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29/10/2022 ---- 13/11/2022

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13.11.2022
THEME: WORLD

ASEAN Summit 2022 hosts the world's leaders in Cambodia for the first time after the pandemic

The ASEAN Summit is a meeting held by the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) about the economic, political, security, and socio-cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. Current members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The ASEAN summit serves as a regional and international conference, with world leaders attending its related summits and meetings to discuss various problems and global issues, strengthen cooperation, and make decisions. This year's summit is one of the first international in-person summits after the Covid-19 pandemic period. Held in Phnom Penh, it anticipates by a few days the G20 (to happen in Bali). The chair nation this year was Cambodia, a long-term ally of China on the international scene. Since 2020 Cambodia agreed on free trade with China and now acts as an entry point for the evolving China-ASEAN relationship. For China, ASEAN represents the first economic partner and vice versa. Despite a flourishing economical relationship, some territorial issues with a few ASEAN countries remain over regions adjacent to the South China Sea. US president Joe Biden was also present at the meeting and set up meetings with many leaders to pitch his country as a better partner, intending to quench the growing Chinese presence in the area. Similarly, leaders from Australia, Japan, and South Korea attended the meeting to strengthen relationships. Another relevant international player, Russia, sent Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who had four meetings with leaders from Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Viet Nam. In a plenary speech, he blamed the US and NATO for ramping up activity in South East Pacific to destabilize the region. The US and Russian delegations did not reach a joint statement, confirming divergence between the two countries a few days ahead of the G20 meeting. Official statements by ASEAN members reaffirmed that Myanmar remains an integral part of the alliance, despite the internal issues and the military in control of the country. They also accepted in principle to admit Timor-Leste to be the 11th member of ASEAN and granted an observer status to Timor Leste allowing its participation in all Meetings including at the Summit plenaries. Overall, ASEAN countries are trying to build a bloc, but they appear rather scattered when it comes to relevant international relations. This mutual respect may also be aimed to avoid additional conflicts in the area.

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12.11.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

Nine paralyzed patients regain motor functions after electrical stimulation

A new study led by Prof. Courtine and Dr. Jocelyne Bloch demonstrates which neurons, if activated and remodeled by electrical stimulation, allow chronic patients paralyzed by spinal injuries to stand up, walk and rebuild their muscles. The study was published on November 9 in Nature, involving scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), and the State University in Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland. In a multi-year research program patients paralyzed by a spinal cord injury and undergoing electrical stimulation of the area that controls leg movement were able to regain some motor function. The improved motor function was shown in nine patients to last after the electrical stimulation was turned off. This suggested that the nerve fibers used for walking had reorganized. To achieve this result, the scientists relied on the understanding of how neuronal reorganization occurs. The researchers first studied the mechanisms in mice, discovering a surprising property in a family of neurons expressing a specific gene (the Vsx2 gene): while these neurons aren’t necessary for walking, they are essential for the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury. “It is essential for neuroscientists to understand the specific role that each neuronal subpopulation plays in a complex activity like walking,” says Jocelyne Bloch. “Our new study, in which nine clinical-trial patients were able to recover some degree of motor function thanks to our implants, is giving us valuable insight into the reorganization process for spinal cord neurons.” This advancement, demonstrated in nine subjects, marks a fundamental clinical breakthrough toward the improvement of the quality of life for paralyzed patients. Hopefully, healing the paralytics may become one of the many miracles of science in a not too far future.

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10.11.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

A giant oasis is being constructed in the middle of an acute water crisis in Egypt

Negotiators from nearly 200 countries will prod each other at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) to raise their clean energy ambitions until November 18. Universal access to clean water is a top priority at the meeting since water scarcity has become a critical concern for many developing countries including Egypt. Despite water poverty, on the outskirts of Cairo, the Egyptian government is building a giant belt of lakes and parks deep in the desert called “Green Rivers”. Also referred to as Capital Park, Green Rivers is set to be a river-like series of large-scale urban parks. When finished, it should span over 35 kilometers and cover a total area of 6,200 acres making it six times the size of Central Park in New York City. The artificial body of water is meant to mimic the Nile and become a key piece of the New Capital project, a large-scale project of a new capital city in Cairo. The giant system of lakes, canals, and gardens connecting the New Capital’s different neighborhoods is designed to be 35 kilometers long and encompass what Egypt says will be the largest park in the world. Costs for the first phase were estimated at $500 million, state media reported in 2019. The project also includes two giant manmade lakes, the first of which has been built, according to state media. The video shown off five years ago by Egypt’s prime minister depicts lush riverbanks dotted with trees and occupying vast landscapes of greenery – even though the site is in the middle of a desert, with no natural sources of water nearby. Just how the government plans to source vast amounts of water for the project is still unclear. The park is being constructed in the middle of a worsening climate crisis where water scarcity is one of the main issues. In May, the Minister of Local Development announced that the country had entered a stage of “water poverty” according to UN standards. The UN doesn’t have a metric for “water poverty,” but by its definition, a country is considered water scarce when annual supplies drop below 1,000 cubic meters per capita. Egypt needs an estimated 114 billion cubic meters of water per year. Furthermore, as record high temperatures have been registered around the globe, Egypt may also face heatwaves in the next future which would make things even more challenging. This said, the world certainly looks forward to seeing Egypt’s New Capital in all its splendor.

