1
British nurses to hold first ever strike over pay
For the first time, British nurses will go on strike over wages
Tens of thousands of British nurses will go on strike① for the first time over demands for better pay, their trade union said on Wednesday. Nurses at the majority of state-run National Health Service (NHS) employers across Britain have voted to strike, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said, in action that threatens major disruption to an already strained health system. NHS nurses have seen their salaries cut by up to 20% in real terms over the last 10 years. The union is asking for a pay hike of 5% above inflation. Britain has seen a wave of industrial unrest this year across a range of professions as pay hikes fail to keep up with inflation running at 10%. The RCN, which has more than 300,000 members, said industrial action would begin before the end of the year following the first ever strike vote in its 106-year-old history. (CNN)
On November 9, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), a British nurses' union, said tens of thousands of nurses in Britain would go on strike for the first time to demand higher wages. RCN said nurses in most hospitals within the NHS had voted to strike, adding to the already overwhelmed UK health system. Real salaries for nurses in the NHS have fallen by 20 per cent over the past 10 years. Unions demand that wage increases be 5 percentage points higher than inflation. With wage growth failing to keep pace with 10% inflation, Britain has seen a wave of strikes across a wide range of industries this year. The RCN, which has more than 300,000 members, said it would strike by the end of the year after holding its first strike vote in its 106-year history.
【Notes】
① strike: [straɪk] n. a period of time when an organized group of employees of a company stops working because of a disagreement over pay or conditions 罢工，罢课，罢市
(Credit: CNN)
2
Record-breaking sale of Microsoft co-founder’s art collection surpasses $1.6 billion
The Microsoft co-founder's art collection sold for more than $1.6 billion
Art from the private collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen fetched① over $1.6 billion to become the largest single-owner sale in auction history. Spanning 500 years of art history, art from Allen’s collection was offered on Wednesday and Thursday at Christie’s in New York. The auction’s single biggest sale was Seurat’s “Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version),” which fetched over $149.2 million. Cézanne’s oil on canvas “La Montagne Sainte-Victoire,” one of more than 30 views he painted of the French mountain range, sold for almost $137.8 million. A Van Gogh painting, “Verger avec cyprès,” meanwhile fetched almost $117.2 million to become the most expensive work by the artist ever to sell at auction. The two other artworks to attract nine-figure bids were Gauguin’s “Maternité II,” which fetched $105.7 million, and Klimt’s “Birch Forest,” a large-scale landscape that sold for over $104.5 million. (CNN)
The late Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen's collection of art sold for more than $1.6 billion, making it the highest-selling private collection in auction history. Allen's collection, which spans 500 years of art history, was auctioned at Christie's in New York on November 9 and 10. The work with the highest single transaction in this auction was Seurat's "Models (Small Edition)", which sold for more than $149.2 million. Cézanne's oil on canvas Mont Saint-Victor is one of more than 30 of his landscapes depicting French mountains, fetching nearly $137.8 million. At the same time, Van Gogh's painting "Orchard with Cypresses" sold for nearly 117.2 million US dollars, setting a new auction record for Van Gogh's works. The other two works that fetched nine figures, Gauguin's Motherhood II and Klimt's large-scale landscape Birch Forest, sold for $105.7 million and over $104.5 million, respectively.
【Notes】
① fetch: [fetʃ] v. to be sold for a particular price 售得，卖得（某价）
(Credit: siennasaintcyr.com)
3
Italy hails ‘exceptional①’ discovery of ancient bronze statues in Tuscany
Italy announces "rare" bronze statues unearthed in Tuscany
Archaeologists in Italy have uncovered more than two dozen beautifully preserved bronze statues dating back to ancient Roman times in thermal baths in Tuscany, the Italian Ministry of Culture said Tuesday. Depicting Hygieia, Apollo and other Greco-Roman gods, the figures are said to be around 2,300 years old. One expert said the find could “rewrite history”. Most of the statues—which were found submerged beneath the baths alongside around 6,000 bronze, silver and gold coins—date to between the 2nd Century BC and the 1st Century AD. The Italian Ministry of Culture said that the era marked a period of “great transformation in ancient Tuscany” as the area transitioned from Etruscan to Roman rule. The statues will be taken to a restoration laboratory in nearby Grosseto, before eventually being put on display in a new museum in San Casciano. Massimo Osanna, director general of Italy’s state museums, said the discovery was the most important since the Riace Bronzes and “certainly one of the most significant bronze finds ever made in the history of the ancient Mediterranean”. (Reuters & BBC)
Archaeologists have unearthed more than 20 well-preserved bronze statues dating back to ancient Roman times, Italy's culture ministry said Nov. 8. The statues, which depict the goddess of health, Apollo, and other Greco-Roman gods, are believed to have been carved around 2,300 years ago. One expert said the discovery could "rewrite history." Most of the statues are buried in hot spring mud, along with about 6,000 copper, silver and gold coins, dating from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. Italy's Ministry of Culture said the period marked a "great shift in ancient Tuscany," when Tuscan rule passed from Etruscans to Romans. The statues will be taken to the restoration laboratory near Grosseto for restoration, which will subsequently be exhibited in the new museum in San Cassiano. Massimo Osanna, director of the museum department at the Italian Ministry of Culture, said it was the most important discovery since the bronze samurai statue of Riace, "and certainly one of the most important bronze finds in the history of the ancient Mediterranean."
