European telecom companies are gradually moving away from using Huawei and ZTE equipment due to security concerns and regulatory pressures. While some countries are proactively phasing out Chinese telecom components, others are slower, opting for gradual replacement during network upgrades. The European Commission's cybersecurity assessment highlights the risks of relying on Chinese-made equipment, urging member states to implement measures to diversify suppliers. Despite the EU's collective agreement on the risks, enforcement has lagged, with only a few countries imposing restrictions. The article discusses the economic implications of replacing Huawei infrastructure and the strategic moves by telecom operators to mitigate future risks.

Iprova, a company based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is revolutionizing the invention process by using AI to automate the generation of patentable ideas. Their AI tool scans vast amounts of literature to suggest new inventions by connecting previously unrelated concepts. This approach has been successfully used by major corporations like Panasonic and Ericsson to develop innovative solutions. The article discusses the potential and limitations of AI in invention, highlighting the need for human insight to guide AI-generated ideas. While AI can suggest novel combinations, human inventors are crucial for assessing the practicality and value of these ideas. The article also touches on the broader implications of AI in patent law and competitive intelligence.

European countries, including Spain, Italy, and Portugal, are increasingly granting citizenship by decree to foreign athletes to enhance their national sports teams. This practice, which bypasses conventional residency requirements, has sparked debate over fairness, as some athletes receive nationality quickly due to sporting merit, while others wait years. Notable cases include athletes like Majida Maayouf, Megan Gustafson, and Pedro Pichardo, who have been naturalised to compete in international events such as the Olympics. The process highlights the discretionary power of governments in granting citizenship for national interest.

The article explores the complexities of citizenship laws in the European Union, focusing on the challenges faced by children born to foreign parents in countries like Spain, Italy, and Germany. It highlights the disparities in how different EU countries handle naturalization and citizenship, with some offering automatic citizenship under certain conditions, while others impose stringent requirements. The narrative includes personal stories of individuals affected by these laws, emphasizing the social and psychological impact of being considered a foreigner in one's birth country. The article calls for a reevaluation of citizenship policies to better integrate second-generation migrants and harness their potential contributions to society.

The article explores the challenges faced by children born to foreign parents in Spain and other European countries in acquiring citizenship. It highlights the disparities in citizenship laws across the EU, where some countries grant automatic citizenship to children born on their soil, while others impose stringent requirements. The narrative follows personal stories, such as that of Faussan, born in Spain to Bangladeshi parents, who only acquired Spanish citizenship four years after birth. The article underscores the social and legal hurdles these children face, emphasizing the need for policy reforms to address these issues and the broader implications for social integration and equality.

Virtual conferences offer a convenient way to engage with professional meetings, such as the ACS Fall 2020 Virtual Conference & Expo, and can enhance one's chemistry career. They require advance planning and thoughtful participation. Attendees can benefit from asynchronous sessions, allowing for deeper reflection on the content. Presenters should prepare their talks to be concise and anticipate audience questions. Professional appearance during online presentations is crucial. Networking remains essential in the virtual format, with etiquette and inclusivity being important. The shift to virtual conferences, accelerated by COVID-19, presents an opportunity for undergraduates to contribute to the evolution of these events.

Canon has developed a new autofocus technology that operates faster, better, and in lower light without needing new components. The 'cross dual-pixel twisted-photodiode' created by Daiki Shirahige and his team at Canon's Device Technology Development Headquarters in Kawasaki, Japan, was presented at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco. This technology stacks two identical photodiodes at right angles to capture both horizontal and vertical patterns, doubling the capacity of previous systems and not requiring extra processing time. The market for these sensors is expected to grow significantly by 2030. Canon has not provided a commercial release date for the new sensors.

The Paris 2024 Olympics will see the implementation of AI-driven video surveillance under a temporary law aimed at detecting potential security threats. While privacy activists, including Amnesty International, express concerns over human rights violations, some local residents welcome the technology for its potential to curb antisocial behavior. The European Union is working on the AI Act to regulate such technologies, amid fears of bias and privacy breaches. The surveillance law prohibits biometric data processing, but critics argue that effective surveillance may still infringe on privacy. The article highlights the potential for surveillance technologies to persist beyond the Olympics, raising concerns about their long-term impact on civil liberties.

Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a photonic chip that integrates a photonic filter and modulator, achieving a spectral resolution of 37 megahertz and a wider bandwidth. This advancement, published in Nature Communications, brings photonic chips closer to replacing bulkier electronic RF chips in fiber optic networks. The work leverages stimulated Brillouin scattering and chalcogenide waveguides. David Marpaung of the University Twente highlights the significance of this integration, while other research groups explore alternative materials like lithium niobate and silicon-only waveguides. The global effort aims to meet the demands of telecoms providers and defense manufacturers for high-resolution, wide-band photonic radio sensitivity.

Spain formed a new government on November 9, coinciding with the shooting of Vox party co-founder Alejo Vidal-Quadras in Madrid. The caretaker prime minister Pedro Sánchez, from the Socialist and Workers Party, faced controversy for including an amnesty for Catalan separatists in his coalition government pact. Protests ensued, with peaceful demonstrations escalating to violence at night. The opposition People's Party is organizing a protest against the amnesty, while Vidal-Quadras survived the attack and blamed the Iranian government.