Human Rights Day: 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration — ohchr — 10s December 2023 (LINK)

At least 6 people confirmed dead, dozens injured as tornadoes strike Tennessee — CNN — 10 December 2023 (LINK)

UN sets out roadmap to combat global hunger amid climate crisis: Targets include cutting methane emissions from livestock by 25%, halving food waste and managing fisheries sustainably by 2030 — The Guardian UK ● — 10 December 2023 (LINK)

Israeli forces continue push into southern Gaza amid 'apocalyptic' humanitarian situation — The Guardian UK ● — 10 December 2023 (LINK)

Tensions between Congo and Rwanda heighten the risk of military confrontation, UN envoy says — ground.news: 17 media reports — 10 December 2023 (LINK)

White House reups Biden's pledge not to pardon son if convicted: 'Nothing has changed' — ground.news: 8 media reports — 10 December 2023 (LINK)

— The charges against Hunter Biden include felonies and misdemeanors filed in California, in addition to federal firearms charges in Delaware. If convicted, Hunter Biden could face a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

Upper-Valais village of Grengiols votes by 190 to 70 with 80% participation to plant 230,000 solar panels at 2500m to provide enough electricity for 40,000 households — lenouvelliste (French) — 10 December 2023 (LINK)

Cultural Triumphs: UNESCO welcomes 27 new additions to the World Heritage Sites — wealthofgeeks — 9 December 2023 (LINK)

Israeli hostage reported killed in Gaza as two Palestinians reported killed in the West Bank, all aged 25 — The Guardian UK ● — 9 December 2023 (LINK)

US criticised for veto on UN ceasefire resolution — The Guardian UK ● — 9 December 2023 (LINK)

11 dead in clash between criminal gang and villagers in central Mexico — ground.news: 49 media reports — 9 December 2023 (LINK)

Somali president's son flees Turkey after fatal Istanbul accident: Reports — ground.news: 12 media reports — 9 December 2023 (LINK)

It's taking longer to schedule abortions in the US since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Doctors fear riskier, more complex procedures — ground.news main source: AP, 20 media reports — 9 December 2023 (LINK)

UNCTAD eWeek: More than 3,500 participants from 159 countries outlined actions needed to transform digital opportunities into shared and eco-friendly progress: digital infrastructure and skills, data governance, environmental sustainability, and environmental sustainability — unctad — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

• Leaders agreed on the pressing need to empower the least developed countries through enhanced digital infrastructure, connectivity, skills and regulatory frameworks.
• Experts stressed the need for a global governance approach to data, digital platforms and technologies like AI, aiming to ensure equal access, shared benefits and a balance between innovation and the protection of human and social rights.
• The discussions emphasized the importance of reducing the digital economy's environmental footprint through innovation in device production, better waste management and consumer awareness, and a swift shift to renewable energy.
• Participants underlined the critical need to support women entrepreneurs in the digital economy, focusing especially on improving their access to finance and actively involving them in policymaking processes.

Armenia, Azerbaijan issue landmark joint statement: envisages a prisoner swap and has rekindled hopes for a long-awaited peace treaty — see_link — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

Migrants from around the world converge on remote Arizona desert, fueling humanitarian crisis at the border — CBS — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

As Pakistan cracks down on illegal migrants, nearly half a million Afghans have left, minister says — ground.news: 10 media reports — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

Killings hit record high in 2021 as post-lockdown stress grew: UN — ground.news: 8 media reports — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

— Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest homicide rates, with 8 out of the 10 countries with the highest rates located in these regions.

As Pakistan cracks down on illegal migrants, nearly half a million Afghans have left, minister says — ground.news: 10 media reports — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

Xi Jinping warns China's economic recovery at 'critical stage' — ground.news: 15 media reports — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

FDA approves cure for sickle cell disease, the first treatment to use gene-editing tool CRISPR — ground.news: 81 media reports — 8 December 2023 (LINK)

White House reups Biden's pledge not to pardon son if convicted: 'Nothing has changed' — ground.news: 8 media reports — 10 December 2023 (LINK)

— The charges against Hunter Biden include felonies and misdemeanors filed in California, in addition to federal firearms charges in Delaware. If convicted, Hunter Biden could face a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

COP28 So Far: A Cheat Sheet — heatmap.news — 9 December 2023 (LINK)

Ukraine is running out of men to fight against Russia — ground.news: 10 media reports — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

Myanmar's army is facing battlefield challenges and grants amnesty to troops jailed for being AWOL — ground.news main source: AP, media reports — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

