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07.12.2022
THEME: POLITICS

US midterm elections are over: Democrats control the Senate, Republicans control the House, and Trump launches his third campaign for Presidency

On December 6, the 2022 midterm elections officially concluded after the vote in Georgia. The final result is 51/49 Senate seats for the Democrats and 222/213 in favour of the Republicans in the House. Nearly a month ago, after the vote in Nevada, it was already clear that the Democrats had control on at least 50% of the Senate seats, meaning a majority thanks to the power of casting vote of the Vice President (now Kamala Harris, a Democrat). The voice in Georgia, however, is significant as the Democrats won a crucial seat that allows them to keep the majority in the Senate even if a Republican vice president takes over in the next presidential elections. While victory in the Senate is undoubtedly important, the situation changed in the opposite direction in the House of Representatives. The Republicans had won control of the US House already on November 16, returning the party to power in Washington and giving conservatives leverage to blunt President Joe Biden's agenda and spur a flurry of investigations. Just one day after retaking a majority in the US House of Representatives, Republicans have said they will investigate the president's family as a "top priority". The lawmakers said the inquiry would focus on the overseas business dealings of the president's son, Hunter Biden. The 52-year-old is already under federal investigation but has not faced any charges. The younger Biden is not involved with the administration in any capacity. But top Republicans insist their inquiry will determine the extent of Joe Biden's alleged involvement in his son's business dealings, including during the elder Biden's time as vice president. This situation will complicate the ability to govern both parties during and after the ongoing presidential mandate. However, the results are more favourable than predicted for the Democrats, as Republicans hoped to entirely reset the agenda by capitalizing on economic challenges and Biden's lagging popularity. Despite a worse-than-predicted outcome, former President Donald Trump launched on November 15 his third campaign for the White House: "To make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Trump said before an audience of several hundred supporters in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club, "America's comeback starts right now," he said, formally beginning the 2024 Republican primary. It is worth noting that Trump was the first president to be impeached twice, and his supporters violently stormed the Capitol during the transition of power on January 6, 2021. But the campaign of Donald Trump has to face more than "just" the proof of ballots. Recently, on December 7, a Manhattan jury found two Trump Organization companies guilty on multiple charges of criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records connected to a 15-year scheme to defraud tax authorities by failing to report and pay taxes on compensation for top executives. The Trump Organization could face a maximum of $1.61 million in fines when sentenced in mid-January. The guilty verdict comes as Trump is under scrutiny by federal and state prosecutors for his handling of classified documents, the effort to overturn the 2020 election results, and the accuracy of the Trump Organization's business records and financial statements. He is also facing a $250 million civil lawsuit from the New York attorney general alleging he and his adult children were involved in a decade-long fraud. The attorney general seeks to permanently bar them from serving as an officer or director of a company in New York state, among other penalties. Trump Org. attorneys said they plan to appeal.

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06.12.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Scientists identified a bacteria which uses a never seen trick to avoid antibiotics

Researchers have just caught bacteria sidestepping antibiotic treatment with a never-before-seen trick. Bacteria's talent for developing resistance against antibiotics is a rapidly growing health threat. This ability has ancient origins and allows drug-resistant bacterial infections like gonorrhoea to kill 1.3 million people globally yearly. Examples of strategies exploited by bacteria are: direct inactivation of the antibiotics, preventing drugs from accumulating in their system, and changing the antibiotic's targets, making them ineffective. Bacteria need their folates - a vitamin complex necessary for protein and DNA production - to develop and reproduce successfully. Some antibiotics block folate production to stop bacteria from growing and treat the infection. While investigating how a type of Streptococcus responds to antibiotics, Telethon Kids Institute microbiologist Kalindu Rodrigo and colleagues discovered a new mechanism for antibiotic evasion. Streptococcus commonly causes sore throats and skin infections but can also lead to systemic illnesses like scarlet fever and toxic shock syndrome. Scientists found a mechanism of resistance where, for the first time, the bacteria could take folates directly from its human host when blocked from producing their own. Streptococcus was acquiring folate, already processed, from outside its cells as these molecules are abundant in our bodies. The process completely bypasses the action of sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic that inhibits folate synthesis within the bacteria, thus rendering the drug ineffective. The discovery's extent may impact preclinical research for antibiotics treatments. Indeed, bacteria that succumb to antibiotics in laboratory tests, where alternative folate sources are unavailable, may still thrive in their hosts' bodies. This study implies that most methods today may be inadequate for detecting resistance to some antibiotics.

