From global think tanks – July 13, 2022

With The Science of Where Magazine

AROUND THE WORLD

Afghanistan

• July 13, 2022. The Taliban’s ban on secondary education has already caused girls in Afghanistan to lose 300 days of their studies with devastating consequences for them, their families, and the country’s future, Human Rights Watch said today in a new video feature. Afghanistan: Toll of Ban on Girls’ Secondary Education

Australia – China

• July 12, 2022.  Xunpeng Shi, Qinhua Xu, Zha Daojiong, East Asia Forum. Despite the Labor Party’s recent federal election victory, challenges in the Australia–China relationship continue. Few, if any, of the political disputes that led to the diplomatic impasse show any signs of abating. Still, a change in government presents an opportunity to recalibrate the Australia–China relationship. But an ice-breaker is needed. A proactive offer from Australia to engage China on climate cooperation ought to be meaningful. Australia–China climate cooperation can thaw the diplomatic ice

Australia – Indo Pacific

• July 13, 2022. James Chin, The Interpreter. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has travelled non-stop, more or less, since her appointment on 23 May, having flown off to Tokyo for the Quad leaders’ summit one day after she was sworn in. Wong is clearly trying to “reset” ties with countries in the neighbourhood, i.e. the Indo-Pacific region. Wong’s own brand of diplomacy: will it work ?

Belarus

• July 12, 2022. Grigory Ioffe, The Jamestown Foundation. In-person polling in Belarus by opposition-minded sociologists has been considered taboo for quite some time. At the beginning of July 2022, the results of two national surveys, both using indirect polling techniques, were publicized: an online survey conducted in June 2022 by Ryhor Astapenia of Chatham House (Svaboda.org, July 7) and a mid-May 2022 telephone survey conducted by Andrei Vardomatsky of the Belarusian Analytical Workroom (YouTube, July 6). Who Should Speak on Behalf of Belarusians?

France – Syria

• July 13, 2022. Bénédicte Jeannerod, HRW. France’s repatriation of 35 French children and 16 women held in northeast Syria is welcome news. For these returnees, it means an end to hellish detention in camps for families of Islamic State (ISIS) suspects. But about 160 French children and 75 women are still arbitrarily held in the region in life-threatening, squalid conditions. About 60 French men suspected of ISIS links are detained in overcrowded prisons. France Repatriates 51 Women and Children from Camps in Syria

Japan

• July 13, 2022. Ryosuke Hanada, The Interpreter. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party was victorious in Japan’s Upper House election held on Sunday, but it was the killing of former prime minister Abe Shinzo during a campaign speech two days before that will shape the immediate future for the country. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described Abe’s shooting as “a cowardly and barbaric act”, and indeed, the cost is not only to Japan’s democracy but the Indo-Pacific region. Abe’s drive to “bring back Japan”

Pakistan

• July 13, 2022. Arif Rafiq, The Strategist. When Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government fell in a vote of no confidence in April, his detractors in the power elite claimed that the change of government would lead to improved ties with the world and an easing of the country’s economic crisis. Pakistan’s foreign policy reset hits a dead end

Poland

• July 13, 2022. HRW. Poland’s Justice Ministry should drop all charges against the abortion rights activist Justyna Wydrzyńska and stop targeting reproductive rights defenders, Human Rights Watch said today. Wydrzyńska is accused of helping a woman in an abusive relationship access pills for a self-managed medication abortion in 2020. She is being prosecuted for assisting someone to have an abortion and illegally “marketing” medication without authorization. Poland: End Prosecution of Abortion Activist

