In the spotlight
Calling Omicron ‘mild’ is wishful thinking
theatlantic, 13.01.2022
A flurry of reports has encouraged a relatively rosy view of the variant, compared with some of its predecessors.
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Should we treat Covid like the flu? Europe is slowly starting to think so
cnbc, 12.01.2022
“The situation is not what we faced a year ago,” Sánchez said in a radio interview with Spain’s Cadena SER on Monday as Spanish school children returned to their classrooms after the holidays. “I think we have to evaluate the evolution of Covid to an endemic illness, from the pandemic we have faced up until now,” he added.
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When will Covid-19 pandemic become endemic? Experts share scenarios
nbcnewyork, 12.01.2022
The staggering spike in COVID-19 cases nationwide fuelled mainly by the highly contagious omicron variant has many Americans questioning how long it will take for the pandemic to finally subside for good. While no crystal ball can provide an exact timeline, several medical experts help lay out what the future might hold.
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WHO warns against treating Covid-19 like flu
reuters, 14.01.2022
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned against treating Covid-19 as an endemic illness like flu, rather than as a pandemic, saying the spread of the Omicron variant has not yet stabilized.
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Science is clear: COVID-19 vaccines provide a high level of protection against severe disease and hospitalisation caused by Omicron.
These are preliminary findings of studies assessed by @EMA_News, which monitors data on the effectiveness of vaccines.
What do studies show?
— European Commission 🇪🇺 (@EU_Commission) January 14, 2022
Digital transition
Massive cyberattack hits Ukrainian government websites amid Russia tensions
euractiv-en, 14.01.2022
A massive cyberattack warning Ukrainians to “be afraid and expect the worst” hit government websites late on Thursday (13 January), leaving some websites inaccessible on Friday morning and prompting Kyiv to open an investigation.
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#BREAKING Kremlin says reports of sabotage operation in Ukraine 'unfounded': report pic.twitter.com/vTRtVCQR9A
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 14, 2022
Twitter's ban in Nigeria has been lifted after the platform agreed to set up a legal entity and "comply with applicable tax obligations," according to a government statement. Twitter was suspended last June after it removed a post by President Buhari.https://t.co/1ZCu5nqBU1
— Reuters Institute (@risj_oxford) January 14, 2022
North Korean hackers stole around $400 million worth of cryptocurrency through cyberattacks on digital currency outlets last year, blockchain data platform Chainalysis said on Thursdayhttps://t.co/BuaNPpzbIM
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 14, 2022
Environmental sustainability
Australia sees 50.7 °C – highest temperature in 62 years
RTERadio, 14.01.2022
Australia’s Pilbara region is known for its hot and dry conditions. Australian authorities have warned people to stay indoors as a severe heatwave along the northwestern coast pushed temperatures to a blistering 50.7 °C. The temperature is a high last seen 62 years ago.
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💧 #DidYouKnow? In 2020, 1.1 million people were affected by floods and 15.8 million by droughts in #Brazil.
Enhancing #water resilience is urgent.
🔵 Check out our latest report https://t.co/PhQBuIEpnO
🏷️ @ANAgovbr pic.twitter.com/klFSTxRvak— OECD SMEs, Regions, Cities & Tourism (@OECD_local) January 14, 2022
These are the most severe threats facing the world right now.
Read the #Risks22 report: https://t.co/yQirt9P9GW pic.twitter.com/a5iOs7AObs
— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 11, 2022
Mobility & Energy
The big idea: could fixing housing fix everything else, too?
guardian, 17.01.2022
From inequality to pollution, the housing crisis sits at the root of a surprising range of problems.
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The #COVID19 pandemic has shown that cities & urban areas are at risk of facing the brunt of health emergencies.