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04.12.2022
THEME: HEALTH

The FDA approves the first faecal microbiota drug for the treatment of C. difficile infection

Infection by the bacterium C. difficile (CDI) is a severe and potentially deadly disease that impacts people across the globe. CDI causes debilitating symptoms such as severe diarrhoea, fever, stomach tenderness or pain, loss of appetite, nausea and colon inflammation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared CDI a public health threat requiring urgent and immediate action. The infections cause an estimated half a million illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths annually in the U.S. alone. It is often the start of a vicious recurrence cycle, implying a significant burden for patients and the healthcare system. It has been estimated that up to 35% of CDI cases recur after initial diagnosis, and people who have had a recurrence are at significantly higher risk of further infections. After the first recurrence, it has been estimated that up to 65% of patients may develop a subsequent recurrence. On November 30, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved "Rebyota", commercialized by Ferring pharmaceuticals. What makes this drug exceptional and a first of its kind is its manufacturing and delivery method. The drug is manufactured in Minnesota from stool donations screened for dozens of infections and viruses. Health professionals deliver the therapy via the rectum as a one-time procedure. The studies worth the FDA approval demonstrated that 70% of patients taking Rebyota saw their symptoms resolve after eight weeks, compared with 58% of patients getting a placebo. The new treatment is only for patients who have already taken a course of antibiotics for recurrent infections. The condition is more common in seniors and people with weakened immune systems.

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01.12.2022
THEME: HEALTH

A global analysis demonstrates that nearly half stillbirths are caused by air pollution

A stillbirth occurs every 16 seconds somewhere in the world. It means that every year, about 2 million babies are stillborn – a loss that reaches far beyond the loss of life. It has a long-lasting traumatic impact on women and their families worldwide. Perhaps even more tragically, most of these deaths could have been avoided with high-quality care antenatally and during birth. Over 40 per cent of all stillbirths occurred during labour – a loss that could be prevented with improved monitoring and access to emergency obstetric care when required. This tragic loss of life remains a neglected issue, as worldwide data on stillbirths are mainly absent. A Neglected Tragedy: The Global Burden of Stillbirths, the first-ever stillbirth report by the UN Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (see link below), is a critical milestone in improving the availability of these data globally and driving political and public recognition of the issue. The report finds that despite progress being made since 2000, stillbirths have not declined as rapidly as maternal and newborn mortality. If current trends continue, an additional 19 million stillbirths will occur before 2030. A first global study, published November 29 in Nature Communications, may explain this negative trend as it reveals a link between stillbirths and air pollution. The research used data on stillbirths and air pollution between 1998 and 2016 from 54 low- and middle-income countries, including Pakistan, India and Nigeria. The researchers estimated the number of stillbirths attributable to PM2.5 exposure. PM2.5 are microscopic particles usually found in smoke, having a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (0.0025 mm) or smaller. The study concludes that in 2015 there were 830'000 stillbirths attributable to exposure to pollution (40% of the total). The proportion of stillbirths attributed to PM2.5 pollution was exceptionally high in Pakistan, India, Nigeria and China. The underlying biological mechanisms are not yet clear. The researchers hypothesize that pollution particles passing through the placenta could cause "irreversible embryonic damage" and harm the placenta itself. Air pollution could also restrict the ability of the mother's body to pass oxygen to the foetus. Overall, independently of the exact causes, the study shows that reducing air pollution levels would reduce the risks of stillbirth.

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30.11.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

Artificial Intelligence is now drawing pictures on request, and they can be as beautiful as human-made ones

