Much depends on its offensive in Gaza—and its politicians and neighbours
Briefing
The miscalculations of Israel’s and Gaza’s leaders are being laid bare
Companies say the technology will contribute to faster drug development. Independent verification and clinical trials will determine whether this claim holds up.
Thunderstorms can increase the levels of water vapour in the atmosphere, at altitudes as high as 19 km.
A world of AI-assisted writing and reviewing might transform the nature of the scientific paper.
The Guardian Weekly (October 13, 2023) – The new issue features Hamas militants’ devastating incursion into Israel from Gaza resulting in thousands of deaths, provoking a declaration of war and upending the fragile diplomacy of the Middle East.
The swirling composite of images on the magazine’s cover this week tries to encapsulate the human chaos and grief of civilians, both in Israel and Gaza, caught in the chaos of war. The central image shows a vast explosion filling the sky above Gaza City, an ominous portent of many violent acts still to come.
As the region faces its worst conflict for 50 years, Bethan McKernan reports from a kibbutz ransacked by militants and finds shocked residents still struggling to process events. Guardian correspondents Harriet Sherwood, Patrick Wintour and Peter Beaumont provide context and analysis, while international affairs commentator Simon Tisdall argues that the ultimate blame lies with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s controversial prime minister.
Ahead of this weekend’s elections in Poland that could give the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party an unprecedented third term in office, Shaun Walker goes on the campaign trail with Donald Tusk whose centre-right Civic Coalition is hoping to reverse the country’s slide away from democratic norms. And Brussels correspondent Lisa O’Carroll reports on the EU’s Granada summit where Hungary’s Viktor Orbán accused fellow leaders of attempting to impose a “diktat” with a proposal on a bloc-wide agreement on migration.
With global temperatures for September described as “gobsmackingly bananas” by leading climatologist Zeke Hausfather, our interview with the president of Cop28 could not be more timely. Sultan Al Jaber explains to environment editor Fiona Harvey how he believes he can square his job as the chief of the United Arab Emirates’ national oil company with leading a global conference focused on net zero carbon emissions.
0:15 Start-up turns trees destined for landfills into products – Every year, US cities lose 36 million trees. They succumb to old age or disease or are felled to make space for development Much of this wood could be made into useful products but instead it’s turned into woodchips or used as firewood and 12 million tonnes end up in US landfills each year. To prevent this, Cambium Carbon partners with sawmills, arborists, and manufacturers to build local, circular supply chains. Wood destined for landfill is diverted and upcycled into siding, flooring, furniture and more. Cambium calls its product ‘Carbon Smart Wood’.
1:55 These solar panels work even on snowy days – A new coating causes snow to slide off panels ensuring they can generate power all year round. The coating was developed by a team at the University of Toledo. It can be easily retrofitted to existing equipment.
3:28 US women pay billions more for healthcare than men – Researchers at Deloitte analyzed data on 16 million workers with health coverage. They found women spend $15.4 billion more every year on healthcare than men,. That works out to a premium of $266 for the average womanor around 18% more than men. This discrepancy exists for all women of working age.
4:57 French supermarket launches packaging return scheme – Customers in 100 Carrefour stores can buy products in reusable packaging. They pay a small deposit which is refunded when they drop the empty packaging back at the store. This system is called Loop. It’s the brainchild of waste management firm TerraCycle
_____________________________________________
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.
Views
BARRON’S MAGAZINE – October 9, 2023 ISSUE:
Weight-loss treatments aren’t the only big deal in medicine. Our 2023 healthcare roundtable explores the best investing opportunities.
Small-cap stocks continue to be overlooked. These funds have the edge to reward investors when they finally take off again.Long read
The travel website has high margins, low overhead, and lots of free cash flow. The current business has deep strengths in Europe and its rolling out new products.4 min read
With the tariff, climate policy is now being written directly into trade rules, forcing major industrial companies to expedite efforts to reduce emissions, shift trade patterns, or pay up.Long read
After two years of putting up with anything to visit must-see destinations, travelers are looking for more bliss, less stress.Long read
The wastewater releas e from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is expected to have negligible effects on people and the ocean
In 2011, the east coast of Japan suffered an earthquake and tsunami that resulted in the meltdown of three of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This led to an uncontrolled release of large amounts of radioactive material to the surrounding land and to the Pacific Ocean.
A debate about the age of ancient footprints continues
Dating the oldest evidence for the presence of Homo sapiens in the Americas is a matter of ongoing debate. One view is that the earliest such evidence is from 16,000 to 14,000 years ago, after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), when people would have crossed the Beringian strait from Siberia over a dry land bridge.
Governments are jettisoning the principles that made the world rich
The alternatives will undoubtedly be worse
His successor should seek cross-party support to keep funding the war
Ozone recovery is predicted to shift westerly winds, which will reduce the amount of warm water flowing into the Southern Ocean.
The commercial success of RNA vaccines for COVID-19 has revved up interest in circular RNAs as the next generation of therapies.
BARRON’S MAGAZINE – October 2, 2023 ISSUE:
Unemployment remains near historic lows even after the Fed’s aggressive rate hikes. What’s behind the job market’s resilience—and why it could last.
After decades of losing ground to corporate cost-cutting and globalization, labor unions face their biggest opportunity in years to forge a comeback. It won’t be easy.
The defense contractor’s shares are cheap and the company is growing faster than its peers.
Ron Shaich, head of Act III Holdings, founded and later sold Panera, and then backed Cava, this year’s IPO sensation. What he’s investing in now.
The rising costs of new and used cars has fueled soaring claims costs—19% year over year in August. The situation hurts drivers. insurers, and investors.
Introducing a special issue of Science
Earth scientists often call climate change a “great global experiment,” which humanity is heedlessly performing as we pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The dire consequences are already becoming clear—not just for the workings of the planet, but for our own health. Over the next few days, the stories in this special package will explore the threats, and how we can minimize them.
From cold viruses to influenza to respiratory syncytial virus, viruses that spread through the air cause billions of infections each year. That makes it important to understand how they will respond to climate change. But little is known so far, except that different viruses will react differently. Measles, for instance, spreads efficiently in all climates, suggesting global warming will make little difference to its transmission.
Boomers Daily 