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Daily Archives: August 15, 2016

CRS – Al Qaeda and U.S. Policy: Middle East and Africa

Via FAS – Al Qaeda and U.S. Policy: Middle East and Africa. Carla E. Humud, Analyst in Middle Eastern and African Affairs. August 11, 2016.

“After nearly a decade and a half of combating Al Qaeda (AQ) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States faces an increasingly diverse threat from Al Qaeda affiliates in the Middle East and Africa. While senior Al Qaeda figures reportedly remain based in Pakistan, the network maintains a number of affiliates across the Middle East and Africa including Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and Al Shabaab. Al Qaeda also retains a small but growing presence in Afghanistan. U.S. officials have stated that Al Qaeda still maintains a foothold in Syria through its ties to Jabhat Fatah al Sham (formerly known as the Nusra Front). This report examines the threat posed by Al Qaeda affiliates in the Middle East and Africa as described by U.S. officials and outside observers , as well as the U.S. approach to date in responding to the threat posed by individual groups.”

Global Innovation Index 2016: Switzerland, Sweden, UK, U.S., Finland, Singapore Lead; China Joins Top 25

“China joins the ranks of the world’s 25 most-innovative economies, while Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Finland and Singapore lead the 2016 rankings in the Global Innovation Index, released today by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)….The Global Innovation Index ranks the innovation performance of 128 countries… Continue Reading

The future of financial infrastructure: An ambitious look at how blockchain can reshape financial services

“The transformation of the financial services industry is top-of-mind for everyone in the field and blockchain might be the hottest topic in the rapidly changing world of Fintech. But how can this technology really help financial firms? This report from World Economic Forum takes a pragmatic approach to answering this question. The report builds upon… Continue Reading

Millennials Outperforming Older Generations in Retirement Readiness

News release: “Even though Millennials have had less time to build their retirement wealth, they are already catching up to many of those who are closest to retirement, according to a new survey by Ramsey Solutions, a leading company in financial education. Results show that 58 percent of Millennials are actively saving for retirement and… Continue Reading

UNRISD – Development Finance: Can Bitcoin play a role in social finance?

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) – The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development has released a new paper that explores the potential for digital currency Bitcoin to facilitate what author Brett Scott describes as ‘truly empowering social and solidarity-based finance’. “Bitcoin has been ambivalently received by many in international development… Continue Reading

theguardian – Police to hire law firms to tackle cyber criminals in radical pilot project

“Private law firms will be hired by police to pursue criminal suspects for profit, under a radical new scheme to target cyber criminals and fraudsters. In a pilot project by the City of London police, the lead force on fraud in England and Wales, officers will pass details of suspects and cases to law firms,… Continue Reading

NASA Analyzes Deadly Louisiana Flooding

NASA – “Record-setting rainfall and flooding in southern Louisiana have been calculated at NASA with data from satellites. An extremely severe rainfall event hit the states of Louisiana and southern Mississippi when a very slow moving low pressure system continuously pulled tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico…At least 4 people have died in record… Continue Reading

GAO Reports – Antidumping and Countervailing Duties, Post-Katrina Communications, EPA Grants Management, National Guard and Reserves

Antidumping and Countervailing Duties: CBP Action Needed to Reduce Duty Processing Errors and Mitigate Nonpayment Risk, GAO-16-542: Published: Jul 14, 2016. Publicly Released: Aug 15, 2016. Emergency Communications: Effectiveness of the Post-Katrina Interagency Coordination Group Could Be Enhanced, GAO-16-681: Published: Jul 14, 2016. Publicly Released: Aug 15, 2016. Federal Workforce: Opportunities Exist to Improve Data… Continue Reading

Cultural Property: Protection of Iraqi and Syrian Antiquities

Cultural Property: Protection of Iraqi and Syrian Antiquities, GAO-16-673: Published: Aug 15, 2016. Publicly Released: Aug 15, 2016.< “U.S. agencies and the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) have undertaken five types of activities to protect Iraqi and Syrian cultural property since 2011, which include awareness raising, information sharing, law enforcement, overseas capacity building, and destruction prevention. For… Continue Reading