Tag Archives: Europe

World Economic Forum: Top Stories- August 5, 2023

World Economic Forum (August 5, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:

0:15 Half of Gen Z & Millenials live paycheck to paycheck – A new survey asked young people their biggest concerns. The cost-of-living crisis came out top. Many say they’ve been forced to take on side jobs to make ends meet or postpone big life decisions such as buying a house. And the extra stress is taking its toll. 46% of Gen Zs and 39% of millennials feel anxious at work all or most of the time and levels of burnout are on the rise. Their second biggest concern is unemployment.

1:51 This start-up recycles household batteries – The Better Battery Company sells batteries in special packaging. Its batteries are white at the positive end and blue at the negative. Inside the box, the batteries are arranged in rows with the white end upturned. When each battery runs out, you put it back in the box the other way up so it’s easy to see which are used and which are new. When the box is filled with spent batteries, you return it using a free postage label and the Better Battery Company sends them off to be recycled.

3:01 AI translates K pop hits into 6 languages – K-pop stars have recorded songs in Japanese and English before but a simultaneous 6-language release is a global first. Right now, the pronunciation correction process takes ‘weeks or months’, according to HYBE. But one day, AI could translate songs in real-time. This isn’t the only way AI is changing the music industry. Streaming platforms use AI to analyse users’ listening habits to pick the perfect playlist AIs are even composing their own music or being employed as collaborators.

4:48 New airline tires can cut pollution – Airless tyres could cut pollution and make punctures a thing of the past. Made of shape memory alloy, these tyres are puncture-proof, sustainable, and easier to recycle.

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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

World Economic Forum: Top Stories- July 29, 2023

World Economic Forum (July 29, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:

6 energy saving tips for hot weather – When it’s hot, your ceiling fan should turn anti-clockwise. This creates a downdraft and circulates the cool air. On winter mode, fans move clockwise instead. Pulling hot air upwards and dispersing it around the room.

France will help pay for people’s clothing repairs – The government will refund €6-€25 of the cost of mending shoes and clothes. It hopes the scheme will cut textile waste and help to create a more circular textile sector. 700,000 tonnes of clothing are thrown away in France every year. Two-thirds of it ends up in landfill. The global textile industry is a major source of both pollution and CO2. It generates 10% of the world’s total CO2 emissions. By 2050, this could be 25%.

This Finnish island wants you to turn off your phone – This summer, Ulko-Tammio is encouraging visitors not to look at their devices. Ulko-Tammio is a small island in the Eastern Gulf of Finland. It’s uninhabited and home to rare birds and plants. Visitors arrive by boat to birdwatch, hike and camp. Now, the island is encouraging them to switch off their devices, take a break from emails and social media and focus attention on their surroundings rather than their screen.

Japan is encouraging more women into science – Currently, only 1 in 7 Japanese scientists are women. So from 2024, a dozen universities are introducing quotas to urge more women to major in science, technology, engineering and maths, also known as STEM. The Tokyo Institute of Technology wants women to make up 20-30% of new students, up from 13% today. Nagoya University, Shimane University and the University of Toyama are also putting quotas in place. Currently, only 7% of female students in Japan major in science and engineering. The lowest in the OECD.

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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

World Economic Forum: Top Stories- July 22, 2023

World Economic Forum (July 22, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:

0:15 Solar panels are sending silver prices up – A new, more efficient panel design uses silver in paste for. This year, the solar sector could account for 14% of silver consumption, up from 5% in 2014. But globally, there’s a shortage of primary silver mines and demand is growing faster than supply. Experts say that solar panels could exhaust 85-90% of silver reserves by 2050. Here are 3 more news stories about energy this week.

1:41 This phone costs $12 – Its makers hope it will help close India’s digital divide. It’s not a smartphone, but a feature phone, that is, a simple handset with a keypad and a small screen. It’s called Jio Bharat. 250 million Indians still use 2G phones. But 2G technology is more than 30 years old. Its users can make calls and send texts but they can’t connect to the internet. Jio Bharat’s users can access 4G internet services from instant digital payments to music streaming

3:08 Europe’s largest green facade – It’s home to 30,000 young trees arranged in 8km of hedges. Covering an area the size of 4 soccer pitches. The facade covers a building called Kö-Bogen II in the heart of Düsseldorf, Germany. It shades the concrete roof from the sun and prevents the building and the surrounding air from getting too hot.

