In the spotlight
EU warns Elon Musk to strengthen Twitter safety controls
deutschewelle-en, 01.12.2022
The EU’s commissioner for digital policy, Thierry Breton, has warned Twitter owner Elon Musk that the company must work hard to comply with new social media laws. Musk, who bought Twitter in October , has expressed an interest in scrapping the platform’s own rules aimed at combatting misinformation.
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TikTok used to promote Russian mercenary group Wagner
LeMonde-en, 01.12.2022
Threatening words in Russian and the image of a large metal sledgehammer held by an executioner: On TikTok, dozens of hate videos of this type are circulating widely, promoting the Wagner Group, a Russian militia present on the Ukrainian front and controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Vladimir Putin.
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When Elon Musk took over Twitter in late October, a kind of mass hysteria seized those obsessed with the platform. Though bemoaning Twitter’s toxicity has been a staple of its users for years, many became convinced it turned venomous overnight https://t.co/bJ3PJ6eU6q
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 2, 2022
Twitter owner Elon Musk says he met with Apple chief Tim Cook and "resolved the misunderstanding" that prompted him to declare war on the iPhone maker's App Storehttps://t.co/w48TzvyTg1 pic.twitter.com/6FgTxuZcOy
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 1, 2022
Digital transition
China fights lockdown protests by targeting smartphones
deutschewelle-en, 01.12.2022
Beijing’s vast surveillance apparatus is being used to track and intimidate protesters. Several people told DW they suspect their phones were hacked.
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EU hit by cyber attack from pro-Kremlin’s group Killnet
MaltaToday, 23.11.2022
The European Union suffers a cyber attack by a pro-Kremlin group after MEPs voted to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
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For the first time, two mature cyber-powers have fought each other over computer networks in wartime. The result is a lesson in the limits of cyber-power and the importance of having a sound defence https://t.co/Lx1Jh6eUjB
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 1, 2022
Environmental sustainability
Nature positive and 30×30 – just soundbites or the foundations of a Cop15 deal?
guardian, 01.12.2022
As participants arrive in Montreal to negotiate this decade’s targets for protecting biodiversity, two themes are getting the lion’s share of attention.
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All corners of the world are affected by climate change, but its impacts are disproportionately felt in the #GlobalSouth.
But the voices narrating the story in media lack diversity.
Carbon Brief and @risj_oxford launched #GSCD to tackle this issue.https://t.co/BoLr2bAoTO pic.twitter.com/yjLKYiGRFc
— Carbon Brief (@CarbonBrief) December 1, 2022
#ClimateChange is one of the greatest health threats of the 21st century, and #AirPollution is the single largest environmental health risk.
Air pollution affects our entire body and leads to #NCDs, such as #cancer, #stroke and #HeartDisease. pic.twitter.com/69DCtkEqIH
— WHO/Europe (@WHO_Europe) December 1, 2022
Mobility & Energy
Why is energy efficiency being ignored?
forbes, 02.12.2022
Kim Fausing, chief executive of Danish multinational Danfoss argues that the problem lies in a lack of understanding, which leads to a lack of demand. Europe still has 500 million radiators without a thermostat – adding them could have an immediate impact.
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New energy storage facilities in high demand
deutschewelle-en, 30.11.2022
Wind and solar farms do not generate enough electricity at all times and in all weather conditions. Germany’s energy transition hinges on the storage of power from renewables — and batteries come to the rescue.
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🌊⚡ Ocean energy has great potential to power our lives if done under the right conditions.
Do you know what the main types are?
🎧 Listen to this episode of #OceanCalls to learn everything you need to know about the power of the ocean: https://t.co/slqKSBpLj9
w/ @EU_MARE
— euronews (@euronews) December 1, 2022
Science policy & Communication
European Commission supports establishment of Bulgarian-Romanian hub to combat disinformation
BulgariaTelegraph-en, 01.12.2022
The European Commission said Thursday it is providing EUR 8 million for the establishment of six new anti-disinformation hubs that will become part of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), the independent platform for fact-checkers, academic researchers and other relevant stakeholders contributing to addressing disinformation in Europe.
