JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BANNED IN RUSSIA

The news are about the intention of Russia's Supreme Court to ban Jehovah's Witnesses by closing their organizations for being extremist and not allowing them to practice their religious activities. If the law is approved, the property of the organization will be taken away and its members won't be able to associate in order to practise their religion in churchs. 

This has been seen as a violation of the right of freedom of religion and association by human rights defenders, as well as for Jehovah's Witnesses, who'll ask for help to the European Court of Human Rights. The Justice Ministry, who has decided not to support anymore the proclamation of the law, has anyways revealed that since 2007 several local Jehovah's Witnesses organizations have been banned, just as 95 pieces of literature considered extremist materials, which hasn't been obeyed by the Jehovah's Witnesses organization although they deny that. Punishments for not respecting the law will go from fines of a considerable amount of money to a maximun of 10 years in prison. 

The article reminds that Russia, as a member of the Council of Europe has to respect freedom of religion and association because it is a human right, although it has violated it before and is doing it again with this law that interferes with the free religion practice. Rachel Denber, member of the Human Rights Watch, has appealed to the Russian Authorities in order to make them respect the freedom of a religion which doesn't hurt anyone.

PERSONAL OPINION: 

As Denber says, if a religion and its practice doesn't hurt anyone, it should be always respected, because anyone should be free to believe and practise any religion they want. And well, of course, as a human right it should be always respected and I think it is a shame that authorities in Russia are thinking about promoting a law against a religion, when there's a Declaration of Human Rights which totally rejects the unfulfilment of any human right.

In the Spanish Constitution it says that Spain is an aconfessional country, which means that it doesn't have an official religion but it can have agreements with religious organizations, in Spain's case, with the Catholic Church. This creates a predilection for the Catholic religion, even though it's not official. But despite that, all religions are respected in Spain. 

In this case we can't do anything to change the situation because it is happening in Russia, but maybe the citizens there could demonstrate against it, which could be helpful in order to prevent the law of getting established. 

VOCABULARY:

· breach: violació, infracció

· withdraw: retirar-se

· misdemeanor: falta, delicte menor

LINK: https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/04/20/russia-court-bans-jehovahs-witnesses

MODIFICABLE BOOK

This article is about a new and special book that has been launched, and which is constantly changing. The book is called A Universe Explodes and its author is Tea Uglow, who wrote it as a book to be changed. The publisher Editons at Play has published 100 books online, which you can read for free. If you want to take part in the project, though, you need to buy it. Then, in order to pass it to a new owner, you'll have to make some changes. You have to add a new word and take out two of them in each page of the book, a total of 21, if not, you won't be able to continue reading the book. This changes are stored online, and everytime a book passes to a new owner's hands, the words are reducted. The idea is that, at the end, there's only one world left in each page. 

The author of the article talks about his experience owning this book. He explains that firstly, he started to remove unnecessary adjectives and mistakes, but then he realized that it wasn't really changing a lot, so then he started to leave out main verbs or words that contribuited to the change of the story. 

The book's author also explains the idea of the creation of this project and how it started. She says that the relationship between the reader and the book when it is a physical one is different than when it is digital. When it's a physical book it puts up with changes in the pages, the cover, etc. But when it's digital, it doesn't suffer any changes, and that's why Uglow came up with this idea, that makes the digital book put up with changes. The article author says this project won't make the readers feel like if they owned a physical book, but that it will be interesting to see the final results of the different stories.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I really liked the idea of this project, because I think it is a good way to make the readers feel the digital books as their, as Tea Uglow says, but it is also a way of unite people. It becomes a group project in which people of all ages and places and who have no connection bewteen them. In my opinion, it is very beautiful to be able to create something like this, with different people who can contribute different points of view and more projects like this should be done. 

VOCABULARY:
· hone: perfeccionar
· underpin: donar suport, recolzar
· lop off: tallar, retallar

LINK: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/apr/28/ebook-every-reader-obliged-to-edit-a-universe-explodes-tea-uglow

ROBOTIC DRILL SURGEON

This article talks about a new robotic drill that can help in skull surgeries, basically thanks to the time saving of the operation, because it goes about 50 times faster than if a person carries out the surgery. This drill has been created by researchers of the University of Utah and now it's being used for operations that involve hearing loss caused by a noncancerous tumor. However, it is thought to be also used in other kind of skull surgeries. The fact that it allows the operation to be done in less time has also other benefits, for example the decrease of infection because of the reduction of time the wound is opened, of costs and of human error. 