Russia

• July 12, 2022. Sergey Sukhankin, The Jamestown Foundation. While Western economic sanctions are aggravating Russia`s business climate and leading toward its largest economic crisis since 1991, Russia is hoping to cope with the impending crisis by replacing vestiges of its market economy with command-style administrative regulations and a planned economy (Vedomosti.ru, July 3). While rumors about the inevitability of economic mobilization started to circulate in late spring, the first solid step in this direction was made in early July 2022, when a corresponding proposal was supported by both the chambers of the Russian Duma (Russia’s parliament) and the Federation Council (Svpressa.ru, May 22; Sozd.duma.gov.ru, accessed July 12). Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has to sign the decree (which is set to be drawn up shortly) to convert it into law. Russia Pushes for Economic Mobilization Amid War and Sanctions
• July 12, 2022. Paul Globe, The Jamestown Foundation. Given how centralized the Soviet Union was and President Vladimir Putin’s Russia is today, the role regions within the Russian Federation have played in promoting Kremlin policies in neighboring countries is often overlooked. But in Soviet times, Moscow regularly employed regions and republics along the USSR’s Western border as agents to integrate Soviet bloc countries; similarly, it used better-off regions within the country to promote growth in less well-off areas. Now, Putin has assigned Russian regions in general and those bordering Ukraine and Belarus in particular an equally important role in providing assistance to parts of both countries: rebuilding Ukraine after the widespread destruction of the war and promoting region-to-region contact in support of Putin’s drive toward a possible union state with the two countries. Kremlin Faces Problems Having Russian Regions Integrate Ukraine and Belarus

Russia – Ukraine

• July 12, 2022. Kateryna Stepanenko, Grace Mappes, George Barros, Layne Philipson, and Frederick W. Kagan, ISW. Russian forces remain in a theater-wide operational pause in Ukraine. Russian forces continue to regroup, rest, refit, and reconstitute; bombard critical areas to set conditions for future ground offensives; and conduct limited probing attacks. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not claim any new territorial control on July 12. ISW has previously noted that an operational pause does not mean a cessation of attacks. Current Russian offensive actions are likely meant to prepare for future offensives, the timing of which remains unclear. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 12

Singapore

• July 13, 2022.  Poh Lin Tan, East Asia Forum. In early 2023, Singaporean women aged 21–35 will be given the option to freeze their eggs under the Healthcare Services Act. These frozen eggs can be later used for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) for married women, but questions remain as to whether this new policy will solve Singapore’s demographic problems. Can egg freezing crack Singapore’s demographic decline?

Sri Lanka

• July 13, 2022. Jagmeet Singh, TechCrunch. Sri Lanka has warned its citizens against using cryptocurrency, which it said is “largely unregulated” amid an ongoing political chaos in the South Asian nation. Sri Lanka central bank warns against use of cryptocurrency amid economic crisis
• July 13, 2022. Brahma Chellaney, The Strategist, Project-Syndicate. For nearly two decades, the four Rajapaksa brothers and their sons have run Sri Lanka like a family business—and a disorderly one, at that. With their grand construction projects and spendthrift ways, they saddled Sri Lanka with unsustainable debts, driving the country into its worst economic crisis since independence. Now, the dynasty has fallen. The fall of Sri Lanka’s house of Rajapaksa | The Strategist (aspistrategist.org.au)

USA

• July 12, 2022. Kyle Danish, Joseph Majkut, CSIS. On June 30, the Supreme Court issued a decision in the case West Virginia v. EPA. The case had been brought to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) planned Clean Power Plan. At issue was the scope of EPA’s authority to regulate power plants. The decision carries implications for the broader federal approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. U.S. Supreme Court Constrains EPA’s Climate Authorities

USA – Mexico – Canada

• July 12, 2022.  Jacob M. Kaufhold, Atlantic Council. The July 12 meeting between US President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (better known as AMLO) provides an opportunity for the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)—its progress, shortcomings, and future—to move to the top of the two countries’ shared agenda. AMLO’s US visit can get the USMCA back on track