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#ClimateScam: denialism claims flooding Twitter have scientists worried
guardian, 02.12.2022
Twitter has proved a cherished forum for climate scientists to share research, as well as for activists seeking to rally action to halt oil pipelines or decry politicians’ failure to cut pollution. But many are now fleeing Twitter due to a surge in climate misinformation, spam and even threats that have upended their relationship with the platform.
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How do audiences follow news about climate change?
This is the question at the heart of a new report by @waqasejazch @MitaliLive @richrdfletcher @rasmus_kleis based on new survey data from 🇧🇷🇫🇷🇩🇪🇮🇳🇯🇵🇵🇰🇬🇧🇺🇸
📱 Full report here https://t.co/FzKVR4AqCr
🧵 Key findings in thread pic.twitter.com/z23SgMxSOt— Reuters Institute (@risj_oxford) December 1, 2022
Agriculture & Food
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacted global food prices, exacerbating an already critical situation. The international community is working to tackle global #foodsecurity challenges. Russia should not hold food supplies to ransom and wrongly blame sanctions #StandForHumanity
— European External Action Service – EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) December 1, 2022
In 🇪🇸 the agricultural sector is enhancing our #EUBiodiversity.
An #innovative model of olive growing developed by our #LIFEproject @olivaresvivos is a game-changer #ForNature and its species!
Learn how this can be replicated across #EU👉 https://t.co/rn1tCCdlj2 #ForOurPlanet pic.twitter.com/K11ewNgxji
— LIFE Programme (@LIFEprogramme) November 29, 2022
Biodiversity is closely linked to resource access and income generation. Yet nature degradation affects men and women differently.
This makes it harder for women to have an equal voice.
More about the upcoming #COP15 in December: https://t.co/kOcyJqFTiO #ForNature #16Days pic.twitter.com/HFlCfcg8ze
— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) November 30, 2022
Health
Alzheimer’s lecanemab drug slows down disease after clinical trial
oxfordtimes, 30.11.2022
A new drug that has been shown to slow down the destruction of the brain in Alzheimer’s patients has been marked as a historical breakthrough.
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What is the 50,000 year old ‘Zombie Virus’ uncovered in Siberia?
standard, 29.11.2022
There are now a number of “zombie viruses” that have been revealed from the Siberian permafrost.
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Many people living with #HIV in the European Region don’t know they are infected.
This means that hundreds of thousands are not getting the care they need when they need it.
People need to know their HIV status. Early diagnosis is key to control HIV. #WorldAIDSDay pic.twitter.com/PXEopwvPCz
— WHO/Europe (@WHO_Europe) December 1, 2022
The losers are society’s elderly and most vulnerable. One charity estimates that around 2.6m adults who need some kind of care are not receiving it https://t.co/HSywYBWSMk
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 1, 2022
EU initiatives
European Parliament launches permanent forum on academic freedom
sciencebusiness, 29.11.2022
Forum is to highlight the extent of the threat by conducting an annual analysis of the limitations put on academics and scientists, and will debate new policies and laws aimed at safeguarding academic freedom in the EU.
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Enhancing dialogue between young people and local politicians and fostering youth leadership are recommendations at the heart of the European Charter for Youth and Democracy.
Here's what @SiljaMarkkula said at the #CoRplenary 👇#EuropeanYearOfYouth @Youth_Forum pic.twitter.com/upnIylRGMs— European Committee of the Regions (@EU_CoR) December 1, 2022
The #EUGlobalHealthStrategy is Europe’s agenda for 🌍 health action for the next 10 years.
The #COVID19 pandemic has shown that viruses know no borders. The health of citizens is linked around the world.
This means we must be ready to tackle the next crisis united and together. pic.twitter.com/3sddZe3AkM
— Stella Kyriakides (@SKyriakidesEU) November 30, 2022
Curious news
Inside the high-tech vault using robots to keep rare trading cards safe
zdnet, 02.12.2022
Forget the shoebox – for collectors with precious cards, there are more innovative ways of keeping them safe.
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🚀 Graphene samples from Cambridge are being sent into space onboard the Rashid moon rover.
It's part of an experiment to see whether graphene can protect against sticky, sharp moon dust – a problem since the Apollo era.@GrapheneUCamhttps://t.co/HP8yUv8ezd
— Cambridge University (@Cambridge_Uni) December 1, 2022
