Moscow bemused at US space ‘hysteria’ as Musk taunts Russia

Moscow space officials on Sunday said they were puzzled by “hysteria” around the successful SpaceX flight as Elon Musk taunted Russia and US President Donald Trump vowed to beat it to Mars. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-05-moscow-bemused-space-hysteria-musk.html…

Germany Calls In Russian Envoy Over Hack Attack

In response to a cyberattack on the German Parliament in 2015, Germany wants to impose a European travel ban and asset freeze on those responsible. Reuters reports: Russia has rejected allegations that its military intelligence was behind the cyber attack after media reported that data had been stolen, including emails from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s constituency office. State Secretary Miguel Berger told…

As Russia Stalks US Satellites, a Space Arms Race May Be Heating Up

Russia “is now challenging the United States’ long-standing supremacy in space and working to exploit the U.S. military’s dependence on space systems for communications, navigation, intelligence, and targeting.” That’s the argument made in The Bulletin by a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer who writes about technology and military strategy, Cold War history, and European security affairs (in an article shared…

Trump Administration Mulls First US Nuclear Test in Decades

The Trump administration “has discussed whether to conduct the first U.S. nuclear test explosion since 1992,” reports the Washington Post, “in a move that would have far-reaching consequences for relations with other nuclear powers and reverse a decades-long moratorium on such actions, said a senior administration official and two former officials familiar with the deliberations.” The matter came up at a…

16-Year-Old Beat World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen to Win ‘Banter Blitz Cup’

An anonymous reader quotes CNN:
A 16-year-old Iranian chess prodigy has upended the chess world by beating World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in the final of the Banter Blitz Cup. Alireza Firouzja defeated the Norwegian 8.5-7.5 in the final of the online quickfire knockout contest — where players must comment verbally on their moves, and their opponents, during the game — to…

Russia Spreads Conspiracy Theory Linking Coronavirus Pandemic to Bill Gates

Wired investigated the vast spread of 5G/coronavirus conspiracy theories — and reports that “Amongst the conspiracy sludge, one voice stands out.” “For more than a year, propaganda broadcaster RT has been attacking the roll-out of 5G.”
While RT has never outright linked 5G to coronavirus, it has played a role in adding legitimacy to conspiracy theories surrounding the technology. As The New…

What’s new on Coursera for Business – March 2020

By Kyle Clark, Senior Skills Transformation Consultant As our Chief Enterprise Officer Leah Belsky wrote to many of our customers last week, the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has profoundly affected our work – and our lives. At Coursera, we’re grateful for the opportunity we have to continue to serve businesses, universities, and governments during this […]
The post What’s new on Coursera…

Moscow To Launch Mandatory Surveillance App To Track Residents In Coronavirus Lockdown

An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: City authorities in Moscow are rolling out new digital “social monitoring” tools targeting the public, after what officials say were constant violations of the city’s quarantine imposed this week to fight the spread of the new coronavirus. Under restrictions in place since Monday, most of the city’s 12 million residents must remain indoors,…

Elite Hackers Target WHO As Coronavirus Cyberattacks Spike

According to Reuters, elite hackers tried to break into the World Health Organization earlier this month. While the effort was unsuccessful, the agency said there’s been a more than two-fold increase in cyberattacks as they battle to contain the coronavirus. From the report: The attempted break-in at the WHO was first flagged to Reuters by Alexander Urbelis, a cybersecurity expert and…