NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations

NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
The Rise of Cryptocurrency,Black Carbon deposition leads to glacier retreat in the Himalayas, Advancing Commercial Space Travel

SDP Scholars
15 June 2021
Photo Source: NBC News

NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
Vol.1, No.2, 15 March 2021

COVER STORY
by Lokendra Sharma, Vishnu Prasad and Avishka Ashok


The Rise of Cryptocurrency 
Despite challenges, the last decade has seen a phenomenal rise in bitcoin, altcoin and ethereum

 

The recent weeks have been eventful and dynamic for the cryptocurrency market. On 9 June, El Salvador's Congress approved President Bukele's proposal of accepting bitcoins as legal tender, becoming the first country in the world to do so. While this cheered investors, the market itself has seen a huge decline over the past month: the value of bitcoin has fallen from about USD 50,000 to about USD 35,000, wiping off billions of dollars. Similar has been the story of other cryptocurrencies like ethereum and dogecoin. 
In another setback to cryptos, on 7 June, the US Justice Department announced that the FBI had recovered the bitcoin ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline a month earlier to the cyber-criminal group DarkSide. Even though it is not exactly clear how the FBI did this, it has demonstrated that tracing cryptocurrency transactions is possible, thus striking at one of the core features of cryptocurrencies. 

What are cryptocurrencies? What are the core features?  How did it emerge and then rise to become a focal point of global investments (and conversations)? What are the challenges they pose, and how are states responding? What does the future hold for cryptocurrencies?   

 

I
The idea of cryptocurrency 

 

It is generally assumed that the story of cryptocurrencies started with bitcoins. But it is older; it goes back to the 1980s when the first attempt to create a cryptocurrency called 'ecash' was made. Subsequently, two cryptocurrencies — b-money and bit gold — were developed in the late 1990s but were unsuccessful. 

Moreover, then, in 2008, a mysterious person called Satoshi Nakamoto authored a white paper titled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System", proposing a new digital currency called 'bitcoin' running on blockchain technology. In 2009, the bitcoin software was made available to the public and the scramble for mining bitcoin began. To date, it is not known who this person was or if it was a group of people using this pseudonym. 

Initially, there were limited ways of getting hold of bitcoins: downloading the bitcoin software and mining it or buying from someone known. But with rising demand and the increasing number of coins, cryptocurrency exchanges came to the fore, of both centralized and decentralized kinds. 

How do cryptocurrencies work?
Suppose A wants to send bitcoins to B. This transaction is represented as a block. This block is then broadcasted to a network of peer computers, also called nodes, whose approval is needed for any block to become part of the blockchain, which is a chronological chain of such blocks. The blockchain thus formed is unalterable, thereby storing all historical transactions across the decentralized network. After this process, B receives the bitcoins from A. This, in a nutshell, is how cryptocurrency transactions happen.   

These currencies are called 'crypto' because they involve cryptographic hash function — more specifically, the SHA 256 Hash algorithm, which plays a key role in the validation of the blocks and requires high computational power. It can be thought of as a cryptographic puzzle that the nodes have to solve in order to approve any block. As a reward, they get bitcoins. This system, therefore, is not based on trust, but on mathematics. 

Currently, around 19 million bitcoins are in circulation. As bitcoin's inventors imposed a 21-million-coin limit by design, there only two million more left to be mined. Limited supply is one of the reasons driving the value of bitcoins. What happens after this supply is exhausted is not clear. While the description so far may fit bitcoins, there are various other cryptos in the market with different designs. Dogecoin, for instance, which started out as a meme, releases billions of coins each year, keeping its value very low. 

The wide reach of cryptos, across the developed and developing world, is due in part to the crypto exchanges, which have made it comparatively easy for an average person (lacking high computational power) to trade in the coins. These exchanges are not very different from the stock market; buyers and sellers exchange cryptos through these platforms and also get the facility of a digital wallet for storing the coins.  

 

II
The phenomenal rise: from zero to trillion


Some of the most influential voices in the world, from business to art to politics, are talking about it. Countries are either regulating it or embracing it. Supporters believe that it is the future of global finance while detractors portray it as a dangerous element of chaos. Cryptocurrencies are loved and hated, but they are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

It is a rise that few would have predicted when the first bitcoins were exchanged more than ten years ago. On 22 May 2010, a software engineer by the name of Laszlo Hanyecz made the first transaction using cryptocurrencies when he exchanged 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas. The bitcoins that he exchanged are now worth $3.6 billion. There is perhaps no better anecdote to illustrate the meteoric rise that cryptocurrencies have had.

That it had tremendous potential was apparent in the early years. Barely a year after that first transaction, bitcoin had made it to the cover of Time magazine. Its premise of eliminating the middlemen and its promise of anonymity saw it being hailed as the future of money. However, with the plaudits came the bad press as well. Before long, bitcoin was being used as currency to buy contraband on the dark web and in ransom demands by hackers.

By 2013, bitcoin was worth more than a hundred US dollars. It was also in this year that the next significant step in the evolution of cryptocurrencies took place. Developers started realizing that bitcoin was nothing more than the base template, something that could be improved upon. There was room in the market for other cryptocurrencies as well. Thus, the first altcoins — alternatives to bitcoin — were created.
 

III
The market beyond bitcoins: altcoins, memes and volatility 


The concept of altcoins was simple. There were various aspects of bitcoin that could be improved upon, and each altcoin was an attempt in this direction. Litecoin, which promised faster transactions than the bitcoin blockchain, was the first of these. Then came the likes of monero and dashcoin, which promised more privacy.

