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13/11/2023 ---- 14/11/2023

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14.11.2023
THEME: WORLD

Global Aviation and Cyber Security: A Tale of Mergers, Alliances, and Evolving Landscapes

The global landscape is currently witnessing significant transformations, particularly in the aviation industry and cyber security sector. Central to these changes are the merger of two South Korean aviation behemoths and the creation of international alliances to counter cyber threats.

In the aviation sector, a merger between South Korean airlines, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air, has been agreed upon, signaling a major shift in the industry. This move, approved at a board meeting on Thursday, is a response to competition concerns on European routes. The merger is a component of a comprehensive plan devised by the Korea Development Bank (KDB) in 2020, aimed at creating a competitive national airline amidst industry restructuring and consolidation. To facilitate the merger, KDB has invested a substantial 3.6 trillion won (S$3.7 billion) into Asiana.

However, the merger has sparked controversy, with European regulators expressing worries about potential competition issues in air freight services and passenger routes if Korean Air takes over Asiana. To alleviate these concerns, Asiana's cargo business will be sold to another South Korean carrier, and other airlines will be allowed to operate on the Seoul to Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, and Barcelona routes.

Despite these developments, Asiana's shares fell by 7.7% on Thursday afternoon in Seoul following the merger announcement. Nevertheless, Korean Air is set to submit the new proposals to European authorities, hoping for approval by the end of January, and is also awaiting approval from the United States and Japan, with a decision anticipated in early 2024.

In parallel, significant strides are being made in cyber security. The United States, South Korea, and Japan have decided to establish a high-level consultative group to counter North Korean cyber activities, which are suspected to finance North Korea's illegal weapons programs. This decision was made during discussions in Washington, and is a follow-up to an agreement by the leaders of these countries to set up a new trilateral working group for North Korea's cyber threats.

In response to these developments, Japan, South Korea, and the United States are intensifying their trilateral defense cooperation. The three countries have agreed to start sharing real-time missile-warning data next month, in an effort to better detect and assess North Korea's frequent ballistic missile launches. This agreement coincided with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Seoul.

These discussions aim to bolster response capabilities against global cyber threats and enhance security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan. The agenda includes addressing regional and global security issues and strengthening coordinated action concerning North Korean policy.

These significant shifts in the aviation and cyber security landscapes underscore the interconnectedness of our world. As these developments continue to unfold, it's evident that the lines of competition and cooperation are continually being reshaped in our increasingly globalized world.

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14.11.2023
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

Bridging the AI Divide: A Global Endeavor for Equitable Access and Regulation

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a double-edged sword, bringing forth both unparalleled opportunities and challenges, particularly in the media development sector. The digital chasm between those with and without access to AI resources has sparked pivotal debates on freedom of speech, access to information, and digital inclusivity.

A number of news organizations and networks, such as DW Akademie, are spearheading initiatives to address these concerns. They're in the process of formulating guidelines and principles like the "Global Principles for AI" and the "AI Charter in Media," to ensure ethical and equitable AI use in media and journalism. However, these are initial steps. Experts, including Asme Teka from Lesan, a German-Ethiopian AI startup, and Kenyan journalist Odanga Madung from the Mozilla Foundation, emphasize the need for a deeper understanding of AI's technical aspects and its implications on information ecosystems. They highlight a growing divide between those who exploit the technology and those exploited by it.

The potential misuse of AI for mass disinformation dissemination is another pressing concern. Advocates for caution, such as Julie Ricard from Data-Pop Alliance in Brazil and Jerry Sam from Penplusbytes, a Ghanaian digital media NGO, insist that the errors committed during the social media boom should not be replicated with AI. Zoe Titus, director at Namibia Media Trust, mirrors this sentiment, stressing the necessity for policy frameworks and a human rights perspective in AI utilization.

The media development sector now bears the responsibility of examining AI's transformative effect on media markets. This includes aiding media in crafting new business models, mitigating the risk of cost traps and dependencies on AI service providers, and identifying new AI applications.

AI's global impact is undeniable. Recently, representatives from China, the US, the UK, and the EU signed a declaration in the UK concerning AI. In the US, President Joe Biden issued a landmark executive order to regulate AI development, addressing concerns about national security and public health. This order mandates AI developers to inform the government about their projects and share safety test results.

The International Artificial Intelligence Summit 2023 in Brussels spotlighted the need for international cooperation in AI regulation and its practical implications. With Brussels at the forefront of the AI Act, the summit underscored the urgency of future-proof regulation and international cooperation. China's role in AI governance was a key point of discussion.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, the need for a shared understanding and global collaboration becomes even more crucial. The media development sector, in tandem with the global community, must ensure responsible AI use and equitable access to its benefits. The AI era is upon us, carrying with it the responsibility to tread this new path with caution, understanding, and a commitment to equality and fairness.

