Here are the top stories for this week all summarized so you can stay informed and save time!
All sources are at the end of the post.
Miscalculation fears rise after Russian fighter jet collides with US drone over Black Sea:
A Russian fighter has collided with a US Reaper drone, forcing it down into the Black Sea, in what US forces called an “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept. A US European Command statement said the collision happened just after 7am on Tuesday morning, when two Russian Su-27 fighter jets flew up to the MQ-9 Reaper drone over international waters west of Crimea. The statement said the Russian pilots sought to disrupt the US aircraft before the collision. Russia’s defense ministry denied there was any collision and suggested the drone was brought down through pilot mishandling. The downing of the $32m drone triggered a race to recover the wreckage, as it contains some of the most advanced US technology and would be an intelligence windfall for Russia if it got to the aircraft first.
Macron's Leadership At Risk Amid Tensions Over Pension Plan:
A protester holds a placard with the face of Macron reading 'They have to come for me' during a protest in Paris, Saturday, March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
French President Macron unilaterally pushed to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Macron repeatedly said he was convinced the French retirement system needed modifying to keep it financed. He says other proposed options, like increasing the already heavy tax burden, would push investors away, and that decreasing the pensions of current retirees was not a realistic alternative. Macron has attempted to accomplish this by forcing a pension reform bill through without a vote. This has only infuriated the political opposition, led to mass protests, and could hamper his government's ability to pass legislation for the remaining four years of his term.
Two Sisters Put Up for Adoption at End of WWII Finally Reunite After 75 Years Apart:
Annie ljpelaar and Sheila Anne Fry – SWNSgen
It took 75 years but, two sisters who were placed up for adoption at the end of World War II were finally reunited. Adopted in the UK as an infant in 1946, Sheila had no knowledge of who her birth parents were—but using a DNA product, they discovered she had a half-sister who lived in the Netherlands, born just a few months after her to the same father. Annie’s 50-year-old son, Marc, made a this breakthrough when a joke between cousins led to him ordering a DNA test. When the email arrived announcing a DNA match, Marc was astonished to discover that his mother had a half-sister. After verifying the DNA connection by testing both sisters, Marc finally told his mother he had found her a sister and arranged a video call in May 2022. Annie Ijpelaar and Sheila Anne Fry, both in their late 70s, have Sheila’s daughter-in-law and Anne’s son to thank for the reunion, after they took it upon themselves separated to track their long-lost relatives.
Lacking Health Workers, Germany Taps Robots For Elder Care:
Garmi is a product of a new sector called geriatronics, which taps advanced technologies for geriatrics, gerontology and nursing.
A new robot nurse named Garmi has been created by a retired German Doctor and researchers as the Technical University of Munich. Garmi is a product of a new sector called geriatronics, a discipline that taps advanced technologies like robotics, IT and 3D technology for geriatrics, gerontology and nursing. Not only is Garmi able to perform diagnostics on patients, it can also provide care and treatment for them. With the number of people needing care growing quickly and an estimated 670,000 caregiver posts to go unfilled in Germany by 2050, the researchers are racing to conceive robots that can take over some of the tasks carried out today by nurses, caregivers and doctors. Although Garmi is still in its prototype phase it is showing great promise for the future of patient care, particularly for the elderly.
Sources:
Two Sisters Put Up for Adoption at End of WWII Finally Reunite After 75 Years Apart (goodnewsnetwork.org)