In the article, the leader of the researches explains how it works. First, it collects the bone data of the patient and identifies where are the important veins and nerves. Then the researchers, using a special software, program the cutting path the machine has to follow. About the safety of the robot, researchers can place safety barriers to avoid the machine affecting parts which don't have to be touched, and it is also programmed to automatically shut off in case it gets close to a facial nerve. Also, to perform this kind of operations, a surgeon stands all the time next to the machine and he can turn it off fast whenever he wants, to avoid accidents.

The drill was first tested in plastic blocks and then in cadaver skulls to finalise it before testing it in human alive skulls. After being successfully tasted, it is thought to be launched in about one or two years. The creators say it will cost about $100,000, which is not a big amount considering it will remarkably reduce the time of surgeries and, therefore, the costs of each one. They also say it would be good to use this drill in teaching hospitals, because they believe it would be a great tool for learning. 

PERSONAL OPINION:

The news catched my attention, but I was shocked when I read that it help to reduce the time of a surgery from two hours to two and a half minutes. It is huge difference of time, that really shows a difference. If the time of the operation is reduced that much, as the news says, it can lead to less infections and less costs. But time by itself is also important, because nowadays for non-urgent surgeries, people have to wait in a neverending line and for a very long time. So, if thanks to this drill operations that lasted hours can be done in just a few minutes, the long waiting lines for surgeries will disappear, which I think is an important benefit.

VOCAUBULARY:

· drill: trepant, "taladro"

· screw: cargol, "tornillo"

· to drain: buidar, drenar

LINK: http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/01/technology/robotic-drill-surgery/index.html

"TOUCHSCREEN-TODDLERS"

This article talks about the impact mobile phones and similar devices have on little children, specially on their sleeping habits. It says that, everytime more, children get used to play with devices which include touchscreens and that there is not a concern about how may it impact on them. 

The research institution Birkbeck, University of London, has carried out a study which relates the hours children spent playing with mobile phones or tablets and their sleep patterns. They asked 715 parents about it, and the results showed that those toddlers who play with touchscreens, which are quite a lot, sleep less hours than those who don't. In general, they got to the conclusion that for every hour the toddler was using a touchscreen, he slept 15 minutes less. Dr Tim Smith, one of the researchers, admitted it is not a big amount of sleep if you sleep for ten or twelve hours, but he remembered that sleeping the necessary hours is important for the children's development.

However, they also got to the conclusion that playing with touchscreens is a good way to improve and develop faster the motor skills, also important for children. And that's when the question comes to our mind: should we let children play with touchscreens? Dr Smith says that we should be aware of its effects and limit it as parents normally do with the TV. He says that science still has to research a lor¡t about it, but for now, it's okay if we let our children play with touchscreens. But it's important to limit the time, to make sure what they are playing with and seeing it's apropriate for them and to try to avoid them using it before going to bed. This way, kids will still be able to move and develop their motor skills the way touchscreens allow them, but they won't alterate their sleeping habits.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I agree with the conclusions the researchers have got to, because I think touchscreens can have a good impact in children, such as the improvement of motor skills or the opportunities it can give them in the moment of learning. But it's important that children don't use them excessively, because it can lead to problems in sleeping and of other kinds. And we must bear in mind that activities that don't require touchscreens can also be useful for learning and beneficial for the children, so it's important not to forget them. 

VOCABULARY:

· timely: oportú

· to lag: retardar-se

· overall: en general

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39588453 

"RIVER PIRACY" IN CANADA

The news talks about a river in Canada, the Slims River, who has changed its course. This fact is due to climate change, which has caused the melting of a glacier in the country, that, at the same time, caused this change in the river. 

This change consists in an aleration of its course, which used to flow out to the Bearing Sea and now it does it to another river, the Kaskawlush. Experts in the topic have said this phenomenon is known as "river piracy" and that for it to take place it requires centuries and that they had never seen something like this in modern times. It is surprising, because in this case it took place in only one spring.

Before this happened, researchers from different universities had planned to study the river during summer, a job they couldn't carry out because the course of the river had already been altered. They found out if was cut off when the water from one glacial lake started to pour through another lake. 

