Business security

Former FBI agent says this is the best way to start any negotiation

Whether you're renegotiating your rent, asking for a raise, or deliberating with your partner, you want to start every negotiation the same way: "With a good opening question," says Chris Voss, former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI.

You want to ask calibrated, open-ended questions, Voss explains in his book, "Never Split the Difference," since "they allow you to introduce ideas and requests without sounding overbearing or pushy."

"Calibrated questions avoid verbs or words like 'can,' 'is,' 'are,' 'do,' or 'does,'" he continues. "These are closed-ended questions that can be answered with a simple 'yes' or a 'no.'"

International security

How to Partner With Putin

Improving relations with Russia, a priority for President Donald Trump, is a worthy goal. Despite concerns in Congress and among U.S. allies, Trump could make progress by seeking to partner with Russia on some issues, like North Korea, while keeping up heat on others, such as aggression in Ukraine.

Trump is not the first U.S. president to seek better ties with Moscow soon after being elected. In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt opened U.S. relations with the USSR, which helped him later deal with Stalin in World War II. In 2001, President George W. Bush declared Putin "trustworthy," and the Kremlin offered only a muted reaction when Bush pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. In 2009, despite Russia's aggression in Georgia the previous August, President Barack Obama launched a reset with Moscow, which helped bring about the New START Treaty and allowed for the transport of supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan – for which Russia's railway companies were well-paid.

Dam security

Dramatic new images show scale of damage to Oroville Dam spillway 

Geologists attempted for the first time Tuesday to figure out what to do about the vast, yawning canyon dug out of the earth after a crater opened up in the Oroville Dam’s concrete spillway and diverted water at high speed into the adjacent hillside.
Monday’s shutoff of water flowing down the main spillway revealed a shocking panorama of damage, forcing experts with the California Department of Water Resources to scramble to figure out how the crippled chute can possibly be fixed by the end of the year — in time for the next rainy season.
Photographs and video released by the department Tuesday showed that an enormous section of the spillway, which is as wide as a 15-lane freeway, had been wiped out. In its place is a giant rocky channel carved out of the earth leading down to the Feather River.

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Privacy security

Surveillance state! Council staff across UK monitoring public with body cameras

Officials in the majority of councils across Britain are playing the role of Big Brother and wearing body cameras to record and prevent minor offences, such as littering or bad parking.

The use of the technology has some concerned that the right to privacy is being breached. The majority of councils, around 66 percent have not carried out assessments into whether this kind of surveillance is actually legal.

Big Brother (BB), the civil liberties campaign group behind the newly released findings, claims the use of body cameras is “disproportionate” compared to how much “evidence” of minor offences it actually finds, which leads to anyone facing punishment.

Human rights

Anders Bering Breivik loses human rights case against Norway

Norwegian authorities have not violated the rights of mass murderer Anders Bering Breivik, an appeals court ruled on Wednesday.

The court overturned the ruling of a lower court which had said Breivik was being kept in inhumane conditions.

He had argued that being kept away from other prisoners for 22 to 23 hours a day breached his human rights.

The right-wing extremist killed 77 people in July 2011. Breivik's lawyer said he would appeal the verdict.

"Breivik is not, and has not, been subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment," the appeals court wrote in its verdict.

Breivik set off a car bomb in the capital Oslo, killing eight people, before murdering 69 people at a summer camp for young centre-left political activists on the island of Utoeya.

Public security

Explosives Detection – With Laser

The laser science and technology center (LASTEC) in New Delhi has developed a portable device which uses a laser beam to detect explosives in a matter of seconds. A scientist from the center explained that metal detectors and x-ray scanners were not effective enough to detect explosives which a person could carry in gel, liquid or powder forms, among others.

“People carry all kinds of things like shampoo, medicines, talcum powder and so on. It is difficult to judge whether they are disguised explosives without testing in a forensic lab. The handheld detector can solve this problem because, within 12 seconds, it can tell whether the talcum powder a passenger is carrying is an explosive substance or not. The device already has an in-built library of 40 kinds of explosive substances. It will match the result with entries in the library, identify the substance and display the name,” he told deccanherrald.com.

Trinitrotoluene (TNT), nitro glucose and nitrocellulose are some of the explosive substances in the library. Substances which may be harmless by themselves, but can be explosive when mixed with other materials are also included in the database.

Aerospace

Russian manufacturer creates first full-size model of future strategic bomber — source

The first full-size model of Russia’s future long-range bomber PAK DA, being developed for the Aerospace Force, has been created by the Tupolev company, a source in Russia’s defense-industrial complex told TASS.

"Several scale mock-ups of the PAK DA bomber have been made of composite materials. Also, there is a full-size mock-up made of wood. All models are based on the flying wing concept," the source said.

Its airframe will be made of radar-absorbent material. All weapons will be placed inside the fuselage.

"Also, PAK DA is to be equipped with the latest radioelectronic warfare equipment of domestic manufacture, unparalleled in terms of effectiveness," the source said.

