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SCIENCE Saturday 4 July 2020
Israeli, UAE technology firms pen deal on virus research

By JOSEPH KRAUSS Xiao. He previously ran
Associated Press Pegasus, a subsidiary of
JERUSALEM (AP) — A state- DarkMatter, a cybersecu-
linked technology compa- rity firm based in the UAE
ny in the United Arab Emir- that has recruited Western
ates has signed a partner- intelligence agents.
ship with two major Israeli Since late 2016, Dubai po-
defense firms to research lice have partnered with
ways of combating the Pegasus to use its "big data"
coronavirus pandemic. application to pool hours of
The agreement, an- surveillance video to track
nounced late Thursday, anyone in the emirate.
comes just weeks after the DarkMatter's hiring of for-
UAE warned Israel that pro- mer CIA and National Se-
ceeding with its planned curity Agency analysts has
annexation of parts of the raised concerns, especially
occupied West Bank would as the UAE has harassed
upend its efforts to improve and imprisoned human
ties with Arab states. rights activists.q
G42, an Abu Dhabi-based
company specializing in
artificial intelligence and
cloud computing, signed In this Wednesday, April 15, 2020 file photo, a motorcycle delivery man rides past a billboard urg-
a memorandum of under- ing people to stay home over the coronavirus pandemic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
standing with Rafael and Associated Press
Israel Aerospace Industries,
the UAE's state-run WAM two countries, but the en- with Gulf countries in re- Israel to annex up to 30%
news agency reported. It tire world as it grapples with cent years, in part because of the West Bank, which it
said executives held a sign- the pandemic. of their shared concerns occupied in the 1967 war
ing ceremony by video link Israeli Prime Minister Ben- about Iran. along with east Jerusalem
between the two countries, jamin Netanyahu, who In recent weeks, senior UAE and the Gaza Strip. The Pal-
which do not have diplo- has vowed to annex all of officials have warned that estinians want all three ter-
matic relations. Israel's West Bank settle- annexation would jeopar- ritories to form their future
Rafael and IAI's Elta subsid- ments as well as the stra- dize those improved ties, state.
iary confirmed the agree- tegic Jordan Valley, had but have also suggested The U.N., European and
ment. Elta, which special- announced an agreement that the two countries Arab countries have
izes in sensors, radars, elec- with the UAE a week ago, could set aside their politi- warned Israel against an-
tronic warfare and com- without providing specifics. cal disputes to collaborate nexation, which is widely
munication systems, said Only two Arab countries, on humanitarian and other seen as a violation of in-
they would cooperate on Jordan and Egypt, have projects. ternational law that would
research and technology made peace with Israel, President Donald Trump's dash any remaining hopes
focused on artificial intel- with the rest saying it must Middle East plan, which of reaching a two-state so-
ligence, sensors and lasers. first resolve the conflict with overwhelmingly favors Isra- lution to the conflict.
They said the collaboration the Palestinians. But Israel el and was rejected by the Group 42, also known as
would not only benefit the has quietly improved ties Palestinians, would allow G42, is led by CEO Peng

Botswana investigates 'mysterious deaths' of 275 elephants

GABORONE, Botswana (AP) verify reports," Lucas Taolo,
— Botswana says it is in- the department's acting di-
vestigating a staggeringly rector, told The Associated
high number of elephant Press.
carcasses — 275 — found He said local communi-
in the popular Okavango ties are being advised not
Delta area of the southern to tamper with the dead
African nation in recent elephant's tusks. Poach-
weeks. ing remains a threat in the
The Department of Wildlife country but also has been
and National Parks said it is ruled out as the cause of
mobilizing human person- the deaths.
nel and aircraft to better This is "one of the biggest di-
understand the "mysteri- sasters to impact elephants
ous deaths." Samples have this century, and right in the
been collected for analysis middle of one of Africa's In this supplied photo a dead elephant lies in the bush in the
at labs in South Africa, Zim- top tourism destinations," Okavango Delta, Botswana, Monday, May 25, 2020.
babwe and Canada and the director of conserva- Associated Press
anthrax has been ruled out tion group National Park
as the cause. Rescue, Mark Hiley, said in May and the government months later, with no test-
"We have no reason to dis- an email. would normally respond ing completed and with no
pute the numbers reported "Elephants began dying within days to an event of more information than we
and we are continuing to in huge numbers in early this scale. Yet here we are, had at the start."q