John Clage, from the University in British Columbia, had predicted this phenomenon because of the geological formation of the area, but he couldn't predict when it would happen or thta it would happen that fast. And when the researches went to the place to study it, they found a skinny lake instead of what it used to be. 

This change in the river's course will affect the environment, both the landscape and the wildlife, such as sheeps who graze in the surroundings, fishes or other aquatic animals. Dan Shugar, the leader of the investigation, reminded the effects of climate change and the surprises it can give in such a short period of time. 

PERSONAL OPINION:

As Shugar says, this is a perfect demonstration of the climate change effects and that it is more real than we thing. Sometimes we know it is a fact, but we are not aware of its effect because they take place in very long periods of time, which makes them be unnoticed. But in this case, it has happened in a very short period of time, and that's why it is more shocking. I think we should worry more about climate change, even if we can't always see its effects as clearly as we have seen it in the Slimes River. We have to bear in mind that climate change is something real that it's threatening our planet and try to lead our actions in helping it to stop. 

VOCABULARY:

· piracy: pirateria

· pour through: abocar

· stream: rierol

· graze: pasturar

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39634290

WOMEN BEHIND THE SCREEN

This article talks about the presence of women behind the screen in the movies. The actress Brie Larson, who plays a role in the recent movie of Kong, has declared that it's not enough seeing female characters on screen, but they should be also out of the screen. In fact, in 2016 the number of strong female characters in movies increased regarding the previous year, with movies such as Arrival, Hidden Figures or Ghostbusters, but although it is a big step, Larson still things more things have to change. The actress says that a way of making a change is having more female film directors.

In her new film, Kong, Larson plays the role of a strong female character, who is compassionate and who doesn't try to hurt anybody, some features that she thinks that unite people. In the article, they also explain some details about the shooting and preparation of the film, as well as the relationship and co-starring of the two main characters. It also talks about the variety of roles actors like to play.

Related to this same topic, I found another article in which Mildred Iatrou Morgan and Ai-Ling Lee, two sound cinema producers, talk about the same issue. These two women have been the first female team to be nominated for an Oscar for the film La La Land. They were interviewed about the topic, and they both, along with the Moonlight editor Joi McMillon, agreed that kids should be exposed to the world of cinema production earlier, because many kids don't even think about this options and it could be something they would be really passionate about. Among other questions, the interview asked for an advice they had been given from another woman in the field, and Iatrou Morgan said that she was adivced to ask. She said that if you want something, you have to ask for it, whether you are a male or a female, or otherwise you won't get it magically. 

PERSONAL OPINION:

Since this week we celebrated the Working Women's Day, I have chosen articles that talk about this topic, and also because I'm interested in the field of cinema and it is something I may want to work in. I agree with what these women say, that maybe female film directors are not as common as male directors, and this is maybe because they are not considered the same way. But also, I agree with what Iatrou Morgan says, that you have to go for what you want. Because what we can't do is to complain about females not getting jobs in the industry, but then see females waiting for their offers to come, just for the fact that they are women. 

VOCABULARY:

· Blockbuster: èxit a les taquilles

· Drafted: reclutat

· Seminal: influent

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39206726

INTERACTING WITH YOUR CHILDREN

This news talks about the signs a school in Middlesbrough, England, has hanged on the school gates. These signs say "Greet your child with a smile, not a mobile", and they have been hanged to make the parents of the children aware of the importance of talking with them and to avoid spending many hours on the phone instead of paying attention to them. This situation, says the headmistress of the school, is sometimes quite common: parents pay more attention to their mobile phones than to their children in a moment such as when they pick them up from school.

To try to get this situation better, they have hanged these signs, which are simple but clear. During the past years, in this school, St. Joseph 's RC Primary School, they have experienced cases of children not being able to hold a conversation or without the necessary socializing skills. The cause of this problem can be the lack of socialization and communication there is at home, which can be caused by the reliance parents have on their phones, that makes them socializing everytime less with the family, including their children.

The parents have given their opinions about the signs and they're are different points of view, although the majority thinks it is a good idea. They have described it as "great" and "brilliant", but some have pointed out that it'll be useless if it makes the parents converse more with their children not only when they pick them up from school, but also at home. Just a few considered these signs were kind of stupid. Some students have also given their opinions, saying that it's not pleasant to see your parents all the time on the phones, and that it's good to make the parents aware of it. 

