PL | EN

Cockroach-cyborgs, exoskeletons and a Flippy 2 chef

The people of northern Lebanon live without electricity and running water. They call this area the “forgotten north” and try to escape from there. According to the World Bank, Lebanon is experiencing one of the world’s worst economic crises since the mid-19th century, and the local currency has lost more than 96% of its value since 2019. Due to a lack of healthcare and electricity, the country has been divided into spheres of influence, while residents seek help from local politicians or try to emigrate. Their fate is often decided by the so-called wasta; a word that stands for a mixture of protectionism, nepotism and connections.

Bangladesh is home to the world’s largest refugee camp – home to more than one million Rohingyas. They are a Muslim ethnic group who fled hostile actions by the Myanmar (formerly Burma) military in 2017. Overcrowding, dire living conditions and crime are rampant in the camp. To control this crisis, the authorities have sent more than 23,000 refugees to the remote island of Bhasan Char with a plan to ultimately send there 100,000 Rohingyas. Activists fear, however, that the island will become a cyclone-ridden prison, lacking adequate health care, jobs and education. The Darién Gap is a wild, roadless trail through jungle, mountains, rivers and mud that hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans travel towards the US. According to US officials, during the worst of the Venezuelan crisis, between 2015 and 2018, no more than 100 migrants per year were ever arrested at the US southern border, and this year more than 150,000 Venezuelans have already arrived at the border.

Read also
Sustainable construction of skyscrapers and the Bologna tower
Sustainable construction of skyscrapers and the Bologna tower
The Sara Cultural Center in Skellefteå, Sweden, is one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world and an experiment in sustainable architecture. The building is approximately 80 m high, has 20 floors and is made of wood from local forests. The project is “carbon negative” – 5,631 t of CO₂ generated during logging, transport […]
Israel – Palestine crisis and international reactions
Israel – Palestine crisis and international reactions
According to former Israeli Prime Minister Ja’ir Lapid, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s support for Hamas is a “disgrace” to the country, and it will take a long time to improve Israeli-Turkish relations. Relations between these countries have never been stable as they competed for regional dominance. However, there was a significant rapprochement before the […]
New energy sources: ISA, Germany and the Czech Republic
New energy sources: ISA, Germany and the Czech Republic
The International Solar Alliance (ISA), comprising 116 countries (including the USA, France, Germany, Great Britain, India and over 30 African countries), is to allocate almost USD 35 million to construct mini-grids and rooftop installations mainly in Africa. The alliance’s financial mechanism, the Global Solar Facility, is to collect USD 100 million to help implement photovoltaic […]
Climate change and fishing, pastoralism and wine production
Climate change and fishing, pastoralism and wine production
The seaside village of Oostduinkerke in Belgium is the last place in the world where horseback fishing is practised. Fishermen catch shrimp by riding into the water on horses. The animals pull chains, causing vibrations along the sandy bottom, and shrimps jump into stretched nets. However, due to climate change, there are fewer and fewer […]
Loneliness: new definitions and loneliness among EU residents
Loneliness: new definitions and loneliness among EU residents
Why do scientists expand the definition of loneliness to include the feeling of disconnection from animals, places, habits, rituals or weather? For example, Turkana shepherds in Kenya have to abandon their seasonal lifestyle due to climate change, droughts and violence in the region. Families are separated from farm animals, and social bonds based on the […]
Previous issues