4:47 These blocks can help beat the climate crisis – Antora Energy uses excess renewable electricity to heat up blocks of solid carbon. These thermal batteries reach temperatures above 1500°C. This heat can be safely stored in the blocks for days on end until it’s needed to power 24/7 industrial processes. The industrial sector accounts for a quarter of global emissions and the majority of that stems from the need for heat.

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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

ChatGPT: Is Society Really At Risk With Generative AI?

euronews (June 15, 2023) – What does it mean to be human? An age-old philosophical question, thrown into the spotlight by the rise of #AI, which has managed to pass the sentience test created by Alan Turing.

In this first episode of Euronews Tech Talks, an Italian programmer delegates code-writing, a French artist reinvents her practice, a Cypriot student brainstorms, and a German teacher ignites minds.

Released a mere six months ago in November, ChatGPT has already become the fastest-growing consumer application. With this rapid growth, how is AI affecting life across Europe?

The education system is scrambling to catch up with #AI, but it’s not all doom and gloom for teachers. Dr. @sabinehauert and Dr. Matthew Glanville tell us about the benefits of this technology in the classroom, and how it can help diverse learners achieve their goals

Read more

News: China ‘Peace Envoy’ In Ukraine, South Africa Ships Weapons To Russia

The Globalist, May 16, 2023: A Chinese ‘peace’ envoy arrives in Ukraine as Volodomyr Zelensky pushes for military supplies abroad, South Africa sticks to its controversial stance on Russia and the EU plans to build internet cables under the Black Sea.

Plus: we check in with film critic Karen Krizanovich as the Cannes Film Festival begins, and Monocle’s Fiona Wilson talks food diplomacy, as carbonara pancakes are on the menu in Hiroshima ahead of the G7 summit.

News: Turkey Elections Head Into Runoff, Ukraine Advances, China-Australia

The Globalist, May 15, 2023: Monocle’s Istanbul correspondent, Hannah Lucinda Smith, and the editor of Free Turkish Press, Yavuz Baydar, join Emma Nelson to discuss Turkey’s elections.

Also in the programme: Ukraine pushes ahead in its counteroffensive and Andrew Mueller explains China and Australia’s complex relationship. Plus, Eurovision’s winners celebrate in style with Fernando Augusto Pacheco. 

News: Turkey Election Analysis, UK Sends Long-Range Missiles To Ukraine

The Globalist, May 12, 2023: Monocle’s Istanbul correspondent, Hannah Lucinda Smith, gives us the latest on Turkey’s elections, which will take place on Sunday.

Also in the programme: the UK agrees to send long-range missiles to Ukraine and Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, heads to the US. Plus: Andrew Mueller reflects on Donald Trump’s sexual-assault verdict and Liverpool welcomes Ukraine for the Eurovision Song Contest.

News: Imran Khan Arrest Roils Pakistan, Norway To Lead The Arctic Council

The Globalist, May 11, 2023: The arrest of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan ignites protests across the country. Plus: Russia hands over chairing the Arctic Council to Norway, and the latest aviation news.

News: ASEAN Summit In Indonesia, China-Canada Political Rift, Swiss Trains

The Globalist, May 10, 2023: The Asean summit kicks off in Indonesia. Plus: the tit-for-tat diplomatic spat between China and Canada, train trouble in Switzerland and a special interview with Slovenia’s Eurovision entrant.

News: Victory Day Parade In Russia, Chile’s Far-Right Constitution, UAE Climate

The Globalist, May 9, 2023: Russia marks its Victory Day in the shadow of Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Also in the programme: Chile’s far-right parties draft a new constitution and we talk about innovation in agriculture with the UAE’s climate minister.

Plus, broadcaster Nina dos Santos on the papers, Bidisha Mamata on culture news and we meet Sweden’s Loreen ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest, which kicks off tonight.