However, the most significant of altcoins would only arrive in 2015, a couple of years after it was first proposed. Ethereum was the brainchild of programmer Vitalik Buterin and was created to significantly expand upon the potential of blockchain technology. While bitcoin's purpose was to create an alternative to fiat money, ethereum was created to facilitate the creation of smart contracts and decentralized apps that would run without any third-party interference.

Ethereum would soon carve out its own niche in a market that was dominated by bitcoin. It did not happen overnight. More than two years after its launch, ethereum was still trading at well below USD 100. But with a number of popular decentralized apps and an expanded portfolio of real-world applications, ethereum soon rose to the position of the undisputed number two on the cryptocurrency ladder. By 2018, it had breached the USD 1000 mark. In May 2021, it touched an all-time high of more than USD 4000.

A decade later, there are thousands of cryptocurrencies in the market with at least seventy of them having a total market capitalization of more than USD one billion. That number is a testament to how much more accepted cryptocurrencies have become. There are currently more than 20,000 vendors across the world that accept cryptocurrencies. But despite this, they are no closer to replacing fiat currencies as a genuine, reliable form of transactions.

Volatility is one reason — bitcoin often loses billions of dollars of value in just a few hours. The entire crypto market lost more than USD one trillion in May. But so is the fact that the market is still immature. While conventional stock markets have been around for almost half a millennium, cryptocurrencies are still just over a decade old. There is no science to investing in the market and cryptocurrencies often lose and gain value for reasons beyond logic. A case in point is the rise of memecoins.

Conventional altcoins serve some purpose or are backed by some technology. Cardano aims to create the world's first decentralized financial exchange while Zilliqa attempts to build one of the world's fastest blockchains. But memecoins serve no purpose and increase in value for no other reason than hype. Experts often liken them to glitches in the system.

One of the most famous examples of a memecoin going big is when dogecoin, fuelled by billionaire Elon Musk's constant plugs, gained thousands of times in value to become one of the top ten cryptocurrencies last month. Doge was built as a joke in 2013, but eight years later, it suddenly had billions of dollars in market value. The only reason for that was that people bought it thinking more people would buy it. Experts have likened it to a Ponzi scheme; people only make money if more people buy it and the last person to enter ends up losing their investment.
 

IV
Challenges and risks  


Ever since its inception in 2008, cryptos have been viewed suspiciously in many quarters and calls have been made for regulating and restricting their usage to prevent anti-state activities, fraud and theft. Investors like Warren Buffet and economists like Paul Krugman and Richard Schiller, have advised states to regulate the cryptocurrency markets and warned that it may encourage criminal activities. Governments cannot leave the sector unregulated as cryptocurrencies have the ability to influence national and global economies, and more states are beginning to legitimize its use in economic transactions. In the future, it could possibly be used as actual currency.

However, interference by governments would completely alter the way cryptocurrencies work because one of its most celebrated features is the freedom provided by its anonymous nature. There is an eternal dilemma regarding regulating cryptos or leaving it unregulated. 

The characteristics of cryptos pose numerous challenges to a state. Features such as anonymity and volatility of the market assist numerous anti-state entities in using cryptos as a secure and durable mode of transactions. Cryptos also pose a challenge to the traditional banking system, and with wide usage and acceptance, the importance of banks, both private and state-owned, may reduce significantly.  

Unregulated cryptos will also assist a free flow of capital across borders. Governments will want to invest heavily in researching and understanding this new form of digital currency because the outflow of capital could reach a terrorist group that engages in activities against the state. Terror groups make use of the anonymity feature provided by cryptos to pay for equipment, weapons and other donations. Unlike banking and other physical currencies, cryptos do not have restrictions on the amount of investments and makes it easier to send huge amounts of money across the border. These features make it impossible for the state to decipher how much capital is used to fund terror. 

The feature of anonymity also helps promote cyber-crimes such as email scams, online frauds, ransomware and extortion. As the transactions are never under the scrutiny of the government, individuals with ill-intent can keep their identity hidden while engaging in anti-state activities. 

How are states responding?
Since the advent of cryptocurrencies in 2008, the extensive and fast-paced growth and popularity of the concept has prompted different countries around the world to react differently. While there are some countries which have completely banned the usage of digital currencies, others have either regulated or restricted some aspects. States may regulate digital currencies by targeting the trading methods, mining operations, initial coin offerings (ICO), or by introducing financial derivatives of the currencies and taxing the profits made through digital currencies. 

Countries like Bolivia, Iceland, Bangladesh, China and Nepal have declared the usage of bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies as illegal; individuals caught using digital currencies can be criminally charged and imprisoned. The governments in Brazil, Uganda, Turkey, Thailand and Indonesia continue to have hostile policies towards cryptos but have not outrightly banned their use. The Chinese government banned the financial sector from catering to cryptocurrency related services and issued a warning against trading and exchanging them. The Brazilian government has reiterated that investing in cryptos is an insecure and risky affair. The cryptos in Brazil are not associated with the national and legally accepted currency. It also necessitates compulsory disclosure of assets, failing which individuals can be fined heavily by the Department of Federal Revenue. 

Numerous countries are in the process of creating a law that regulates the digital currency market. Mexico, Colombia, Belgium, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Malaysia, New Zealand and a few others have either passed laws to regulate the sector or are in the process of passing laws. While some have discouraged its use as currencies, it can still be used as commodities and thus is not considered entirely illegal. 
Poland, France, Italy, Russia, Vietnam, South Africa, Norway, the UK have allowed and recognized the use of cryptocurrencies. These governments keep a tight watch over the profits gained from investing and sale of digital currencies and often necessitate declaring every transaction to deal with tax evasions and laundering of assets. 