Nuclear security

Russian nuclear forces, 2017

Russia is in the middle of a broad modernization of its strategic and nonstrategic nuclear forces, including both new programs and some that have been underway for many years. As of early 2017, the authors estimate that Russia has a military stockpile of roughly 4,300 nuclear warheads assigned for use by long-range strategic launchers and shorter-range tactical nuclear forces. Of these, roughly 1,950 strategic warheads are deployed on ballistic missiles and at heavy bomber bases, while another 500 strategic warheads are in storage along with some 1,850 nonstrategic warheads. In addition to the military stockpile for operational forces, a large number of retired but still largely intact warheads await dismantlement, for a total inventory of around 7,000 warheads. The modernizations, combined with an increase in the number and size of military exercises and occasional explicit nuclear threats against other countries, contribute to growing concern abroad about Russian intentions. 

Health security

What to do if you think you’re having a heart attack

The Feb. 21 Health article “Her arteries were clear. Her cholesterol was fine. Still, she was having a heart attack” shone a much-needed spotlight on the different heart-attack symptoms and types of heart disease that are more common in women than in men. What was missing was what to do if you think you are having a heart attack.

The lifesaving actions to take are simple. Call 911 and clearly state that you think you are having a heart attack and describe your symptoms. While you are waiting for help to arrive, chew one adult or two baby aspirins and drink a full glass of water. This can help reduce blood clots.

Do not drive yourself, or have someone drive you, to the hospital. You will begin receiving lifesaving treatment while you are in transit with emergency services, and you will not have to wait in line to be admitted to the emergency room.

Innovations & technologies

As technology goes democratic, nations lose military control

For much of the 20th century, the most consequential technological breakthroughs were sponsored by government spending and were harnessed for military advantage. Military influence meant that the norms surrounding technologies were mainly determined by departments of defense, national governments, and international organizations. Today, technology developers focus more attention on the hundreds of millions of technology users around the world than on the smaller numbers of users within governments and militaries, leaving governments little scope for influence over technology’s development and use. Well-known technologies that challenge militaries’ traditional dominance and threaten their control over technology’s uses include autonomous vehicles, cyber technologies, and artificial intelligence. 

Military

Analysis: How does the US military need strengthening?

President Donald Trump has proposed a 10% increase in the defence budget for next year, an addition of some $54bn (£43bn).

This funding request is only the start of a budgetary process, but even at the outset the Trump figures are not quite what they seem. The outgoing Obama administration was also projecting an increase in defence spending in 2018 - up by about $35bn, so actually the Trump "increase" in dollar terms is some $19bn.

The Trump administration's numbers have already drawn criticism from leading law-makers on Capitol Hill. Senator John McCain, who chaired a bi-partisan panel on the re-building of the US military that reported in January, insists that the Trump Administration is not planning to spend enough.

Energy security

How Nuclear Power Could Fizzle or Flourish Under President Trump

Nuclear power was once a highly profitable business to be in, but the advent of cheap natural gas, combined with increasingly competitive prices for renewable energy projects, is making it more difficult for nuclear to compete. This is especially true in deregulated electricity markets like Illinois, New York and Ohio, where half of all U.S. nuclear reactors are currently located.

But things could change under President Trump.

With a new U.S. energy policy taking shape and new set of commissioners headed to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), nuclear plants could soon see more favorable treatment for the low-carbon and reliable power they produce.

Politics

Seeming Presidential At Last, Trump Tries to Balance His Political Elements

The Tuesday night event was not long on military or foreign policy. The president said he supported "direct, robust and meaningful engagement with the world" and wanted to stay in NATO. He also asserted that certain NATO nations had begun spending more on their own defense, responding to his threats and prodding. It was not immediately clear what basis he had for this.

Trump did reiterate U.S. support for Israel and opposition to ISIS. He did not mention North Korea, Iran or Russia. The latter country has been much in the news because U.S. intelligence has described its efforts to meddle in last year's presidential election.

Sport security

Putin: Russian anti-doping system failed, we should listen to WADA

The Russian anti-doping system failed to fulfill its function, and Russia should listen to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as doping cases are unacceptable, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

“The main thing is that despite the shortcomings in the work of [Mclaren’s] independent commission, we should pay attention to what it did, to the results of its work. We must listen to WADA’s demands. Because we have to admit that we have proven cases of doping use,” Putin said at a meeting in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk. The 2019 World Student Games are set to take place in the Siberian city.

Law & order

Italy grants ‘partial pardon’ to ex-CIA officer for role in 2003 Abu Omar kidnapping

The Italian president has commuted a prison sentence for former CIA agent Sabrina De Sousa, convicted in absentia over the kidnapping of a Muslim imam in Milan for a secret US intelligence rendition program that abducted suspects for interrogation.

“The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, signed a Decree granting Sabrina De Sousa partial grace of one year in prison, in accordance with the provisions of art. 87 paragraph 11 of the Constitution,” Matterella’s office announced on Tuesday.

Military

Army revises functional concept of intelligence

The Army is coming to grips with the notion that with a rapidly changing world and threat environment, intelligence must adapt in kind. 

The Army is taking direct aim at intelligence practices with major revisions to the publication of Training and Doctrine Command’s “ U.S. Army Functional Concept of Intelligence 2020-2040,” dated for February 2017. 

The document is a revision to the previous iteration published in 2010 that covered an applicability period from 2016-2028. 

“Enemies will employ countermeasures to avoid detection and cloud efforts to develop situational understanding; therefore, Army forces must be prepared to employ multi-disciplinary intelligence, simultaneously through multiple domains, and operate under conditions of uncertainty,” Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, who at the time of the document’s publication was the director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, wrote in the forward.