Hello!
As our selection of publications keeps growing, we are sharing highlights from the English-language Aposto publications every week.
🪘 This week, we are excited to introduce two new publications: Aposto Sports & Aposto Finance. Discover them below.
We hope you enjoy your reading!
Aposto Team
Aposto Europe delivers your daily briefing on markets, politics, business, tech and more - all under 5 minutes. Don't miss out on what's happening in the world.
• About 100,000 National Health Service nurses in Britain staged their first-ever strike over pay in the union's 106-year history on Thursday, as the UK faces a wave of industrial action amid record-high inflation.
- The demand: Nurses want a pay rise of 5% plus inflation, arguing they have suffered a decade of real-term cuts and that low pay means staff shortages and unsafe care for patients.
- The response: The government says their demand would equate to a 19% hike, with Health Secretary Steve Barclay saying that figure is "not affordable given the many other economic pressures we face."
- Looking ahead: The second walkout is set to take place on Dec. 20 while the Royal College of Nursing union said more strikes were possible if the government refuses to discuss pay.
• The US Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by 50 basis points on Wednesday, slowing the pace from the previous four meetings when rates increased in three-quarter-point increments, as signs emerge that inflation is beginning to cool. The Fed’s decision —which was widely expected by economists— set their policy rate at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, the highest it has been since 2007.
• Britain's unemployment rate rose for a second month, data from the Office for National Statistics showed on Tuesday, signaling that some of the inflationary heat in the labor market is cooling as the economy stumbles. The unemployment rate increased to 3.7% in the three months to October from 3.6% in the three months to September.
- On a related note: Inflation-adjusted average pay for British public sector workers fell to a 19-year low in October, highlighting why so many are going on strike. Public sector pay is 6% lower in real terms than in October 2021.
Introducing... Aposto Sports and Aposto Finance
🙌 This week, our new publications Aposto Sports and Aposto Finance published their first issues!
You can find the best articles at Aposto on sports, at Aposto Sports. Curated by our editors, topics include soccer, basketball, tennis, F1, and more.
A Winning World Cup Strategy for the Arab World
By Daoud Kuttab
AMMAN – For decades, the Arab world has suffered from disunity. While it is connected by geography, language, and culture, the region’s lack of cohesion has long allowed foreign powers to plunder its resources. The legacy of colonial divide-and-rule tactics remains pervasive, and parochialism has prevented Arabs from leveraging their huge oil wealth and relatively educated populations. But the FIFA World Cup has shown us another way.
Football has emerged as a great unifier following a string of unexpected victories for Arab countries. In November, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina, Tunisia defeated France, and Morocco routed Belgium. Then, during the knockout stage, Morocco made history by eliminating both Spain and Portugal to become the first Arab country to secure a place in the semifinals.
Morocco’s victories were the result of a perfectly executed plan devised by coach Walid Regragui, who placed goalkeeper Yassine Bounou at the center of the team’s strategy. Bounou repeatedly stymied Spain’s attempts to score, and Morocco went on to eliminate the team in penalty shootouts. Nor could Portugal’s attackers find a way to beat Bounou, and Regragui’s side pulled off a stunning 1-0 win. “I’m trying to think of when such a shock as this has happened in the World Cup,” one commentator told the BBC. “Pinch me, I’m dreaming,” Bounou said.
Aposto Finance gathers the best articles on finance at Aposto, curated by our editors. Topics include micro and macro economic developments, market reports and more.
Climate Before Trade
By Dani Rodrik
CAMBRIDGE – Late last month, a foreign leader accused US President Joe Biden of pursuing “super aggressive” industrial policies. It was not Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose countries are America’s main geopolitical rivals. Nor was it Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi or Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose countries have struggled under the weight of US-led sanctions.
