With just a year to go until the EU’s disruptive General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is enforceable, some business leaders might think these new personal data protection rules are an inconvenience at best – or another waste of EU money at worst. But the story is different for IT professionals across Europe, who expect to become more powerful at work because of the GDPR.

Terrorists who used machine guns, opened fire last Friday on vehicles carrying Egyptian Coptic Christians to Al-Anba Samuel monastery south of Cairo, killing 29 (mostly children) and injuring 24 others. There were between 10 to 12 masked gunmen dressed in military uniforms driving three 4x4 wheelers. The attack took place in Upper Egypt’s Minya governorate, home to a sizeable Christian minority. The bloodshed came on the eve of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

A simulated disaster response exercise that took place in Mayville and Hillsboro, USA, studied ways that unmanned aircraft can respond to wounded residents, downed power lines, and difficulty reaching the disaster area.

The response is being sponsored by Xcel Energy, the state of North Dakota, the University of North Dakota, Elbit Systems of America, General Electric, Northern Plains UAS Test Site and SkySkopes.

The test flights included two smaller drones and a larger Hermes 450 aircraft.

Elbit Systems announced today that it was awarded a contract, in an amount of approximately $390 million, to supply an array of ground electronic intelligence capabilities to a European country.

The contract, which includes various intelligence capabilities, as well as communications, command and control (C3) solutions, will be performed over a three-year period.

US President Donald Trump's recent visit to the Middle East embodies a regional paradox: a rapid arms race, taking place alongside an exceptional opportunity for peace.

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, won re-election in the first round by garnering over 56% of the vote.

Rouhani won with 14,619,848 votes on a total number of voters equal to 25,966,729 accounting for 53.6% of total votes.

The difference between the two figures is related to the so-called panachage, namely voting for candidates from different parties instead of those from the set list of a party, and the votes cast for his regional lists.

However, the primary loser is Ebrahim Raisi, a prominent cleric of the Shiite clergy.

Iran has built its third underground ballistic missile production factory and will keep developing its missile program, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Friday.

"Iran's third underground factory has been built by the Guards in the recent years [...] We will continue to further develop our missile capabilities forcefully," Fars quoted head of the Republican Guard’s airspace division Amirali Hajizadeh as saying.

Admittedly, the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, attempts to uphold the legacy of his father, President Hafez al-Assad, who was compelled to bequeath his position to his son Bashar after the person designated for that position, Bashar's eldest brother Bassel, had been killed in a traffic accident. Bashar's father must have known him well and realized that he was less qualified for the position – and Bashar has proven him right ever since his ascent to power, through his decisions and actions, particularly since the outset of the civil war in Syria.

With growing concerns over the protection of confidential information, it is no surprise that many in government and the private sectors are becoming more concerned with cybersecurity. Major computer companies such as IBM, Intel, and Dell have been making great advances in recent years, and they seem to have increased their patent filings in the field to match. But just as poor cyber security measures can leave a company vulnerable, inadequate IP protection can leave your business subject to a different type of risk.