【Notes】
① exceptional: [ɪkˈsepʃən(ə)l] adj. unusual; not typical; Unusual; exceptional
(Credit: Reuters)
4
Liu brothers move closer to potential China switch
The Hungarian Olympic champions Liu brothers are expected to become naturalized in China
Hungary’s short-track speed skating stars Sandor Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang could be representing China in the future after the Olympic champions lodged applications to change their nationality. The Hungarian National Skating Association (MOKSZ) on Tuesday posted a statement on its website confirming that the Liu brothers had officially filed the applications. Under the guidance of Zhang Jing, their longtime mentor, the Liu brothers led the Hungarian men’s team to its first short-track Olympic gold medal when they triumphed in the 5,000m relay final at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea. Liu Shaoang, the younger of the brothers, continued his golden momentum① by winning the men’s 500m title at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. Born in Budapest to a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother, the Liu brothers are expected to skate under the Chinese flag should their applications be approved. Zhang returned to serve as head coach of the Chinese national squad in August and she is currently overseas working with Team China as it competes in the International Skating Union’s World Cup series. Both Zhang and the Chinese skating association have yet to respond to the news about the Liu brothers. (China Daily)
Hungarian short track speed skating Olympic champions Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang applied for a change of nationality and may represent China in the future. The Hungarian National Skating Association posted a statement on its website Nov. 8 confirming that the Liu brothers had formally submitted their applications. Under the long-term guidance of coach Zhang Jing, the Liu brothers led the Hungarian men's team to win its first Olympic gold medal in short track speed skating in the 5000m relay final at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. His younger brother Liu Shaoang achieved another great result, winning the men's 500m title at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February this year. Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang were born in Budapest to a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother. If the application is approved, they are expected to help speed skating in China. In August this year, Zhang Jing returned to China to become the head coach of the Chinese national team, and is currently leading the Chinese team abroad to participate in the World Cup series of the International Skating Union. Zhang Jing and the Chinese Skating Association have not responded to the Liu brothers' news.
【Notes】
(1) momentum: [məˈmentəm] n. the ability to keep increasing or developing propulsion; Impetus; momentum
(Credit: AFP)
5
Female governors will break a record in 2023
The number of women governors in the United States will be at an all-time high
The US will have a record number of female governors in 2023. Still, the record-setting number—12—will represent a small fraction of the top executives across the 50 states. The previous record of nine female governors serving concurrently was set in 2004. Even before Election Day, 2022 had set a record for the number of all-female gubernatorial① matchups. Those five states were Arizona, Alabama, Iowa, Michigan and Oregon. Before this year, there had only been four woman-versus-woman gubernatorial matchups in all of history. In total, 25 women were nominated for governor by the two major parties in 2022, a historical record. Sixteen of them were Democrats and nine were Republicans. Democrat Becca Balint will be the first woman elected to Congress from Vermont, winning election to the state’s at-large district. With Balint’s win, Vermont will lose its distinction as the only US state never to have sent a woman to Congress. (CNN)
In 2023, the number of women governors in the United States will reach a record high of 12. Even with record-breaking, they are still a minority of the 50 governors. The previous record was in 2004, when nine women served as governors at the same time. Just before Election Day 2022, a record number of state-only states with women running for governor were in five states: Arizona, Alabama, Iowa, Michigan and Oregon. Before 2022, there were only 4 female-to-female gubernatorial races in U.S. history. In 2022, there were 25 women among the gubernatorial candidates nominated by the two major parties, a historic record of 16 Democrats and nine Republicans. Democrat Becca Balint will win Vermont's only House seat, becoming the state's first woman to be elected to Congress. Balint's victory means all 50 U.S. states have at least one female member of Congress.
【Notes】
(1) gubernatorial: [ˌɡuːbənəˈtɔːriəlˈ] adj. connected with the job of state governor in the US (United States) governor, governor's office
(Credit: CNN)
6
Confirmed! A 2014 meteor is Earth’s 1st known interstellar visitor
Real hammer! A meteor in 2014 was Earth's first known interstellar visitor
Astronomers have confirmed that a suspicious space rock that hit Earth in 2014 came from another star system, predating the famous interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua by three years. The results were published in the Astrophysical Journal on November 2, 2022. Researchers found the meteor in the catalog of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies in 2019. At that time, however, some of the data about the rock’s trajectory① were kept secret by the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD). But in March this year, the DoD released a statement confirming the measurements, allowing scientists to complete their calculation of the mysterious rock’s origin. The researchers believe that interstellar space rocks might hit Earth’s atmosphere about once per decade. Analyzing those meteors, the researchers suggest in the paper, could provide new insights into the chemistry of distant star systems. The researchers also suggest that such a high frequency of interstellar visitors throughout Earth’s history could mean that the seeds of life that had sprouted on our planet in the past 3.5 billion years may have come from another star system. (SPACE.com)
Astronomers have now confirmed that a suspected space rock that hit Earth in 2014 came from another star system, 3 years before the famous interstellar visitor "Oumuamua". The findings were published in the Journal of Astrophysics on November 2, 2022. In 2019, researchers spotted the meteor in the catalog of NASA's Near-Earth Object Research Center. However, at the time, the US Department of Defense did not disclose some data on the meteor's trajectory. But in March, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a statement confirming the measurements, allowing scientists to complete estimates of the origin of the mysterious rock. Researchers believe that interstellar rocks may hit Earth's atmosphere once every 10 years. In their paper, they note that analyzing these meteors could provide new insights into the chemistry of distant star systems. The researchers also believe that such frequent interstellar visitors in Earth's history may mean that the seeds of life that have taken root on Earth over the past 3.5 billion years may have come from another star system.
【Notes】
(1) trajectory: [trəˈdʒektəri] n. the curved path of sth that has been fired, hit or thrown into the air's orbit, trajectory, trajectory
(Credit: SPACE.com)
Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Gao Qiao, Han Lu, Zhu Yuexuan Compiled
Liu Jingyi and Wang Tuo read aloud
Zhang Ju Reviewed