Progress in the domain of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is expected to change the world in a few decades. Such continued progress has been recently demonstrated by applying AI programs to games such as Chess and Go, where computers proved to be able to learn and win against the top human champions. Recently another AI program, DALL-E, demonstrated unprecedented power in creating original images. The program is now available online (see link below), and anyone can use it: it asks the user to enter the content of the desired image and, in a matter of seconds, creates images reflecting the user's requests. DALL-E is one of the most discussed, appreciated and criticized artificial intelligence algorithms, especially since the end of the summer when a trial version of it was made available to everyone. The first version of this artificial intelligence was released in January 2021, but with limited capabilities compared to the current ones, which surprised many observers and instilled concern in illustrators, graphic designers and artists. OpenAI carried out the development of DALL-E. This research laboratory is part of the OpenAI LP company, which is, in turn, controlled by Open AI Inc., a non-profit corporation. Billionaire Elon Musk founded the organization in 2015. For some months now, DALL-E has been the best-known system for producing images with algorithms, but there are others. Several other research groups, developers, companies, and organizations have made AI drawings, such as Midjourney, Imagen and DreamStudio. Each of these systems employs different algorithms but with similar operating principles. The original breakthrough came in 2016 when a team of scientists managed for the first time to ask an AI algorithm for the content of an image through a written request. The initially designed algorithms, however, were quite complex to use and specialized only in a small niche of demands. The most recent developments result in systems such as DALL-E that can practically design anything, with ever higher levels of adherence to requests. The latest generation of these AIs is straightforward to use. Just as researchers in Canada had experienced in 2016, but with much larger and more defined images, it is now possible to write a request in natural language and obtain the corresponding drawing in a few moments. Many aspects of DALL-E functioning are unknown, but its programmers have reported adding elements to ensure that the images produced respond to a specific aesthetic taste. As far as possible, the AI ​​produces images that we should like and, consequently, that we believe are more in line with our requests, amplifying that impression of having what we asked for. For example, asking for a specific desired painting style is possible. Those who deal with graphics and illustrations have begun to show a particular concern, sometimes intolerance, towards the AIs that draw and manage to draw better and better. One day, perhaps not too far away, for some types of illustrations, the work of professionals could be replaced by AI. Even if this did not happen in other sectors, such as writing - where there is massive room for improvement - the advances in drawing with AI have been faster and are, above all, more promising.

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28.11.2022
THEME: WORLD

There is growing socioeconomic pressure in China due to COVID-19 restrictions

China is arguably the developed nation which fought against the COVID-19 pandemic with the most rigid restrictions. While most other countries have now substantially declared the end of the sanitary emergency, in China, the fight is still ongoing. Authorities put entire cities under lockdown, even with just a handful of cases. Those in quarantine report difficulties in having access to food and medicines. The situation also puts stress on many commercial activities and companies. The economic and social costs of such measures have been incredibly high. The lockdowns are the cause of growing socioeconomic pressure. Several civil protests have erupted across the country in the last few days against the draconian anti-pandemic measures. Some of these protests have turned violent with the intervention of the police. At universities and in Shanghai where hundreds chanted, "Step down, Xi Jinping! Step down, Communist Party!". Protests have also broken out in the capital city of Beijing. One student at the prestigious Peking University reported that he arrived at the protest scene at around 1 a.m. Sunday local time, there were approximately 100 students, and security guards were using jackets to cover a protest slogan painted on the wall. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Urumqi on Friday night against the containment measures, which saw many of the city's 4 million residents barred from leaving their homes for as long as 100 days. Chinese media showed footage of people breaking through metal fences and shouting, "End the lockdown!". China is now the only major country in the world still fighting the pandemic through mass testing and lockdowns. Authorities defend President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy as life-saving and necessary to prevent overwhelming the health care system. Officials have vowed to continue with it despite the growing public pushback and its mounting toll on the world's second-biggest economy. The explosion of criticism marks a sharp turn in public opinion. Authorities are now designing more gradual measures, but they still claim a zero-Covid policy as the objective.

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25.11.2022
THEME: HEALTH

About WHO's work to identify pathogens that could cause future outbreaks and pandemics

The World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a global scientific study to update the list of priority pathogens - those microbes that can cause outbreaks and pandemics - to guide global investment, research and development (especially in vaccines), and development of tests and treatments. Starting with a meeting on Friday, November 18, WHO is convening over 300 scientists who will consider the evidence on more than 25 families of viruses and bacteria, as well as the so-called "Disease X." Disease X is a placeholder name adopted by WHO to represent a hypothetical, unknown pathogen that could cause a future international epidemic. As an outcome of the process, the experts will recommend a list of priority pathogens that need further research and investment. Both scientific and public health criteria are considered, as well as standards related to socioeconomic impact, access, and equity. The current list includes COVID-19, Crimean-Cong haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Nipah and henipaviral diseases, Rift Valley fever, Zika and Disease X. Targeting priority pathogens and virus families for research and development of countermeasures is essential for a fast and effective epidemic and pandemic response. "Without significant R&D investments before the COVID-19 pandemic, it would not have been possible to develop safe and effective vaccines in record time," said Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme. "This list of priority pathogens has become a reference point for the research community on where to focus energies to manage the next threat," said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist. "It is developed with experts in the field and is the agreed direction for where we - as a global research community - need to invest energy and funds to build tests, treatments and vaccines. The revised list is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2023.