A few countries like the US, Canada, Australia and the EU have accepted the use of bitcoin in making transactions. However, El Salvador is the only country to have accepted bitcoin as their legal tender. Furthermore, countries like China, Singapore, South Korea, Russia, Canada, the Bahamas, Thailand, Uruguay and Sweden have initiated efforts or have already released a state-owned digital currency. 
 

V
What next for cryptos?


Despite these drawbacks, the idea behind cryptos is a powerful one — decentralized currency, out of the jurisdiction of countries and their central banks, wherein transactions are verified and immutable due to workings of mathematical algorithms. It promises anonymity and security. It is not a surprise that people have associated cryptos with the values of freedom and democracy. But, the FBI's recent accomplishment of recovering bitcoins paid as ransom demonstrate that cryptocurrency transactions are not entirely untraceable. Whether this will prompt crypto developers to introduce design changes to increase anonymity is not clear as of now.

With USD two trillion of market value, cryptos are unlikely to be placed in a global ban, as the ripple effects would be damaging. In future, then, it is more likely that cryptos will be competing directly with fiat currencies. Cryptocurrencies are erecting a parallel finance infrastructure which is presenting a credible challenge to the existing state-centred one that came into being post-World War II. Consensus is growing that cryptocurrencies are indeed the financial system of the future. Given the progress they've made in ten years, there's no telling where they'd be in another ten. 

It is not just the cryptos, but the technology underpinning cryptocurrency - blockchain - which will have significant impact. Blockchain is here to stay. It has numerous applications, ranging from smart contracts to supply chain management.
 
Lokendra Sharma is a PhD Scholar in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at NIAS. Avishka Ashok is a Research Associate at NIAS. Vishnu Prasad is Research Intern with the Global Politics course at NIAS. 

In brief
by Akriti Sharma and Harini Madhusudan 

Black Carbon deposition leads to glacier retreat in the Himalayas

On 3 June 2021, the World Bank released a report on the glaciers of the Himalayas titled "Glaciers of the Himalayas: Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience". The report discusses in detail the impact of climate change and deposition of Black Carbon (BC) on the retreating glaciers of the Himalayas. Being the hydrological tower (consisting of 55,000 glaciers) of South Asia, disturbance in the hydrological balance of the Himalayas can be disastrous for the South Asian countries.

The glaciers in the Himalayan, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountains are retreating at an alarming rate. According to the projections, "the glacier mass within the Everest region today will decrease 39–52 per cent by 2050." The glacier melt can result in hydrological changes which can in turn affect agriculture and cause food and water insecurity, increase extreme events such as flash floods, soil erosion, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods. 

The deposition of BC on the glaciers increases the solar absorption resulting in glacier retreat. Since South Asia is an epicenter of air pollution, it has a huge impact on the vulnerable mountain systems of the HKHK. According to the report, the sources of BC have been both external and regional. India and China continue to be the largest sources of BC in the region along with some contributions from the Middle East and Nepal.

Additionally, climate change and BC have an impact on water availability in the river basins of the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus rivers. The report suggests regional cooperation among the South Asian countries to address the impact of BC on the Himalayan glaciers along with the contribution from the epistemic communities. (Muthukumara Mani, "Glaciers of the Himalayas: Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience", World Bank, 3 June 2021)

 

Advancing Commercial Space Travel 

On 12 June, a mystery bidder purchased the ticket for the space flight on Blue Origin with Jeff Bezos for USD 28 million. This person is said to accompany Jeff Bezos on his 11-minute journey on 20 July, along with three other passengers. The crew will spend about three minutes in zero gravity aboard the New Shepard Space Capsule of Blue Origin, and so far, there have been 15 test flights of the New Shepard Capsule. Except for the first test where the rocket suffered a crash landing in April 2015, all the tests are known to have been successful.

Suborbital Flights are different from orbital flights and the New Shepard Capsule is designed for brief up-and-down flights and will go about 62 miles above the earth which is popularly called the edge of outer space. These suborbital flights do not need the orbital velocity of the regular spacecraft. New Shepard's flights have hit about three times the speed of sound which is 2,300 miles per hour. Due to the brief nature of the entry into space, these suborbital flights do not require the intense process or speed for trying to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. 

In the past years, there have been many private players investing in Space Travel as the next big industry. Prominent among them were three businessmen Elon Musk of SpaceX, Jeff Bezos of Blue Origin, and Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic. All three companies have played a major role in the huge progress made by the commercial space industry. 

SpaceX has always placed their ambitions towards successful travel to Mars. SpaceX has also made significant advancements as NASA's key private player. Blue Origin, however, has aimed at the moon and space in between. 

Immediately after the news of Jeff Bezos' schedule broke out, through an apparent leak of information, it was revealed that Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic has made similar plans of suborbital travel abroad their VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo, around the 4 July weekend, which was later downplayed after criticisms of upstaging Bezos emerged. This brings to the fore a very good example of active competition in the commercial space industry. (Jackie Wattles, "Jeff Bezos is going to space for 11 minutes. Here's how risky that is," CNN, 10 June 2021) (Dave Lee, "Ticket for spaceflight with Jeff Bezos auctions for $28M," Financial Times, 12 June 2021)

S&T Nuggets
by Sukanya Bali and Avishka Ashok

ARCTIC
Crowdsource Science a new way to study the Arctic Fjords
According to Eos, in a recent study, it was observed that crowdsourced science helped scientists and researchers in expanding their data collection in Arctic fjords, which are affected due to the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. The expedition's preliminary finding was published in, Frontiers in Marine Science.' This research on a sailboat with many nonscientists crew was distinct from the research cruise and made evident the viability and affordability of crowdsourced science for oceanographic research. 

