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| Hey Insiders! 🗞️ Today's issue features the international race to the moon, a dive into cyber attacks worldwide, China announcing joint military patrols around Taiwan, and more. ⏬ Scroll down for some Quick Hits and our Upcoming Events section. 💬 Your thoughts matter to us — don't hesitate to hit reply and share your feedback! If you find this newsletter useful, please share it with your friends and colleagues. Thank you. Vildana
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| 1 | | The moon is now the most sought-after real estate in the solar system, with global interest in its exploration. Next week, spacecraft from Russia and India are set to land on the moon, joining the international efforts in lunar exploration. More: - Russia's Luna-25 landing marks its first moon attempt in 47 years, aiming to reassert its space presence.
- India's Chandrayaan-3 seeks redemption after a failed 2019 attempt, with a scheduled landing on Wednesday.
- China successfully landed on the moon in 2019 and 2020, with plans to send astronauts by 2030.
- Matthew Daniels of the White House predicts up to 150 lunar missions in the next decade.
- The lunar south pole, rich in ice, is a prime location due to its potential as a space gas station.
- NASA's Artemis program aims to establish long-term infrastructure on and around the moon.
Zoom Out: - In recent years, private companies from Israel and Japan have tried and failed to land spacecraft on the moon.
- China is working on Chang'e 6, which aims to collect the first samples from the moon's far side in 2025, and the multi-spacecraft Chang'e 7, which is scheduled to launch in 2026.
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| 2 | | 
What the numbers say: From November 2021 to October 2022, the financial sector globally faced the highest number of basic web application attacks. During this timeframe, there were 173 incidents in this industry. The information sector faced 121 attacks, while the professional sector came in third with 113 such attacks.
Relevance: In the annual cyber threat report by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), ransomware was highlighted as the primary concern. According to Microsoft President Brad Smith, deepfakes will be AI's most significant cyber threat. Influence: The New York Times recently reported that the U.S. was more actively hunting for Chinese hackers in critical infrastructure than previously known. In 2020, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that every 10 hours, his agency initiates a new probe into Chinese counterintelligence activities. Furthermore, half of the FBI's counterintelligence inquiries pertain to China. | | | |
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| 3 | | China's military announced "joint combat readiness" patrols around Taiwan, a move seen as a warning after Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te's overseas trip, which Beijing opposed. Lai, 63, visited Paraguay, one of the 13 states maintaining diplomatic ties with Taipei instead of Beijing, and made stops in the U.S., further irking China. More: - Beijing is trying to limit Taiwan's international engagements, asserting its claim over the island.
- China particularly opposes visits by Taiwanese leaders to the U.S., Taiwan's primary political and military ally.
- The recent military patrols are a direct response to the perceived provocations by Taiwan's leadership.
- Since former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, China has ramped up its military activities around the island.
- Following a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California, China conducted extensive military drills, deploying record numbers of aircraft and ships near Taiwan.
Zoom Out: - Only 5.2% of Taiwanese residents supported independence as soon as possible in a June 2022 survey, while 1.3% favored unification with mainland China.
- Most respondents preferred to stay as is, with 32.1% saying to keep the status quo indefinitely, 28.6% wanting to maintain the status quo for now and decide at a later date, and 21.4% in favor of the status quo while moving toward independence.
- Historically, China has considered Taiwan part of its territory and has been vocal against any international recognition of Taiwan as a separate entity.
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| 4 | | A monumental inscription dedicated to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian has been discovered at the archaeological site of Ulpiana, suggesting his Dardanian origin. This significant discovery challenges previous beliefs that the Dardanians lost their identity and were Romanized. More: - Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD) and his wife Theodora dedicated an "Urbem Dardania," a rare Latin dedication in the late Roman world.
- Ulpiana was a Roman-pre-Byzantine settlement and a significant hub for the Dardan Kingdom.
- Excavations at Ulpiana began in 1954, revealing traces of pre-Roman life from 2009 to 2011.
- Emperor Justinian was born in Tauresium, believed to be near modern-day Skopje, supporting the Dardanian origin theory.
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| 5 | | During the Camp David summit in Maryland on Friday, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea condemned China's "dangerous and aggressive actions" in the South China Sea. The three nations pledged to hold trilateral military training exercises and summits annually. More: - Real-time information on North Korean missile launches will be shared by the end of 2023.
- A supply-chain early warning system pilot project will be launched to expand information-sharing and counter-economic coercion.
- In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they agreed to support Kyiv, maintain coordinated sanctions against Moscow, and reduce dependence on Russian energy.
- The joint statement emphasized opposition to any unilateral changes to the status quo in the Indo-Pacific waters.
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| 6 | | Germany faces a surge in online trading fraud by criminals scamming victims across Europe. Germany, being Europe's largest economy, is a prime target, with an estimated $1B stolen annually. More: - Online trading fraud is escalating globally, with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation estimating losses of $3B last year.
- Similar figures are reported in affluent European countries.
- Central to these scams are "boiler rooms" or high-pressure call centers.
- Most employees are unaware of the illicit nature of their work.
- Scammers lure victims with enticing online ads, sometimes using fake news about renowned figures like Elon Musk.
- Victims are then pressured to invest, starting with amounts like €250.
- One major operation in Kosovo had over 400 operatives, scamming German victims out of approximately €32M in under three years.
- Mainstream financial institutions face reputational risks as scammers imitate platforms like Deutsche Bank's Xmarkets.
Zoom Out: - The rise of cryptocurrency and its anonymity has made it a preferred method for scammers, leading to increased vigilance by financial regulators.
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| 7 | | QUICK HITS:
- The AWS Cookbook — packed with practical insights and hands-on examples — is a must-have for your cloud toolkit.*
- Lolita, a beloved orca who had lived in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium since 1970 and was set to be released into the ocean, has died.
- Rare flesh-eating Vibrio vulnificus bacteria found in raw or undercooked seafood killed five in Florida.
- Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi pardoned Ahmed Douma, a democracy activist serving a 15-year prison sentence for his role in protests that followed the 2011 uprising.
- This AI company, backed by top VCs, is eliminating a $1T problem in hospitality. Invest and learn more about Jurny. and learn how to invest in Jurny today!*
*This is a sponsored post. | | | |
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