PERSONAL OPINION:

I think that what the signs say is quite obvious, but if they have felt the need to hang the signs it must be because of something. It is a good way to make the parents think about it, and maybe some parents are not aware they do it and with this signs they will realise about it and try to be more attentive with their children. And also, there are probably parents that don't do this, but it's also good to make them think about the situation and it can help them to improve their relationship with their children in other aspects. 

VOCABULARY:

· Engrossed: absort 

· To crack down: prendre mesures, posar-se més estricte

· Daft: estúpid, tonto

LINK: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/03/09/school-bans-parents-using-phones-school-gate-urging-greet-children/

20th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLONING OF A SHEEP

This news talks about the cloning of a sheep, due to the 20th anniversary of this experiment  being carried out and about what has science learned after the experiment.

First of all, it explains how the experiment went 20 years ago. Some scientists had already been able to clone adult animals, such as frogs, but they hadn't been able to clone mammals, thinking that their genetic material presented problems in the cloning. However, the scientists in the Roslin Institute in Scotland achieved their objective and finally were able to produce a clone of an adult sheep, which they called "Dolly". They announced this sucess months after it happened, because they needed to gather enough information about the experiment. 

The announcement had a big impact on different aspects, and it called up several scientists groups to research other ways to modify cells and it was good news in the field of the stem cells, which scientists, after Dolly's birth, believed could repair damaged human tissues, and in the field of genoma editing. The announcement had also an impact on the general public, who, according to the director of the Division of Genomics and Society at the NGHRI, Lawrence Brody, started to talk about science and became interested on the topic.This also lead to debates about the ethical and moral issues in cloning. 

Dolly died at the age of 6, while average sheeps die at the age of 10 or 12, so both her "cloned sisters" and her lived shorter than an average sheep does. The sheep became a model of cloning, and after her, other mammals such as mice, deers or horses could be cloned.  

PERSONAL OPINION:

Even though it happened many years ago, it still seems surprising to me the fact that scientists were able to clone a mammal such as a sheep, that is quite big. And of course, that was a big step in the scientific field. About the ethical and moral debates, I think it's good to know how to clone because, as I say, it represents an important step in science and it can maybe be useful to investigate other issues, but I don't think it should be something avaialable to many people, because it is not a natural thing and it can lead to important problems.

VOCABULARY:

· Traced: rastrejat
· Groundwork: treball preparatori
· Batch: tanda, lot

LINK: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/02/24/20-years-after-dolly-sheep-what-have-learned-about-cloning.html

NEW POSSIBLE HABITABLE PLANETS FOUND

This news talks about the new discovery the NASA has made: they've found 7 planets that are similar to the Earth, which means that could contain liquid water and, therefore, life. 

The planets are orbiting around a star called Trappist-1, which forms a system that is about 40 light-years away from the Earth. But this star is not like our sun, it is a dwarf star, so it's much smaller compared to it. Although, planets still can orbit around it and the experts have said that three of the seven planets are in the called "habitable zone", which means they are highly likely to contain water, while on the other four, it depends on the composition of their atmospheres.They believe all the planets are rocky, just like the Earth, so it is another reason to think that there might be life in them. 

In the news, they explain how the star was find, and it was actually because of its dimness. When they find a star that is temporary not shining, it is probably because a planet is orbiting in front of it, so it's a way to find the planets, even though it doesn't work with the small ones. 

The astronomers believe that by 2018 a new telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope will be launched and it will have the ability to examine the atmospheres, so in case it finds gases like oxygen, ozone or methane, life could exist in those planets. 

They actually announced the discovery of the three planets that are most likely to be habitable, but now they've found four more of them. This discovery is promising, because it gives a lot of new chances to find life outside the Earth. And also, astronomers say that there are many stars like Trappist-1, so it enlarges the possibilities.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I found this news very interesting, and it's related to a topic that has always seemed curious to me. I believe there is life somewhere else apart from the Earth, because the universe is infinite, so I don't think it is possible to be the only ones in all of it. So, the discovery of planets that may have similar features as the Earth is very promising and could lead to the discovery of life in other planets, which I think it would be amazing. 