The crew made 147 measurements in the three-month scientific-non-medical-expedition which would not have been feasible on research-cruise with their tight schedules. (Andrew Chapman, "Studying Arctic Fjords with Crowdsourced Science and Sailboats," Eos, 3 June 2021)

SPACE
China: China National Space Administration releases Mars rover photographs
On 11 June, China National Space Administration (CNSA) released four new photographs, taken by the Zhurong Mars rover. The photographs included a panoramic view of the landing site, the flat landscape, soil, and the landing platform. The Mars rover is surveying an area known as Utopia Planitia, for signs of ice or water. The rover successfully landed on Mars on 15 May. The Head of CNSA said: "China will publish the related scientific data in a timely manner to let humankind share in the fruits of the country's space exploration development." The Tianwen-1 mission, which was launched in July 2020, consisted of a rover, an orbiter, and a lander. Xinhua reported, the images "signify the complete success of China's first Mars exploration mission." (Kristin Huang, "China posts new Mars photos from rover ZhuRong, declares mission a success," 11 June 2021) ("China's first rover on Mars sends back dramatic images, including a selfie," The Print, 11 June 2021)

NASA and CSA notice a hole in the robotic arm of orbital debris
On 2 June, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) confirmed after "ongoing analysis" that a robotic arm of the International Space Station (ISS) is still functioning, after being hit by orbital debris last month. CSA said: "Despite the impact, results of the ongoing analysis indicate that the arm's performance remains unaffected. The damage is limited to a small section of the arms boom and thermal blanket. A hole approximately 5mm in diameter is visible." On 12 May, NASA and CSA noticed damage to Canadarm2's, in their routine inspection. The damage was seen in the "arm boom and thermal blanket." ("Orbital debris hits International Space Station, punches hole in robotic arm," Hindustan Times, 02 June 2021)

France may join ROSCOSMOS and CNSA in the Lunar Space Station Project
On 9 June, the Eurasian times reported, that Russian and French space agency chiefs discussed about "outlooks for cooperation" in the Lunar Space Station Project. ROSCOSMOS announced, the talks "touched upon issues related to France's possible participation in the Russian-Chinese initiative to build an international scientific lunar station." Further, it stated, "the sides agreed that CNES will initiate a detailed internal discussion of the issues raised, with the participation of all interested Russian and French organizations." The project is a collaboration of Chinese and Russian space agencies which is "open to all interested countries and international partners." According to the current framework, Russia and China will lay down a roadmap for the creation of the lunar station, as well as initiate close interaction in planning, justification, design, development, implementation, operation of the project for the lunar base. (Nitin J Ticku, "France May Join Russia, China In Lunar Space Station Project- Roscosmos," The EurAsian Times, 9 June 2021)

US: No evidence found on the aerial phenomena noticed by the Navy
On 3 June, The New York Times reported, according to government findings, the US officials have not found any evidence that "aerial phenomena witnessed by the Navy pilots" are alien spacecrafts. The report examines more than 120 incidents over two decades but is inconclusive.

The study identifies that majority of these incidents did not originate from advanced American technology. Some intelligence officials argue that some of these phenomena could also be hypersonic technology experimented with by China or Russia. The unclassified version of the report is expected to release by 25 June, which might provide some conclusive findings. (Julian E Barnes and Helene Cooper, "US finds no evidence of alien technology in flying objects, but cant rule it out, either," The New York Times, 03 June 2021)

South Korea: First homegrown space rocket to be launched this year
On 1 June, South Korea disclosed its first homegrown space rocket. Seoul has allocated around USD 1.8 billion in developing a homegrown space launch vehicle, Nuri. The launch is expected to be scheduled for this year in October. According to the Ministry of Science, Nuri has been transported and erected on its launch pad in Goheung and will undergo one month of testing. South Korea also plans to launch its first lunar orbiter next year. (Yonhap, "S.Korea unveils homegrown space rocket for first time," The Korean Herald, 01 June 2021)

TECHNOLOGY
China: Young adults choose to invest in cryptocurrency despite unfriendly laws
On 10 June, the South China Morning Post reported that an increasing number of Chinese youths are investing in cryptocurrencies despite the government's recent announcement which makes trading in cryptocurrency illegal. There is a high risk involved while trading in cryptos in China as individuals will have to deal with the legal consequences if caught. However, the youth in China seem to be braving these risks as the possible rewards from cryptocurrency benefits are being seen as means to climb the social hierarchy in the country.

The rising trend in the country is a result of the youth being influenced by peer groups and online influencers. The Chinese government acted upon these developments by shutting down the Weibo accounts of influencers who promoted investing in cryptocurrency. ("China's millennials bet on cryptocurrencies in hopes of reaching upper middle class", South China Morning Post, 10 June 2021; China blocks several cryptocurrency-related social media accounts amid crackdown, Reuters, 7 June 2021)

Turkey: Low-cost drones help smaller countries in fighting conflicts
On 3 June, Wall Street Journal published a report regarding the use of low-cost drones in conflicts by smaller militaries against more powerful militaries. In most regional conflicts in 2020, countries with a small army invested in a strategy that was cheaper than usual and also proved to be successful when challenged by more powerful countries. This strategy is also proving to be useful for Turkey who builds affordable drones with digital technology and other armored vehicles and supplies them to the war zones in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan. The Turkish drones produced by Baykar are effective and cheaper than the drones produced by the US or Russia, making it an attractive option for poorer countries engaging in conflicts. China is another country in the industry to have supplied its cheap and effective drones to at least 10 countries while they engaged in conflicts. ("Armed Low-Cost Drones, Made by Turkey, Reshape Battlefields and Geopolitics," The Wall Street Journal, 3 June 2021)

