University News

Three BEMACS students – Vittorio Costa, Enrico Giannelli and Aldin Traljic – won the Emea Ibm Call for code 2020: Students vs Climate Change Challenge, in the Water Sustainability category. Their project involved the creation of an app giving a system of incentives and disincentives in order to reduce unnecessary water consumption.

Thanks to a partnership with Fondazione Cariplo, SDA Bocconi has launched the “Impact Your Talent” program, which will involve training for (young) entrepreneurs in the field of impact investing. Applications are open until December 21st.

European News

Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 was approved for use next week in the UK. The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, pacing the way for mass vaccination. The shot offers up to 95% protection against COVID-19 illness and is safe to be rolled out starting next week. The first doses are already on their way to the UK, with 800,000 due in the coming days. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the NHS will contact people about jabs, with elderly people and care home staff being placed on top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and health and care staff. 

Moderna to seek US and EU authorization for its vaccine on Monday. Moderna Inc will apply for US and European emergency authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, December 7th after full results from a late-stage strategy study showed it was 94.1%  effective with no serious safety concerns. The efficiency rate of the vaccine is consistent across age, race, ethnicity and gender demographics, as well as 100% success rate in preventing severe cases of the coronavirus disease. The filing sets Moderna’s product up to be the second vaccine likely to receive US emergency use authorization this year, following the shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

Protests take place across France against proposed security law. On Saturday, demonstrations took place across France against the proposed global security law and its signature measure to restrict the filming of police officers. The police prefecture initially restricted the main protest to Republique Square, but the decision was overturned by an administrative court. The movement against this action consists of journalists’ unions, human rights NGOs and other groups, who are advocating for the withdrawal of articles 21 and 22 of the proposed law, which organize mass surveillance, and article 24 which would penalize malicious dissemination of the image of police officers.

Brussels warns Poland and Hungary they cannot stop the EU recovery fund. Following long-standing opposition from the two Eastern countries to the rule of law conditionality, the EU budget commissioner warned Poland and Hungary that the Union is ready to cut them out of the recovery fund and continue without them.

Climate change threatens ‘most Alps glaciers’. Researchers from the Aberystwyth University say that up to 92% of glaciers in the Alps could be lost by 2100 due to climate change. The mountain range’s 4,000 glaciers include popular skiing resorts such as Zermatt in Switzerland and Tignes in France. The university’s research covers the entire European Alps region and is based on 200 years of climate records and forecasts from 1901 to 2100. They also found that by 2050, almost all glaciers below 3,500 meters in the Alps are likely to have melted.

World News

New Zealand declares climate emergency and pledges to go carbon neutral by 2025. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has committed that to make the New Zealand government and the public sector carbon-neutral by 2025, as she declared a climate emergency. Moving a motion in Parliament, she joined 32 other nations in formally acknowledging the global environmental crisis. By doing so, Ardern set the goals of reducing national waste and emissions and assisting industries to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. This action highlights the urgency of the matter and brings into focus international efforts to comply with environmental regulations.

Pfizer CEO is confident that the vaccine supply will exceed needs by the end of 2021. Pfizer Inc’s executive, Albert Bourla, announced on Wednesday that he was confident that by the end of 2021 there would be more vaccine doses than required to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. His remarks came after the UK approved a vaccine produced by Pfizer and its German biotechnology partner, BioNTech, which is said to be 95% effective. With the vaccine due to be rolled out next week in the UK, the US and EU regulators are sifting through the same Pfizer vaccines trial data, but have yet to give their approval.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation reaffirms support to Kashmiris and asks India to rescind the IIOJK annexation. The world’s largest Muslim body, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, unanimously adopted a resolution that condemns Indian actions in the occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In its resolution, the OIC categorically rejected illegal and unilateral actions taken by the Indian governments in the occupied territory since August 2019 and reaffirmed its strong support for the Kashmir cause.

Joe Biden announces the all-female White House Communications Team. President-elect Joe Biden is appointing a team of veteran communicators who served in his campaign and in the Obama-Biden White House. Kate Bedingfield, who served as Biden’s communications director while he was Vice President in the Obama administration, will be the White House Communications Director. Jen Psaki, who served as White House communications director for the last two years of the Obama administration, will be Biden’s White House press secretary. Biden rounded out his White House communications staff with five other women – the first senior White House communications team that consists entirely of women.

China lands on the moon to collect lunar material samples. China successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon’s surface late on Tuesday in the first mission to retrieve lunar surface samples in 40 years, according to the country’s National Space Administration. The space agency said the probe had successfully landed on the near side of the moon and sent back images. If the Chang’e-5 mission is successful, China will become the third country after the US and Russia to collect lunar material.

