In This Article
U.K. Introduces Broad New Counter Terrorism and Security Bill
The collapse of Syria, the emergence of ISIL and ongoing instability in Iraq present significant dangers not just in the Middle East but in Britain and across the West. Many of the 500 British citizens who have travelled to Syria and Iraq have joined terrorist organizations alongside foreign fighters from Europe and further afield, according to the U.K.’s Home Office. Government Security News >>
Balkan Nations Consider Creating Regional Anti-Terrorism Center
“It is necessary that we strengthen the institutions in all western Balkan countries by financing de-radicalization and counter-radicalization programs so we can provide timely prevention and develop counter measures. The fighters’ number increases all the time and we can no longer count them.” SE Times >>
France Studies Nuclear Missile Replacement
France has launched studies for an airborne nuclear-tipped missile to replace the current weapon, with the focus on stealth and hypersonic technology on the next-generation atomic arms. DefenseNews >>
New 15-Minute Ebola Diagnostic to be Trialed in Guinea
A rapid, point-of-care diagnostic test for the Ebola virus will be trialed in the coming weeks at the Ebola treatment center in Conakry, Guinea. The trial is one of six health research projects that have been jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the UK government. Global Biodefense >>
Free Online Course, “Understanding Terrorism and the Terrorist Threat”
START’s free online course, “Understanding Terrorism and the Terrorist Threat,” will begin on Monday, Jan. 12 and run for 8 weeks, through Monday, March 9. The subject matter will be presented to participants through a series of lectures, including guest segments featuring the researchers from START’s extensive consortium of 52 universities nation-wide. START/University of Maryland >>
US Army Labs Test DARPA’s Load-Lightening Exosuits
The final prototype of the futuristic exosuits being tested by US Army researchers cut a wearer’s exertion level by 25 percent when carrying a 100-pound load. Three years after Warrior Web’s inception, soldier-testers are taking the prototypes out of the lab and onto a cross-country course. Defense News >>
House Passes Homeland, Nuclear Security, Critical Infrastructure Protection Bills
The House Monday overwhelmingly passed legislation that would strengthen the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, secure critical infrastructure against the threat of electromagnetic pulses and authorize the use of DHS grants to collaborate with national laboratories. The Strengthening Domestic Nuclear Security Act (HR 5629), by a vote of 374-11, would specifically fortify the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. HS Today >>
RFI for National Security Research Topics
The DoD, via the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from the research community on rapidly-advancing areas of fundamental research that may ultimately have an impact on national security. The DoD invites responses from distinguished scientists and engineers from academia and industry, including those previously unfamiliar with the DoD research enterprise. Global Biodefense >>
Testing Anthrax Decontamination Techniques
Researchers released Bacillus atropheus—a nonpathonogenic anthrax surrogate—in a two-floor test facility that contained mock-ups of typical rooms found in residential and commercial settings. Some of the rooms were designed as business offices while others were laid out like small apartments. Each scenario included materials that required decontamination such as carpet, fabric, and wood. The variety of materials allowed researchers to test the efficacy of each decontamination treatment under three different conditions. EPA Science Matters >>