VOCABULARY:

· Dimness: penombra, foscor

· Washed out: difuminats

· Yield: cedir, donar pas 

LINK: http://www.vox.com/2017/2/22/14698030/nasa-seven-exoplanet-discovery-trappist-1

TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION BAN KEEPS IRANIAN FILM DIRECTOR FROM THE OSCARS

Recently, the US president Donald Trump applied an immigration ban, which doesn't allow citizens of seven different countries in which Muslims mean the majority of the population. 

This news talks about Asghar Farhadi, an Iranian filmdirector and an Oscar nominee for the foreign language film award for his movie "The Salesman". Iran is one of the countries featuring in the list of the seven countries whose citizans can get into the US, which means he won't be able to attend the Oscar ceremony due to this policy.

Trita Parsi, the head of the National Iranian American Council, used his case to illustrate the situation of the Iran and the other six countries citizens, and she claimed that there is no way Trump is doing an exception for Farhadi. 

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, responsible of the Oscars, protested saying the ceremony celebrated "the achievement in the art of filmmaking" in spite of the procedence of the nominees, so they were in completely disagreement with Trump's policy, as well as the TriBeCa Film Festival, which also state its disagreement through twitter. 

Parsi, convinced Farhadi, who had already won an Oscar in 2012, is not going to be able to attend the ceremony, only wishes the winner speaks about it and expresses the injustice of this event.

The director of the film is not the only one who has been on the news, one of the main actresses of "The Salesman" Taraneh Alidoosti, before the policy was officialy applied, already said she wouldn't be attending the Oscar's ceremony as a sign of protest.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I think the Trump's immigration policy is horrible: it is racist and it is like we are going back in time and letting go all the progress that has been made in this field. I think the case of the director, Farhadi, has to work as an example of the situations of many citizens. The fact that he can't attend the Oscars is not as important as the fact that many people are being banned from a country, which means, discriminated, only for their origin or their religion.

VOCABULARY: 

· To be barred: tenir l'entrada prohibida

· Boundary: límits

· Behalf: en nom de

LINKS: http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/28/media/asghar-farhadi-academy-awards/index.html 

http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/26/media/iran-trump-oscar-boycott/index.html

EMPOWER YOUNG CHILDREN

This news talks about the assumption, either of boys and girls, about boys being smarter than girls, at a very young age.

The journal Science realized a study on five-year-old children, boys and girls, and all of them encouraged their own gender, showing girls saw themselves like as good as boys.

One year later, with six-year-old children, the results weren't so satisfying. Both boys and girls saw only the boys as powerful and strong, a fact experts think can be a result of the influence of media, teachers and even parents.

This study consisted in different experiments. One of them consisted in telling the children a story with a “really, really smart” main character, but in which the character's identity isn't shown clearly. Then, they asked the children who they though the character was, and the results were quite surprising: the five-year-old children answers are more or less equalized between saying it was a boy and saying it was a girl; but in the six-year-old children's case, practically all of them answered it was a boy.

This study reveals that it is at the age of six when girls start to underrate themselves in many aspects, a fact that surprised many people. For example, Laura Lund, a primary teacher, who was shocked when she knew this happened at a such young age. She, talking about her experience with children, doesn't think this happens at this age, but she agrees with the fact that it happens, and that we should teach girls to value themselves.

A good way to do it is through books, as it explains in this article. Books can have a big influence on children, that's why it is important that they teach girls not to underrate themselves. The article gives a list of some books that can help empower young girls at a young age, and then it talks about an activity held in a school. It consisted in rewriting Cinderella's story to make it “more equal between women and men”. The report says that kids enjoyed very much the activity and that they were so enthusiastic.  

PERSONAL OPINION:

As the article says, I think it is important to teach girls the value they have, and it surprised me that it is at this age when they start to underrate themselves. I also agree with using books as a way to show this to the children, and not only in books destined to girls, but also in books for boys. Because girls guessed that a “really, really smart” character had to be a boy, but boys also thought that, and I think we should try to get to a point in which both, girls and boys, see that a girl can be as smart as a boy. And also the other way, with things that normally are identified with girls. For example, if they had said that the character was very beautiful, maybe all of them would have guessed it was a girl. So it is important to teach children that both, girls and boys, can be smart and beautiful. 