USA – Middle East

• July 12, 2022. Arie Egozi, Breaking Defense. As much as Washington has wanted to put the Middle East to the side in recent years, geopolitics always seem to bring things back to the region. With US warning about Iranian-Russian drone sales, Ukraine conflict comes to the Middle East
• July 12, 2022. Josh Kirshner, Ian Byrne, Defense One. President Joe Biden can demonstrate that “America is back” in the Middle East when he arrives for the first time as president, but only if he brings the right message to achieve his important objectives. How Biden Can Win His Middle East Trip
• July 12, 2022. CSIS. This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Gregory Gause, professor of international affairs at Texas A&M University and a longstanding expert on Saudi Arabia. They talk about President Biden’s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia and what both sides hope to get out of the meeting, why Gause thinks that the United States should focus on order in the Middle East, and how the energy transition will impact U.S. engagement with the region. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Danny Sharp to break down how President Biden and U.S. officials are thinking about the president’s trip. Gregory Gause: President Biden’s Trip to Saudi Arabia
• July 12, 2022. Natan Sachs, Brookings. President Biden’s first trip to the Middle East has received criticism, especially for its presenting an apparent about-face regarding Saudi Arabia. Not long ago, Biden himself called the kingdom a “pariah.” How can the president now attend a major conference hosted by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman? Still, Saudi Arabia is unlikely to make major shifts in its human rights policies or make a dent in global oil prices. Is the United States simply reverting to its old ways of backing oppressive regimes in the hope that this might advance its interests? Can Biden pivot to normalcy in the Middle East?
• July 12, 2022. Shibley Telhami, Brookings. President Biden is gearing up for a high-profile mid-July trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia — a trip that has generated debate about its purpose, wisdom, and utility. The president called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” state after the 2018 killing of Washington Post contributing journalist Jamal Khashoggi — and now risks angering many Americans by going there. It’s risky for Biden to go to the Middle East
• July 12, 2022. Jonathan Panikoff, Atlantic Council. When he arrives in Riyadh this week, US President Joe Biden is poised to finally end the purgatory in which the US-Saudi relationship has languished since his inauguration. To many Americans, meaningful engagement with the Saudi government remains anathema given Saudi Arabia’s heavy-handed prosecution of the war in Yemen and the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, both of which generated rare bipartisan condemnation. These events are stark reminders that whatever social progress Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has brought to his kingdom, the trademark characteristics of Saudi autocracy remain prominent. How to rescue and rebuild the US-Saudi relationship
• July 12, 2022. Daniel B. Shapiro, Atlantic Council. Regional integration. It’s one of the overarching themes of US President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia this week—and might sound out of place in the famously volatile and conflict-prone Middle East. But it shouldn’t: While previous US presidential trips have focused on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, managing the Iran nuclear program, promoting democracy, or visiting troops in active conflict zones, something new is brewing in the Middle East.  Biden’s big chance to build a new coalition in the Middle East

USA – Syria

• July 12, 2022. Jacqueline Feldscher, Defense One. An American drone strike killed the leader of the Islamic State in Syria on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command announced.  US Drone Strike Kills Leader of ISIS In Syria

TOPICS

Cities

• July 12,  2022. Alan Berube, Teryn Zmuda, and Christine Baker-Smith, Brookings. As the COVID-19 economic and public health emergencies slowly abate, local leaders nationwide are adjusting to a reality in which—at least in the short term—they have significant resources to address both acute and long-standing challenges. Many of those resources are flowing to cities and counties via the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) flexible State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). How cities and counties are putting American Rescue Plan dollars to work 

Cybersecurity

• July 12, 2022. Danny Bradbury, Info Security. Cyber insurance companies are looking for new ways to assess risk as they grow increasingly wary of rising claims, said a report from cybersecurity company Panaseer released this week. Cyber Insurers Looking for New Risk Assessment Models
• July 12, 2022. Danny Bradbury, Info Security. US government contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne has paid a $9m settlement after allegations that it misrepresented its compliance with US government security requirements. Aerojet Rocketdyne Pays $9m Settlement Over Whistleblower Allegations
• July 12, 2022. Danny Bradbury, Info Security. Ransomware attacks on educational institutions have risen substantially in the last year, according to security company Sophos. The company’s State of Ransomware in Education 2022 report found that 56% of lower education respondents had been hit by ransomware in the past year, along with 64% of higher education institutions. That makes an average of 60% across the education sector overall, up from 44% in the previous year. Ransomware Attacks on Education on the Rise
• July 12, 2022. Atlantic Council. As the US energy sector’s reliance on digitalization grows, its vulnerability to cyberattacks also increases. To better understand current and future threats, the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center convened the Atlantic Council Task Force on Cybersecurity and the Energy Transition to develop a cybersecurity framework designed to protect US energy infrastructure—and by extension, national security—against cyberattacks.  Securing the energy transition against cyber threats