Seychelles declares state of emergency after huge explosion; at least 3 dead in separate flooding — ground.news: 83 media reports — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

Russian lawmakers set presidential vote for March 17, 2024, clearing a path for Putin's 5th term — ground.news: 105 media reports — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

Study shows corporate profiteering 'amplified' global inflation — commondreams.org — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

U.S. crude oil falls below $70 a barrel, closing at the lowest level since June — ground.news: 16 media reports — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

OPEC+ reaches a point of declining returns: Oil production cuts no longer offer Saudi Arabia the fiscal windfall it seeks. — →nationalinterest→ — 7December 2023 (LINK)

FactChecking the Fourth GOP Primary Debate — factcheck.org — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

— Ramaswamy embraced the baseless conspiracy theory that the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was an "inside job." DeSantis claimed Haley said "there should be no limits on legal immigration." She didn't. She said it should be based on "merit" not "a quota."

Californian passes state bar exam at age 17 and is sworn in as an attorney — ground.news: 30 media reports — 7 December 2023 (LINK)

Humanity is on the verge of 5 climate 'tipping points,' report warns — ground.news: 45 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

New aid pledges to Ukraine at lowest level since war began, a nearly 90% drop compared to the same period last year: Kiel Institute — ground.news: 28 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

Venezuela arrests opposition figure, issues warrants for staffers for treason — ground.news main source: Reuters, 23 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

Guyana's president says his country is preparing to defend itself from Venezuela over disputed area — ground.news: 46 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

Helicopter with 5 senior military officials from Guyana goes missing near border with Venezuela — ground.news: 25 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

More bodies found after sudden eruption of Indonesia's Mount Marapi, raising confirmed toll to 22 — ground.news: 101 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

Buildings evacuated as quake rattles Philippine capital — ground news: 19 sources — (LINK)

Peru court orders release Of ex-President Fujimori, 85 — ground.news main source: AP, 83 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

— Fujimori was serving a 25-year prison sentence for the death squad slayings of 25 Peruvians in the 1990s.The court ruled in favor of a 2017 pardon granting Fujimori release on humanitarian grounds, which had been later annulled.

New aid pledges to Ukraine at lowest level since war began, a nearly 90% drop compared to the same period last year: Kiel Institute — ground.news: 28 media reports — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

Takeaways from the fourth U.S. Republican presidential debate — CNN — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

#herHACK winning team sustAInos presents "SustAInable shopper" app for Migros shoppers at Swiss Digital Days 2023 — digitalswitzerland — 6 December 2023 (LINK)

— The innovative, AI-powered add-on for the Migros app, winning top prize at the Lighthouse Event, aims to revolutionise grocery shopping by analysing consumers' behaviour on the go and encouraging them to make sustainable shopping decisions. It matches these with extensive data on carbon footprint, aligns with their declared sustainability preferences, and provides a personalised sustainability performance metric at the end of each shopping visit.

#herHACK, the biggest female-led hackathon in Switzerland, motivates women to pursue a career in the tech industry, while at the same time, finding solutions for socially relevant challenges that contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year 160+ woman participated the national event and from 31 submitted projects, 6 made it to the final at the Lighthouse event.

Israel says it has killed half of Hamas's battalion commanders — ground.news: 11 media reports — 5 December 2023 (LINK)

Israeli military pushes deeper into southern Gaza as UN warns 'even more hellish scenario' looms — The Guardian UK ● — 5 December 2023 (LINK)

— Central road out of Khan Younis 'constitutes a battlefield', says IDF; UN says 'conditions required to deliver aid do not exist'

Israel and WHO in online row over removal of medical supplies in Gaza: Israel denies ordering the UN health agency to remove medical supplies from its warehouse in southern Gaza — Al Jazeera — 5 December 2023 (LINK)

Former DEA informant admits in U.S. court to conspiring to assassinate Haiti's president in 2021, fourth person to plead guilty — ground.news: 28 media reports — 5 December 2023 (LINK)

— Three other defendants, including a retired Colombian army officer and a Haitian-Chilean businessman, from 11 on trial have been sentenced to life in prison.

Last decade hottest on record, with polar ice melting faster than in the last century, says WMO — ground.news: 7 media reports — 5 December 2023 (LINK)

— The hottest years of the decade were 2016 and 2020 while the six hottest years taken together on record were between 2015 and 2020.