VOCABULARY:

· Bias: preferència, inclinació

· Loafer: mocassí

· Nurture: criar, criar

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38770936 

PLASTIC BAG TAX IMPACT

In October 2015, a charge of 5p for plastic bags in the shops was introduced in the UK, and recently the conservationists have talked about the impact it has had on the beaches.

This tax was already in use in other parts of the country, such as Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland, and in the last place, they introduced it into England too.

After a little more than a year later, the Marine Conservation Society has informed that the amount of plastic bags on the beach has decreased a lot and the number of bags they found is the lowest they have found in 10 years time, and they are quite sure it is thanks to this charge. During the Great British clean, an annual beach clean, thousands of volunteers helped and cleaned the beach, which allowed seeing the actual impact this tax has had on the beaches, specially in England and Northern Ireland, where the number of plastic bags has decreased the most.

Therese Coffey, the environmental ministre, declared that the establishment of the 5p tax has been a such a success, not only because of the beach and environmental care, but for the money they have collected from the charges, which is destinated to charities.

But this tax is not the solution to everything the volunteers in the cleanings have noticed a rise of drink containers. That means that, even though the amount of plastic bags on the beach has been reduced, the problem of the drink containers and other kind of litter still needs to be solved, because it is harmful for the nature and for the animals, that can actually die because of this litter.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I think this is good news and I agree with the tax they imposed. This charge makes the people use more cloth or other reusable bags, which helps in the waste of less natural resources not renewable and in the preservation and no-pollution of the planet. But as the news says, this is not the final solution because there is still a lot of litter on the beaches and other natural spaces, which we should try to avoid.

VOCABULARY:

· Herald: proclamar

· Vindicate: justificar

· Levy: impost

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38053404

VAN GOGH'S SKETCHES

Recently the experts of the Van Gogh Museum, in the Neederlands, have claimed that some sketches that are attributed to the artist are not really by him.

Those sketches were published in a book by the art historian Bogomilia Welsh Ovcharov and on the book she presented them as sketches that the Van Gogh had painted during a stay in a french museum, in the city of Arles.

However, the experts working in the museum decided to study them in depth and they got to the conclusion that they were imitations. There are several reasons that make them believe this. They claim that the style of the drawings is not the one that characterises the period they are supposed to be drawn and also they are made with a brownish ink that has never been found in his drawings.

The author of the book and the publisher still stand up for the idea of the sketches being original, and say that the musem has been wrong other times. But even though the musem experts are quite convinced that they aren't, they are going to respect their opinion.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I found this news curious and it caught my attention the little “fight” between the musem experts and the author of the book. Of course, I can not take sides, because I know only a little about Van Gogh and his art and that's not enough to give a solid opinion, but I think the fact that the experts have studied the sketches deeply maybe gives their theory some strenght. However, they can definitely be wrong and mistaken.

NEW WORDS:

· Unveiling: inauguració

· Unrefined: incult, bast

· Depicted: representat

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37989885

USA ELECTIONS

Yesterday, on the November 8^th, 2016, the United States elections for president were held, after seven years of Obama's presidency. The Democratic party was lead by Hillary Clinton, and the Republican one by Donald Trump, who finally won the elections and has now become the 45th US president.

In his victory speech, he adressed to all the people who didn't support him, saying that now it's time to work together to make the country better. He also mentioned his beaten opponent, Hillary Clinton, recognizing her hard work during the electoral campaign period, and he thanked her for all the effort. As they say in the news, this has been a major shock for the majority of the population and for the media, after all the forecasts had pointed out Clinton's victory. They compare this shocking results to the ones in the Brexit vote, in the UK.

Trump is not a conventional president at all. He was a reality TV celebrity, and he was rather new in the political world. But as we can see, this didn't stop him of beating other Republican candidates, who have been into poltics for years, and finally, of becoming the new US president. Another thing that makes him different was his kind of campaign, in which he counted with a small and disorganized group behind him. Also, the way he talked in his speeches and the things he said made him cause a major controversy, specially on the Internet, where most people were against him because of his ideologies. He is seen as a racist, homophobic and a misogynist. But on the other side, there was also people who gave him support, mainly because his determined personality, and for the declarations he made about United States needing a big change, and a government repair.

