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06/08/2022 ---- 16/08/2022

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16.08.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Aung San Suu sentenced to more prison as Myanmar’s coup strengthens

Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the world’s most prominent political prisoner. As secretary of the National League for Democracy she played a vital role in Myanmar’s transition to momentary democracy a decade ago. In 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Prize “for Peace for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights”. She is now detained since the military coup in 2021 and she has already been sentenced for a number of charges to 11 years. Today her prosecution continues and she has been sentenced to additional 6 years in prison in a trial held with closed doors. The trials handing down one guilty sentence after another to the Nobel Peace Prize laureate are widely seen as an attempt by the military to remove her from politics in view of the promised elections next year.

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15.08.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Leaders meet to try to pass a UN treaty to protect oceans

World leaders meet at the UN in New York for more talks to save the world's oceans from overexploitation. The UN High Seas Treaty has been through 10 years of negotiations but has yet to be signed. If agreed, it would put 30% of the world's oceans into conservation areas by 2030. Campaigners hope it will protect marine life from overfishing. Moreover, human activities like deep-sea mining and the access to marine genetics resources (MGR) will be regulated. The treaty would place parts of the world's oceans into a network of Marine Protected Areas. We hope such treaty will be signed (and enforced).

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14.08.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Women protest in Afganistan after 1 year of Taliban’s government

About one year ago the US army was completing its caotic exit from Afganistan. Since then a new Taliban government took place and enforced their interpretation of Islam. So far, it meant a lot to women’s rights and freedom. In a short time the government instructed women to cover their faces in public and government employees to grow beard, blocked secondary school for girls, established days when women can visit public parks (only days when men don’t). On Saturday about 40 women protested in Kabul demanding right to work, education, and political participation. Taliban forces fired shots in the air to disperse the group. Allegedly, some protesters have been detained.

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13.08.2022
THEME: SPORT

Bill Russell dies at 88. In his honour the NBA retired his N.6 jersey throughout the league

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today that they will honour the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer William Felton Russell by permanently retiring his uniform number 6 throughout the league. The iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will be the first player to have his number retired across the NBA. Born in Louisiana in 1934, Russell's life was marked by an uphill battle against racism and controversial actions and statements in response to racism. His life was impacted by racism since he was a child. Later, his basket skills earned him a place in the Boston Celtics where he won 11 championships and became the league's first black (playing) coach, marking several NBA records. He leveraged this unique position in favour of civil rights and he was active in the Black Power movement. A prominent civil rights activist, he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, condemned racial segregation and advocated for Muhammad Ali's refusal to be drafted in the Vietnam War. Ex US president Barak Obama awarded to him the Medal of Freedom in 2011.

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12.08.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Climate Change is happening and damage will be huge, experts say

In the last month several articles reported record atmospheric events. Experts say that these are linked to the ongoing climate change effects, and that in the future such events will be the "new normal". Reported events include arctic melting faster than predicted, record high temperatures in England and China, arctic storms, record rainfalls in Korea, extreme drought in EU. As pointed out by some articles, the climate risks are expected to have effects much worse than the recent economic crisis seen in the past (including pandemic and the energy crisis caused by war).

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12.08.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Homemade baby food contains as many toxic metals as store-bought options, report says

Researchers tested 288 foods bought at stores and farmers markets across the United States including grains, fruits, vegetables, snacks, teething foods, and family items that babies eat, such as cereals and rice cakes for lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Those heavy metals are among the World Health Organisation’s top 10 chemicals for infants and children. Results showed 94% of manufactured baby foods, family foods and homemade purees made from purchased raw foods contained detectable amounts of one or more heavy metals. So… what can we do to avoid that? The pediatrician Dr. Mark Corkins, chair of the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests to feed baby with as many different types of foods as possible. “If you spread foods out, and offer a wide variety of options, you'll have less toxicity," Corkins said. "And nutritionally that's always been the right thing to do to get the most micronutrients from the food you eat."