Defense, Military, Space

• July 13, 2022. Brendan Nicholson, The Strategist. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles has prioritised the need to bridge the divide between the 2020 strategic update’s warning that Australia could face a major conflict within 10 years and current plans to strengthen the Australian Defence Force over several decades. Marles says ADF must quickly develop greater range and lethality
• July 13, 2022. David Brewster, The Strategist. A revolution is now happening in maritime domain awareness that will have a profound impact on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad’s Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, announced at the leaders’ summit in Tokyo in May, will combine new satellite-based technologies with existing systems to help identify illicit maritime actors. This and similar initiatives will be provide a significant boost to the ability of many Indo-Pacific countries, especially small island states, to govern their waters. New satellite-based technologies a game changer for Indo-Pacific maritime security
• July 12, 2022. Sandra Erwin, Space News. Space cybersecurity firm SpiderOak on July 12 announced the appointment of former DoD and military officials to its advisory board.  Space cybersecurity firm SpiderOak adds retired general Pawlikowski to its advisory board
• July 12, 2022. Sandra Erwin, Space News. Two upcoming Rocket Lab launches for the National Reconnaissance Office will send to orbit classified spy satellites that the U.S. intelligence agency developed jointly with the Australian government. NRO space missions mark new level of US-Australia cooperation
• July 12, 2022. Jason Rainbow, Space News. Plans to use the 12 GHz band for terrestrial 5G would severely disrupt non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) broadband across the United States, OneWeb said July 11 in analysis supporting an earlier study from SpaceX. OneWeb backs up Starlink 5G interference warning
• July 12, 2022. Jeff Foust, Space News. NASA released the long-anticipated first science observations from the James Webb Space Telescope July 12, the culmination of decades of work and the start of a new era in astrophysics. First JWST images excite and relieve astronomers
• July 12, 2022. Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense. Two new satellites set to be blasted into space by Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket were developed by the US National Reconnaissance Office with the Australian government — and represent the spy agency’s push to expand cooperation with close allies. With latest Rocket Lab launch, NRO and Australia strengthen allied cooperation
• July 12, 2022. Valerie Insinna, Aaron Mehta, Breaking Defense. The tables have turned for regional rivals Greece and Turkey in the realm of fighter jet acquisition plans, with Greece headed for a buy of the Lockheed Martin F-35 just three years after Turkey was kicked out of the Joint Strike Fighter program. Could Greek F-35 buy cause a flare up in US-Turkish relations?
• July 12, 2022. Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense. The Space Force’s acquisition arm is considering asking commercial operators of large satellite constellations to host payloads designed to provide battlefield commanders with rapid-turn-around intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data, according to a senior official. Space Force considers asking satellite firms to host payloads for tactical ISR
• July 12, 2022.  Jen Judson, Defense News.  Army Test and Evaluation Command is looking to cut live-fire tests by one-third by 2030 to save money, increase efficiency and accelerate development schedules, according to James Amato, ATEC’s executive technical director. Army Test and Evaluation Command pushes to reduce live-fire tests
• July 12, 2022. Courtney Albon, Defense News. President Joe Biden is poised to sign two directives that would allow the U.S. Department of Defense to invest in its hypersonic weapons industrial base as adversaries demonstrate advanced capabilities. Biden to sign Defense Production Act directives targeting hypersonics development
• July 12, 2022.  Seth J. Frantzman, Defense News. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has announced plans to unveil this month a new air-launched missile that can operate at a standoff range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles). Rafael unveils once-secret Ice Breaker missile
• July 12, 2022.  Courtney Albon, Defense News.  In the summer of 2005, Col. Jay Raymond, now a general and the U.S. Space Force’s highest-ranking officer, was finishing a tour at the Pentagon as a strategist in the Office of Force Transformation, a defunct organization tasked with developing strategies to spur innovation across the Department of Defense. US Space Force plan for rapid satellite launches may finally take off
• July 12, 2022. Sebastian Sprenger, Defense News. German lawmakers have approved a support package for the country’s five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime-surveillance aircraft ordered last year for $1.1 billion, as defense officials ponder if more of the planes will be needed. German lawmakers greenlight $344 million support package for future P-8 fleet (defensenews.com)
• July 12, 2022. Patrick Tucker, Defense One. Russia, which used drones to terrifying effect in its initial 2014 invasion of Ukraine, appears in the current campaign to be losing both small and large drones at a rapid pace.  Russia Seems to Be Running Low on Drones
• July 12, 2022. Patrick Tucker, Courtney Bublé, Defense One. The Defense Department watchdog warned on Tuesday that some of the DOD’s and individual services’ practices for tracking and recording the movement of money and aid to Ukraine are hurting the office’s ability to track aid.  Ukraine Aid Oversight Hindered by Pentagon Record-Keeping, Watchdog Says