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22.11.2022
THEME: HEALTH

First drug to delay onset of type 1 diabetes is now approved by FDA

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells that make insulin (pancreatic beta-cells). People with this type of diabetes have increased glucose that requires insulin shots (or wearing an insulin pump) to survive and must check their blood sugar levels regularly throughout the day. Although it can appear at any age, type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. A person is at higher risk for type 1 diabetes if they have a parent, brother or sister with type 1 diabetes, although most patients with type 1 diabetes do not have a family history. On November 17, the US Food and Drug Administration - the FDA - approved Teplizumab to delay the onset of stage 3 diabetes in adults and pediatric patients eight years and older with stage 2 diabetes. Teplizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody, which will be marketed under the brand name Tzield from ProventionBio and Sanofi. Teplizumab acts by binding a specific molecule (CD3 marker) on the surface of specific immune cells-CD8 T lymphocytes - responsible for the destructive action on the pancreatic beta cells. The binding blocks the activation of these cells, thus preventing their damaging effect. Tzield evaluated safety and efficacy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 76 patients with stage 2 type 1 diabetes. In the trial, patients randomly received Teplizumab or a placebo once daily via intravenous infusion for 14 days. The trial results showed that over a median follow-up of 51 months, 45% of the 44 patients who received the drug were later diagnosed with stage 3 type 1 diabetes, compared to 72% of the 32 patients who received a placebo. The average time from randomization to stage 3 diabetes diagnosis was 50 months for the patients who received Teplizumab and 25 months for those who received a placebo. These results represent a significant delay in developing stage 3 type 1 diabetes.

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21.11.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

COP27 concludes with a decision to establish a loss and damage fund

The Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) is where the United Nations come together to act towards achieving the world's collective climate goals agreed upon in the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris on December 12 2015. Its goal is to limit global warming to below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement was a landmark because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. COP27 took place from 6 to November 18 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Building on the outcomes and momentum of COP26 in Glasgow last year, nations were expected to demonstrate at COP27 that they are in a new era of implementation by turning their commitments into action. COP27 came at a particular historical moment, where the ongoing energy crisis is forcing some nations to increase the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity and heating. Therefore, at COP27, it was impossible to reach a joint statement of severe actions to reduce the use of fossils. This fact was interpreted as alarming in the news worldwide, which depicted the event as inconclusive and marginal. However, in the COP27 final statement, some conclusions may help deal with future climate change. First, it is acknowledged that climate change is a common concern of humankind. Nations should address it promptly while guaranteeing minimal economic impact and human rights, especially indigenous people, children, and the disabled. The importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including the forests and the ocean, is noted. It is recognized that some food production systems are also prone to adverse impacts from climate change and that action against such change would aim to safeguard food security and end hunger. It is noted the importance of protecting and preserve water systems. It is stressed that the challenging geopolitical situation and its impact on the energy, food and economy should not be used as a pretext for backtracking, backsliding or de-prioritizing climate action. The limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature rise is reiterated, and the efforts once more confirmed to avoid surpassing such a threshold. Despite recognizing the negative impact of the energy crisis and geopolitical situation on the fight against climate change, a decision has yet to be formulated on the topic. It is iterated that, to meet the 1.5 degrees goal, rapid and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions of 43 per cent by 2030 relative to the 2019 level is needed. The growing gravity and frequency of loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change are recognized in all regions. It results in devastating economic and non-economic losses, including forced displacement and impacts on cultural heritage, human mobility, and local communities' lives and livelihoods. At COP27, it was confirmed for the first time the importance of an adequate and effective response to loss and damage through solidarity among nations. Matters relating to responding to loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change led to decisions on funding arrangements, including supporting developing countries in catalyzing technical assistance for the implementation of approaches at the local, national and regional levels. Such agreement is the most important achievement at COP27 since rich countries, which will contribute financially to the mechanism, had long opposed its concept. It is estimated that USD 4 trillion per year needs to be invested in renewable energy up until 2030 to reach net zero emissions by 2050. It is noted with concern that the current investment rate is below one-third of what is needed. Climate change is increasingly a threat impacting our lives as humans, and a race is ongoing to save our planet and its ecosystems. In COP27, the closing words of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres: "Together, let's not relent in the fight for climate justice and climate ambition. We can and must win this battle for our lives."

