In Other News
Actor James Tolkan, beloved for his roles as no-nonsense authority figures in Top Gun and Back to the Future, died peacefully at the age of 94. In cricket, New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy picked up 3-22 in…
Walter MurrowChina’s Workerless Phone Factory
In a development that underscores both technological ambition and workforce disruption, China unveiled a factory capable of producing 10 million smartphones per year with no human workers. The fully…
India’s Climate Ambitions Under Scrutiny
India submitted a new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, raising questions about how it compares with previous commitments and what the data actually show. The Hindu…
North Korea Accelerates Military Buildup
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a new high-thrust solid-fuel rocket engine and a new battle tank, as Pyongyang steps up its military development program. According to state news agency…
Slovakia Threatens to Derail EU Russia Sanctions
The European Union’s fragile consensus on Russia is under strain. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that Bratislava will veto the EU’s proposed 20th package of sanctions against Russia and…
Middle East Conflicts Deepen
The war in Iran — a central grievance of the “No Kings” protesters — is reverberating across the wider Middle East. Yemen’s Houthi militia launched cruise missiles and drones at southern Israel for…
A Nation — and the World — Takes to the Streets
The largest protest movement in the United States since the civil rights era appears to be gaining momentum. On Saturday, March 28, millions of people rallied in cities across the US and in Europe…
The World Mourns Cultural Icons
Saturday also brought cultural grief. Greece bid farewell to Marinella, the “Grand Lady” of Greek song, who died at 87. Born Kyriaki Papadopoulou, Marinella was far more than a singer — she was a…
Section 702: A Surveillance Law That Threatens the Press
In the United States, a different kind of institutional threat is under scrutiny. Freedom of the Press Foundation convened four experts to discuss Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance…
AI ‘Slopaganda’ Supercharges Climate Disinformation
The energy transition faces another headwind: a sophisticated disinformation machine. An investigation by The Age reveals how fossil fuel money is bankrolling climate denial content, which is then…