What can be done to improve this? Learn more 👉https://t.co/f7HRoqzdV3 pic.twitter.com/00lKUoefSs— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 13, 2022
Green policies involve unpleasant trade-offs. Most imply higher taxes, which are unlikely to prove much more popular than higher bills https://t.co/BWJFumoEYT
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) January 14, 2022
The #CircularCarsInitiative is transforming the automotive and mobility industry.https://t.co/wCrryWK45D@ArcelorMittal @MahindraRise @BASF @Accenture @DHLGlobal @McKinsey @TataSteelLtd @AudiOfficial @SYSTEMIQ_Ltd @volvocars @SolvayGroup @UmicoreGroup @wbcsd @ADI_News @EITeu pic.twitter.com/DeGjG95DCh
— World Economic Forum (@Davos) January 14, 2022
The world faces more years of high energy prices and emissions unless the electricity sector changes faster after demand hit a record last year, the International Energy Agency said Fridayhttps://t.co/hfaCO55Po0
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 14, 2022
Agriculture & Food
Could a global farmers’ assembly help cut agriculture pollution?
guardian, 14.01.2022
Ammonia from animal waste and fertilisers used to grow feed, create air pollution and poorer suffer most.
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People have been chopping Britain’s rainforests down since the Neolithic era, and they now make up just 1% of the land area https://t.co/4m9mubVqck
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) January 14, 2022
From the Colombian Amazon to Indonesia, the Food Action Alliance is transforming the way food is produced.
Read more: https://t.co/JuEhObAVWz#DavosAgenda pic.twitter.com/5izD3pIEmR
— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 14, 2022
Health
Covid-19 testing policy put under the microscope
abs-cbnnews, 05.01.2022
Britain and Israel are overhauling their Covid-19 testing policies as governments seek to reduce the burden on laboratories and struggle with tight supplies of kits amid soaring infection rates fuelled by the omicron variant.
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The extent to which infection and death are “decoupled” for cases of Omicron will not be the same everywhere https://t.co/g2n7bhiCdv
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) January 14, 2022
Did you know? Cervical cancer could be the first cancer in the world to be eliminated, if…
• 90% of girls are vaccinated
• 70% of women are screened
• 90% of women with cervical disease receive treatment📷 | @OxfordVacGroup#CervicalCancerAwarenessMonth pic.twitter.com/gUcT0O4a0B
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) January 14, 2022
Science policy & Communication
Fact check: How do I spot a deep fake?
deutschewelle-en, 14.01.2022
In the era of deepfakes, it can be extremely difficult to know whether or not a video is real just by using your eyes and ears. Should you be worried? No, but you should be prepared. DW explains how to spot deepfakes.
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What kind of news innovation we'll see in 2022?
💡 We've surveyed 246 media leaders from 52 countries to respond this question
📱Full report by @nicnewman herehttps://t.co/GMjMmH9mIJ
🧶 5 charts in thread— Reuters Institute (@risj_oxford) January 12, 2022
This is how disinformation enables legal persecution. See more than 400 examples of pro-Kremlin #disinfo claims about Alexei #Navalny & his team. https://t.co/4BFCilZiAO https://t.co/VojW36Kq3c
— EUvsDisinfo (@EUvsDisinfo) January 14, 2022
EU initiatives
How the EU space programme could deliver bigger economic impact
sciencebusiness, 13.01.2022
The EU should do more to help member states and small companies take up space data and technology, so that Europe’s public investment in space projects can return economic value, a new report commissioned by the European Parliament’s research and industry committee (ITRE) has concluded.
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Horizon Europe: Swiss researchers under pressure to relocate or forgo EU grants
swissinfo, 12.01.2022
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced that Swiss-based researchers who were recently awarded Horizon Europe research grants will need to do their work outside Switzerland in the absence of an agreement with the EU.
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How can #AcademicFreedom and institutional #autonomy be achieved? By providing and honouring sound regulatory frameworks.
Read our joint idea with @ScienceEurope and @ALLEA_academies for the #CoFoE here ⬇️ https://t.co/kU53OqmPfI
— EUA (@euatweets) January 14, 2022
Curious news
How shea trees can help combat climate change https://t.co/tH8mIfobId @GlobalShea @actionforsheaparklands pic.twitter.com/Jqz0z6pc8F
— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 13, 2022