Digital & Tech

• July 13, 2022. Kyle Wiggers, TechCrunch. Deci, a startup company with 50 employees who are developing a platform to build and optimize AI-powered systems, today announced that it closed a $25 million Series B financing round led by Insight Partners with participation from Square Peg, Emerge, Jibe Ventures, Fort Ross Ventures, and ICON that brings the company’s total raised to $55.1 million. The funds will be used to expand Deci’s go-to-market activities as well as support the company’s R&D efforts, according to co-founder and CEO Yonatan Geifman. Deci lands $25M for tech that makes AI models more efficient
• July 13, 2022. Annie Njanja, TechCrunch. SendSprint, a money transfer startup based in the UK but with operations in the US and Nigeria, has been launched today with the unique selling point of a $5 flat fee for all transfers. SendSprint, by ex-Flutterwave executive, hits market with $5 flat fee for all international money transfers
• July 13, 2022. Ivan Mehta, TechCrunch. The crypto market may have entered its deep midwinter, but that’s not stopping mainstream tech companies from continuing to dabble in the space in the event that things heat up again. In the latest, development, Snap is exploring ways to let artists to show off their digital collectibles as AR filters on Snapchat. Snap eyes adding NFTs as AR filters in Snapchat
• July 13, 2022. Rebecca Bellan, TechCrunch. Shared micromobility giant Lime is finally bringing on some of its own city-appeasing advanced rider assistance system (ARAS) technology. At a Lime event in Paris, the startup shared plans to pilot an in-house built computer vision platform that will leverage cameras to detect when users are riding on the sidewalk. While it will be at the discretion of the cities whether to both audibly alert the riders to their transgressions and actually slow them down, both functions are available. Lime has built its own camera-based sidewalk detection technology
• July 13, 2022. Sarah Perez, TechCrunch. Earlier this year, TikTok said it was developing a new system that would restrict certain types of mature content from being viewed by teen users. Today, the company is introducing the first version of this system, called “Content Levels,” due to launch in a matter of weeks. It’s also preparing the rollout of a new tool that will allow users to filter videos with certain words or hashtags from showing up in their feeds. TikTok to roll out content filters and maturity ratings in pledge to make app safer
• July 13, 2022. Tage Kene-Okafor, TechCrunch. Wave, an African fintech that offers mobile money services in Senegal and Ivory Coast, laid off about 15% of its workforce last month. TechCrunch first got a whiff of the layoff news on LinkedIn, where Jessica Chervin, a former Andela executive who joined Wave as an expansion lead in March, wrote that she was leaving the company. Wave, a Stripe-backed African fintech valued at $1.7 billion, cut 15% of its staff in June
• July 13, 2022. Manish Singh, TechCrunch. India’s Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence, part of the country’s finance ministry, said on Wednesday phone-maker Oppo’s India unit evaded customs duty of $550 million, following similar probes into local units of other Chinese giants Xiaomi and Vivo that prompted Beijing to issue a warning earlier this month. India says Oppo’s local unit evaded $550 million in import tax
• July 13, 2022. Kyle Wiggers, TechCrunch. Kontent, a platform designed to help companies manage business-related content in the cloud, today announced that it raised $40 million from Expedition Growth Capital as part of a growth capital infusion. Newly appointed CEO Bart Omlo says that the proceeds from Kontent’s first external investment will be put toward expanding the company’s marketing and sales teams, opening a new office in New York and supporting product development. Headless CMS platform Kontent secures new capital to grow its customer base
• July 13, 2022. Ivan Mehta, TechCrunch. If you thought of the age of companies launching real-time audio chat apps, you’re wrong. Swedish caller identification service Truecaller is today launching a new app in the space called Open Doors. Truecaller forays into live audio with its new Open Doors app