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09.11.2022
THEME: POLITICS

2022 US midterms: control of House of Representatives and Senate hangs in balance

The US midterm elections of 2022 are arguably the most discussed and awaited. They come at a historical time for America and the world. The US economy is indeed facing high inflation, while tensions are high with Russia over the Ukraine crisis and China over Taiwan. Furthermore, internal politics is in turmoil due to a succession of facts involving former president Donald Trump. On January 6, 2021, following then–U.S. President Donald Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. They sought to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the electoral college votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden. An ongoing investigation is now assessing the possibility that this was premeditated by Trump with the intent to overturn the election results. After Biden is elected president, however, other events occurred that put Trump under scrutiny. After a long procedure involving the National Archives and the FBI, on August 8 2022 the FBI executed a search warrant at Trump's Florida property, uncovering 13 boxes or containers with documents marked classified. Trump, in a post online, says the records were "all declassified" and placed in "secure storage." A day later, Trump, who continues to hint at a possible 2024 run for the presidency, cites the FBI search in a campaign fundraising appeal. A legal process is now ongoing to assess the penal responsibilities of ex-president Trump, who has been pushing the electoral campaigns for the Republicans. After the vote on November 8 Republicans are favored to win the House of Representatives, but the fight for the Senate is on a knife edge. Although President Joe Biden is not on the ballot, the midterms will shape the fate of his agenda. If Democrats lose control of either the House or the Senate their decisional power will be more limited than in the last two years. Until now, president Joe Biden could count on a strong majority in the House while the Senate, in parity, was to be considered a majority since Vice President Kamala Harris holds the casting vote power. Despite the results having been beyond the expectations of the Democrats, which feared a “red wave” in favor of the Republicans, it remains true that they will not have a strong majority in either of the two chambers, therefore ensuring hardships ahead for current president Joe Biden.

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04.11.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Dietary fibers influence the efficacy of the immune system

“We are what we eat,” said the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach during the turmoil of the German revolution in 1848. This aphorism is still valid in light of the latest and most advanced research on the impact of diet on the body and health. A preclinical study, published in Nature on November 2, focused on the dietary component inulin - a common fiber present in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables such as bananas, asparagus, garlic, onions, chicory roots, leeks, and wheat. Scientists have found that inulin, besides its beneficial effect on the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract, also influences the functioning and efficacy of the immune system. It was shown that this dietary fiber alters the metabolism of certain beneficial bacteria inhabiting our gut (known as Bacteroidetes) which in turn triggers an immune response called “type 2 inflammation”. This type 2 immune response defends the body against parasitic worms (Helminths) infections, and it is also important for wound healing. More studies are now needed to understand the relevance of these findings for the human model. Indeed, in the human body, there is a large number of bacteria amounting to an average of 2 kg mass per individual. Part of these bacteria is known to contribute to many mechanisms, which include immune system functionality and its efficacy against many threats.

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02.11.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

A study estimates that blue whales ingest an alarming amount of microplastic particles

The presence of plastic in the oceans is a grave problem for our planet and its marine ecosystem. We already know that many marine animals inadvertently ingest plastics as they move through the waters, which poses significant consequences for their health. Biologists and ocean scientists at Stanford and California State University have analyzed the diet habits of the largest marine animals, the whales, and published their study on Nature Communication. The study involves drone observations, non-invasive tags, small research vessels, and sound waves to map dense gatherings of fish and krill in the whales’ feeding areas off the coast of California. The analysis showed that whales feed 50 to 250 meters below the surface. Incidentally, the highest concentration of microplastics is found at this same depth. The whales, rather than slurping up the microplastic with the seawater as they open their mouths, are ingesting microplastics as they eat their prey, particularly krill. It is estimated that a single whale can eat up to 10 million tiny pieces of plastic per day. More research is now needed to clarify the repercussions for the animal’s nutrition and health. It is important to note that the plastic in the oceans also impacts human nutrition and health. The implications of microplastic in our oceans are still not yet understood. It is a growing phenomenon with unpredictable effects on marine life, with vast implications for sustainability and conservation challenges.