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11.08.2022
THEME: ENTERTAINMENT

Japan’s Ghibli Park about to open its doors

Ghibli’s anime movies made history of children’s entertainment. They arguably are the equivalent of Disney’s for the oriental culture. Ghibli Park is located on the site of the 2005 Expo Memorial Park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture - two hours from Kyoto. Tickets are now for sale and the opening is foreseen in early November.

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11.08.2022
THEME: HEALTH

North Korea's Kim Jong Un declares victory against Covid

North Corea leader Kim Jong declared a shining victory against the virus. He ordered restrictions to be lifted since North Corea has not reported any new suspected cases since July 29th. However,international observers say the country has limited testing. Moreover, the country has one of the world's worst healthcare systems with few intensive care units and no Covid treatment drugs or vaccines. The country has not rolled out any vaccination programme during the pandemic, relying instead on lockdowns, homegrown treatments, and what Mr Kim has called the "advantageous Korean-style socialist system".

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10.08.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

US government invests 280 Billions in semiconductor high tech

The US government has just approved investments for a total of 280 Billion dollars in order to ramp up the internal production of semiconductors and boost research in robotics and wireless communications through the National Science Foundation. Some journals report the news as an attempt in weaking the Chinese economy due to the current tension in Taiwan, which is indeed a world leader in the semiconductor industry.

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09.08.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Seoul faces the heaviest rainfall since decades

Record rainfalls hit Seoul, South Korea's capital, submerging vehicles and flooding homes and subway stations. The situation is critical with at least 8 people dead so far and many more injured. Seoul's Dongjak district recorded more than 141.5 mm of rain per hour - the highest rate since 1942, according to Korea's Meteorological Administration (KMA) - the highest rate since authorities began keeping records. The Korea Meteorological Administration said up to 300 mm of more rain is forecast for the capital area through Thursday, with southern Gyeonggi Province likely to see rains surpassing 350 mm. Wether or not this results from climate change, it reminds us that the force of nature is not to be taken lightly.

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09.08.2022
THEME: HEALTH

US doctor issues warning of many undiagnosed polio cases

A health official in New York State has announced that there could be hundreds or even thousands of undiagnosed cases of polio there. It follows an announcement last month that an unvaccinated man had been paralysed by the virus in Rockland Country, New York. The vaccination is the only weapon against this virus. We should be all vaccinated, especially our children. In some areas of US the access to health care and therefore vaccination are limited due to the high cost of health insurance. Unfortunately, there are still many countries where vaccination is not mandatory and still many children are not vaccinated against polio. The position of the World Health organization is clear and states that "All children worldwide should be fully vaccinated against polio, and every country should seek to achieve and maintain high levels of coverage with polio vaccines in support of the global commitment to eradicate polio."

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08.08.2022
THEME: WORLD

Colombia: New left-wing leader wants global drugs rethink

Colombian President Gustavo Petro was elected for a fresh global strategy to combat illegal drugs trafficking. Mr Petro told a crowd of his supporters in Bogota that it is time for a new global convention that "accepts the war on drugs has failed.It has left a million dead Latin Americans during 40 years," he said, "and it leaves 70,000 North Americans dead by overdose each year.”

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08.08.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Extreme water shortage hits the EU

Multiple European countries are experiencing historic drought conditions amid low precipitation and high temperatures made more likely due to climate change. Water shortage, cause of allert in EU nations during the whole summer, is now showing its most concrete effects. More than 100 towns in France have no more drinking water and must receive deliveries by truck. In Italy the waters of Italy's River Po are running so low they revealed a previously submerged World War Two bomb. Scientists believe such conditions will be the "new normal".

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06.08.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Amnesty International reports that Ukrainian fighting tactics violate international humanitarian law

Ukrainian forces have put civilians in harm’s way by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, including in schools and hospitals, as they repelled the Russian invasion, Amnesty International reported on August 4. Oksana Pokalchuk, head of Amnesty International Ukraine, said in a Facebook post late Friday that the report “became a tool of Russian propaganda”. Similar accusations appeared in many western news, while Russians media reacted with praise and vindication over Amnesty's report. It is worth to note that Amnesty's report strongly condemn the invasion and does indicate that Russia committed war crimes.

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