New estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have found that 12.9 million infants, or nearly 1 in 10 around the world, didn’t receive any vaccinations in 2016. Consequently, these infants missed the first dose of the combined vaccine against diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) and the vaccine to prevent measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Preventable Diseases Measles, mumps and rubella are all viral infections. Measles can cause a rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation and fever. It can lead to ear infection, pneumonia, seizures, brain damage and death. Of these diseases, measles is the one still common in many parts…
The Watch
Long-range missile defense system reaches new high THE WATCH Staff The Pentagon’s successful test of its ground-based midcourse defense (GMD) anti-missile system on May 30, 2017, could not have come at a more opportune time. Despite global condemnation, North Korea had been accelerating its long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing with the stated goal of building a nuclear-tipped weapon capable of striking the United States. Recent test-firings have demonstrated North Korea’s ability to attain its goal sooner than many experts had believed, adding a renewed urgency to developing an effective GMD system. The missile defense system is part of an…
The Associated Press For the first time in the United States, scientists have edited the genes of human embryos, a controversial step toward someday helping babies avoid inherited diseases. MIT Technology Review reported in July 2017 that the experiment was just a scientific exercise: The embryos were not allowed to develop for more than a few days and were never intended to be implanted into a womb. Officials at Oregon Health & Science University confirmed the work took place there and said results eventually would be published in a journal. The scientists used a technique called CRISPR/Cas9, which allows sections…
Agence France-Presse Norway plans to launch the first autonomous and fully electric cargo ship in 2018, a feat the project’s backers say will save 40,000 truck journeys per year. Fertilizer company Yara International teamed up with industrial group Kongsberg to build the Yara Birkeland, which will haul fertilizer to three ports in southern Norway. With a range of more than 120 kilometers, the ship will haul 100 containers at a speed of 12 to 15 knots. Initially, the ship will be manned, but remote operation is expected to begin in 2019 and fully autonomous operation in 2020. “Every day, more…
Reuters A new technique using artificial intelligence to predict where deforestation is likely to occur could help the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) preserve its shrinking rainforest and cut carbon emissions. The DRC’s rainforest, pictured, the world’s second-largest after the Amazon, is under pressure from farming, mining, logging and development. Protecting forests is widely seen as one of the cheapest and most effective ways to reduce the emissions driving global warming. Conservation efforts in the DRC, however, have suffered from a lack of precise data on which areas of the country’s vast territory are most at risk of losing…
Canada boosts defense spending to address an evolving threat environment THE WATCH Staff When Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced Canada’s new defense policy, analysts widely agreed the commitment to better training, improved troop support and new, modern equipment and weaponry are needed if the Canadian Armed Forces are to transition successfully into a force ready for future challenges. Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the Defence Staff, said it was a “great day to be in uniform.” The plan, named Strong, Secure, Engaged, calls for an increase in defense spending of $13.8 billion Canadian (U.S. $10.8 billion) to $32.7 billion…
Nations are cooperating in the Arctic, but increasing militarization could put peace at risk THE WATCH Staff Receding sea ice is ushering in a new resource race in the Arctic. Nations are maneuvering for control of the region, which holds rich deposits of oil, gas and minerals that are becoming newly accessible as the polar ice cap melts at an increasingly rapid rate. The melting ice, which is disappearing at about twice the pace of other spots on the planet, could also open shorter shipping routes between Western Europe and East Asia and expand commercial fishing and tourism opportunities. Some believe…
Command defends against potential threats from the sea NORAD MARITIME TEAM The end of the Cold War did not diminish the importance of the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) aerospace warning and control role, and the events of 9/11 focused leaders on potential threats that resulted in adding maritime warning to NORAD’s responsibility. The complexity of maritime security and the defense of North America stems from the numerous threat vectors encompassing millions of square miles of ocean. The challenge to the security and defense of Canada and the United States is global. Achieving maritime domain awareness is crucial, and…
From fierce hurricanes to deadly quakes, USNORTHCOM rises to the challenge THE WATCH Staff For many North Americans, the summer of 2017 was one better forgotten. Lightning-quick wildfires scorched more than 8 million acres of the American homeland — from the wilderness of Wyoming to the wine region of California. Deadly hurricanes battered Florida, Puerto Rico and Texas, leaving thousands homeless and without water or power. Add to that three deadly earthquakes in Mexico in a little more than two weeks, and the business of providing disaster relief proved logistically daunting. That job — responding to each disaster by supporting…
Agence France-Presse The Czech Republic announced it will increase the size of its Armed Forces by 30 percent after the government approved raising defense spending. Then-Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky said the number of people in the Armed Forces would rise from about 23,000 to 30,000 “within the next five to seven years.” “The Czech Army is currently among the smallest in Europe in relation to its population,” he said. The Czech Republic has a population of 10.5 million. “The list of wanted professions is very wide,” he said. “We need drivers as much as we need surgeons and pilots.” In…