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19.11.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Proteins responsible for Parkinson's may originate in the gut

Trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, inhabit our bodies. Even though they colonize all of our body surfaces, such as skin, lungs, mouth, genital and urinary tract, the majority of them camp out in our gut. We refer to these microorganisms as gut microbiota. Several pieces of evidence show that the gut microbiota influences various processes of our body inside and outside the intestine. For example, they help digestion, protect against pathogens, make vitamins, influence the function of our immune system and maintain a balance between health and disease. A recent study support changes in the composition of the gut microbiota as a potential contributor to Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of neurons in the brain due to a misfolding and clumping of the alpha-synuclein protein. Such toxic aggregates promote damage to specialized neurons, also called dopaminergic neurons, therefore, triggering disease symptoms such as tremors, slow movements, rigid muscles, impaired balance and loss of automatics movements. Studies in mice suggest that alpha-synuclein clumps can form in the neurons located in the gut’s mucosal layer and spread in the brain, causing changes in dopaminergic neurons and eventually causing Parkinson’s. Further studies are needed to understand whether this evidence can be translated into humans. Overall, it is important to say that many factors, including genetics, the use of antibiotics, environment, lifestyle, and diet, can influence the composition of the gut microbiota and, therefore, the susceptibility to diseases. As more and more evidence suggests that gut microbiota is an important regulator for human health, controlling it may be one of the next frontiers in medicine.

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17.11.2022
THEME: WORLD

What was discussed at the 2022 G20 in Bali?

The G20 summit 2022, held in Bali (Indonesia), was the first in-person meeting seeing the leaders of the most important nations reunited after the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been followed in the news mostly with reports of how it was affected by the escalating Ukraine crisis after the intervention of President Volodymyr Zelensky on November 15 and the subsequent attacks by Russia (see November 16). However, the 20 delegations at the meeting discussed many more topics and achieved a mutual understanding that poses common ground for the future of international relations and economy. It happens at a time of unprecedented multidimensional crises: the devastation brought by the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges, including climate change, have caused an economic downturn, increased poverty, slowed global recovery, and hindered the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. On the Ukraine crisis, most G20 members strongly condemn the hostilities. All members agree that the use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. Even more concerning is the global food crisis, exacerbated by the ongoing conflicts, on which there is a mindset for coordinated action to ensure accessibility to food for those in need. On this matter, it is mentioned appreciation for Turkey, which favoured the Istanbul Agreements in July 2022, allowing for grain trade over the Black Sea. The issue of volatile energy pricing is recognized, and the commitment to invest in clean, sustainable energy technology is reiterated. In the context of strengthening international efforts to reach the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, as well as implementing the COP26 commitments, the G20 policy includes a full range of fiscal and regulatory mechanisms. The commitment to tackle global challenges such as climate change and environmental protection, including biodiversity loss, is reiterated. It also recalled and reaffirmed the promise made by developed countries to the goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion in climate finance per year by 2020 and annually through 2025 to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions. The G20 also discussed how to support developing countries and which mechanisms should be applied to their contracted debts - the nations concerned are Chad, Zambia, and Ethiopia. It is mentioned that the potential benefits and risks to global financial stability arising from the rapid development of technological innovations in the financial sector - including cyber threats and the potential for regulatory gaps and arbitrage posed by crypto-asset markets - will be monitored addressed.

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16.11.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

NASA historic Artemis mission was successfully launched

Almost 50 years after the last Apollo mission ventured to the lunar surface, NASA has successfully started the Artemis program, which has the ultimate goal of establishing a long-term presence on the Moon’s surface. On November 16 Artemis I left the ground successfully at 6:47 UTC and started its journey to the “dark side” of the moon. Due to fuel leakage, this launch was postponed from the original date of August 29. Towards the same objective, the Chinese Space program also achieved significant advancements by assembling the Mengtian lab module and completing the country’s first space station on November 3. After the discovery in 2009 of Lunar pits and caves that could provide Earth-like temperatures - about 17 degrees Celsius, 63 Fahrenheit - long-term permanence on the Moon’s surface may not be too far away. These pit craters, and the caves to which they may potentially lead, would make safer, more thermally stable base camps for lunar exploration and long-term habitation than the rest of the Moon’s surface, which heats up to 260 degrees (126.6 Celsius) during the day and drops to 280 degrees below zero at night (-173.3 Celsius). On September 10 samples retrieved by China’s Chang’e-5 mission revealed high water content in lunar minerals, which would offer the world direct evidence for the existence of water on the Moon. Successive missions will further explore the moon's surface to identify a site for International Lunar Research Station. A competition, the one between US and China, much reminds the past Cold War which brought the first man to the moon.

