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What to do about high-seas piracy?
The debate intensifies over what to do about the growing problem of piracy on the high seas; here is a sample of the points being discussed
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Russia's parliament approves purchase of Israel-made UAVs
The $50 million deal is seen in Israel to be of major significance strategically and commercially; Israel hopes growing defense cooperation with Russia will persuade the latter not to sell sophisticated S-300 defensive systems to Iran and Syria
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Combating a silent attacker: Using information assurance to protect federal agencies // by Stan Tyliszczak
To defeat the next generation of cyber threats, government agencies will need to not only deploy the latest cyber security tools, but also cultivate and maintain an information security-savvy workforce through concerted, longstanding training initiatives
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Three U.S. companies sued over Saddam's 1980s chemical attacks
In the 1980s, during the Iran-Iraq war, the United States provided intelligence, weapons, and economic aid to Iraq; materials provided by American companies were used in the making of chemicals which Saddam used in 1988 in his chemical attacks on the Kurds; five Kurdish families, now living in the United States, sue three U.S. companies over these chemical attacks
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U.S. saw record number of visitors in 2008
Dire predictions about how enhanced security at U.S. port of entry notwithstanding, 2008 saw a record 50.5 million foreign visitors come to the United States
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High-seas piracy triggers higher insurance rates for shippers
Here is a problem ideally suited for contemporary courses at business schools: Shippers face a a choice: if they send their ships to sail through the piracy-infested Gulf of Aden, they now have to pay much higher insurance; they can instead choose to take long trips around the Africa’s southern tip; both choices add millions to the cost of each journey; which one is preferable?
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Cisco acquires Tidal Software for $105 million
Cisco buys Palo Alto-based Tidal Software to enhance the next-generation data centers it is building; Cisco is also planning on challenging IBM and Hewlett-Packard by building servers
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Technology companies to enjoy stimulus package funds
The emphasis of the Obama administration on directing a large portion of the stimulus package toward improving the U.S. infrastructure means the technology companies with the right solutons stand to benefit
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£8.5 million in grants for innovative businesses in east England
U.K. regional development agency has £8.5 million in grants for research and development of hi-tech products and proof of concept; businesses may also benefit from funds available from the European Regional Development Fund
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Cobham acquires Argotek for $36.25 million
U.K. global defense group Cobham, eager to exploit the growing business opportunities in IT security, acquires U.S. IT security specialist Argotek; acquisition requires approval by CFIUS
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Russia places orders for more than 50 Israeli UAVs
As was the case with the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, Russia has been slow to warm up to UAVs; the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war changed minds in Russia
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Texas electrical grid's operator says he is on watch for hackers
Bob Kahn, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas: “We are constantly modifying and upgrading our protections as technology advances, business requirements change and new threats emerge”
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SBAC to U.K. government: don't starve successful sectors
The Society of British Aerospace Companies tells government investment in defense and aerospace should be increased; more investment should go to science, technology, engineering, and maths education
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Aussie government in $43 billion fast Internet scheme
The economic slowdown found private Australian telecommunication companies unwilling to fund a high-speed national broadband network, a network which Kevin Rudd’s government believes is essential for the country’s economic competitiveness; the government is stepping in, saying it would invest at least $21.9 billion of taxpayers’ money to get the project going
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Credit for U.K. businesses eases
The credit crunch in the U.K. economy is easing; CBI’s chief economist: “The view that the pace of deterioration is easing correlates with what businesses are starting to tell us on the ground…. the combination of easier monetary policy and the government’s measures to support the banking sector may be starting to have an impact”
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More headlines
The long view
Need for National Information Clearinghouse for Cybercrime Data, Categorization of Cybercrimes: Report
There is an acute need for the U.S. to address its lack of overall governance and coordination of cybercrime statistics. A new report recommends that relevant federal agencies create or designate a national information clearinghouse to draw information from multiple sources of cybercrime data and establish connections to assist in criminal investigations.
Trying to “Bring Back” Manufacturing Jobs Is a Fool’s Errand
Advocates of recent populist policies like to focus on the supposed demise of manufacturing that occurred after the 1970s, but that focus is misleading. The populists’ bleak economic narrative ignores the truth that the service sector has always been a major driver of America’s success, for decades, even more so than manufacturing. Trying to “bring back” manufacturing jobs, through harmful tariffs or other industrial policies, is destined to end badly for Americans. It makes about as much sense as trying to “bring back” all those farm jobs we had before the 1870s.
The Potential Impact of Seabed Mining on Critical Mineral Supply Chains and Global Geopolitics
The potential emergence of a seabed mining industry has important ramifications for the diversification of critical mineral supply chains, revenues for developing nations with substantial terrestrial mining sectors, and global geopolitics.
Are We Ready for a ‘DeepSeek for Bioweapons’?
Anthropic’s Claude 4 is a warning sign: AI that can help build bioweapons is coming, and could be widely available soon. Steven Adler writes that we need to be prepared for the consequences: “like a freely downloadable ‘DeepSeek for bioweapons,’ available across the internet, loadable to the computer of any amateur scientist who wishes to cause mass harm. With Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 having finally triggered this level of safety risk, the clock is now ticking.”