CIRSD Recommends
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Rage against the machines: is AI-powered government worth it?
From the Australian government’s new “data-driven profiling” trial for drug testing welfare recipients, to US law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology and the deployment of proprietary software in sentencing in many US courts ... almost by stealth and with remarkably little outcry, technology is transforming the way we are policed, categorized as citizens and, perhaps one day soon, governed.
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Al-Qaeda Slaps Around Rival Jihadis, Takes Full Control of Idlib City
The question of which is the strongest rebel group in Syria has been answered. It's Syrian al-Qaeda or Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
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Bank of America chooses Dublin as EU base after Brexit
Bank of America has picked Dublin as the main base for its EU investment banking and markets operations after Brexit, chief executive Brian Moynihan told the Financial Times.
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Down but Not Out: How the Islamic State Could Rebound
In the wake of the Islamic State's defeat in Mosul, the fight between the organization and its adversaries has reached an inflection point. Over the past week, credible reports from Mosul — sometimes accompanied by purported video and photographic evidence — have indicated that members of the Iraqi Security Forces are conducting mass executions of Islamic State members and their families, along with suspected civilian affiliates.
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Why Are There So Many Different Languages in the World?
The thatched roof held back the sun’s rays, but it could not keep the tropical heat at bay. As everyone at the research workshop headed outside for a break, small groups splintered off to gather in the shade of coconut trees and enjoy a breeze.
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“Take to the Streets”: Turkey’s Failed Coup, One Year Later
It has been one year since the failed coup attempt in Turkey and — aside from the senior putschists themselves — no one has any idea what actually happened that day and night or who was in charge. Our lack of clarity about the nature of the coup is even more surprising given the remarkable amount of specific information about this episode.
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Death of a Jihadi Dream: The Battle of Mosul
Situated in the fertile plains of northern Iraq, Mosul finds itself in close proximity to the site of the legendary Battle of Gaugamela, where over 2,000 years ago Alexander the Great broke through Darius III’s wall of chariots and seized an empire.
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How concrete can act as a sponge for air pollution
Concrete surfaces can remove sulfur dioxide, a major contributor to air pollution, from the air, new research suggests.
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No one knows what will replace the so-called caliphate
It has been a long war, with many horrors. But three years after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ascended the pulpit of the Nuri mosque in Mosul to call on all Muslims to flock to his “caliphate”, Islamic State (IS) is suffering two crushing blows. In Iraq, the jihadists have all but lost Mosul;
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Can Russia and America Work Together in Syria?
Ultimately, it will be the Assad regime and the various other proxy forces—both U.S. and Russian aligned—that will determine if the two great powers can work together.
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Honking Horns Hail the Liberation of Mosul From Islamic State
Soldiers cleared explosives from Mosul’s historic quarter after its liberation all but ended Islamic State’s presence in Iraq, three years of occupation that left a trail of human misery and devastation that could cost $100 billion to rebuild.
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The G20’s Misguided Globalism
This year’s G20 summit in Hamburg promises to be among the more interesting in recent years. For one thing, US President Donald Trump, who treats multilateralism and international cooperation with cherished disdain, will be attending for the first time.
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How the G20 should change its approach to migration and development in Africa
The G20 is redesigning its Africa strategy. Meanwhile, migration from Africa is an increasingly controversial topic in European politics, even though total flows are stable. Many hope that economic development in Africa will reduce migration pressures. But many African countries are so poor that increased wealth will actually accelerate emigration - by giving people the means to leave. The EU should support economic development in Africa, but Europe also needs to realise that migration from Africa is likely to increase in the coming years.
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The Korean nuclear issue: Past, present, and future | A Chinese perspective
The Korean nuclear issue is the most complicated and uncertain factor for Northeast Asian security. It has now become the focus of attention in the Asia Pacific and even the world at large. Now, as the issue continues to heat up, one frequently raised question is: Why can’t China take greater responsibility and make North Korea stop its nuclear weapons program?
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What's at Stake at the G20 Summit
Will the leaders' gathering in Hamburg find consensus on pressing global economic issues? Experts from many of the group's member states assess prospects.
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Cybersecurity is becoming a worrying economic challenge. Here's what we can do
Cyber risk, long recognised as a cause for concern in the national security domain, is now also understood as a threat from the macroeconomic point of view, as an increasing share of value added is produced through ICT-enabled means.
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What Trump Gets Right About the Middle East
The president has made plenty of unforced foreign policy errors. But in the Middle East, he seems to grasp what the United States can achieve and, importantly, what it cannot.
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Is inequality bad for the environment?
From buying stuff to eating meat to wasting water, there is growing evidence that countries with a bigger gap between rich and poor do more harm to the planet and its climate, writes Danny Dorling
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North Korea Says It Has Successfully Tested ICBM
North Korea said on Tuesday that it had successfully conducted its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, claiming a milestone in its efforts to build nuclear weapons capable of hitting the mainland United States.
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Russia and NATO: A Paradoxical Crisis
Future historians analyzing the collapse of our relations after the Ukrainian revolution will certainly find it paradoxical. This is one of those rare and unpredictable cases where a crisis occurred under conditions that were entirely conducive to constructive dialogue and cooperation.
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The Development of Cyber Norms at the United Nations Ends in Deadlock. Now What?
The prospects of developing norms of state behavior in cyberspace have been looking positively bleak recently. The Lazarus Group, which appears to have ties to North Korea, is suspected of being behind the WannaCry ransomware attacks that spread to 150 countries and hobbled the UK’s National Health Service.
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Europe’s Gradualist Fallacy
Europe is at the mercy of a common currency that not only was unnecessary for European integration, but that is actually undermining the European Union itself. So what should be done about a currency without a state to back it – or about the 19 European states without a currency that they control?
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Petya Or NotPetya: Why The Latest Ransomware Is Deadlier Than WannaCry
The world suffered another ransomware nightmare Tuesday, with pharmaceutical companies, Chernobyl radiation detection systems, the Kiev metro, an airport and banks all affected. One U.S. hospital also appears to be a victim. Worse is expected, thanks to some pernicious features in the ransomware sample.
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The Brexit Vote, One Year Later
On June 23, 2016, citizens in the United Kingdom voted 52 to 48 percent to leave the European Union, sending shockwaves around the world and raising concerns about a new type of populism on both sides of the Atlantic. The common explanation of Brexit presents it as a revolt by the losers of globalization.
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The size and location of Europe’s defence industry
There is growing debate about a common European military policy and defence spending. Such moves would have major economic implications. We look at the supply side and summarise some key facts about the European defence sector: its size, structure, and ability to meet a possibly increased demand from EU member states.