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31.10.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

China space station is close to completion as the Mengtian laboratory module has been successfully launched

Today the last of the three modules - Mengtian - of the Chinese space station Tiangong (translated as “Celestial Palace”) has successfully left the Earth and reached its orbit, now waiting for the final docking to the other modules. Tiangong will soon be the second permanently inhabited outpost in low-earth orbit after the NASA-led International Space Station. The uncrewed Mengtian - or "Dreaming of the Heavens" - module was launched atop China's most powerful rocket, the Long March 5B, at 3:37 PM from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in the southern island province of Hainan. The completion of the Chinese space station, designed for a lifespan of at least ten years, will be a milestone in China's ambitions in space exploration. During this time, China has planned more than 1,000 scientific experiments - from studying how plants adapt in space to how fluids behave in microgravity. China has approved at least nine proposals from scientists in countries ranging from Switzerland to India in the first batch of experiments in cooperation with the United Nations space office. Mengtian is a crucial part of the space station as it is the most advanced laboratory module, carrying many advanced instruments. The 17.88-meter-long, 4.2-meter-diameter mega space lab weighs around 23.3 tons by launch - the heaviest payload China has ever launched. Mengtian does not have life support systems like the other two modules Tianhe and Wentian, nor dormitory and restrooms. It is designed as a working zone with 13 cabinets designed to host various experiments mainly in the fields of microgravity, fluid physics, combustion, materials, and space technologies. The Mengtian will also carry the world's first space-based set of cold atomic clocks - a hydrogen clock, a rubidium clock, and an optical clock. If successful, these atomic clocks will form the most precise time and frequency system in space, which should not lose one second in hundreds of millions of years. Scientists explained that the space cold atomic clock technology will contribute to higher-precision satellite positioning, and navigation systems, as well as support fundamental physics research such as dark matter probes and gravitational wave detection. The Tiangong space station will also become a new platform for China to explore and push forward cooperation with other nations.

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30.10.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Brazil elected the new president in a violent climate: Lula won the elections with a 0.9% margin

More than 156 million Brazilians - those eligible to vote - were called to elect the new president Sunday, October 30. These elections, which saw two candidates - Lula and Bolsonaro - radically opposite in almost every aspect of their politics, were characterized by an extreme climate of violence. Recent events include shootings in public places, the murder of a politician, and even explosives thrown at the crowd of a political rally. Due to the tense climate, the two candidates have been seen constantly escorted by security or police, even wearing bulletproof vests. Pre-election polls suggested Lula was slightly favorite to come back for a third term, capping a remarkable political renaissance after his jailing on graft convictions that were overturned. But Bolsonaro is known as a hard-to-beat politician, very well capable of upturning polls predictions with promises through electoral campaigns - in his last days of the campaign he promised, for instance, a raise of the minimum wage to $260. Besides electoral promises, Bolsonaro was involved in more than one questionable episode. On Sunday, one of Bolsonaro's allies opened fire on Federal Police officers coming to arrest him. A week earlier Bolsonaro had to defend himself from personal attacks after he told an anecdote about meeting Venezuelan migrant girls in suggestive terms. During the last debate on Friday night, both candidates returned repeatedly to Lula's two terms as president from 2003 to 2010, when high commodity prices helped to boost the economy and combat poverty. Lula vowed to revive those boom times, while Bolsonaro suggested current social programs are more effective. In such a controversial climate the Brazilians were called to vote and made their choice: for the next four years, Lula is the elected president of Brasil, as he won by obtaining 50.9% of the total valid votes. Since the current president Bolsonaro made clear that he would not easily accept a defeat, many observers are worried that a peaceful transition of power may not take place. Indeed, during vote counting, Bolsonaro has cast unsubstantiated doubts on the trustworthiness of Brazil's electronic voting system this cycle. At the same Lula da Silva, allies accused the police of blocking buses and cars carrying Lula voters from getting to voting sites. However, the Superior Electoral Court, which runs Brazil's elections, said no one had been prevented from voting and declined to extend the voting time. In these hours leaders from around the world are sending Lula congratulations and best wishes for the difficult mandate he just obtained.

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