Arab-Israeli conflict Israel, Morocco to Normalize Relations Published 10 December 2020 The White House announced Thursday, 10 December, that Morocco would normalize its relations with Israel, as three other Arab countries have already done recently, and that the United States recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara. The White House announced Thursday, 10 December, that Morocco

PandemicExamining Which Approaches Are Most Effective at Reducing COVID-19 Spread Published 10 December 2020 Researchers have found that physical distancing is universally effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19, while social bubbles and masks are more situation-dependent. The researchers developed a model to test the effectiveness of measures such as physical distancing, masks or social

CybersecurityU.S. Cybersecurity Firm FireEye Hit By “Nation-State” Attack, Russia Suspected Published 10 December 2020 Prominent U.S. cybersecurity firm FireEye says it has recently been targeted by hackers with “world-class capabilities,” believing that the hacking was state-sponsored. In a blog post, FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia said the hackers broke into its network and stole tools used

PandemicExamining Which Approaches Are Most Effective at Reducing COVID-19 Spread Published 10 December 2020 Researchers have found that physical distancing is universally effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19, while social bubbles and masks are more situation-dependent. The researchers developed a model to test the effectiveness of measures such as physical distancing, masks or social

ExtremismShadowy Turkish Ultra-Nationalist Group Under Scrutiny in Europe By Ezel Sahinkaya Published 10 December 2020 A shadowy Turkish ultra-nationalist group is under increasing scrutiny in Europe after French officials banned them for violent actions and inciting hate speech in November. The Grey Wolves have been operating inside Turkey for decades and have been accused of

ExtremismShadowy Turkish Ultra-Nationalist Group Under Scrutiny in Europe By Ezel Sahinkaya Published 9 December 2020 A shadowy Turkish ultra-nationalist group is under increasing scrutiny in Europe after French officials banned them for violent actions and inciting hate speech in November. The Grey Wolves have been operating inside Turkey for decades and have been accused of

CybersecurityRussian Government Hackers Exploit Known Vulnerability in Virtual Workspaces Published 8 December 2020 The National Security Agency (NSA) released a Cybersecurity Advisory on Monday, detailing how Russian state-sponsored actors have been exploiting a vulnerability in VMware products to access protected data on affected systems. The National Security Agency (NSA) released a Cybersecurity Advisory on Monday, detailing how Russian

PandemicCoronavirus: Five Ways Some States Have Used the Pandemic to Curtail Human Rights and Democracy By Rachel M. Gisselquist and Durgesh Solanki Published 8 December 2020 In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, at least 95 countries declared a national emergency, empowering governments to act in ways they would not normally to protect citizens. Such

PandemicIn Responding to COVID, Nations Copy Policies of Regimes with Similar Political Ideology Published 8 December 2020 Public policy researchers found that nationalistic governments around the globe are more likely to copy other nationalistic governments in responding to the current pandemic. “While leaders often claim responses are based on the best available advice from scientists

Iran’s nukesRemote-Control Killing: Iran Says Top Nuclear Scientist Assassinated by Machine Gun Guided Via Satellite By Golnaz Esfandiari Published 8 December 2020 A machine gun equipped with a “satellite-controlled smart system” was used to kill Iran’s top nuclear scientist, a senior official with the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has said. Officials have blamed