Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Feb 22, 2024

Volume 626 Issue 8000

Nature Magazine – February 21, 2024: The latest issue cover features ‘Smoke Alarm’ – How smoking alters the immune response even years after quitting…

Great ‘Stone Age’ wall discovered in Baltic Sea

Megastructure stretching nearly 1 kilometre long is probably one of the oldest known hunting aids on Earth.

The immune markers that predict who can keep SARS-CoV-2 in check

People infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 cleared the virus more quickly if they had high levels of certain immune cells.

Introducing meat–rice: grain with added muscles beefs up protein

The laboratory-grown food uses rice as a scaffold for cultured meat.

Health: Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) Explained

The Independent (February 21, 2024): Studies show that the average British person consumes more than half of their calories from ultra-processed foods. Their consumption can cause extreme health issues and early deaths, putting a massive strain on health services across the world.

An evaluation of global dietary guidelines highlights the need for clearer warnings on what common foods fall under the ‘UPF’ banner. Some of them may surprise you. Today, Decomplicated examines what exactly defines ultra-processed foods, the impact they have on both society and the environment, and what can you do to minimize your consumption of them.

Previews: Country Life Magazine – Feb 21, 2024

Country Life Magazine – February 21, 2024: The ‘The Fine Arts Issue’ – Artists who say it with flowers and the AI debate; Wig law, daffodils and how does your hedgerow grow?….

Artificial art

With the technology powering artificial intelligence advancing so rapidly, what can artists do to protect their original work?

Blooming marvellous

Michael Prodger examines how flowers have inspired artists for centuries, from the ancient Egyptians up to the present day

On a wig and a prayer

The periwigs that were a 17th-century status symbol are still a mainstay of our legal system, as Agnes Stamp discovers

Hedge of eternity

They have long been used to contain cattle or define boundaries, but hedges can be beautiful, too, argues Charles Quest-Ritson

Trumpet majors

Alan Titchmarsh takes a wander with Wordsworth as he dreams of spring daffodils ‘fluttering and dancing in the breeze’

Norman Foster’s favourite painting

The architect falls under the spell of a gritty, but humorous work

All in a day’s work

Jamie Blackett is ready to man the barricades to scupper plans for an unwanted national park

Brothers in art

John Goodall applauds the restoration of Leighton House in London, which formed the hub of a 19th-century celebrity circle

Man of the world

Mary Miers follows the globe-trotting Sir John Lavery from Ireland to Africa and beyond

Follow your art

An inspiring oil painting was at the centre of a heist with a happy ending, reveals Carla Passino

Where be dragons?

A protective force in China and Wales, but a symbol of greed and evil in England: Lucien de Guise delves into dragon lore

The good stuff

Hetty Lintell celebrates the best of the Art Deco era with earrings old and new, but always modern

Is this London’s most exquisite hotel room?

The astonishing King’s Lodge suite at The Connaught is fit for a monarch, finds Rosie Paterson

Interiors

Amelia Thorpe shares the very best of London Design Week

A seed of an idea

Tilly Ware meets the wild-seed pioneer ‘nurturing the future’

A tower of thorns

Ben Lerwill finds the salt of the earth on the coast of Scotland

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson on rhubarb

Love and marriage

A real-life couple are in harmony on stage, finds Michael Billington

Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – Feb 23, 2024

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Times Literary Supplement (February 21, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Unknown Leader’ – Fintan O’Toole looks for clues in a biography of Keir Starmer; Zelensky on the ropes; Ukraine’s rock star poet; Habermas and social media and The novel of the Year?….

News: G20 Meeting In Brazil, Burkina Faso-Mali-Niger Create New Alliance

The Globalist (February 21, 2024): G20 foreign ministers gather in Rio de Janeiro as a diplomatic spat engulfs Brazil and Israel. Then: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger juntas confirm their commitment to form a new tri-state confederation, the Philippines conducts joint air patrols with the US and we hear from Portugal’s foreign minister, João Cravinho on Ukraine and Israel.

Plus: the commercial airport set to open on Italy’s Amalfi Coast this summer.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Feb 21, 2024

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U.S. Vetoes Security Council Cease-Fire Resolution

The United States said the resolution could have disrupted its negotiations to free hostages and secure a temporary cease-fire, but its vote drew outcry from many diplomats and aid workers.

Supreme Court Won’t Hear New Case on Race and School Admissions

The decision, along with an order this month declining to block West Point’s admissions program, suggests that most justices are not eager to immediately explore the limits of its ruling from June.

Strongmen Find New Ways to Abuse Interpol, Despite Years of Fixes

The international police organization has toughened oversight of its protocols, which autocrats have used to pursue dissidents. But the autocrats have adapted.

Wife, Protector and Now Political Heir: Yulia Navalnaya Rallies Russians

The wife of Russia’s most famous opposition leader long shunned the spotlight, but his death in prison may make that impossible. “I have no right to give up,” she said.