International Policy
Law enforcement officials in the United States and worldwide have taken down a virtual private network (VPN) called “Operation Nova” that had been allegedly assisting cybercriminals.
United States Attorney Matthew Schneider said the investigation revealed three domains— INSORG.ORG;... Read More »
On behalf of 190 participating economies, the global COVAX initiative has secured access to nearly 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine candidates and plans to begin dispensing those doses early next year to protect vulnerable groups.
While most of the vaccine candidates involved are still under... Read More »
In a new report, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) warns of the risks related to the digitization and automation upgrade plans for U.S. nuclear weapons systems.
The report, U.S. Nuclear Weapons Modernization: Security and Policy Implications of Integrating Digital Technology, calls on the U.S.... Read More »
As the world deals with the ongoing chaos and death inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, INTERPOL is warning of a new threat to global hopes: organized crime networks are targeting COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online.
In a global Orange Notice alert to the organization’s 194 member... Read More »
With the temporary approval of the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the United Kingdom has become the first country to initiate an emergency use authorization (EUA) for a COVID-19 vaccine created by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech.
Earlier studies showed the vaccine to be 94.1... Read More »
The U.S. government awarded $7 million to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to support the construction of the new OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology.
The ChemTech Centre seeks to strengthen the OPCW’s capabilities to fully address new and emerging chemical... Read More »
Department of Justice officials said an Operation Regional Shield (ORS)-centered effort recently resulted in charges against members of Central America transnational criminal organizations.
Per authorities, the charges were primarily levied against MS-13 and 18th Street gangs in conjunction with... Read More »
With the onslaught of the holiday shopping season, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) remind shoppers how consumers can protect themselves from buying counterfeit goods and brand name “knock-offs.”
“CBP’s primary mission is to protect... Read More »
A new Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS) report seeks U.S. and Russia support in sustaining International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) work.
The Future of IAEA Safeguards: Rebuilding the Vienna Spirit through Russian-U.S. Expert Dialogue resulted... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice recently filed a complaint regarding the forfeiture of a pair of Iranian missile shipments and petroleum seized from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Navy seized the missiles in transit to militant groups in Yemen while the 1.1 million barrels... Read More »
Leadership from several federal government agencies signed an agreement to collaborate to prevent products that pose a threat to public health from entering the U.S. through International Mail Facilities.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) -- signed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN) are urging the Trump Administration to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia.
The senators said it's vital to preserve the New START agreement for national security and nuclear stability with Russia.... Read More »
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) said the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has been ratified by 50 nations and will enter into force early next year.
The initiative serves as a call to action, accelerating progression to a world without nuclear weapons.
NTI CEO Ernest J.... Read More »
Law enforcement authorities in the United States and Mexico are seeking to identify individuals lasing aircraft along the U.S.-Mexico border from Del Rio, Texas/Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila to Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras.
During multiple evening operations earlier in October, aircraft operated by the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY), Michael McCaul (R-TX) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) introduced the China Task Force Act, which includes bills and recommendations laid out by the House China Task Force (CTF) to combat economic, military, political and technological threats from China.... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced a bill that would give the president the authority to sanction foreign nations that try to steal American research on COVID-19.
The Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act authorizes sanctions that would specifically target a... Read More »
The World Health Organization (WHO) hosted a special session of its Executive Board this week, providing an opportunity for discussion and review with Member States and seeking their guidance regarding strategic response efforts for COVID-19.
While President Donald Trump announced earlier this... Read More »
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agencies have invited airports to participate in the Preclearance program for the first time in four years.
“Preclearance is an excellent passenger facilitation program that complements our... Read More »
Three lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) requesting insight regarding efforts to address foreign biomedical research influence.
Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Rep. Greg Walden... Read More »
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) convened a meeting of more than 40 experts worldwide to address the need for better oversight of biotechnology research.
Biotechnology research is essential for reducing pandemic threats and supporting global health. However, scientific advances in the life... Read More »
Under a new agreement with the European Commission, Sanofi and GSK will provide up to 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union in exchange for manufacturing scale-up support.
The vaccine in question is based on a mix of Sanofi’s recombinant protein-based technology --... Read More »
Global leaders gather for a virtual session of the 75th United Nations General Assembly this month, and as proceedings got underway, the World Health Organization (WHO) took the opportunity to push for three actions it deems key to the collective future.
Foremost among these concerns a weight on... Read More »
International Air Transport Association (IATA) officials maintain governments should initiate planning with the industry to ensure preparedness when COVID-19 vaccines are approved and ready for distribution.
“Safely delivering COVID-19 vaccines will be the mission of the century for the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) are urging the Trump administration to investigate Russia’s alleged use of chemical weapons in the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
This request triggers an investigation into Russia’s alleged violation of... Read More »
The head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) issued a statement about the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, any poisoning of an individual through the use of a nerve agent is considered a use of... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced a measure they said is designed to hold foreign nations accountable for suppressing or distorting information concerning international public health crises.
Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) joined Reps. John Curtis (R-UT), Mike Gallagher... Read More »
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the global COVAX initiative can now count 172 national economies and nine potential COVID-19 vaccines under its banner, seven of which have entered clinical trials.
The goal of the COVAX facility is to bring the... Read More »
National Security Forum (NSF) and Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) personnel are espousing the benefits of a recent dialogue session focusing on efforts to track drug cartels.
“An exciting development for our upcoming programs is a new collaboration NSF is building with... Read More »
A group of Congressional Republicans is urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to require media company Al Jazeera to register as a foreign agent.
The lawmakers said that Al Jazeera, which is owned by the Qatari government, have engaged in activities that align closely with the priorities of... Read More »
Doubling down on the increasingly rocky relationship between the United States and China, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) introduced the Transparency in Chinese Government Investment Act last week, which would require any publicly traded companies to reveal connections with China’s governing... Read More »
A study by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) examined the effectiveness of government travel bans in Europe on slowing the spread of COVID-19.
The study found that international flight connections played a particularly important role in the early stages of the... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials recently conducted its initial China Working Group session as a means of addressing response to evolving threats posed by China.
“The Chinese threat is intensifying at an alarming rate through CCP’s malign activity in the trade, cybersecurity,... Read More »
While treatments for COVID-19 remain under research, Novartis announced a new initiative for low- and middle-income countries this week that will supply 15 generic and over-the-counter medicines at zero-profit as a way of treating symptoms.
The policy is only meant as a hold-over until a vaccine... Read More »
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has derailed economics, killed more than 569,000 people, and left entire nations on lockdown, and last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the formation of an independent panel to investigate the world’s handling of the disease.
The Independent... Read More »
The executive council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) voted to condemn the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic in 2017.
The vote followed an investigation by the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT), which concluded that there are... Read More »
