U.S. Should Prepare for ‘Higher-Intensity’ Cyber Attacks From North Korea

New report criticizes U.S. response to cyber attacks

The United States should prepare for “higher-intensity” cyber attacks from North Korea by developing stronger policy to respond to attacks, according to a new report.

Current U.S. policy is insufficient to respond to cyber attacks from North Korea and discourage future attacks, according to the report from the Center for Strategic International Studies on North Korea’s cyber operations. As a result, current policy puts the United States “in the position of being repeatedly assailed by [low-intensity] attacks without concrete mechanisms to effectively respond.”

China’s economy might be bigger than previously thought

If you’re looking to turn your world upside down today, try this on for size. What if China’s economy is actually bigger than everyone thinks?

Did your head just go “Boom?” Well, then maybe this will blow your mind: The Wall Street Journal is putting forth that idea. Yes, one of Western media’s biggest proponents of China’s heading for a hard landing, thinks that China’s government isn’t over reporting economic statistics, but instead, underselling them.

Why is the Arctic at the Center of World Politics?

News coverage of the Arctic has been steadily growing in tandem with the rising importance of the region in recent years. The focus of international politics often tends to revolve around energy security within the context of a global scramble for resources to keep individual countries’ economic growth engines humming. In view of the possibilities of the Arctic as a future abundant natural resources supply base for various pivotal countries, especially in Asia, non-Arctic states such as South Korea, Japan, and China join actual Arctic nations in taking a more active part in contemplating Arctic development and theregion’s future. The Arctic Council accepted India, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Italy as observers to the Council in May 2013 even though they all lack territory north of the Arctic Circle.This actually constitutes a welcome development because some circumpolar issues – specifically originating from human activities south of the Arctic Circle – are, indeed, transnational in nature such as climate change and marine shipping. The changing climate in the High North can expose countries further south to hostile climatic trends impacting weather and eventually their food security.

China may obtain Russia’s latest air missile system S400

Chinese military commentators said China may become the first foreign buyer of Russia’s S400 surface-to-air missile system, which could help the country integrate its air defense and anti-missile systems, reports Chinese national broadcaster CCTV.

The S400 system comes with powerful radar and has anti-jamming capabilities. It is able to create a multi-layer air defense structure with three guided missiles of different ranges as well as tracking hundreds of targets and attacking up to 36 of them at once.