University News

Annalisa Prencipe is the new KPMG Chair in Accounting. Professor Annalisa Prencipe, the Dean of Bocconi’s Undergraduate School, holds the new title of Chair in Accounting of KPMG. This role isn’t related with bookkeeping in Accounting, but is more related to the role of information, the use of advanced science tools and the cross-sectorial evolution of the discipline. Professor Principe, who points out that financial reports have become richer in non-financial information related to strategy, business risk and sustainability, suggests that Accounting’s aim isn’t to represent reality but to change it. 

The electoral campaign for EleBocconi 2021 takes off. With less than a month to go for this year’s elections, Blab officially started its electoral campaign by sponsoring their candidatures through a series of clips published on Instagram stories. Meanwhile, Team is likely to respond soon by presenting their opposing team of candidates. Who’s gonna be the new CDA representative?

European News

EU and UK reached an agreement upon financial regulation. When the post-Brexit EU-UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement was signed last December, the new functioning of the finance industry was notably set aside. Now, in order to reduce uncertainty, a new Memorandum of Agreement was signed by the two parts.

Barcelona hosts large gig after testing crowd. Around 5,000 people spent Saturday night at a gig in Barcelona after receiving negative results in same-day testing. Spanish authorities let the concert, featuring band Love of Lesbian, go ahead as part of a pilot. Fans took a test earlier that day and did not have to keep social distance, but they still wore masks.

Germany tightens borders amid alarm over pandemic. Germany could see 100,000 infections a day if the third wave of coronavirus spreads unchecked, the head of the RKI public health institute has warned. Fears that the third wave could be the worst so far have prompted a clampdown on borders. Negative tests will be required for airport arrivals from Tuesday and all of France has been declared high-risk.

World News

A ship stuck in the Suez Canal caused trade route blocking for days. The blockage of Egypt’s Suez Canal by a container ship caused a ‘traffic jam’ in the Red Sea, with the number of vessels waiting at the cabal’s southern entrance growing exponentially. Due to this blockage, shipping schedules around the world are going to be affected. Tugboats and dredgers are trying to dislodge the Ever Green, which is wedged diagonally across the waterway. The vessel ran aground on Tuesday morning, amid high winds and a sandstorm that affected visibility. Salvage companies have been brought to refloat the ship, with some suggesting that it could take more than 2-3 days if the ship’s containers need to be removed.

Saudi Arabia offers a ceasefire plan to Yemen rebels. Saudi Arabia offered a ceasefire plan to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which includes reopening their country’s main airport and is the kingdom’s latest attempt to halt years of fighting and bring an end to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Saudis offered this ceasefire soon after the Houthis stepped up a campaign of drone and missile attacks on Saudi oil sites, which resulted in a disruption of the oil markets. The move is also part of Riyadh’s attempt to strengthen ties with the new US Administration. Whether the plan will become a reality remains a question, given the fact that the unilaterally declared ceasefire collapsed last year. 

Eritrea will withdraw troops from Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that Eritrea will withdraw its troops from the Tigray region, a move which is a potential breakthrough 5 months after the beginning of the conflict. The Eritrean troops that supported Ethiopia’s government against the Tigray region’s group, which challenged the central government’s rule, are to leave the region soon, leaving behind them a deadly conflict and internal turmoil. Despite denying Eritrean involvement in the conflict due to historically conflictual relationship, on Tuesday Ahmed admitted to Eritrea’s role. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused Eritrean troops of killing hundreds of Tigrayans in a massacre in November. The withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Ethiopia is unlikely to include the disputed border areas that sparked the war between the two countries in 1998-2000. 

Joe Biden invites over 40 world leaders to a virtual summit on the climate crisis. The White House announced that President Joe Biden has invited over 40 world leaders to a virtual summit on the climate crisis. Heads of state,  including China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, have been asked to attend the two-day meeting which is meant to mark the US return to the front lines of the fight against climate change caused by human actions. The start of the summit on April 22 coincides with Earth Day, and will precede a major UN meeting on the climate crisis scheduled for November in Glasgow.

Facebook freezes Maduro’s page over Covid claim. Facebook has frozen Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s page after he claimed without evidence that a herbal remedy could cure Covid-19. He claimed in January that a thyme herb solution could cure the disease. He will be unable to post for 30 days.

Notizie italiane

Scuola, l’Italia in dad scende in piazza: manifestazioni in 60 città.  Mentre il Primo Ministro Mario Draghi ha recentemente annunciato la riapertura delle scuole sino alla prima media anche in zona rossa, in circa 60 città italiane distribuite su tutta la Penisola si sono susseguite proteste contro la Didattica a Distanza. A gran voce i manifestanti hanno chiesto il ritorno in aula per tutti i gradi d’istruzione nel rispetto delle norme di sicurezza.

In Italia nascite al minimo storico, massimo storico di decessi dal primo dopoguerra. Nuovi dati riguardo il declino demografico in Italia confermano una tendenza già in atto dal 2015, anche a causa dell’amplificata mortalità in seguito al Covid-19. Se da un lato questo fenomeno è causato dalla maggiore mortalità, l’altro fattore è una natalità ai minimi storici. Difatti, il 2020 ha fatto registrare il numero più basso di nascite dall’Unità d’Italia.

Il crowdfunding per dare pasti ai senzatetto di Milano con un foodtruck. Una bella iniziativa potrebbe presto nascere a Milano, dove diverse associazioni, tra cui Mutuo Soccorso Milano, si sono poste l’obiettivo di acquistare una cucina mobile pasti caldi e servizi di prima assistenza sanitaria ai senzatetto in città. E’ possibile partecipare al crowdfunding organizzato dalle diverse associazioni per rendere il progetto realtà sulla piattaforma Produzioni dal Basso.