• July 13, 2022. Tage Kene-Okafor, TechCrunch. The remittance inflows to sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade have been on an upward trajectory since 2020; last year, it increased by more than 6% to $45 billion. However, the steady rise of remittance inflows to the region hasn’t made this activity cheaper. According to the World Bank, sub-Saharan Africa remains the most expensive region to send and receive money; sending $200 costs an average of 8% in fees compared to a global average of about 6%.  Africa-focused fintech Zazuu raises $2M to scale its cross-border payment marketplace
• July 13, 2022. Kyle Wiggers, TechCrunch. It’s Incident.io co-founder and CEO Stephen Whitworth’s assertion that there’s fragmentation in the market for software incident management solutions. Customer success tools don’t communicate with engineering tools, he argues, while engineering tools don’t play well with governance, risk, and compliance platforms — resulting in few decision-makers seeing the impact of failure in one place.  Incident.io looks to beef up its Slack-based incident response platform with $28.7M in fresh cash
• July 13, 2022. Annie Njanja, TechCrunch. Persistent Energy has raised $10 million Series C funding to grow its climate venture building business in Africa, in a round led by Kyuden International Corporation, a subsidiary of the Japanese Kyushu Electric Power Group, and Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa Investments. Persistent Energy raises $10M to grow its clean-tech venture building business in Africa
• July 13, 2022. Rita Liao, TechCrunch. China’s Tesla challenger Xpeng isn’t content with just making electric vehicles. It’s also betting on ridable robot unicorns for kids. A robot pony maker backed by Chinese EV giant Xpeng raises $100M
• July 13, 2022. Harri Weber, TechCrunch. Sundar Pichai, boss of Google and its parent Alphabet, told employees to “be more entrepreneurial” and work with “more hunger” in a staff-wide email that warned of consolidation, several news outlets reported. Google tells staff to act ‘more entrepreneurial.’ Translation: Work harder, or else
• July 13, 2022. Amanda Silberling, TechCrunch. When Elon Musk announced his intention to terminate his $44 billion bid for Twitter, the social media company didn’t give up easily. Today, Twitter sued the SpaceX and Tesla CEO for refusing to uphold his contractual obligation to buy the platform. The company’s lawyers claim that Musk’s concerns about Twitter’s bot numbers are illegitimate. Twitter v. Elon brings us a meme-driven lawsuit for the books
• July 13, 2022. Haje Jan Kamps, TechCrunch. Metal and carbon fiber company Markforged (best known for its Digital Forge platform) announced today that it acquired Digital Metal to further increase its lineup of machines that can produce metal parts. The company was previously owned by Swedish metal powder manufacturer Höganäs AB. Markforged acquires Digital Metal for $40M as 3D printing space continues to evolve
• July 12, 2022. Joshua Foust, Brookings. At the end of March, hackers pulled off an audacious heist, stealing $625 million from the blockchain that powers the popular video game Axie Infinity. While not well-known in the United States, Axie Infinity is the most prominent and popular example of a new model for gaming, in which users get paid to play. This innovative play-to-earn business model gives players a financial incentive to stick with the game for the promise of regular income. It does this by minting non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, to represent the game characters known as “axies.” Inspired by Pokemon, the axies are digital creatures, each represented by an NFT that players can use for battle, cultivation, or trade. When hackers believed by the U.S. government to be linked to North Korea raided Axie Infinity in March, they wiped out many players’ earnings.  Addressing the policy challenges raised by NFT gaming

Energy

• July 12, 2022. World Nuclear News. South Korea’s new President Yoon Suk-yeol has encouraged a speedy restoration of the country’s “nuclear power plant ecosystem” – after Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang set out plans, including the aim for work on the Shin Hanul 3 and 4 reactors to resume as early as 2024. South Korea aims to resume reactor construction by 2024 : Nuclear Policies