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16.11.2022
THEME: WORLD

Ukraine crisis: after Russia retreats from Kherson, NATO leaders at G20 are forced to meet in an emergency as two missiles hit Poland

On November 11 Russian troops withdrew from the right bank of the Dnipro River in a major military defeat for the Kremlin that led to scenes of jubilation in the port city of Kherson, the only Ukrainian regional capital Russia succeeded in occupying in almost nine months of bitter fighting.  While there were few details of exactly how the Russian Armed Forces carried out their rapid pullback, the military retreat appeared to have been prepared well in advance of the official announcement of the withdrawal. President Vladimir Putin has not publicly commented on the retreat. His spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Kherson was still Russian territory as a result of Moscow’s annexation of four regions of Ukraine in September. On November 14 President Volodymyr Zelensky made an unannounced visit to Kherson, then he called a liberated city. He said that Ukraine is ready for peace, but peace for all of its territories. "We respect international law and the sovereignty of every state, and now we are talking about the sovereignty of our state. That is why we are fighting against Russian aggression," Zelensky said. "We are not interested in the territory of other countries. We are only interested in the de-occupation of our country and our territories." Western media earlier reported that the West may be trying to push Kyiv to negotiate with Moscow. According to the Wall Street Journal, senior U.S. and EU officials are divided on the need to push Ukraine into peace talks, however, they believe that an opportunity for negotiations may appear in the coming weeks or months. This event was presented by all international media as “the beginning of peace”. On the same day, November 14 the United Nations General Assembly called for Russia to be held accountable for its conduct in Ukraine, voting to approve a resolution recognizing that Russia must be responsible for making reparations to the country. The resolution was supported by 94 of the assembly's 193 members. It recommends that member states, in cooperation with Ukraine, create an international register to record evidence and claims against Russia. General Assembly resolutions are nonbinding, but they carry political weight. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the General Assembly before the vote that the provisions of the resolution are "legally null and void" as he urged countries to vote against it. Fourteen countries voted against the resolution, including Russia, China, and Iran, while 73 abstained, including Brazil, India, and South Africa. Not all member states voted. These votes saw more division than the one where the annexation of the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia was condemned. On that occasion 143 Member States voted in favor, with five voting against, and 35 abstentions. The countries who voted against were Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, and Syria. A majority of those countries abstaining were African nations, alongside China and India. With these premises on November 15 started the G20 summit in Bali, where part of the discussion concerned the Ukraine crisis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was invited to speak and presented a plan for peace in ten points which included energy security, the release of prisoners, the withdrawal of Russian troops, and cessation of hostilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not attend the event, sending his foreign minister Sergei Lavrov instead. Zelenskyy mocked Putin's absence in his speech, repeatedly addressing the leaders as the "G19." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters following his attendance that Russia is not refusing to negotiate with Ukraine, it is the Kyiv regime who is doing so. "We have repeatedly confirmed through our president that we do not refuse to negotiate. If anyone is refusing to negotiate, it is Ukraine. The longer the Kyiv regime continues to refuse, the harder it will be to reach an agreement," he clarified. In the night between November 15 and 16 tensions further escalated: more than 100 missiles hit Ukraine, with Kyiv being the major target. Moreover, two explosions by Russian-made missiles have reached the small village of Przewodów in Poland, right at the border with Ukraine, making two dead. Poland, a member of NATO, raised its army's readiness level after an urgent meeting of the government committee for national security and defense affairs. While the Russian Defense Ministry has called reports of Russian missiles landing in Poland a “deliberate provocation,” denying that there were strikes made on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish state border, Hungarian and Latvian Prime Ministers also called emergency government meetings. US President Joe Biden and leaders from the G7 and NATO are in an emergency roundtable in Bali. The meeting includes Biden and leaders from Canada, the European Union, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Japan, the officials said.

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15.11.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Climate change in Fiji means dozens of villages could be soon underwater: a relocation plan has already started

Fiji archipelago counts more than 300 beautiful wild islands with a population of just under 1 million. It is located in the South Pacific, 1800 miles east of Australia and as for the rest of the Pacific, it is highly susceptible to the impact of climate change. Surface temperature and ocean heat are increasing three times faster than the global average rate. Moreover, Fiji is routinely hit by severe cyclones. For years, politicians and scientists have been talking about the project of climate migration which has already begun. To date, 42 Fijian villages have been earmarked for relocation in the next five to ten years owing to the impacts of the climate crisis. Six have already been moved. Moving a village across Fiji’s lush, mountainous terrain is an astonishingly complex task. “We keep on trying to explain this,” declared Satyendra Prasad, Fiji’s ambassador to the UN. It is not just pulling out 30 or 40 houses in a village and moving them further upfield. I wish it were that simple.” He rattled off a list of the things that need to be moved along with homes: schools, health centers, roads, electricity, water, infrastructure, and the village church. “And in case even that you were able to achieve, you have to relocate people’s burial grounds. The Standard Operating Procedures document is in the final stages of consultation and will soon go before Fiji’s cabinet for approval. “No other country, to the best of my knowledge, has progressed as far in their thinking about how to make planned relocation decisions at a national level,” says Erica Bower, an expert on planned relocations, who has worked with the UN and the Fijian government. “These are questions that so many governments around the world are going to be asking in the next 10 years, 20 years, 50 years.”

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14.11.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Biden-Xi met in Bali: did China-US relationship improve?

Ahead of the G20, to be held on 15-16 November, US president Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed for more than three hours in Bali, the city hosting the 2022 G20 summit. Their meeting was much waited over as it sets, in large part, the expectations for the upcoming discussions between the G20 nations. The meeting started with a mutually genuine cordiality. It was their first in-person encounter since Biden took office and an opportunity that both sides appeared to hope would lead to an improvement in rapidly deteriorating relations. Xi said during the meeting that the current situation of China-US relations does not conform to the interests of the two countries and their peoples, nor does it conform to the expectations of the international community and that politicians should think about both their own country's development path and how to get along with other countries and the world. Biden said at a news conference that he does “not believe there’s a need for concern of a new Cold War.” He described Xi as not overly confrontational but instead “the way he’s always been: direct and straightforward.” Still, the US president was frank that he and Xi came nowhere near resolving the litany of issues that have helped drive the US-China relationship to its lowest point in decades. Biden raised concerns about human rights and China’s provocations around Taiwan. Xi stated that Taiwan is the “first red line” that “must not be crossed” in China-US relations, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout. Referring to the “Taiwan question” as the “very core of China’s core interests” and “the bedrock of the political foundation” of China-US relations, Xi stated that peace and stability across the Taiwan strait and “Taiwan independence” is “as irreconcilable as water and fire.” China’s ruling Communist Party has long claimed the self-ruled democracy of 24 million as an inseparable part of its territory, despite having never ruled over it, and has pledged to take it back – by force if necessary. In the meeting, Xi stated that basic norms of international relations and the three Sino-US joint communique – which touch on the Taiwan issue – are the “most important guardrail and safety net” for bilateral relations and are “vitally important” for the two sides to “manage differences and disagreements and prevent confrontation and conflict.” Xi also defended China’s human rights records and governance system, saying that China has a “Chinese-style democracy” that fits its national conditions, according to the readout. He acknowledged the differences between China and the US, but stressed that they should not become “an obstacle to growing China-US relations.” “The Chinese nation has the proud tradition of standing up for itself. Suppression and containment will only strengthen the will and boost the morale of the Chinese people,” the readout said. But they found at least one area of apparent agreement – that nuclear weapons cannot be used in Ukraine, where that nation is trying to fight off a Russian invasion. “President Biden and President Xi reiterated their agreement that a nuclear war should never be fought and can never be won,” a White House readout said, referring to the threat of nuclear weapons use in Ukraine. Biden did underscore areas of potential cooperation with Xi, including on climate change, in talks that stretched past their expected time at a luxury hotel in Bali. And he sought to convince Xi that a nuclear-armed North Korea was not in China’s interests – particularly because further nuclear or long-range missile tests by Pyongyang could prompt Biden to scale up American military presence in the region. “It’s difficult to determine whether or not China has the capacity” to convince Kim Jong Un to back off his tests, Biden said. “I’m confident China is not looking for North Korea to engage in further escalatory means.”

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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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