Libya: UN report indicates unmanned attack on rebellious groups in 2020
On 3 June, the New York Times published an article which shed light on a commissioned report made by the United Nations. According to the report, a military drone attack made by the government forces in Libya had been orchestrated without human help. It is speculated that the attack may have been initiated with the help of AI against the rebellious anti-state militia. The report did not mention casualties in the attack, but the targets were hunted down by the unmanned weapon system. According to the report, the systems "were programmed to attack targets without requiring data connectivity between the operator and the munition: in effect a true 'fire, forget and find' capability." ("A.I. Drone May Have Acted on Its Own in Attacking Fighters, UN SaysThe New York Times, 3 June 201)

South Korea: Ministry of Science and ICT encourages the use of local chips
On 1 June, the Science and ICT ministry in South Korea announced that the cloud data center operators will tie up with local chip manufacturing companies to fill the gap in the semiconductor demand and the global supply chains. At present, Naver Cloud, Douzone, Bizon, Kakao Enterprise and NHN & KT have signed a MoU with the local chip producers such as SK Telecom, Rebellions, FuriosaSI and Electronics and Telecommunications and Research Institute. The decision was made to encourage the use of locally developed AI semiconductors in data centers amid the global shortage of chips caused by the pandemic. 

South Korea, along with most other countries, is currently working towards reducing the dependency on international supply chains. On 4 June, the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International report showed that in the first quarter the South Korean government invested the most in the semiconductor industries. It is responsible for 31 per cent of the total global spending in the sector. ("S. Korean tech companies to strengthen cooperation for AI server chips," The Korean Herald, 1 June 2021; "S. Korea tops in chip equipment investment volume: report," The Korean Herald, 4 June 2021)

Germany: Foreign Minister warns of AI arms race
On 7 June, the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned of a developing AI race while he was interviewed by Deutsche Welle for the documentary "Future Wars – and How to prevent them." He said: "We're right in the middle of it. That's the reality we have to deal with." Currently, there is a race between major powers to continuously outshine other countries in the aspect of science, technology, innovation and defense. The race to develop smarter, quicker and more effective machines is obvious when one observes the five-year plans of different countries. China has given a central role to AI in its five-year plans and encourages research and development in the sector. Russian President Vladimir Putin also recognized the role of AI in 2017 when he reiterated that the leader in the sphere of AI would come to dominate the world in the future. ("Germany warns: AI arms race already underway," Deutsche Welle, 7 June 2021)

Middle East: Threats posed by electronic armies
On 5 June, Deutsche Welle published a report on the "electronic armies" of the Middle East and the dangers that they pose to the rest of the world. Unlike soldiers, the electronic army exists in an online mode only. They are a group of people with fake identities on social media platforms and other online platforms with the main aim of sending or spreading a specific message and suppressing a particular opinion. Unlike the West, having social media accounts that freely speak of liberal view or anti-state comments are capable of getting individuals killed. The assassination of Iraqi activist Riham Yaqoob and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi are examples of how unsafe the environment is for liberal thinkers in the Middle East. In 2019, Twitter suspended 271 accounts after it found that the accounts functioned with the objective of spreading false information and baselessly supporting the Saudi government. ("Are the Middle East's 'electronic armies' the most dangerous of all?," Deutsche Welle, 5 June 2021)

The US: Outage at Fastly cloud computing causes global glitch
On 8 June, numerous websites around the world stopped functioning temporarily due to an outage at Fastly, a cloud computing service. The abrupt interruption of services shed light on the important roles played by smaller companies behind the smooth functioning of the world most vital commodity in the 21st Century. Sites such as Amazon, the Financial Times, Reddit, Twitch and The Guardian were affected by the outage. The company quickly dismissed speculations of cyber-attack and clarified that the glitch was caused due to technical issues. ("Global glitch: Swaths of internet go down after cloud outage," Associated Press News, 9 June 2021)

HEALTH
South Korea: Samsung develops OLED display to monitor heartbeat
On 6 June, Samsung announced a stretchable OLED display with a photoplethysmography sensor, which helps in monitoring the wearer's heartbeat. The research was earlier published in a journal, Science Advances. A researcher at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology said: "The strength of the newly developed technology is that it allows you to measure your biometric data without having to remove the device since it is keenly attached to your body." (Park Jun-hee, "Samsung develops 'stretchable displays' that stick to skin and monitor health," The Korean Herald, 06 June 2021)

 



About the authors
Harini Madhusudan, Lokendra Sharma and Akriti Sharma is a PhD Scholar in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at NIAS. Sukanya Bali and Avishka Ashok are Research Associate at NIAS.


