
North Korea Border Closure Made for Challenging Trip Home

North Korea Border Closure Made for Challenging Trip Home
Employees of the Russian Embassy in North Korea were left with a difficult choice when North Korea closed their borders at the start of the coronavirus outbreak a year ago: stay out the pandemic in North Korea or find a way home on their own. The employees and their families decided to get creative and…

Camero-Tech Launches Xaver Long Range system
Camero-Tech is launching the Xaver LR80 (XLR80) system, which enables detection of live objects behind walls, at distances of more than 100 meters. This new capability provides a breakthrough operational advantage in a hostile environment. Special forces and law enforcement teams conducting urban and rural operations require reliable information regarding hidden live objects to determine…

DHS Stops Counterfeit N95 Masks from Reaching Hospital Workers
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) federal agents report they have seized approximately 11 million counterfeit 3M N95 respirator masks in recent weeks, the result of ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and manufacturer 3M to prevent counterfeit masks from reaching hospital workers and first responders. “These seizures illustrate the ongoing efforts of HSI,…

IAI Introduces a New Electro-Optical Surveillance System- MegaPOP
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is expanding its family of electro-optical/IR payloads with the introduction of MegaPOP. The electro-optical payload, which was developed by TAMAM, IAI’s electro-optical and navigation system house. The new payload is designed for land applications such as marine or land border control, surveillance of sensitive facilities, or any other operational mission that…

Vehicle Scanning at Border Made Mandatory by New U. S. Law
On January 5, 2021 a new act, The Securing America’s Ports Act, was signed into existence requiring “a plan to expeditiously scan all commercial and passenger vehicles entering the United States at a land port of entry using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems, such as X-ray and gamma-ray imaging systems, or similar technology,” the summary says….

UK Transport Secretary Launches £794 million Investment to Boost Rail Links in North and South
A £794 million investment package to reopen two important rail routes closed more than 50 years ago was announced 23 January 2021 by UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. The new funding includes £760 million for the delivery of the next phase of East West Rail, which will create 1,500 skilled jobs, and reinstate direct rail…

Parsons’ RailPulse Reduces Reporting Time, Improves Diagnostics
Parsons Corporation announced the company’s new RailPulse solution, a software product that unlocks data generated by Positive Train Control (PTC) systems to allow more efficient troubleshooting, reporting and diagnostics. Providing an automated solution to reporting and diagnostics, including required Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) reporting, Parsons says RailPulse can significantly reduce the time and cost required…

Amtrak CEO Calls for Expanding “No Fly List” To Rail Service
After the violent attack on the U. S. Capitol in January, the Amtrak Rail CEO Bill Flynn released a statement urging the Transportation Security Administration to expand the “No Fly List” to the rail system. Here is his statement in full: “There is nothing more important than the safety of our employees. Since the start…

U. S. Senate Confirms Mayorkas as Head of Homeland Security and Buttigieg as Transportation Secretary
Alejandro Mayorkas was confirmed today, Tuesday, February 2, 2021, as the new head of U. S. Homeland Security and Pete Buttigieg was confirmed as the U. S. Secretary of Transportation. Mayorkas had been deputy secretary of Homeland Security and the director of the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services previously. The Homeland Security agency had…

Smiths Detection Partners with Italian Customs in Support of Port of Beirut Following Explosion Last Fall
Smiths Detection is providing free training and assistance for the operation of two Smiths Detection mobile X-ray vans donated to the Port of Beirut by the Italian Customs Agency (ADM). The two scanners – donated to Lebanon through the Italian Embassy – are a contribution to the reconstruction of operations in the Port of Beirut,…

Siemens Mobility Signs Landmark MoU to Install Egypt’s First Ever High-Speed Rail System
The National Authority for Tunnels, a governmental authority under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport of Egypt, and Siemens Mobility have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – together with the local companies Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.) – to design, install and commission Egypt’s first ever high-speed…

Bombardier to Supply 33 OMNEO Regio 2N Trains to SNCF for the Hauts-de-France Region
Bombardier Transportation received an order for 33 BOMBARDIER OMNEO Regio 2N trains, from SNCF on behalf of the Hauts-de-France region. This new order amounts to approximately $688 million (565 million euro) and is part of the framework agreement signed with SNCF in 2010 to provide a maximum of 860 OMNEO Regio 2N trains to the…