The United Nations Security Council is unlikely to act on the killing of the top Iranian scientist, according to diplomats. Hours after the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientists, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran demanded the United Nations Security Council condemn the killing and take action against those responsible. Diplomats say that the call is likely to go unheeded, given that so far no UNSC member has requested to discuss this action, nor has there been any call for a statement. At a minimum, the 15-member body could discuss this killing behind closed doors if a member requests such a meeting or it could agree on a statement on the issue by consensus, but no such actions have taken place.

Iran moves to increase nuclear enrichment after the killing of the top nuclear scientist. Iran’s parliament has approved plans to dramatically increase its nuclear enrichment program in contravention of its agreement with global powers. Last week’s killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Islamic republic’s top nuclear scientist, has escalated tensions in a difficult period ahead of the US presidential transition. In a sign of the deep divisions between the hardliners and moderates in parliament, the centrist government of President Hassan Rouhani opposed the move, as this could harm chances of resuming talks with the US.

Venezuela holds National Assembly poll amid opposition boycott. Venezuelans have been voting in legislative elections that are set to hand socialist President Nicolás Maduro control of the only official body still controlled by the opposition. The boycott of these elections is being led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who is recognized by the US and more than 50 countries as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. Up until now, the National Assembly has been the only remaining branch of government in opposition control – but that is set to change on Sunday. The result is a foregone conclusion because the opposition isn’t taking part.

Notizie italiane

Bilancio di casi e decessi da Covid-19. I contagi sono passati dai 16.377 di lunedì ai 18.877 di domenica; i decessi da 672 a 564. Dall’inizio della pandemia, almeno 1.728.878 persone hanno contratto il virus, per 60.078 delle quali è stato fatale.

Nuove regole per il Natale: è scontro tra governo e regioni. Dal 21 dicembre al 6 gennaio saranno vietati gli spostamenti tra regioni, anche per raggiungere le seconde case. Il 25 e il 26 dicembre e il 1° gennaio saranno vietati gli spostamenti tra comuni. Gli impianti sciistici saranno chiusi durante le vacanze natalizie, fino al 6 gennaio.

È scontro sulla riforma del Mes. Il 9 dicembre il Presidente del Consiglio presenterà al Parlamento la riforma del Meccanismo Europeo di Stabilità. Con Forza Italia che ha inaspettatamente ritirato il proprio appoggio, tutto il centrodestra e contrario. I malumori in casa cinque stelle, inoltre, rendono l’approvazione una strada in salita, con implicazioni sulla tenuta del governo.

Italia impreparata al Covid. L’inchiesta “La consapevole foglia di fico” andata in onda su Report lunedì 30 novembre cita un documento dell’OMS risalente a maggio, pubblicato ma subito censurato, che evidenziava gravi criticità nella risposta italiana al Covid-19, con il piano pandemico nazionale non aggiornato dal 2006.

Mustier lascia Unicredit. L’amministratore delegato di Unicredit ha annunciato il proprio addio. Indiscrezioni puntano a dissidi sul caso Mps, con il cda allineato al governo a favore dell’acquisizione; è questa anche l’interpretazione dei mercati. Ma sembra che sotto ci sia un dissidio più profondo sul futuro del gruppo.

Martedì 8 dicembre parte il cashback di Stato. Tutto pronto per il nuovo cashback, il meccanismo di rimborso di Stato sulle spese con carte, bancomat e app che partirà dall’8 dicembre. Il mese di dicembre sarà la fase “sperimentale”.

202 milioni di dosi di vaccino anti-Covid nel primo trimestre 2021. Il Parlamento ha approvato le linee guida del piano strategico sui vaccini anti-Covid, illustrate dal ministro Speranza il 2 dicembre. I vaccini saranno distribuiti “indipendentemente dal reddito” e le categorie da vaccinare con priorità sono operatori sanitari e sociosanitari, residenti e personale delle Rsa per anziani, persone in età avanzata. Ma non tutti concordano con questa definizione delle categorie prioritarie.

Alcune regioni cambiano colore. Dal 6 dicembre diventano zona arancione Campania, Toscana, Valle D’Aosta e Bolzano, mentre Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Puglia e Umbria diventano gialle.

Nuova udienza per Patrick Zaki. Lunedì 7 dicembre si dovrebbe avere l’esito, l’avvocato è pessimista.

Cyber attacco a Leonardo, presi dirigente ed ex-dipendente. L’ex addetto alla sicurezza informatica sarebbe stato coinvolto in una serie di attacchi hacker all’azienda, estraendo circa 10 GB di dati, con il silenzio complice del dirigente.