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13.11.2023
THEME: HEALTH

A Leap Forward: The Race for a Reliable Blood Test for Dementia

A noteworthy shift is on the horizon for dementia diagnosis in the UK, thanks to a £5m project funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery and supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer’s Society. This ambitious initiative aims to develop reliable blood tests for dementia within five years, a development that could revolutionize diagnosis by making it quicker and less invasive.

Dementia, characterized by a decline in cognitive ability, affects approximately 900,000 people in the UK, with Alzheimer's disease accounting for about 60% of these cases. Projections indicate that by 2040, the number of dementia sufferers could rise to 1.4 million. The urgency for an efficient diagnostic method has been heightened by recent discoveries of medicines such as donanemab and lecanemab, which can slow cognitive decline.

Currently, dementia diagnosis relies on lengthy and often invasive processes such as mental ability tests, brain scans, or lumbar punctures, leading to wait times of up to four years for results. This delay leaves over a third of dementia patients in England without a formal diagnosis. The new project aims to address this by using a single drop of blood to confirm the presence of the disease, a development that could accelerate diagnosis and increase its reach.

Blood tests for dementia are already available in private clinics in the US and Hong Kong, costing approximately £693. The challenge lies in creating a reliable and cost-effective test suitable for use on the NHS. Several tests are currently being researched, including those identifying specific proteins such as tau and amyloid that build up in the brain a decade or more before dementia symptoms manifest.

This initiative, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, has garnered interest from pharmaceutical giants Roche and Eli Lilly. Both firms have joined the race to develop a blood test for dementia, indicating growing momentum behind this project.

As part of this five-year project, the NHS Blood Biomarker Challenge aims to recruit at least 1,000 NHS patients. The goal is early detection of the condition, enabling patients to receive more support and new treatments that slow the disease’s progression. This could be a significant breakthrough, as most amyloid-lowering drug trials to date involve people with advanced disease, while these drugs might be more effective in the early stages.

However, the journey towards this innovation is not without challenges. UK regulators would need to approve any blood test, and the research must demonstrate its cost-effectiveness for NHS use. Yet, the potential benefits are substantial. Fiona Carragher, the director of research and influencing at the Alzheimer’s Society, noted that nearly four in 10 people in the UK with dementia have not received a diagnosis. A reliable and accessible blood test could help bridge this gap.

In conclusion, while Alzheimer's is not a normal part of ageing, the risk of developing the disease increases with age. The prospect of a reliable blood test for Alzheimer's within five years on the NHS represents a significant stride in combating this debilitating disease. This £5 million study, funded by the UK's leading dementia charities, could facilitate early diagnosis and pave the way for treatments that rely on early detection. The future of dementia diagnosis is on the horizon, and it holds promise for a brighter outlook.

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13.11.2023
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

The Unraveling Ice: A Tale of Global Warming and Melting Glaciers

As the world spins on the axis of progress, the harsh consequences of global warming are becoming increasingly apparent. One of the most alarming impacts is the rapid melting of glaciers, especially in Greenland, where the pace has accelerated fivefold in the past two decades. This disturbing trend is supported by a comprehensive study of over a thousand glaciers in the region, conducted by scientists from the University of Copenhagen.

The ancient ice sheet of Greenland has the potential to cause a catastrophic 20-foot rise in sea levels if completely melted. The likelihood of this happening is growing, with glaciers now receding by an average of 25 meters per year, a stark increase from the 5-6 meters per year just two decades ago. This dramatic change was determined by analyzing 130 years of glacier development through satellite imagery and 200,000 historical photographs.

The global temperature has risen almost 1.2C above pre-industrial levels, making the prediction of 2023 being the warmest year in 125,000 years a chilling possibility. This warming trend is hastening the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is expected to continue this century, regardless of any reduction in global warming emissions. The melting rate could triple this century due to warmer water in the Amundsen Sea eroding the bordering ice shelves, even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

In Nepal, the situation is equally dire. The country's mountains have lost nearly one-third of their ice over the past 30 years due to global warming, with a global temperature increase of 0.74 degrees Celsius in the last century. The melting rate of Nepalese glaciers has increased by 65% in the last decade compared to the previous one, prompting calls for an end to the "fossil fuel age".

The Alpine glaciers in Europe are also feeling the heat. Since 1850, these glaciers have seen a 60% reduction in volume, with Swiss glaciers losing half their volume between 1931 and 2016, and an additional 12% from 2016 to 2021. In the hydrological year 2022-2023 alone, 4% of glacial mass was lost. If greenhouse gas emissions persist at current levels, European glaciers, including those in Switzerland, risk almost complete melting by the end of the century.

Time is of the essence. Between 2006 and 2018, the Greenland ice sheet and glaciers contributed 17.3% and 21% respectively to the observed rise in sea levels. The race is on to prevent a climate catastrophe by limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The melting of glaciers is not merely an environmental concern but a threat to human existence. It's crucial that we heed the call of the glaciers and take decisive action against global warming. As the adage goes, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." It's our responsibility to ensure we leave them a world worth inheriting.

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