Superbugs threat, worst dengue in Bangladesh, and AI heart attack predictions

Hey everyone!

This is the first weekly edition of News Minimalist. For now it’s just an experiment, so I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas for improvement (as always — just reply to this email). I chose 7.3 as a cutoff for significance, leading to a round 10 articles this week.

Heads up: I’m not considering adding ads to the newsletter, but I might make the weekly edition available only via paid subscription in the future.

Last week ChatGPT read 8470 top news stories. After removing previously covered events, there are 10 articles with a significance score over 7.3.

Public health

[7.9] Rise of drug-resistant infections is a global threat — The Conversation

The rise of drug-resistant infections is a global threat, with antibiotic-resistant superbugs estimated to have caused 1.27 million deaths in 2019. The UN projects 10 million annual deaths by 2050. Microbiologist Nubwa Medugu in Nigeria faces increasing antibiotic resistance, with over 60% resistance to last-resort antibiotics. Scientists are using AI and metagenomics to find new antibiotics, such as clovibactin discovered in uncultured soil bacteria.

[7.8] Rising temperatures, longer monsoon drive Bangladesh's worst dengue outbreak — Reuters

Bangladesh is facing its worst-ever dengue outbreak, with 1,476 deaths and 291,832 infections in 2023, surpassing the previous record. Climate change is creating ideal breeding conditions for the dengue-spreading mosquito, Aedes aegypti, due to rising temperatures and longer monsoons. Dengue cases have been reported in all 64 districts for the first time. Hospitals are overwhelmed, with shortages of intravenous fluids.

[7.7] Bird flu virus causing unprecedented global outbreaks — South China Morning Post

A study published in Nature reveals that the H5N1 bird flu virus has caused unprecedented outbreaks in wild bird species across five continents since November 2021. The virus has become more persistent in wild bird populations, spreading to new regions and affecting marine and land mammals. The virus has shifted from China to Europe and northern Africa. Researchers urge sustained vaccination to eliminate the virus. Gene editing shows promise in breeding chickens resistant to bird flu.

[7.4] Britain authorizes gene therapy Casgevy for blood disorders — Reuters

Britain has authorized Casgevy, a gene therapy using CRISPR, to treat sickle-cell disease and β-thalassemia in patients aged 12 and over. The therapy has shown to restore healthy haemoglobin production in the majority of participants, with no significant safety concerns. Casgevy is administered by editing a gene in the patient's stem cells and then infusing them back.

[7.4] AI could predict heart attack risk up to 10 years in the future, finds Oxford study — The Guardian

A study by the University of Oxford found that AI can predict heart attack risk up to 10 years in advance, potentially saving thousands of lives. The AI tool, tested on 40,000 patients, accurately predicted heart attack risk and altered treatment plans for 45% of patients. The British Heart Foundation-funded study aims to implement the AI tool in the NHS to prevent avoidable heart attack deaths.

[7.3] NHS diabetes prevention program shows positive results — The Guardian

A major international study found that the NHS's diabetes prevention program led to significant improvements in weight and cholesterol levels for prediabetic patients. Over 1.3 million people have been referred to the program, with 120,000 participating this year. Patients experienced reductions in blood glucose levels, BMI, weight, and bad cholesterol. The findings, published in Nature, suggest that behavior change programs are a viable strategy for diabetes prevention.

Business and economy

[7.3] US jobs data may be miscounting millions of 'gig' workers, research suggests — Reuters

Boston Fed research indicates millions of U.S. gig workers might be uncounted in employment reports, impacting Federal Reserve job market and inflation assessments. This discrepancy, potentially involving up to 13 million workers, suggests a tighter labor market with more capacity to grow without inflation. The study highlights significant gaps in understanding labor dynamics, crucial for shaping monetary policy and economic insights.

[7.3] China's high-tech manufacturing investment raises concerns — Reuters

China is funneling funds into high-tech sectors like semiconductors and EVs, potentially exacerbating overcapacity issues. Loans to manufacturing surged by 38.2%, contrasting a drop in property lending. Europe fears a trade clash due to a potential influx of cheap exports. With China focusing on advanced manufacturing, concerns rise over its ability to drive domestic consumption, vital for sustainable growth.

[7.3] Australian telco Optus' CEO quits after network outage — Reuters

Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has resigned after a network-wide outage left nearly half of Australia without phone or internet for 12 hours. Over 10 million Australians were affected.

Politics

[7.6] Biden and Xi aim to stabilize US-China relationship — The Associated Press

U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping met in California, agreeing to stabilize their relationship. They reached agreements on combating illegal fentanyl and re-establishing military communications. Xi promised to send new pandas to the U.S. The leaders discussed economic competition, global security threats, Taiwan, and Iran. They also agreed to establish dialogues on artificial intelligence and address the climate crisis.

Thanks for reading us and see you next week,

Vadim