University News
Elebocconi 2021 eventually resulted in Blab success. Achraf Fadhel is the new students’ representative at the Board of Directors, ultimately defeating Bianca Brunori in the electoral duel. Out of 6,000 votes expressed for the BoD, 64.8% were destined towards the Blab candidate. Generally speaking, Blab increased their number of seats with respect to 2019 elections, achieving 21 seats over 27 total. Team won 5 seats, while the last seat was awarded to Ius@B, the list representing law students.
European News
Germany’s ruling party backs Armin Laschet as candidate to succeed Angela Merkel. Armin Laschet was elected leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Party (CDU) in January, but his popularity suffered after his performance was characterized as hesitant and erratic during the coronavirus pandemic. However, he has won the backing of Germany’s CDU in his bid to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. 31 of 46 members of CDU’s executive committee backed Laschet in a secret vote against his rival Markus Soeder, prime minister of Bavaria. This means that Laschet will be the center-right candidate for chancellor in September’s Bundestag election, when Merkel will leave office after serving as Germany’s leader for 16 years.
Italy seeks domestic production of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Italy has held talks with several manufacturers about starting production of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Rome has initiated talks with US biotech Moderna, Switzerland’s Novartis and Italy’s ReiThera, which highlighted the possibility of producing the mRNA vaccine developed by Germany’s CureVac. The talks, however, were at a very early stage and they might not even yield an agreement. The Italian parliament’s effort to secure domestic production of mRNA-based Covid shots comes as the European Union appears to be moving away from adenovirus-based vaccines produced by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
World News
US President Biden recognized the Armenian Genocide. US President Joe Biden formally recognized the atrocities committed against the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire more than one century ago as genocide. President Biden talked to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday in anticipation of his plan and suggested that the term ‘genocide’ would be used to describe the killing and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Armenians. According to the US President, ‘silence is complicity’. However, President Biden is said to direct efforts towards improving US-Turkey relations and find ‘effective management of disagreements.’
US health regulators to lift pause on Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The directors of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US lifted an 11-day pause in the circulation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after recommendations by a panel of experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ‘Exceptionally rare’ blood clots were identified, but the currently identified benefits of the vaccine ‘outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older’, as the head of FDA Janet Woodcock mentioned in a joint statement with the CDC. Both authorities highlighted the fact that the vaccine is important for fighting the pandemic, but also that side effects and possible complications will be further tested.
Myanmar junta chief meets Southeast Asian leaders for talks. General Min Aung Hlaing, who led the military takeover that sparked turmoil in Myanmar, arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the first meeting with international leaders. Seeking to end violence in the country, the General met with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the first internationally coordinated attempt to ease the violence in the country. ASEAN leaders expressed their ‘deep concern about the situation’ and asserted that it is one of the current priorities of the association to ‘help Myanmar out of this delicate situation’.
The ‘Ever Given’ megaship is still stranded in the Suez Canal. Despite being freed inside the Suez Canal, the megaship Ever Given and its cargo remain impounded in Egypt. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) demands $961 million is compensation for last month’s six-day crisis caused in shipping. UK P&I, a London-based maritime insurer, suggested that the resolution of the SCA’s claim to enable the vessel to continue on the intended voyage ought to be ‘swift’ and the resolution should be ‘fair’ for both sides. A ‘generous offer’ has been made to the SCA, and hopes for the ship being operational and ready for travelling are high.
Notizie italiane
Tre parchi italiani nella ‘green list’ mondiale. Il Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano e quello delle Foreste Casentinesi entrano nella “Green List” dell’Unione Internazionale per la Conservazione della Natura, mentre il parco nazionale di Gran Paradiso riconferma la sua presenza per la terza volta dal 2014. Tale riconoscimento è molto prestigioso, perché premia le migliori aree protette del mondo con uno sguardo anche alla conservazione naturalistica e alla gestione sostenibile. Dice il Ministro per la transizione ecologica Roberto Cingolani che “questo è un grande traguardo per l’Italia, Paese dalla natura magnifica che sa valorizzare questa preziosissima risorsa”.
Omotransfobia, a Milano due Case Arcobaleno: qui un luogo sicuro per giovani Lgbtq che le famiglie non vogliono: la prima residenza è nata nel 2009 per accogliere i giovani tra i 18 e i 25 anni senza una casa, dopo che le loro famiglie avevano rifiutato la loro identità di genere. In un momento di forte polemica nei confronti della legge Zan, la presenza di luoghi è confortante, ma dimostra quanto ancora ci sia da lavorare in merito al riconoscimento di tali diritti.
Recovery, approvato il piano nazionale di ripresa e resilienza. Il «Piano nazionale di ripresa e resilienza» prevede interventi per 221,5 miliardi di euro, in gran parte finanziati dall’Europa (191,5) , e interventi in sei macrosettori: giustizia, riforma delle burocrazia, scuola, infrastrutture, semplificazione, ambiente e reti. Vi sono ancora scontri e incognite riguardo il Superbonus del 110% per le ristrutturazioni domestiche e il Cashback. I 5 stelle vorrebbero prorogare la misura del Superbonus fino al 2023, ma il Ministro dell’Economia sostiene che sia troppo costoso e che favorisca i redditi alti.
Tod’s, Lvmh sale al 10%. Arnault compra da Della Valle un altro 6,8%. Ormai da anni il colosso del lusso LVMH possedeva il 3,2% di Tod’s e dal 2002 Diego della Valle siede nel CdA di LVMH. In un comunicato stampa rilasciato la sera del 22 aprile è stato reso noto che a Diego Della Valle «ha stipulato un contratto di compravendita con Delphine S.A.S.(controllata da Lvmh) per la cessione di 2.250.000 azioni di Tod’s spa, rappresentanti il 6,8% del capitale sociale di Tod’s», al prezzo di 33,10 euro per azione.