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Glynnis Winona B

Bhutan and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways on Regulatory control, Economic fragility, and Social constraints
June 2026 | CWA # 2141

Aishal Hab Yousuf

Maldives and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways on the influence of democracy, legislation, and state funding
June 2026 | CWA # 2140

Nithin V

Pakistan and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways Military influence, cyber laws, political instability, and youth-driven digital journalism
June 2026 | CWA # 2139

Siddhi Halyur

Afghanistan and Press Freedom:
Four takeaways on political control, religious restrictions and economic vulnerabilities 
June 2026 | CWA # 2138

Siddhi Halyur

Nepal and Press Freedom:
Three takeaways on Political constraints, Missing legal protection and Funding issues
June 2026 | CWA # 2136

Acsah H

The Blue Origin Rocket Explosion:
Does this leave Jeff Bezos grounded, Elon Musk unchallenged, and NASA’s lunar timeline in jeopardy?
June 2026 | CWA # 2131

Rohini Reenum

Israel-Lebanon Tensions:
New Deal amidst Israeli incursion and Hezbollah’s retaliation
June 2026 | CWA # 2130

Akshath Kaimal

The UK-Rwanda Asylum Deal: 
Why did the Permanent Court of Arbitration reject Rwanda’s claims? What was Rwanda’s complaint? Why did the UK cancel the deal?
June 2026 | CWA # 2129

Anu Maria Joseph

Conflicts in Africa This Week:
The Ebola fear in DR Congo and the Elections in Ethiopia amidst conflicts
May 2026 | CWA # 2126

Aparna A Nair

The Shenzhou-23 Mission:
China’s Space Missions, Technology, and Infrastructure
May 2026 | CWA # 2124

Glynnis Winona B

The Crisis in Cuba:
The US Sanctions, Energy Crisis, and Economic Instability
May 2026 | CWA # 2123

Akshath Kaimal

The Ebola and the DR Congo:
Multiple Outbreaks, Fragile Healthcare System, and Ineffective Global Responses
May 2026 | CWA # 2122

Radhika M Agarwal

The War in Ukraine:
Ballistic missiles, Nuclear drills with Belarus, and the Czech ammunition initiative
May 2026 | CWA # 2120

Brighty Ann Sarah

Conflicts in the Middle East
The US-Iran War Week Thirteen: Escalating Hostilities, Tenuous Ceasefire and Tense Negotiations
May 2026 | CWA # 2119

Anu Maria Joseph

Conflicts in Africa
The Ebola spread in DR Congo, The Faye-Sonko split in Senegal, and the Deepening US military involvement in Nigeria
May 2026 | CWA # 2115

Aparna A Nair

The Putin-Xi Summit
Trade, Technology, Security, and Pipeline
May 2026 | CWA # 2114

Glynnis Winona B

What makes the UAE a global player?
Explaining the Governance, Economy, People, and Strategic Influence of a Small Middle Eastern State
May 2026 | CWA # 2113

Aishal Hab Yousuf

Sri Lanka and the US-Iran War 
Rising oil imports, Austerity measures and State capacity
May 2026 | CWA # 2111

NIAS Global Politics Team

The Trump-Xi Summit
The Africa Forward Summit 2026 I North Korea's Constitutional Amendment 2026
May 2026 | CWA # 2110

Aishal Hab Yousuf

The Trump-Xi Summit:
Managing Strategic Competition through Trade, Technology, and Diplomacy
May 2026 | CWA # 2092

NIAS Global Politics Team

The US-Iran War, Week Ten
CW Column on Middle East: Escalating Israeli Aggression in Lebanon I UAE's Covert Manoeuvres
May 2026 | CWA # 2091

Brighty Ann Sarah

Conflicts in the Middle East:
Escalating Israeli Aggression in Lebanon I UAEs Covert Manoeuvres
May 2026 | CWA # 2090

Brighty Ann Sarah

The US-Iran War, Week Ten:
Fraying Ceasefire, Renewed Negotiations and the Risk of a Stalemate
May 2026 | CWA # 2088

Nithin V

King Charles's US Visit:
Emphasis on strong bilateral relations, democratic values and security cooperation
May 2026 | CWA # 2086

Aishal Hab Yousuf

UAEs Exit from OPEC:
Implications for the Middle East and the Energy Market
May 2026 | CWA # 2083

Brighty Ann Sarah

The US-Iran War, Week Nine:
Deadlocked Negotiations, Competing Agendas and Domestic Pressure
May 2026 | CWA # 2082

Akshath Kaimal

Escalating Violence in Mali:
Between Ethnic Insurgencies, Jihadist Attacks, and Military Coups
April 2026 | CWA # 2079

Aishal Hab Yousuf

Japans New Defence Posture:
From Post-War Pacifism to Strategic Recalibration and Autonomy
April 2026 | CWA # 2074

Brighty Ann Sarah

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire:
Asymmetric Terms, Fragile Truce and Israeli Occupation
April 2026 | CWA # 2073

Akshath Kaimal

The US-Iran War, Week Eight:
A Fragile Ceasefire, Attempts to Control Hormuz and the Stalled Talks in Islamabad
April 2026 | CWA # 2072

Anu Maria Joseph

Three Years of War in Sudan
Prolonged Stalemate, Humanitarian Cost, External Interventions and Regional Fallouts
April 2026 | CWA # 2069

Padmashree Anandhan

The War in Ukraine
Expanding Drone Warfare, Russia's Strategic Patience and Ukraine's Diplomatic Outreach
April 2026 | CWA # 2068

Femy Francis

China-Japan Tensions
Escalating Defence Posturing and Economic Decoupling
April 2026 | CWA # 2067

Anu Maria Joseph

Conflicts in Africa
Continuing Conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan and DR Congo, Security issues in Nigeria, and Political Instability in Madagascar
April 2026 | CWA # 2066

Akshath Kaimal

The Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict
Recurrent Clashes, Defiant Taliban, Contesting Narratives and Emerging Chinas Role
April 2026 | CWA # 2065

Lakshmi Venugopal Menon

The Middle East (JanMar 2026):
The US-Iran War, Israel-Hamas Conflict and their interconnected fallouts
April 2026 | CWA # 2064

Anwesha Ghosh

Afghanistan (JanMar 2026):
Gender Repression, Leadership Rifts, Regional Realignments and Clashes with Pakistan
April 2026 | CWA # 2063

