Government

• [New] The Biden administration will likely follow the trend of the former Trump administration in increasing its use of country-specific sanctions programs for human rights - and corruption-related designations, as opposed to strictly using the Global Magnitsky Sanctions Program.
• [New] The Treasury Department and other U.S. government agencies possessing legal authority to impose economic sanctions will most likely continue expanding their sanctions programs to address human rights - and corruption-related activity.
• [New] There is a real danger that the British judge's ruling in the Julian Assange extradition case will encourage other governments to charge and seek to extradite journalists in the UK and elsewhere for exposing their military operations and human rights abuses.
• [New] As digital currencies are a global means of exchange that operate across borders without interference from governments or central banks, they represent a threat to the control of the money supply in countries and worldwide.
• [New] The government fund more research, to develop Thai Durian quality, and find ways to control nominee businesses, which could have a significant long term impacts on Thai farmers.
• [New] The Trudeau government is following its predecessors in instituting policies, due to come into effect in January, that will force significant price reductions on new drugs and vaccines launched in Canada.
• [New] The digital development also provides an insurance policy for China that should it run afoul of global regulations and find itself the subject of sanctions, it will still have a way to transact business.
• [New] The U.S. should employ a variety of tools to combat climate change, including possibly policies that address the financial risk tied to a warming planet.
• [New] Without a bold move toward a foreign policy that centers the shared security of working people around the world, the promise of reforming US foreign policy in the next four years will be lost.
• [New] Central bankers from the U.S. and other Western economies fret that what Facebook planned with a digital currency could now be done by China, a powerful government.
• [New] In order to achieve the goals defined by 2050, the EU and the German government have drawn up a framework for action and are making long-term investments in research, development and the rapid implementation of innovative hydrogen technologies.
• [New] Investment in ear and hearing care has been shown to be cost-effective, and governments can expect a return of nearly US$16 for every US$1 invested.
• [New] Even for company executives who are convinced there's no slave labor in their supply chain, just staying in China comes with reputational risk and exposure to the caprices of the Chinese government.
• [New] Cyber-espionage, cyber-sabotage, cyber-foreign-influence, and cyber-terrorism pose significant threats to Canada's national security, its interests, as well as its economic stability.
• [New] The new US administration has spent its first few months in office articulating a foreign policy that will guide its relations with both allies and adversaries.
• [New] There is an opportunity for governments and industry in North America to adopt common standards covering fifth-generation (5G) networks and Internet of Things connected devices.
• [New] The Biden Administration could issue an Executive Order (EO) this week that would enhance Government agencies' multi-factor authentication and encryption standards and impose new requirements on Government software vendors.
• [New] Clouded by the yes to blockchain, no to bitcoin myth and a lack of national security awareness, several local governments that sponsored blockchain projects in Taiwan have a high risk of being assimilated by the CCP's Blockchain Services Network.

Last updated: 07 April 2021