A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: Britain’s place in the world, the future of global e-commerce (9:25), and using urine to heat homes (16:30).
Daily Archives: January 3, 2021
Wildlife: ‘Best Of Winter’ From BBC Earth (Video)
Enjoy a selection of the best Winter moments from the BBC Earth archive.
Investigations: Chinese Telecomunications Giant Huawei – High Tech or Spy?
Telecommunications giant Huawei is said to be one of the most powerful companies in China. But Huawei has been accused of systematic espionage, and some Western governments doubt whether the company is truly independent of the Chinese government.
This documentary investigates concerns about Huawei and internet security. The company is a major player in the manufacture of smartphones, and enjoys a technological lead in the development of the super-fast 5G broadband network worldwide. But the US and some other Western countries suspect that Huawei works closely with the Chinese government on espionage and sabotage operations.
Has Huawei becomne a pawn in the trade war between the US and China? The arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada in 2018 — at the request of US authorities — marked the climax of the conflict between Huawei and Washington. Some European countries also have concerns about the company.
Does Huawei really have close ties to the Chinese government? And what are the benefits and risks for those foreign clients who choose to work with this 5G giant?
Travel In The Cotswolds: ‘Stroud To Tetbury’ (Video)
We’re continuing our journey south in this episode, having been to Painswick and the Slad Valley in episode five. We begin in Stroud, and move through the golden valley to Minchinhampton, high up on the escarpment and then down to Cirencester, before moving through Malmesbury and onto Tetbury.
Stroud is a market town and civil parish in the centre of Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. Situated below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills at the meeting point of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets, independent spirit and cafe culture.
Tetbury is a town and civil parish inside the Cotswold district in England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681.
Travel: ‘Mexico’ (8K Video)
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico.
Nature: ‘Bald Eagles’ In Northern Idaho (Video)
“Sunday Morning” takes us among bald eagles at Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Videographer: Hank Heusinkveld.
The bald eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico.
Lake Coeur d’Alene, officially Coeur d’Alene Lake, is a natural dam-controlled lake in North Idaho, located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. At its northern end is the city of Coeur d’Alene. It spans 25 miles in length and ranges from 1 to 3 miles wide with over 109 miles of shoreline.
Travel: Forests, Lakes & Hills Of ‘Slovenia’ (Video)
Slovenia, a country in Central Europe, is known for its mountains, ski resorts and lakes. On Lake Bled, a glacial lake fed by hot springs, the town of Bled contains a church-topped islet and a cliffside medieval castle. In Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, baroque facades mix with the 20th-century architecture of native Jože Plečnik, whose iconic Tromostovje (Triple Bridge) spans the tightly curving Ljubljanica River.
Timelapse Photography: ‘Lilies In Bloom’ (4K Video)
Filmed and Edited by: Christopher Putvinski
A short video of pink and white lilies blooming over the course of a week. The video is comprised of roughly 1,300 photos, compiled at 24 frames per second. Hope you enjoy it. Music is “Overlook” by Roary (via Musicbed)
New Terminology: ‘Long-Hauler’ – Chronic Long-Term Effects Of Covid-19
Now the stories of “long-haulers” have become a central component of how scientists, doctors and policymakers view long-term effects of the coronavirus.
As a current article in the journal Social Science & Medicine explains, researchers are scrambling to keep up with what patients report in online support groups such as Ms. Watson’s. Co-author Elisa Perego, a research associate at University College London, is a long-hauler herself, and dubbed the post-viral condition “long Covid” on Twitter in May. Both “long-haulers” and “long Covid” are fast becoming standard terminology in the medical field.
Kate Porter, a digital marketer from Beverly, Mass., and an administrator for Ms. Watson’s group, has watched as the “long-hauler” term has exploded in popularity. Ms. Porter, who tracks the latest research and policy initiatives on the Covid-19 Recovery Awareness website, told me, “Even if it’s not necessarily the most scientific term, you get the gist right away—you don’t even need to really explain it.”
Sunday Morning Podcast: Latest News From Zurich, London & Bangkok (2021)
Tyler Brûlé and guests cover the weekend’s biggest discussion topics from Zurich, London and Bangkok.
Boomers Daily 