Timeframe: June 25 to July 1, 2022
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1. Politics
NATO Expansion Moves Ahead With Finland, Sweden Agreement
Finland and Sweden took a major step on their way to NATO membership after Turkey dropped its opposition to their bids, all but ensuring the military alliance’s expansion on Russia’s doorstep. The move “sends a very clear message to President Putin that NATO’s door is open,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Turkey agreed to support inviting the two Nordic countries into the military alliance, after receiving pledges from them addressing security concerns. The news came after Russia defaulted on foreign debt for the first time since 1918 and as Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on his first foreign trip since the invasion of Ukraine began.
Source: AP News
Israeli Knesset dissolves, with Lapid to become acting premier
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will become Israel’s acting prime minister at midnight local time after lawmakers voted Thursday to call for an early election on Nov. 1 and dissolve the Knesset. It will be Israel’s fifth election within four years.
Source: Axios
2. Economics & Business
Inflation in France hits 31-year high
French inflation surged as the costs of food and energy increased since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This is because Russia faced Western sanctions on energy and other products; additionally, Russia restricted supplies of Ukrainian grain from being exported. In these difficult times, the only way forward is to find alternative energy sources and for the central banks to exercise anti-inflationary policies.
Source: The Daily Star
Accounting giant Ernst & Young admits its employees cheated on ethics exams
Ernst & Young, one of the top accounting firms in the world, is being fined $100 million by federal regulators after admitting its employees cheated on their ethics exams.
For years, the firm’s auditors had cheated to pass key exams that are needed for certified public accountant licenses, the Securities and Exchange Commission found. Ernst & Young also had internal reports about the cheating but didn’t disclose the wrongdoing to regulators during the investigation.
Source: NPR
3. Environment
One of UK’s biggest solar schemes gets go-ahead
The 200-acre solar farm scheme in the UK would generate around 49.9 megawatts, sufficient to support 14,000 homes. However, a council person was concerned about using agricultural land, which would affect food production. Moreover, the locals are concerned about increased traffic congestion when the project is implemented.
Source: BBC
4. Science & Technology
CRISPR, 10 Years On: Learning to Rewrite the Code of Life
Ten years ago this week, Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues published the results of a test-tube experiment on bacterial genes. When the study came out in the journal Science on June 28, 2012, it did not make headline news. In fact, over the next few weeks, it did not make any news at all.
In just a decade, CRISPR has become one of the most celebrated inventions in modern biology. It is swiftly changing how medical researchers study diseases: Cancer biologists are using the method to discover hidden vulnerabilities of tumor cells. Doctors are using CRISPR to edit genes that cause hereditary diseases.
Source: NYT
Disclaimer: The information provided here is obtained solely from the aforementioned third parties. Youth Policy Forum (YPF) is not responsible for any misinformation or misrepresentation.