President hits back on big bank day — cityam — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

Latin America must invest up to 4.9% of GDP annually to meet climate goals, up from just 0.5% in 2020 — UN's ECLAC — Reuters ● — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

Swiss bank Banque Pictet admits hiding $5.6 billion of Americans' money from IRS — cnbc — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

Five-point plan to cut UK immigration raises fears of more NHS staff shortages — The Guardian UK ● — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

U.K.'s Sellafield nuclear site hacked by groups linked to Russia and China — The Guardian UK ● — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

EPFL and ETH Zurich joint initiative for trustworthy AI: its purpose is to "position Switzerland as a leading global hub for the development and implementation of transparent and reliable artificial intelligence (AI). The new Alps supercomputer based at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) provides the supporting world-class infrastructure" — epfl — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

— In February 2024 ETH Zurich's new Alps supercomputer goes live at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) of ETH Zurich in Lugano. Boasting the next generation of 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), Alps is one of the world's most powerful computers and has been especially developed to meet the needs of applications in the area of artificial intelligence. This new computer gives Swiss scientists access to the sort of computing power only available to the world's biggest tech companies.In February 2024 ETH Zurich's new Alps supercomputer goes live at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) of ETH Zurich in Lugano. Boasting the next generation of 10,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), Alps is one of the world's most powerful computers and has been especially developed to meet the needs of applications in the area of artificial intelligence. This new computer gives Swiss scientists access to the sort of computing power only available to the world's biggest tech companies.

The aim of the initiative is to develop and train new large language models (LLM). These must be transparent, deliver comprehensible results and ensure legal, ethical and scientific criteria are met. "Unlike the large language models that are usually available in the public domain today, the Swiss AI Initiative strongly emphasized transparency and Open Source. Everyone must be able to understand how the models were trained, the sort of data used, and how results are recovered," stresses Jan Hesthaven, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at EPFL.

To develop such models, the Swiss AI Initiative will use ten million GPU hours on the new Alps computer over the next 12 months, equivalent to the computing power of a single GPU running at full load for over 1,100 years. Switzerland is therefore the first country in the world to operate a research infrastructure on the next-generation NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchip.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia arrested, charged with working as secret agent for Cuba — ground.news main source: AP, 75 media reports — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

Oxford University Press names 'rizz' word of the year — AP — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

— Term used by Generation Z to describe someone's ability to attract or seduce another person. Rizz is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma, and can be used as a verb, as in to "rizz up", or chat someone up, the publisher said.

Woman tourist in 40s from Boston killed by shark while paddleboarding with relative off Nassau: Fatal shark attacks are rare, with only an average of 5 to 6 reported worldwide a year — foxnews — 4 December 2023 (LINK)

Chinese developer Evergrande risking liquidation if creditors veto its plan for handling huge debts — ground.news: 18 media reports — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Former Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow flees territory for Canada — ground.news: 27 media reports — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Al Gore says fossil fuel industry has 'captured the COP process' — commondreams — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Open secret at climate talks: The top temperature goal of 1.5C is mostly gone — politico — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Earth is running a fever. And UN climate talks are focusing on the contagious effect on human health — ground.news main source: AP, 43 media reports — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

COP28: UN climate conference kicks off first day centred on health and peace — euronews — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

— The first-ever faith pavilion at a COP was inaugurated. Pope and Grand-Imam sent messages.

50 major oil and gas companies agree to cut down methane emissions at COP28 — ground.news: 51 media reports — (LINK)

More than 110 nations commit to tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 — ground.news — (LINK)

'No science' behind phasing out fossil fuels, UAE climate host said in November — ground.news main source: CNN/Guardian, 22 media reports — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Al Gore's climate watchdog Climate Trace nonprofit reveals gaps in countries' greenhouse gas inventories at U.N. meeting, using satellites and AI — science.org — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

— In 2021 Russia left out greenhouse gases equivalent to 1.5 billion tons of CO2 and the United States missed 400 million tons, much of it driven by CO2 emissions from oil and gas operations. Overall that year, among wealthy nations required to report to the U.N., Climate Trace estimates 3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent gases went unreported — some 5% of total global emissions.

— The UAE last estimated emissions of 225 million tons in 2019, but Climate Trace found at least 354 million tons for that year.

For Gore, Climate Trace fulfills a dream he laid out in a 1998 speech at the California Science Center, when he called for a "digital Earth".