Ramya B

Russia (Jan-Mar 2026)
Assertive Military Posture, Attempts for an Economic Turnaround and Search for Partners
April 2026 | CWA # 2062

Himani Pant

Europe (Jan-Mar 2026)
Trade diversification & FTAs, Increased defence spending, Tightening irregular migration and Economic slowdown
April 2026 | CWA # 2061

S Shaji

Africa (Jan-Mar 2026)
Elections, Civil Wars, Militancy and Peace Initiatives
April 2026 | CWA # 2058

Nishchal N Pandey & Mahesh Raj Bhatta

Nepal (Jan-Mar 2026)
Political Upheaval, Generational Change and Economic Uncertainty
April 2026 | CWA # 2057

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar (Jan-Mar 2026)
An Illegitimate Regime's Consolidation Game
April 2026 | CWA # 2056

Ashik J Bonofer

Southeast Asia (Jan-Mar 2026)
Deteriorating situation in Myanmar, Philippines as the ASEAN Chair, New government in Thailand, and Economic & Environmental challenges
April 2026 | CWA # 2055

Haans J Freddy

East Asia (Jan-Mar 2026)
Chinas military operations near Taiwan, Japan-China tensions and South Koreas security challenges
April 2026 | CWA # 2054

Amrita Jash

Chinas External Landscape (Jan-Mar 2026):
Regional assertion, Pragmatic recalibration with the West and Avoiding military entanglement in the Middle East
April 2026 | CWA # 2052

Shreya Upadhyay

The United States(Jan-Mar2026)
Tariffs, Ukraine, Iran and Operationalization of Trumps World Order
March 2026 | CWA # 2042

Preetha Renganarayanan

Five Takeaways of the US Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) Report for 2026
March 2026 | CWA # 2039

Femy Francis

Trump-Xi Meeting
Why did Trump reschedule it? What does that mean?
March 2026 | CWA # 2035

Akshath Kaimal

Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict
Broken ceasefire, Expanding military strikes and Worsening humanitarian situation
March 2026 | CWA # 2033

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal after elections:
Five major challenges for the new government
March 2026 | CWA # 2024

Lekshmi MK

The UN and the Iran-US War
UNSC Resolution 2817 between Clear and Unified Message and Manifest Injustice
March 2026 | CWA # 2023

Femy Francis

Chinas Two Sessions 2026
New Five-Year Plan, Ethnic Unity Law, and an Enhanced Defence Budget
March 2026 | CWA # 2019

Akshath Kaimal

Rising Violence in Nigeria
Limited State Capacity, Multiple Actors, and a Complex Security Environment
March 2026 | CWA # 2012

Padmashree Anandhan

The War in Ukraine
Long-range strikes, Defence adaptation and the EUs energy dependence
March 2026 | CWA # 2010

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal Elections 2026
The Rise of the New and the Fall of the Old
March 2026 | CWA # 2009

Sreemaya Nair

Nepal Elections 2026
Rise of a new leadership and Reset in political landscape
March 2026 | CWA # 2004

Akshath Kaimal

The Forgotten South Sudan Conflict
Instability returns, with a fragile peace agreement, uptick in violence and limited international engagement
March 2026 | CWA # 2003

Yesasvi Koganti

PM Modis Visit to Israel
From bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership
March 2026 | CWA # 2001

Preetha Renganarayanan

Six major takeaways on the economy, border and internal security and Iran
February 2026 | CWA # 1998

Anu Maria Joseph

Instability in Sudan
Response to the genocide call and the threats of a regional spillover
February 2026 | CWA # 1986

Preetha Renganarayanan

Focus on Trade, Defense, Energy and Regional Connectivity
February 2026 | CWA # 1985

Abhimanyu Solanki

Basant in Pakistan
The return of Basant, and what it signifies
February 2026 | CWA # 1977

Anu Maria Joseph

Violence in Nigeria
US military deployment amidst worsening insurgency
February 2026 | CWA # 1976

Lekshmi MK

The War in Ukraine
The Geneva Talks and Growing Negotiation Asymmetry
December 2025 | CWA # 1971

Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi

Pakistan Budget 2025-26
Legislating stabilisation under IMF discipline and coalition constraints
December 2025 | CWA # 1970

Aparna A Nair

Pakistan & China
Ten Years of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
November 2025 | CWA # 1968

Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi

Pakistan and the US
A New opening, or another cycle?
February 2026 | CWA # 1959

Yesasvi Koganti

UK and China
PM Keir Starmers visit and the Recalibration of Economic, Strategic, and Domestic ties
January 2026 | CWA # 1946

Preetha Renganarayanan

The Davos Summit 2026
Five Major Takeaways from The World Economic Forum
December 2025 | CWA # 1931

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1924

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1914

Preetha Renganarayanan

August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and the Civil Rights Movement in the US
August 2025 | CWA # 1790

GP Team

The World This Week#323-324
The Trump-Putin meeting & the US-China tariff extension
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
Weaponization of access to the US economy
August 2025 | CWA # 1779

GP Team

The World This Week#322
US tariffs on India, Brazil and Canada & the EU-US trade deal
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, starting the First World War
July 2025 | CWA # 1770

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations:
Why the focus on terrorism, refugees, and Uzbekistan as the third partner?
July 2025 | CWA # 1769

GP Team

The World This Week#321
Indian PM Modi's visit to the Maldives I Elections to the Upper House in Japan
July 2025 | CWA # 1762

