World Economic Forum – Top Stories (01/06/23):

0:15 Global Recession 2023 – Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s Managing Director, says 2023 will be ‘a difficult year for the world’. The European economy has been severely affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Half of the EU will go into recession in 2023, Georgieva says. While for the first time in 40 years, growth in China – the world’s second-largest economy – is not likely to exceed global growth.

2:02 Japan’s worldbeating health system – For more than 50 years, Japan has offered healthcare without restrictions to anyone living in the country for 3 months or more whether or not they are Japanese. Payments are decided on a sliding scale depending on age, residence and income status.

3:26 These pipebots stop water leaks – The tiny bots patrol the inside of pipes. They’re small enough to avoid blocking the pipes and are fitted with sensors, cameras and a microphone. They take pictures and listen to the pipe to detect any faults and weaknesses before these develop into leaks.

4:48 Ukraine uploads their treasures to the cloud – Volunteers use the Backup Ukraine app to scan cultural artifacts – from statues and paintings to buildings, mosaics, and monuments – to preserve the country’s heritage and history from Russian theft, vandalism, and bombing. Backup Ukraine turns these symbols of Ukrainian culture into 3D models, which take their place in a digital archive, safe from Russian attacks.

As of 12 December 2022, UNESCO had verified damage to 227 cultural sites in Ukraine. Russian troops had removed the bones of Prince Potemkin from Kherson, stolen priceless relics of the Scythian Empire, and allegedly stripped thousands of pieces of art from local museums. Backup Ukraine is a collaboration between UNESCO, Blue ShieldDenmark, and the media group Virtue. Watch to learn how Ukrainian culture is being impacted. _____________________________________________

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