1. Japan’s new Cabinet: Out of 19 members, only one of them is a lady, prompting criticisms of gender inequality

“[Shinzo Abe] claimed that the lone female appointee, the former career bureaucrat Katayama, had the determination of multiple women. “She is incredibly feisty. I know there is only one woman in this cabinet, but Ms Katayama has the presence of two or three women. I hope she will use that to promote the goal of female empowerment,” he said, according to the Japan Times.

Seiko Noda, who was replaced as internal affairs minister by a man, said she was “extremely worried” about the lack of female representation in senior positions in the party.

Katayama, whose brief includes promoting gender equality, was forced to buy a new dress shortly before a ceremony at the Imperial Palace to announce the new ministers, after a Cabinet Office official said neither of her two existing outfits met the dress code.”

Read the full article in The Guardian: Shinzo Abe reshuffle leaves just one woman in Japanese cabinet

 

  1. Language: An interesting addition to the Oxford dictionary – ‘add oil!’

“The discovery was made by Associate Professor Hugo Tseng from Taiwan’s Soochow University, who wrote a column about his finding in Hong Kong’s Apple Daily on Sunday (Oct 14).

“To directly translate ‘jia you’ into ‘add oil’ – this is a form of Chinglish that many English teachers will correct. However, it has become popular to the point that the Oxford English Dictionary has accepted it and recognised its place,” he wrote in Mandarin.

The entry describes the phrase as being of Hong Kong English origin, and defines it as “expressing encouragement, incitement or support”, as in “go on! go for it!”.”

Read the full article in Inkstone News: This powerful Chinglish phrase is now in the Oxford Dictionary

 

  1. Technology: New research claims that this A.I. can spot Alzheimer’s five years ahead

“Canadian scientists have created an AI that they claim can successfully spot Alzheimer’s five years before major symptoms appear.

There are currently around 50 million people living with dementia worldwide, and that number is set to almost double every 20 years. However, so far drug trials to reverse the condition have failed.

One of the key challenges for clinicians is that the disease is mostly detected once it’s at an advanced stage. However, researchers hope the new AI could change this by providing an early warning system”

Read the full article in The Telegraph: AI could spot Alzheimer’s five years before major symptoms appear

 

Picture credits: Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash