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06.10.2022
THEME: WORLD

Bertozzi, Meldal, Barry: the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to the pioneers of “click” chemistry

Carolyn R. Bertozzi (USA, 55), Morten Meldal (DK, 68), and Barry Sharpless (USA, 81) are the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022, awarded “or the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry”. Sharpless and Meldal have laid the foundation by describing the process for the first time in two independent but very similar works. Bertozzi (the 8th woman in history awarded with this Nobel) has taken click chemistry to a new dimension and started utilizing it in living organisms. Click chemistry is not a single specific reaction but describes a way of generating products by joining small modular units. By the union of biomolecules and molecular probes, they have been made notably useful in the detection, localization, and qualification of biomolecules in vivo. However, the method is not limited to biological conditions: the concept of a "click" reaction has been used in chemoproteomic, pharmacological, and various biomimetic applications. The reason for such widespread use is that these reactions are in general able to occur in relatively simple conditions, are not disturbed by water, generate little and inoffensive byproducts, and happen quickly with high characteristic yield. These qualities make click reactions particularly suitable to the problem of isolating and targeting molecules in complex biological environments. In such environments, products accordingly need to be physiologically stable and any byproducts need to be non-toxic (for in vivo systems). Their work finds even further application in all those industries and research fields where molecules need precision design and production, such as nanotechnology, pharmacology, and materials engineering.

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05.10.2022
THEME: WORLD

Aspect, Clauser, Zeilinger: the Nobel prize in Physics goes to experimental quantum entanglement

A famous law of quantum mechanics states that two objects that are separate in space can, in some cases, maintain a strong connection: what happens to one object will immediately influence the other. Such incredible behavior, referred to as entanglement, is a characteristic of quantum mechanics which has no parallel in classical physics. If theories have been developed at the beginning of the past century, the experimental proof came much later. It is for their pioneering experiments that demonstrate these facts that today Alain Aspect (France - 75), John F Clauser (the USA - 79), and Anton Zeilinger (Austria - 77) are the winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics. Thanks to their work, quantum entanglement is not just a theory anymore, but rather a hard undeniable fact of nature. It is also thanks to their contribution that today many investments have been dedicated to quantum technology, which is revolutionizing the capabilities of our computers as well as bringing cybersecurity to the next level.

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04.10.2022
THEME: WORLD

Swedish paleogeneticist Svante Pääbo wins 2022 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine

Dr. Svante Pääbo (Swedish - 67), founder of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany and adjunct professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, won the 2022 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. His most important contribution to science was the sequencing of the genome of the Neanderthal, an extinct relative of present-day humans. Dr. Pääbo and his team found that the modern human - Homo Sapiens - inherited some genes from these now exinct hominis. This ancient flow of genes to present-day humans has physiological relevance today, for example affecting how our immune system reacts to infections. The anatomically modern human - Homo Sapiens - first appeared in Africa approximately 300,000 years ago, while our closest known relatives - Neanderthals - developed outside Africa and populated Europe and Western Asia from around 400,000 years until 30,000 years ago, at which point they went extinct. About 70,000 years ago, groups of Homo Sapiens migrated from Africa to the Middle East and from there they spread to the rest of the world. Homo sapiens and Neanderthals thus coexisted in large parts of Eurasia for tens of thousands of years. The research of Dr. Pääbo has proven that such coexistence may have been closer than previously thought.

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03.10.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Brazil elections took place in a violent climate: Lula is favourite after first ballot with 5% margin

More than 156 million Brazilians - those eligible to vote - were called to elect the new president and several local authorities on Sunday, October 2. To win at this first ballot a candidate must collect more than 50% consensus. A second round is foreseen otherwise. These elections, which see two main candidates - Lula and Bolsonaro - radically opposite in almost every aspect of their politics, are characterized by an extreme climate of violence. Recent events include shootings at 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. Bolsonaro - the head of the Liberal Party, now 67 - would be re-elected with a victory. His campaign focused on privatization of public companies, lowering energy prices, increasing mining activities, and welfare in continuation with his previous government (Auxilio Brasil). Lula, now 76, is representing the Worker’s Party and would also achieve re-election in the event of a victory: he governed before in two consecutive terms until 2010. He left office with a very high approval rating, and he is largely credited for lifting many Brazilians from extreme poverty with the “Bolsa Familia” welfare program. He focused his campaign on getting Bolsonaro out of office and highlighted his past achievements throughout the campaign. However, he was involved in the wide-ranging “Operation Car Wash” investigation and was convicted for corruption and money laundering in 2017. But after serving less than two years, a Supreme Court Justice annulled Lula’s conviction in March 2021, clearing the way for him to run for president for the sixth time. Lula obtained more than 48% votes in the first round and will face Bolsonaro - 43% - on October 30 in the final election round.

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01.10.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Recent research finds that the brain “rewires” in phases during adulthood

With more than 80 billion interconnected neuronal cells, the human brain is one of the yet unsolved big mysteries of science. In popular knowledge it is accepted that the brain goes through significant changes in childhood: this is supported by evident milestones such as learning to walk, speak, paint, etc… However, brain development is often commonly thought of as a process that, starting at the youngest age, reaches a mature state in young adults and only in old age - eventually - degrades by an act of diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Recent scientific research is instead pointing to a completely different understanding. The structural, functional, and metabolic changes don’t stop in the early years and continue throughout adulthood in more than one distinct phase. A “refinement phase” takes place around the third and fourth decade of life: the executive function and attention, such as the ability to think abstractly, reason, and problem-solve will peak at this point before further changing. Around the fifth decade of life, our brains start to undergo a radical "rewiring" that results in a more integrated and connected network. Older adults display reduced activity in consolidating or learning concepts, but an improved activity in associating what is already learned. Such change likely results from the necessity to function with reduced resources and aging neurons. Overall, tasks relying on predominantly known processes are less impacted by age or may even increase slightly - such as vocabulary and general knowledge. Evidence also indicated that the variability among individuals can be large: a proper diet, regular exercise, and a healthy lifestyle can keep the mind in good working order and put networking changes on hold, sometimes well into old age. Further understanding of these matters may, in the future, positively evolve our societies as currently adult individuals are considered equals - by organizational and representative organs - independently of their age.

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30.09.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Nations witness unprecedented attacks to gas pipelines while Russia annexes Ukraine territories

Today September 30 Putin confirmed the annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia in a televised ceremony in the Kremlin's St. George's Hal, justified by the so-called “referendums”. He added that “….(they) are becoming our citizens forever” and that Russia “will defend its land with all the means available”. Ukraine and the West have renounced the vote as a sham and said they will never recognize the Ukrainian regions as being part of Russia. Reactions are escalating with the EU promising more opposition and economic sanctions, Ukraine promising continued military effort, and the US and Russia exchanging threats. Finland announced the closure of its borders to Russian tourists starting midnight. Additional tension is due to four gas leaks that occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Monday. They were preceded by two large explosions that were registered by seismologists, indicating that it was a deliberate attack. To date, no pointers have yet emerged as to who might have done it and why. The damage now likely prevents transporting any gas to Europe even if the political situation changes. German security agencies are concerned that Nord Stream 1 may become unusable forever and the EU is now investigating the incident and promising countermeasures. Naval forces have been deployed from the Baltic to the Mediterranean seas to protect continental infrastructures. While NATO and US accused Russia, the Kremlin rejected accusations saying it was not in Russia's interest to stop the gas flow through the pipelines. Dmitry Peskov (Press Secretary) and Sergey Lavrov (Foreign Affairs) declared investigations are needed and that Russia would call for a UN Security Council over the matter. Putin himself defined it as an "unprecedented sabotage" and "an act of international terrorism”, accusing the US and saying that “it is obvious to everyone who did it”. In the meantime, Germany's government says it will spend up to €200 billion to help consumers and businesses cope with rising energy prices: a decision likely to spread through the EU countries. Further, a final measure of the EU commission on the price cap on energy imports will also be decided or rejected by mid-October.

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29.09.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Historic moment for Alzheimer's treatment: an experimental drug demonstrated slowing the disease’s progression

On Wednesday the experimental drug “lecanemab”, developed by Eisai (Japan) and Biogen (USA), has been declared efficient as a result of a large phase 3 clinical study involving 1795 patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. With high statistical significance, lecanemab has shown a reduction in clinical decline in patients. It has been shown that the drug slowed the progress of the disease by 27% compared to the placebo. Toxic plaques made of “amyloid-beta” proteins are considered the probable cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug reduced the number of toxic plaques in the brain and slowed the decline in memory and ability to perform daily tasks. Lecanemab has been the first one able to successfully slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients. This is a great achievement for science and medicine, which now offer hope for patients and their families desperate for effective treatment. The multinational pharmacology company Roche, together with Genentech and the Swiss laboratory AC Immune is developing a second drug based on the same principle, which hopefully will even reinforce future treatments.

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28.09.2022
THEME: WORLD

Russia claims 15% of Ukraine territory through questioned Referenda while tensions escalate internally and abroad

On September 20 the Russian-installed leaders of four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine - Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk - called for referendums to join Russia. Today the first results have been released: with no surprise, a large majority was declared in favor of annexation to Russia. It means around 15% of Ukrainian territory - an area about the size of Hungary or Portugal - is now under the direct control of the Kremlin. From today the Kremlin’s narrative may switch to claim Russia itself is under attack from NATO weapons: this justified several threats to the use of nuclear weapons in the last few days as well as the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Russian troops. The international reactions are mixed in the level of condemnation of the process, but almost every state (including China and India) are asking to stop the war as soon as possible. Russian state media claim that the vote has been regular and that observers from all over the world (including France and Germany) reported no violations. However, western media noted that the process has been breaching the United Nations Principles for international observation: first of all an international election observer mission must respect the “sovereignty of the country holding elections,” and the host country – in this case, Ukraine – should invite international observers. US and NATO members already condemned the vote before the results were known. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said in a tweet that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and told him that the military alliance is "unwavering" in its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and right to self-defense. As previously stated, Kyiv is likely to continue in the pursuit of its military goals - which include the “liberation of Ukraine until Crimea”. After Putin announced mobilization last week, long queues have been reported at the frontiers with Georgia, Finland, and Kazakhstan, where men were questioned about their military eligibility before being allowed through. Spontaneous manifestations have flared across Russia and continue in a wave of protests involving thousands - despite penalties for those fleeing a mandatory military call-up by up to 10 years of jail since Saturday. In the meantime, two leaks on the Russian-owned Nord Stream 1 pipeline in Swedish and Danish waters, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 project, were discovered. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said the damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2 was "an act of aggression" towards the EU. He added that Russia wanted to cause pre-winter panic and urged the EU to increase military support for Ukraine.

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27.09.2022
THEME: WORLD

Protesters are unleashing anger and frustration for Iranian women's rights

The mandatory dress code in Iran, which applies to all nationalities and religions (not just Iranian Muslims), requires women to conceal their hair and neck with a headscarf. A law enforced shortly after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Last Friday a 22 years old woman named Mahsa Amini from Kurdistan was in Tehran with her family when she was detained by the so-called morality police for wearing an “improper” headscarf. Shortly after she was transferred to the hospital and died in a few days - the family of the young lady claimed the death resulted by act of brutality of the police itself. Several days of protests have ensued since Amini’s death on Friday. Protesters are demanding an investigation into Amini’s death and the dismantling of the morality police - the same force already criticised in recent years, especially over its treatment of young women. Dozens are thought to have been killed and thousands arrested during the protests so far, but the authorities – who describe the protests as “riots” – have yet to publish official tallies. To justify several arrests, they are claiming through the state media that behind protests there are revolutionary forces. While many in Iran are concerned about separatist groups, protesters in the streets are displaying levels of anger and frustration not seen in years. Such protests, related to violation of women’s right, may mark the urgent need of the Islamic Republic to leave behind some religious traditions, in favour of women freedom. Rallies in support of Iranian women have occurred around the world. In Paris and London, to prevent attacks to the Iranian embassies, anti-riot police tactics where employed to control thousands of protesters.

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26.09.2022
THEME: POLITICS

After Sweden now Italy: far-right parties are governing key EU countries

Sweden and Italy, two key nations in the EU group, made a substantial step towards far-right politics in the latest elections this year. On September 11 Sweden voted for a new parliament: as a result the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals had held a one-seat lead after Sunday's election. Sweden PM Magdalena Andersson - first woman PM - resigned to allow the election of a new president and government. These elections mark a significant change in Sweden political landscape: never before have the Sweden Democrats, a party who relies on anti-immigration and nationalist rhetoric, been part of a government. Further, they are now the leading force in the right coalition. Yesterday it was Italy’s turn: the three parties forming the right coalition won the elections collecting 44,2% consent and a very strong majority in both Parliament and Senate chambers. The result is particularly significant as far-right party Fratelli d’Italia - translation “Brothers of Italy” - exploded to a striking 26,5%. A conservative nationalist force which directly traces its roots to the Italian Social Movement - a neo-Fascist party created in the wake of Benito Mussolini's demise. Their leader - who is likely the next PM - is known for calling Mussolini a "good politician" who "did everything he did for Italy" and for employing a hard-right rhetorical style that emphasises "God, fatherland and family” as well as lambasting LGBTQ+ "lobbies" and “Islamist violence”. Standing alongside her is Matteo Salvini from the Lega Nord - translation “Northern League” - which began in the 1990s as a secessionist movement. He is standing on a manifesto which is consistent with anti-immigration, promising cuts to clandestine arrivals. Salvini has also been a longtime admirer of Vladimir Putin and claimed multiple times that sanctions are hurting Italians more than Russians. The third of the parties is ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia - translation “Go Italy”. His party may have a more moderate approach, but it’s his personal history of scandals - his tax evasion conviction in 2013, his decades old friendship with Putin, and allegations of soliciting sexual services from a minor - that has attracted more scrutiny. The electoral results means he still holds considerable power. Overall, the far-right victory is an historic one because it brings full power to a party that is further to the right than any mainstream political movement Italy has seen since the days of its former fascist leader, Benito Mussolini (historic ally of Adolf Hitler). This happening in a key founder state of the EU may be the premise to unpredictable debates and change of politics in the old continent.

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23.09.2022
THEME: HEALTH

First study shows that foetuses in the womb react to flavours and smells of the mother’s diet

A study led by Durham University’s Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab in the UK has studied, for the first time, the reaction of foetuses to the flavours and smells of the mother’s diet. Foetuses can experience taste and smell through the inhalation and swallowing of amniotic fluid in the womb. Scientists performed 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women and looked at how the foetuses reacted to carrots or kale - just a few minutes after these were ingested by the mother. It has been observed that foetuses exposed to carrot showed more “laughter-face” responses while those exposed to kale showed more “cry-face” responses. These evidences help to understand the development of our taste and smell and the related perception and memory. Scientists have now begun a follow-up study with the same babies post-birth to see if the influence of flavours they experienced in the womb affects their acceptance of different foods. The same approach is likely to give, in the next future, understanding of what reactions foetuses have to alcohol and smoking, and if these exposures will impact the newborn too. How do foetuses react to mother’s smoking or drinking alcohol? It will be interesting to learn.

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21.09.2022
THEME: WORLD

Referendums announced to annex 15% of Ukraine to Russia: Putin strengthens mobilisation while Ukraine counteroffensive continues

Yesterday the Russian-installed leaders of four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine - Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk - have reiterated urgent calls for referendums to join Russia, to be held between September 23 and 27. It means around 15% of Ukrainian territory - an area about the size of Hungary or Portugal - would vote on joining Russia similarly to how Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, after a vote that drew international condemnation. Annexing more Ukrainian territory would also enable the Kremlin to claim Russia itself was coming under attack from Nato weapons. This acceleration of events comes shortly after other leaders, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOC) meeting last week, directly met with Putin. In particular, president of India Modi expressed concern, while president of Turkey Erdogan has recently said convincingly that the Kremlin "wants to end the war as soon as possible". Authorities in Russia have already declared the interest in the legitimacy of the accession referendum procedure, and in their approval by the SCO and BRICS. They also declared that representatives of the media, including foreign ones, will be invited to the referendum, and the regions also requested organisational aid from Russia and other states. This is how Putin justified further mobilisation of Russian troops starting today. On the other hand, president of Ukraine Zelensky declared that "Our positions are not changed by noise and announcements from somewhere, and our partners fully support us on that," promising a continued effort to regain these territories and Crimea. The progress of the counteroffensive means Ukraine could soon launch an assault on Russian forces in the occupied Donbas region.

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19.09.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Natural catastrophic events are happening around the world: a sign of climate change?

In the last months we witnessed natural catastrophic events around the world. More recently, an heavy storm provoked a severe flooding in Italy on September 15, causing deaths and several missed people. On Monday September 19 the typhoon Nanmadol - one of the biggest storm in years - barrelled through southwestern Japan. It killed 4 people and injured more than 100 others. On Sunday 18 hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic causing floods. In Italy extreme weather occurred in August, with temperatures peaking at 48.8 Celsius - breaking the European record. In early July, 11 people were killed when a huge mass of ice from a glacier on the north side of the Marmolada mountain in the Dolomites broke away, causing an avalanche. This summer, the Mediterranean sea was five degrees warmer than its average. Record heatwaves this summer were recorded in the whole Northern Hemisphere, with severe droughts in China and central EU. Scientist are currently investigating whether climate change could increase the frequency of these events: as it has been reported that events as hurricane are subject to a number of climate change-related influences, such as warmer sea surface temperatures and sea level rise, a correlation is likely.

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18.09.2022
THEME: POLITICS

The European Commission recommends cutting funds to Hungary in amount of Billions

Since Orban's ruling Fidesz party came to power in 2010 the conflict between the EU and Hungary - one of the main block’s beneficiaries - has steadily grown. In 2018 a resolution of the EU Parliament declared a violation of Article 7 of the EU Treaty: breaching of EU's founding values. The report raised concerns about a long list of fundamental rights considered to be under threat, including the electoral system, the independence of judiciary, privacy, freedom of expression, media pluralism, academic freedom, LGBT rights and the protection of minorities and asylum seekers. On September 15 Members of the European Parliament further voted to condemn the “deliberate and systematic efforts of the Hungarian government” to undermine European values - 433 votes for, 123 against, and 28 abstentions. The situation has deteriorated such that Hungary has become an “electoral autocracy”. The EU Council can now decide to suspend any rights of membership, such as voting, representation, and block financial support now amounting to billions in the context of the ongoing recovery plan. Financial penalties would be imposed due to alleged fraudulent behavior and rule of law violations. All this in a moment where Hungary's economy is experiencing its highest inflation in nearly 25 years, while its currency recently reached record lows against the euro and the dollar. “I find it funny," Orbán said. “The only reason we don’t laugh at it is because we’re bored of it. It's a boring joke. It’s the third or fourth time they’ve passed a resolution condemning Hungary in the European Parliament. At first, we thought it was significant. But now we see it as a joke." It is with these premises that on September 18 the European Commission called for an estimated € 7.5 Billions in European funds to be withheld from Hungary over corruption concerns. The Council now has one month to decide whether to go ahead with the Commission's recommendation - in which case Commission could freeze funds to Budapest from 19 November at the earliest. Yet, the Commission left the door open for remedial measures by 19 November. To date, additionally, Hungary is the only member state not to have had its plan to receive some of the €800 billion of post-COVID recovery funds approved by Brussels. The Commission has asked for reforms in exchange for green-lighting the plan. Overall, it looks like a lot of hard work for president Orbán, on top of what has been defined a “boring joke”.

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16.09.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Asian and Middle East leaders met in Samarkand and discussed cooperation and international issues

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was set up in 2001 as a political, economic and security organisation to rival Western institutions. Member countries are China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This year, among others, also leaders of Belarus, Iran, and Turkey participated to the meeting - which took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. President of China Xi Jinping, president of Russia Vladimir Putin, president of India Narendra Modi, and president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan were present. This meeting marks another milestone towards a more intense financial, economic, and political cooperation between nations in Central Asia. Russia has closed deals with Turkey, India, China, and Mongolia to increase significantly energy export towards Asia. President Xi, during his keynote speech, outlined several priorities going forward for the SCO state members, including enhancing solidarity and cooperation, maintaining strategic independence and safeguarding regional stability, pursuing inclusiveness and shared benefits in promoting development cooperation. On the situation in Ukraine, with counteroffensives underway against Russia, some contrasting views were shared: while Putin confirmed Russia’s will to endure until reaching “liberation of Donbas”, no direct support was offered by any country - China included - and India’s president Modi further expressed concern. In his words: “I know today’s era is not of war. We discussed this issue with you on phone several times, that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world […] Today the biggest worry before the world, especially developing countries, is food security, fuel security, fertilisers. We must find ways to these problems and you will also have to consider” he said to Putin. The meeting concluded with leaders signing a declaration containing statements of shared effort on safeguarding global food security and energy security, addressing climate change, and maintaining a secure, stable and diversified supply chain.

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15.09.2022
THEME: HEALTH

New hormonal contraception methods for men: sharing responsibility for birth control.

Whereas women can choose between many methods of contraception, so far the choice for men is reduced to condom or vasectomy - which implies permanent infertility. To overcome this barrier, scientist at the University of Minnesota developed a male pill soon to be tested in a human clinical trial. So far, the data showed that the pill is 99 per cent effective in mice without causing adverse effects. Another option is coming from the University of Edinburgh, where a team developed a shoulder gel releasing the hormone progestin, able to block testosterone production and therefore reducing sperm production. The gel is being evaluated in Phase 2 clinical trials in US. Getting these new options to the market will take between 5 and 10 years mainly because the trials must not only demonstrate the efficacy of the product in preventing the pregnancies, but also the reversibility of the effect - meaning that the couples must manage to conceive once they decide to stop the treatment. With female rights debate on the rise, especially after the decision of the US Supreme Court about the right of abortion (June 24) and the anti-abortion laws passed in Hungary (September 15), male contraceptives may slowly become important to political and societal debates.

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14.09.2022
THEME: HEALTH

Monkeypox virus continues to spread: another confirmed fatal case in the US

Currently up to 21985 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the US and 23000 cases in Europe. Although monkeypox is rarely fatal, people with a weak immune system are more likely to get seriously ill or die. It was the case for a Los Angeles resident who died last Monday after being hospitalised. It is the second fatal case monkeypox certificated in the US since May 2022. On September 13, in occasion of the 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety and WHO Regional Director for Europe declared that the virus, previously only linked to person-person spread in non-endemic countries, now represents a public health emergency of international concern. EU and WHO reconfirmed their joint efforts to prevent monkeypox from becoming endemic in Europe and better protect the citizens.

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13.09.2022
THEME: WORLD

Ukraine proves strong counteroffensive against Russians invasion in South East

On September 12 Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "since the beginning of September our soldiers have already liberated 6,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in the east and south, and we are continuing to advance". It is yet not clear if this counteroffensive could be the tipping point of the war. However, it is confirmed also from Russian sources that Kremlin’s troops have lost key cities in the north-eastern Kharkiv region and are under pressure in other key locations in the South. To date Russia still holds one fifth of the country and maintains troops and munitions in Ukrainian territory. Eastern media argue that this will lead to a prolonged conflict. In the meantime in Russia the sentiment that the “special military operation” was a mistake is mounting: dozens of municipal deputies from Moscow and St. Petersburg have called on President Vladimir Putin to resign in an open letter published Monday, despite the signatories being now at risk of severe punishment. “President Putin's actions are detrimental to the future of Russia and its citizens” reads the petition. Even more notable, such criticism seeped onto state-controlled Russian TV. “People who convinced President Putin that the operation will be fast and effective ... these people really set up all of us,” Boris Nadezhdin, a former parliament member, said on a talk show on NTV television. “We're now at the point where we have to understand that it's absolutely impossible to defeat Ukraine using these resources and colonial war methods.” Despite this criticism the Kremlin continues to state that the objectives of the special military operations will be achieved as Russia’s forces are now being reinforced.

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12.09.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Paris agreement objectives are essential for Earth’s survival, scientists found out

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. A study published on September 8 on Science highlights the importance of such objectives: by reviewing historic records and more than 200 peer-reviewed works, scientists determined that multiple climate tipping points could be triggered if global temperature rises beyond 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. By “tipping point” is meant the minimum amount of warming that might trigger a catastrophic shift in a system. The team found that at the current level of global warming - 1.1°C since the preindustrial era - Earth has already passed the low-end risk estimate for five tipping points, putting coral reefs, permafrost, and polar ice at risk. For polar ice sheets, however, the authors estimate that 1.5°C is the more likely tipping threshold, and that the sheets might be able to withstand as much as 3°C of warming without irreversible decline. Despite the study also indicates that a lot of really bad tipping points are still avoidable, lead author David Armstrong McKay from Stockholm Resilience Centre, University of Exeter, and the Earth Commission says that “the chance of crossing tipping points can be reduced by rapidly cutting greenhouse gas emissions, starting immediately”.

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10.09.2022
THEME: HEALTH

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency for polio

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency on Friday in a bid to accelerate efforts to vaccinate residents against polio after the virus was detected in wastewater samples taken in four counties. In early August a health official in New York State had already announced that there could be hundreds or even thousands of undiagnosed cases of polio. The vaccination is the only weapon against this virus. In the state of New York polio vaccination rate is only 79% - some counties having even lower rates. The position of the World Health organisation 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." In some areas of US the access to health care and therefore vaccination are limited due to the high cost of health insurance.

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09.09.2022
THEME: ECONOMY

A united and determined EU at the extraordinary meeting of energy ministers in Bruxelles

Yesterday the European Central Bank raised three key interest rates by 75 basis points each: such drastic measure was implemented to fight the high inflation across the continent, mostly due to the ongoing energy crisis. With this premise, today September 9 the energy ministers of EU countries met in Bruxelles to discuss a series of exceptional measures to curb soaring electricity bills. The focus was on five points: (1) introduction of mandatory savings during peak hours, (2) a revenue cap for new producers, (3) capturing excess profits from fossil fuel companies, (4) liquidity aids to utility businesses, (5) a price cap on Russian gas imports. The outcome of this meeting gives to the European Commission a clearer political mandate on how to proceed: there is agreement on necessity to introduce energy saving measures, guarantee liquidity to utility businesses, capping revenues for new producers, and to take a solidarity contribution from fossil fuel companies. The ministers also “expect the Commission to propose emergency and temporary intervention including the gas price cap” said Jozef Síkela - EU minster of Industry and Trade - at the press conference after the meeting. In conclusion, in his words: “When Putin started his energy war he expected to divide us and damage our democratic societies and economies. Hi will not succeed, Europe is united against his aggression”. Concrete legislative proposals on these aspects are expected by the Commission within days.

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08.09.2022
THEME: TECHNOLOGY

Nuclear fusion is moving steps towards commercial use, experts say

In a world where energy crisis and scarcity of natural fossil fuels is more and more problematic, nuclear physics may be once again what separates present and future times. Nuclear fusion promises near-limitless clean energy by mimicking the natural reactions occurring in the Sun. In the past few years several advancements moved fusion towards commercialisation, which may now be only decades away. So far, state-of-the-art magnetic fusion devices could not yet achieve a sustainable fusion performance, which requires a high temperature above 100 million kelvin and sufficient control of instabilities to ensure steady-state operation on the order of tens of seconds. A study published don September 2 in Nature by a team from Seoul National University and the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy - experimented with the reactor at the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) - reported generation of plasmas at a temperature of 100 million kelvin lasting up to 20 seconds without edge instabilities or impurity accumulation. For the first time, a fusion regime rarely subject to disruption and sustained without a sophisticated control is shown. It thus represents a promising path towards commercial fusion reactors. KSTAR is a pilot project that feeds information and technologies into the ITER project. In addition to South Korea, ITER’s 35 member states include China, India, Japan, the EU (including the UK), Russia and the United States. ITER was propelled into force when US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met in Geneva in 1985, granting the project with the mandate of benefitting mankind. Multiple countries subsequently joined. In 2005, the international body agreed – after strong bids from Paris and Tokyo – to build ITER in southern France. Construction is underway in Saint Paul-lez-Durance and the ITER facility is expected to come online in December 2025. Experts say that by 2035 most feasibility questions will be answered and by 2050 the commercial sector is likely to use fusion plants.

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08.09.2022
THEME: WORLD

Queen Elisabeth II died: her son Charles III is the new King.

Elisabeth was queen of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96. Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. Elizabeth was the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch in history. The Crown passes now to her son and heir Charles in an extremely difficult moment for England and the world. Rest in peace Queen Elisabeth.

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07.09.2022
THEME: POLITICS

Turkey escalating tensions with Greece while moving steps closer to East

Greece and Turkey have come close to war three times in the last half-century mainly due to Aegean Sea islands disputes and immigration. Ankara and Athens are also now entangled in a dispute over the right to explore for hydrocarbons near Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, where Cyprus and several Greek islands are also located. In the past few few weeks president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who must contest elections by June next year, made several aggressive statements against the neighbouring country. He said on Monday that “Greece is not at our level, just as it is not our equal politically, economically, or militarily” in televised comments. He previously stated that Turkey may “come suddenly one night” amid a revival in accusations by his government that Greece has been illegally militarising islands near Turkey’s coastline. Greece denies the charges. “Your occupying the islands does not bind us. When the time, the hour, comes, we will do what is necessary”. This week the relationship reached a new low point as Greece’s government has written to NATO, EU, and the head of the United Nations asking them to condemn the aggressive talk by Turkey. Greece is warning the allies that current bilateral tensions could escalate into a second open conflict on European soil. In addition to this bilateral diatribe, statements have been directed also against the EU arguing it has an anti-Turkish attitude: “We know very well why the EU, which we are waiting to join, excludes us and includes countries that cannot be compared to us”. At only a few hours of the heavy statements by “Asian block” nations at the EEF, Erdogan said that “there is a West that is leading a policy based on provocation against Russia, which is not correct and will not be able to achieve any result”, adding that other countries should not underestimate Russia. His statements accompany a series of steps towards East: Turkey has not joined the Western sanctions regime against Russia and recently signed a new economic cooperation agreement with Moscow, including provisions of natural gas. Erdogan is expected to meet Putin at a regional summit in Uzbekistan next week. Chinese President Xi Jinping will also attend.

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07.09.2022
THEME: ECONOMY

A vision of a flourishing economy, based on mutual cooperation, is shared among Asian leaders at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok

It was a hot plenary session on September 7 at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. In this session president of Russia Vladimir Putin and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Zhanshu took the floor. Putin’s plenary session lasted approximately 37 minutes becoming the longest one compared to his previous speeches at this forum. He predicts that the competitiveness of European companies will decrease since the EU administration is forbidding access to raw materials and energy at affordable prices. In his words: “The level of quality of life Europe has attained is being burned to fuel this sanctions machine in the name of the so-called Atlantic Unity” and said that it will be no coincidence if the global dominance of some EU companies is going to be replaced by American counterparts. He stated that the Russian federation is launching a number of projects to develop Russia far-East with new cities and universities, with the aim to attract corporations and highly trained people from the world. In conclusion, he stressed that as most Asian nations have rejected sanctions imposed by Western countries the logic of cooperation, of pooling of potentials and of mutual benefit with reliable partners - in particular Asian countries - will allow for a sustainable long-term development and a flourishing economy in the future. By replying questions, Putin also stated that Russia has benefited from the military operation in Ukraine through strengthening Russia’s sovereignty. He also accused the EU of “cheating” to import of grain through Turkey, grain which would be destined to developing countries. However, he also admits there is no breach of any signed contract. As a remedy, he announces negotiations to limit grain export to Western destinations in order to favour poorer countries. On gas provisions to EU, which is currently stopped, he accused Ukraine and Poland of sanctioning and shutting down pipelines and UK to sabotage all efforts to repair Nord Stream 1 by leveraging maintenance contracts signed with the British division of Siemens - the company providing the turbine that needs repair. On the price cap decided by G7 on September 2 he stated that “this decision has no future” and that the EU attempt to restrict prices will instead lead to a price increase. He rejects allegations of Russia using energy as a weapon and confirms that gas pipelines will be built to increase delivery to China. Li Zhanshu, in his intervention, said that China is interested in the vision of a strong Asian economy and reassured his country’s cooperation with Russia “across the whole spectrum”. In his words: “China believes that Russia is an important partner in international cooperation and will continue to develop cooperation in trade, finance, technology, science, education, and culture”. He also stated that China is ready to actively contribute to the development of Russia far-East. Alongside Putin and Li Zhanshu, in the plenary session short talks were given by Myanmar’s Chairman of the State Administration Council Min Aung Hlaing, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrein Oyun-Erdene.

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06.09.2022
THEME: ENVIRONMENT

Thwaites Glacier is melting at an increasing rate: an acceleration of sea level raising is possible in the coming years

The Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, is one of the widest on Earth and is larger than the state of Florida. It has been nicknamed “doomsday glacier” because of its high rise of collapse and threat to global sea level. In the coming years, scientists say, it has the potential to rapidly retreat, amplifying concerns over the extreme sea level rise that would accompany its potential demise. At some point in the last two centuries, the base of the glacier dislodged from the seabed and retreated at a rate of 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometres) per year. In a study published on September 5 in the journal Nature Geoscience it has been reported that new seabed imagery indicates that the glacier previously retreated at double its current rate, implying that mass loss could accelerate in the near future. The Thwaites Glacier, located in West Antarctica, is one of the widest on Earth and is larger than the state of Florida. But it's just a faction of the West Antarctic ice sheet, which holds enough ice to raise sea level by up to 16 feet, according to NASA. As the climate crisis has accelerated, this region has been closely monitored because of its rapid melting and its capacity for widespread coastal destruction. In 2021, a study showed the Thwaites Ice Shelf, which helps to stabilize the glacier and hold the ice back from flowing freely into the ocean could shatter within five years. The nature is warning us: climate change is happening and the time to find solutions is running out.

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06.09.2022
THEME: POLITICS

“Asian block” nations strengthen cooperation at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia

The 7th Eastern Economic Forum EEF, scheduled to be held from September 5 to 8 in Vladivostok, is focused this year on the theme "On the Path to a Multipolar World," according to the official website of the forum. Tomorrow September 7 high officials of the most relevant Asian nations will meet at the (EEF) in bilateral meetings planned around the plenary talk of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Alongside Putin, taking part in the plenary session will be Myanmar’s Chairman of the State Administration Council Min Aung Hlaing, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrein Oyun-Erdene and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Li Zhanshu. All these nations constitute a large block - the majority of Asia - and their relationships are currently strengthening. This aggregation of interests is accelerated by the Ukraine and Taiwan unresolved issues with Western countries, particularly US. The G20 in Bali, taking place in November, will see the leaders of these nations face to face with EU and US leaders for the first time since the Ukraine war started.

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