Lekshmi MK

Ocean Darkening: 
What is the phenomenon? What are its effects? And who are more vulnerable?
July 2025 | CWA # 1749

R Preetha

Africa as the Hunger Epicenter
Of the 13 Global Hunger Hotspots, 8 are in Africa: Five reasons why
July 2025 | CWA # 1748

GP Team

The World This Week #318
PM Modi’s Visit to Trinidad and Tobago & Ghana, One big beautiful bill, and Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting
July 2025 | CWA # 1744

Chittrothu Vaihali

EU-Canada Summit 2025
What is security and defence partnership all about?
July 2025 | CWA # 1742

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly # 287-88
The 12 Day War and the Congo-Rwanda Peace Deal
July 2025 | CWA # 1738

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Thailand and Cambodia
What was the phone call between PM Shinawatra and President of Senate Hun Sen? What is the border dispute between the two? Why has this become an issue?
June 2025 | CWA # 1735

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025:
Trump making Europe great again
June 2025 | CWA # 1734

GP Team

The World This Week #317
NATO Summit 2025 and Russia-Mali bilateral agreements
June 2025 | CWA # 1733

Ananya Dinesh

China and the Pacific Islands 
What was the recent China-PIC joint statement about? What it says, and what it means?
June 2025 | CWA # 1728

M Kejia

G7 Summit 2025:
The Focus on the Middle East and Trade negotiations
June 2025 | CWA # 1726

GP Team

The World This Week #316
China-Central Asia Summit in Kazakhstan, and the G7 Summit in Canada
June 2025 | CWA # 1725

Brighty Ann Sarah, R Preetha, Santhiya M, Aparna A Nair & M Kejia

Operation Midnight Hammer: US bombs three nuclear sites in Iran
What were the three Iranian nuclear sites that were targeted? What are the B2 Bombers and Bunker Buster Bombs? What do these attacks mean? What Next?
June 2025 | CWA # 1724

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly #286
The Spiralling Israel-Iran Crisis, and the Dangerous Hunger Hotspots
June 2025 | CWA # 1721

Rizwana Banu S and Santhiya M

Who are the Afrikaners?
Why is Trump interested in the Afrikaner question in South Africa?
June 2025 | CWA # 1720

Lekshmi MK

New WMO Report on Arctic Warming
What are the social, economic and environmental implications of Arctic warming
June 2025 | CWA # 1719

J Yamini  

China’s EV Surge
What contributes to the rise of BYD
June 2025 | CWA # 1717

J Yamini

Gender Violence in Pakistan:
What are the larger issues in the Noor Mukadam case?
June 2025 | CWA # 1715

Femy Francis

The US-China:
On Tariffs, Rare Earths and Visas
June 2025 | CWA # 1713

GP Team

The World This Week #315
The UN Ocean Conference in France and the US-China Meeting in London
June 2025 | CWA # 1709

IPRI Team

Conflict Weekly #284-285
Cambodia-Thailand Border Tensions, Protests in the US, and the Indigenous Māori question in New Zealand
June 2025 | CWA # 1705

GP Team

The World This Week #314
Elections in South Korea and Poland I China and the Pacific Island Countries I Bangladesh Election Announcement 2026
June 2025 | CWA # 1700

R Preetha

Ethiopia bans the TPLF
What does the TPLF ban mean for the Pretoria agreement? What next for Ethiopia?
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
Harvard vs Trump Administration
June 2025 | CWA # 1691

GP Team

The World This Week #313
China-ASEAN-GCC Summit I President Macron's visit to South East Asia I Trump Vs Harvard
May 2025 | CWA # 1690

GP Team

The World This Week #312
Elections in Romania, Portugal & Poland I UK-EU Summit
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
Continuing Russia’s Aerial Attacks, despite exchange of prisoners
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
The Humanitarian Crisis and Israel’s Renewed Offensive
May 2025 | CWA # 1685

Aparna A Nair

UK-EU Summit:
First step towards a reset
May 2025 | CWA # 1683

Aashish Ganeshan

Elections in Portugal:
The Rise of Chega Party and the Search for Political Stability
May 2025 | CWA # 1679

Aashish Ganeshan

US in the Middle Easr
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE
May 2025 | CWA # 1678

Gauri Gupta

China in Latin America
China-CELAC forum: Strengthening ties with Latin America and Caribbean
May 2025 | CWA # 1677

GP Team

The World This Week #310-311
China in Latin America and the Carribbean I Trump's Middle East Visit I Denmark as the new Arctic Chair
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
PKK disbands after 40 years of armed insurgency
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
The Discussion in Turkiye and the Elusive Ceasefire
May 2025 | CWA # 1672

D Suba Chandran

India and Pakistan:
De-escalation and the “New Normal”
May 2025 | CWA # 1671

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

US, Ukraine and Russia:
Air attacks amidst a Minerals deal and Ceasefire Proposals
May 2025 | CWA # 1670

Fleur Elizabeth Philip

Singapore Elections in 2025:
People’s Action Party (PAP) Wins, Again
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
Tough Tariff Negotiations with the US
May 2025 | CWA # 1666

Padmashree Anandhan

The US-Ukraine
The mineral deal with the US
May 2025 | CWA # 1665
Conflict Weekly # 280-81
India-Pakistan De-escalation I Ukraine Discussion in Istanbul I The Battle over Port Sudan I Disbanding of PKK in Turkiye I France-Algeria Diplomatic Tensions
May 2025 | CWA # 1663

R Preetha

Canada Elections 2025:
What do the results convey? What next for Mark Carney?
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta

Nepal
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon

The Maldives
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan

India
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej

Bangladesh
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer

Afghanistan