Error-detection tool makes AI mistakes easy to spot — spectrum.ieee.org — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Israel-Hamas War Day 58: World leaders call for fresh truce deal as death toll crosses 15,000 in Gaza — ground.news: 60 media reports — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Israel recalls negotiators after reaching 'dead end' in Qatar talks — ground.news — (LINK)

Israeli offensive shifts to crowded southern Gaza, driving up death toll despite evacuation orders — ground.news: 95 media reports — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Guardian — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

• Israeli attacks on Gaza continue overnight
• Netanyahu vows to continue Gaza assault with 'increasing force'
• Macron warns Israel's plan to eliminate Hamas risks decade of war

Al Jazeera — (LINK)

• Negotiations on prisoner exchanges are now over and will not resume until Israel halts its attack, says Hamas.
• Israel's military is ignoring international appeals to spare civilians as it has launched more than 400 attacks in the past day.
• Hamas fired a rocket barrage into Israel, showing after 57 days of war that it is still capable.
• Netanyahu says the war "will continue until we achieve all our goals".
• Israel will not enjoy security if it continues to kill Palestinian civilians, France's president says.

India agrees to withdraw soldiers from Maldives, President Muizzu says, but in discussions for keeping the Indian military platforms in the island nation — ground.news: 15 media reports — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

Error-detection tool makes AI mistakes easy to spot — spectrum.ieee.org — 3 December 2023 (LINK)

— The research team's experiments caught neural networks mistaking the identity of images in databases of everything from chest X-rays and gene sequences to apparel. For example, when one neural network was tested on the Imagenette database (a subset of ImageNet), it repeatedly misclassified images of cars as cassette players. The scientists found this was because the pictures were drawn from online sales listings and included tags for the cars' stereo equipment.

Third-party candidate leaves Mexico's 2024 presidential race. Next leader now almost certain to be a woman — ground.news: 20 media reports — 2 December 2023 (LINK)

China's solar module production is unmatched in quantity and costs — here's what that means for US solar:"Oversupply will undeniably hinder some of the current expansion plans" — thecooldown — 2 December 2023 (LINK)

Biden administration issues rule to cut methane emissions from oil and gas — thehill — 2 December 2023 (LINK)

50 major oil and gas companies agree to cut down methane emissions at COP28 — ground.news: 51 media reports — 2 December 2023 (LINK)

More than 110 nations commit to tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 — ground.news — 2 December 2023 (LINK)

Scientists' discovery deep underground could have massive applications: 'climate holy grail': white hydrogen, also known as natural hydrogen or gold hydrogen, has been found deep below the Earth's surface — thecooldown — 2 December 2023 (LINK)

— Research from the Energy Institute found that 82% of the world's energy consumption came from dirty energy sources in 2022, leading to a 0.8% rise in planet-warming gases expelled into the atmosphere.

Online essentials: 25 websites that deserve your attention — wealthofgeeks — 2 December 2023 (LINK)

Takeaways from 1 December events at UN climate conference — ground.news — (LINK)

• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz proposed a climate club where countries pursuing different paths can work together towards a climate-neutral economy, with many countries from the global South interested in joining.
• Financial commitments, including a $30 billion fund from the UAE, were announced.
• Brazil's President pledged to stop deforestation by 2030, emphasizing the need for immediate action to address climate change.
• Speed was highlighted as a key factor in combatting climate change.

UN votes to end political mission in Sudan, where world hasn't been able to stop bloodshed — ground.news main source: AP, 33 media reports — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

UN says Israel will not renew visa for top aid official, Canadian Lynn Hastings — ground.news: media reports — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

Authorities in Haiti hold former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him — ground.news: 16 media reports — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

Republican George Santos expelled from Congress in bipartisan vote after a House Ethics Committee report found that Santos knowingly filed false campaign reports, used campaign funds for personal purposes, and violated financial disclosure statements: only the sixth lawmaker ever to face expulsion from the chamber. Vote was 311 to 114 — ground.news: 413 media reports — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

Walmart is the latest advertiser to pull ads from Elon Musk's X — ground.news: 53 media reports — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

Googlers cracked OpenAI's ChatGPT with a single word: they just asked ChatGPT to repeat the word "poem" forever. — sfgate — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

Court orders Texas to move floating barrier that drew backlash from Mexico — AP — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

Malicious bots make up 73% of internet traffic, report says — digitaltrends — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

US returns to the moon, via Astrobotic company, on 25 January after 50 years — sciencealert — 1 December 2023 (LINK)

'Popular Science' halts its online magazine after 151 years — mediapost — 1 December 2023 (LINK)