for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 were hollow. For others, the issue is Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent transition to “integrated deterrence” — a concept that elevates the role of non-military levers, such as diplomacy, economic sanctions, and information operations. Because this approach to deterrence mistakenly under-weights the importance of military might, they argue, it failed to protect Ukraine and for the same reason is unlikely to deter China from acting forcibly against Taiwan. America’s real deterrence problem
• June 15, 2022. By Yurii Shchyhol, Atlantic Council. Ever since the dawn of the Internet Age, the potential to weaponize digital technologies as tools of international aggression has been known. This was underlined by Russia’s 2007 cyber-attack on Estonia, which was widely recognized as the first such act by one state against another. In 2016, NATO officially recognized cyberspace as a field of military operations alongside the more traditional domains of land, sea and air. Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion is the world’s first full-scale cyberwar

HORIZONS

• June 16, 2022. By Tom Keatinge, RUSI. The world mobilised against coronavirus; imagine if the same dedication and purpose of mission were applied to financial crime. Pandemic Lessons for the Financial Crime Community
• June 16, 2022. By Chatham House. The rise of China is one of the greatest challenges for the transatlantic relationship. European countries and the US have similar concerns over China, but fundamental obstacles hinder a more joined-up approach. China and the transatlantic relationship
• June 16, 2022. By Sameer Patil, Vivek Mishra, ORF. The end of the ongoing Ukrainian crisis and accordingly changing Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific theatres will together determine its impact on the transatlantic relations. Ukraine crisis and its impact on the transatlantic relations
• June 16, 2022. By Al Jazeera. More than 100 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, climate change and persecution, according to a newly released global trends report by UNHCR. Visualising the fastest-growing refugee crises around the world
• June 16, 2022. By UN News. A staggering 100 million people have now been forced to flee their homes globally, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday, highlighting worldwide food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan as leading causes. More than 100 million now forcibly displaced: UNHCR report
• June 16, 2022. By Oleg Barabanov, Valdai Discussion Club. The economic consequences of the events taking place after February 24, in our opinion, can be reduced to one simple formula: is sustainable globalisation possible without Russia? The question really is only whether Russia is such a large country, and its export resources so significant on a global scale, that excluding Russia will have irreversible consequences for the dynamics of globalisation as a whole. Globalisation Without Russia
• June 16, 2022. By Joseph S. Nye, Project-Syndicate, The Strategist. When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, he envisaged a quick seizure of Kyiv and a change of government analogous to Soviet interventions in Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968. But it wasn’t to be. The war is still raging, and no one knows when or how it will end. What the invasion of Ukraine has revealed about the nature of modern warfare
• June 16, 2022. By Vasily Kashin, East Asia Forum. The conflict in Ukraine will have major strategic consequences for Chinese foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific. It will promote the deepening of Russian–Chinese economic cooperation that will make both countries more resilient to Western economic pressure. Long-term instability in Europe will make it more difficult for the United States to boost its Pacific presence for years to come with significant US financial and military resources being drawn toward supporting Ukraine. Ukraine’s losses are China’s gains
• June 16, 2022. By Al Jazeera. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed global displacement numbers above 100 million for the first time, and the UN warns the resulting food crisis could force even more to flee their homes. War-fuelled food crisis to add to ‘staggering’ number displaced
• June 15, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it conducted more than 3000 in-field verification activities at more than 1300 nuclear facilities and locations, with more than 14,600 days in the field in 2021 – as well as 2135 additional days in the field spent in quarantine. IAEA says in-field verification back above pre-pandemic levels : Regulation & Safety
• June 15, 2022. By Maysa Jalbout and Katy Bullard, Brookings. A recent meeting of an international group of education donors, hosted by the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, confirmed that refugee education is top of mind for international aid agencies and foundations alike. This is perhaps not surprising given how the war on Ukraine has gripped the West’s attention and generated very generous support in the form of government aid packages, welcoming policies by nearby countries, and an unprecedented $1.4 billion in donations from the private sector as of early June, according to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. But as organizations serving refugees know all too well, surges in financial support have a history of being short-lived and—even worse—amassing insufficient support. 5 priorities for funders to support in refugee education

Le interviste di The Science of Where Magazine

• INDO-PACIFICO: COMPETIZIONE TECNOLOGICA, CRESCITA ECONOMICA, SICUREZZA. L’OPINIONE DI SORABH GUPTA (ICAS)
• MODULARE LE TECNOLOGIE PER UN FUTURO AGRO-SOSTENIBILE. A COLLOQUIO CON TIM BENTON (CHATHAM HOUSE)