Category Archives: Politics

Culture: New York Times Magazine – March 12, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – March 12, 2023:

The Daring Ruse That Exposed China’s Campaign to Steal American Secrets

How the downfall of one intelligence agent revealed the astonishing depth of Chinese industrial espionage.

Inside the ‘Blood Sport’ of Oscars Campaigns

Oscar campaigns are often run by professional strategists, essentially a specialized breed of publicist. Their job begins as early as a year before the awards, sometimes before a film is even shot. They advise on which festival a film should premiere at, shape a campaign platform and hope that the film gains enough momentum to propel it into awards season. 

The Quest to Restore Notre Dame’s Glorious Sound

Much of the cathedral’s restoration, projected to be completed in 2024, will address these large holes. They affect not just the structure of the building, but also something that cannot be seen: the acoustics. “Notre Dame has lost about 20 percent of its acoustics,” says Mylène Pardoen, who is the co-director of the acoustics team working on Notre Dame — under the aegis of the French Ministry of Culture and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S.), a research organization from whose ranks specialists have been drawn for the restoration. The holes caused a measurable decline in the glorious resonances that gave the building its unique sound.

News: UK-France Summit In Paris, Vatican To Return Parthenon Sculptures

March 10, 2023: Can Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron mend Anglo-French relations at their summit in Paris? Plus: the Vatican returns three Parthenon sculpture fragments, the latest aviation news and the final episode of our series lifting the lid on the world of espionage.

Previews: The Economist Magazine – March 11, 2023

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The Economist – March 11, 2023 issue

How to avoid war over Taiwan

A superpower conflict would shake the world

Europe is witnessing its bloodiest cross-border war since 1945, but Asia risks something even worse: conflict between America and China over Taiwan. Tensions are high, as American forces pivot to a new doctrine known as “distributed lethality” designed to blunt Chinese missile attacks. Last week dozens of Chinese jets breached Taiwan’s “air defence identification zone”. This week China’s foreign minister condemned what he called America’s strategy of “all-round containment and suppression, a zero-sum game of life and death”.

A stubbornly strong economy complicates the fight against inflation

Higher interest rates are not sufficiently slowing global growth

Emmanuel Macron’s vision of a more muscular Europe is coming true

But his allies disagree on its strategies and goals

News: NATO Debates Nord Stream Sabotage, Putin’s ‘Swiss Bank Account’ Trial

March 9, 2023: Defence ministers warn not to jump to conclusions on who was behind the Nord Stream explosions; and the trial of four bankers accused of helping Putin deposit millions of francs in Switzerland kicks off in Zürich.

Plus: India’s luxury-market boom, proposed plans to set a lunar time zone, and the latest segment in our spy series.

Previews: The Guardian Weekly – March 10, 2023

Methane leaks: inside the 10 March Guardian Weekly | Climate crisis | The  Guardian

The Guardian Weekly (March 10, 2023)

It’s no secret that methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with scientists attributing 25% of global heating to its atmospheric release. A new Guardian analysis by environment editor Damian Carrington lays bare the extent of the problem, identifying more than 1,000 of the world’s worst emitters.

But methane is also a double-edged sword: while it traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide, it fades from the atmosphere in about a decade, far faster than the century or more taken by CO2, which is why urgent action to tackle leaks would be so effective in the push to limit global heating. Find out more in Damian’s Big Story report for us this week.

News: China ‘Meddling’ In Canada Election Probed, Taliban ‘Gender Apartheid’

March 8, 2023: Justin Trudeau orders a probe into alleged Chinese election meddling. Plus: the Taliban’s “gender apartheid” regime, the latest business news, Chanel at Paris Fashion Week and a special interview with former spy Mubin Shaikh.

Special Report: ‘Frontline Formosa – Taiwan In Peril’

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The Economist – Special Reports (March 11, 2023)

Taiwan is a vital island that is under serious threat

Taiwan’s fate will, ultimately, be decided by the battle-readiness of its people

News: The Aftermath Of Earthquake In Turkey & Syria, Pakistan Bans Khan

March 7, 2023: Almost a month on from the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we unpack the consequences of the disaster and look at the particular impact on refugees. Plus: Imran Khan is banned from Pakistan’s airwaves, the latest business news and episode two of our spy series.

Opinion: Curing Obesity, Ron DeSantis’ Foreign Policy, Entrepreneur Hype

March 6, 2023: A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how to cure obesity, Ron DeSantis’s foreign policy doctrine (10:53) and why hype can help and hinder entrepreneurs (17:00).