The news reports that the majority of Trump supporters are non-educated white people and that the fact that he was accused of sexual women assault, caused a decrease of women who voted him. Then, there is a mention to the famous wall between Mexico and US, that Trump said he would built if he became president.

Finally, the news concludes remembering the certainty a lot of people had of him not becoming the president of the country and his response to these thoughs, in which he showed that he was confident with himself and trusted in winning the elections, which he finally did.  

PERSONAL OPINION:

I'm not fully informed of all the election process in the United State, and I don't know a lot about the political programme of each candidate. What from what I know, I'm not very keen on neither of them, but if it's necessry to choose, I definitely choose Hillary Clinton. I think it's a shame that a person like Donald Trump, who is racist, misogynist and homophobic has become the president of the United States, and it actually scares me what can happen next, considering the importance and influence of that country in the whole world.  

VOCABULARY:

· Gleefully: alegrement

· Upend: enderrocar

· Flout: desobeir

· Forsee: preveure

LINK: http://time.com/4563685/donald-trump-wins/

METEOROLOGISTS TRAPPED BY POLAR BEARS

Five meteorologists have spent about two weeks trapped in their laboratory located in a remote Russian island due to a herd of polar bears that stayed ouside the door. The island is part of the archipielago of the Izvesty TSIK Islands, and it's a place where polar bears are common. Even so, this year the population of these mammels has increased a lot.

The meteorologists have run out of flares they normally use to scare the bears, what makes them be choiceless in the face of the bears. Thses bears have been sleeping outside the windows of the laboratory, as the men have reported to a news agency via satellite phone.

In order to not harm them, the meteorologist's only option is to wait for a boat from the city of Arkhangelsk, which will bring flares to scare the bears and release the weather experts. The boat will take about a week to get there, and meanwhile they have had to stop doing work that requires going outside.

Some environmental experts have declared that polar bears are an endangered specie, affected by the global warming which melts the ice where they normally live, making it difficult for them to hunt. That's probably why they have gone near humans: to get food.

PERSONAL OPINION:

I found this news curious and I hope everything goes fine and anyone gets wounded. I like the fact thay refuse to harm the polar bears, even though they have the weapons to do it. I think it's exacly what they should do, as bears are an endangered specie. Also, apart from finding it curious, it also makes me sad, becaue it is a sign of what polar bears are suffering because of global warming.

VOCABULARY:

· to swarm: moure's en ramat o grup

· flare: llum d'emergència/ balisa

· chief: líder, cap

LINK: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russian-meteorologists-are-trapped-polar-bears-2-800-miles-moscow-n647366

COULD 3D PRINTED HAIR FOLLICLES HELP WITH HAIR LOSS?

The company L'Oreal has considered the possibity of use 3D printed hair follicles as implants, and that's why it has partnered with the bio-printing company Poietis, which has already created some cell-based objects.

Even though, as they say, it is too early to be getting excited, they believe that maybe in a period of three years the process of printing hair follicles will be possible and adapted.

If everything goes as it is planned, after having printed hair follicles they expect to be able to study them and to answer some questions about hair loss, in order to fight and prevent it.

If they are able to get this, the next step will be to implant those follicles. They will use a specific technique that has been already used by Poietis several times, which allows the printing of organic material. This technique uses a laser and requires a previous digital map, the needed printing tools and a quite complex method, and Poietis says it normally takes about 10 minutes to print a small piece of skin, but in the hair follicles case it will take more because of its complexity.

The charity Alopecia UK stated that this is a good idea and it's fantastic that an enterprise is using money and time to help the people with hair loss problems, but they also think it is too early to get excited about it. And also, they are concerned about the price the treatment will have, in case it becomes a reality, because it will probably be possible only for a few people.

PERSONAL OPINION

I totally agree with Alopecia UK, I think it is very interesting and it is good that a company is studying the hair loss and working on the prevention and solution for it. But in case this is finally a possible, not everyone will be able to afford it, and it will only be available for some people.

But even though that will maybe be a problem in the future, I still believe this is a good initiative and helpful to explore it. Because I think that, once it has been possible and they know how to do it, they can try to find a way to make it cheaper, so more people can afford it and benefit from it.

VOCABULARY

· Tissue: teixit muscular, múscul

· Droplet: goteta

· Nozzle: tovera (boquilla)

LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37484835