No, the complaint came from French President Emmanuel Macron, a US ally, about the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s landmark initiative to decarbonize the American economy by subsidizing domestic investment in electric vehicles, batteries, and other renewable technologies. Qualifying for these subsidies requires firms to source critical inputs from US-based producers, which irks Macron and other leaders, who claim that the new legislation undermines European industry. France, Macron noted, faces challenges of its own generating middle-class jobs. “And the consequence of the IRA,” he put it bluntly, “is that you will perhaps fix your issue but you will increase my problem.”
Aposto Business offers the best articles on business at Aposto, curated by our editors. Topics include micro-mobility, future of work, energy, green economy, consumer products, marketing and more.
Disrupting the Disruptors
By Roger McNamee
STANFORD – After a decade of unconstrained growth – when it seemed that a new billionaire was minted every day – the tech industry has finally hit a rough patch. Elon Musk’s erratic behavior following his takeover of Twitter has left the financially leveraged platform in a precarious state. The crypto exchange FTX’s sudden implosion has vaporized a business that was recently valued at $32 billion, taking many other crypto firms with it. Meta (Facebook) is laying off 11,000 people, 13% of its workforce, and Amazon is shedding 10,000.
What are we supposed to make of these setbacks? Are they isolated incidents, or signs of structural change?
Twitter was already struggling. After taking on debt and overpaying for the platform, Musk immediately began cutting costs, declaring that the company was losing $4 million per day. His first layoffs swept out 80% of the company’s contractors and half of its permanent staff, including key engineers and most of the content-moderation team.
Circular Economy 101 writes about circular economy, a model of production and consumption of sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.
How do systems transform?
As the importance of circular economy increases on the global agenda, expectations for a definition of the concept that is accepted by everyone are also increasing. While we should consider circular economy as a systemic mindset, an umbrella concept that will completely change the way we do business, simpler definitions prevent circular economy from realising its potential.
As it is considered only as an 'innovative waste management' strategy, the goals of different stakeholders regarding circular economy are also limited within this framework. As we have mentioned in our previous articles, the transition to circular economy requires different road maps to be determined from the very beginning according to the characteristics of each stakeholder and each sector. In other words, it is critical that the circular economy concept is correctly understood and integrated into our own processes. This, in fact, explains why the circular economy should not have a single and inclusive definition, and why it should not be handled in a single framework.
For this reason, it makes much more sense to have a definition that circular economy requires a systemic transformation for the efficient use of all resources. Each stakeholder has different resources and roadmaps in their own life, way of doing business or way of thinking. This requires each stakeholder to switch to a new system that will utilise its resources in the most efficient way. So how can there be a systemic transformation to circular economy? Our discussion topic this week is shaped by what needs to be considered for systemic transformation.
Aposto Istanbul is a weekly city guide for Istanbul lovers who want to make this city their neighbourhood. Hand-picked events, local news, recommendations and more.
Afro sounds in local jazz: Loft is 1 Year Old - Deli Bakkal and Afroloji
What is it? Concert. Deli Bakkal and Afroloji take the stage for a long night full of afro and ethio jazz organised for the 1st anniversary celebration of local jazz newspaper Loft.
Where? Babylon
When? 21 December
Why should you go? While celebrating the anniversary and the new issue of Loft newspaper, which says it is a 'printed publication despite everything', you will not want the longest night of 2022 to end as the sounds of the local jazz scene reach Africa.
Duly noted: The tickets here will make you wonder how there are any tickets left at this price.
Aposto London is a weekly, practical zine to London for those who want to make this city their neighbourhood.
Poetry for Every Day of the Year
What is it? Poetry Reading. Allie Esiri’s book 'A Poem For Every Day of the Year', is a collection of 366 poems compiled by Esiri featuring one poem to share on each day of the year.
Where? National Theater
When? 17 March
Why should you go? To listen to poems read by prominent actors including Helena Bonham Carter.
Duly noted: Here is a video of last year’s reading, the poem is read by Simon Russell Beale, Fay Ripley, Danny Sapani, and Lesley Sharp.
