Previews: Country Life Magazine – August 30, 2023

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Country Life Magazine – August 30, 2023: This week’s issue features looks at horse racing, Arundel Castle and how to make your own nature reserve.

A princely seat

In the first of two articles, John Goodall examines the early life of Arundel Castle, the Duke of Norfolk’s seat in West Sussex

Take cover

Simon Lester sows the seeds of Nature recovery by ditching chemical fertiliser and planting green manure and cover crops

Conditions of carriage

The history of horse-drawn transport is not all romance and gentility, reveals Charles Harris

Analysis: China’s Large Investments In Europe

CNBC International (August 30, 2023) – China has invested heavily in Europe, particularly in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008 when the region was strapped for cash. This means that Chinese firms are now shareholders in many key European infrastructure projects.

These include ports, wind and solar farms, telecommunications, airports – the list goes on. But there are growing fears that Beijing could use its strategic investments to further its own political ambitions. A recent dispute between the Baltic nation of Lithuania and Beijing shed light on potential reactions from China.

It’s led European governments to step up their scrutiny of Chinese investments and attempt to figure out how to redesign their relationship with Beijing. Dr Yu Jie from Chatham House told CNBC that we’re going to see more frictions regarding Chinese investment in Europe looking ahead.

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – September 1, 2023

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The Guardian Weekly (September 1, 2023) – The issue features Prigozhin’s downfall – What next for Putin, Russia and Wagner?; Zadie Smith returns to the streets of London; Protecting the Arctic Sea, and more…

Andrew Roth explores what the legacy of the Wagner warlord might be for Russia – which may well hinge on Putin himself and how the war in Ukraine turns out.

Pjotr Sauer looks at the array of methods used to dispose of Putin’s political enemies in the past, while Dino Mahtani asks what will happen to Wagner group’s clandestine operations in Africa now its enigmatic boss is no longer in the picture.

In Spotlight, a beautiful photo-essay by Ossie Michelin and Eldred Allen transports us to the Canadian Arctic where, amid alarming signs of warmer winters and receding ice, Inuit people are planning to turn 15,000 sq km of the Labrador Sea into a unique conservation zone.

Finland Travel: Cycling In Rovaniemi, Arctic Circle

BicycleDutch Films (August 29, 2023) –  A bicycle tour in  Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Finland, after an 11-hour night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, also known as the Santa Claus Express.

Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, in northern Finland. Almost totally destroyed during World War II, today it’s a modern city known for being the “official” home town of Santa Claus, and for viewing the Northern Lights. It’s home to Arktikum, a museum and science center exploring the Arctic region and the history of Finnish Lapland. The Science Centre Pilke features interactive exhibits on northern forests.

Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – Sept 1, 2023

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Times Literary Supplement (September 1, 2023): The extraordinary story of the OED; Shakespeare quotations for everyday life; Benjamín Labatut’s infernal vision; histories of learning and forgetting; rules for reviewers – and much more

News: Imran Khan Court Cases In Pakistan, China-Japan Wastewater Stress

The Globalist Podcast (August 30, 2023) – We discuss Imran Khan’s suspended conviction and rising tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over Fukushima’s wastewater.

Plus: our Washington correspondent, Chris Cermak, flicks through the day’s papers and we look ahead to Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Munich.

The New York Times — Wednesday, Aug 30, 2023

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U.S. Announces First Drugs Picked for Medicare Price Negotiations

President Biden assailed the pharmaceutical industry over the cost of drugs, saying, “We’re going to keep standing up to Big Pharma, and we’re not going to back down.”

The price negotiation program, established by Democrats as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, is projected to save the government tens of billions of dollars in the coming years.

A.I. Brings the Robot Wingman to Aerial Combat

The Air Force’s pilotless XQ-58A Valkyrie experimental aircraft is run by artificial intelligence.

An Air Force program shows how the Pentagon is starting to embrace the potential of a rapidly emerging technology, with far-reaching implications for war-fighting tactics, military culture and the defense industry.

China’s Economic Outlook: Pep Talks Up Top, Gloom on the Ground

Beijing has characterized concerns about the economic slowdown as being inflated by Western critics. Widespread anxiety and pessimism paint a different picture.

After Losing Their Homes, Lahaina Parents Try to Save Their School Community

Nearly 60 percent of Lahaina students haven’t enrolled in classes after the deadly fire, and families are yearning to rebuild their school network for educational and emotional support.

Malibu Architecture: A Tour Of Sandcastle House

Architectural Digest (August 29, 2023) – Today AD travels to the rugged shores of Malibu, California to tour Sandcastle House, the remarkable family home of architect Harry Gesner. This stunning property was born from a promise to Gesner’s wife to build her dream house on the shores of Malibu.

This one-of-a-kind home is made almost entirely from reclaimed materials salvaged from surrounding areas and inspired by the structural design of a sandcastle. But what makes Sandcastle House so special is Gesner built it with his own two hands for his family, making it a true labor of love.

International Art: Apollo Magazine – September 2023

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Apollo Magazine – September 2023 issue: Wrestling with Michelangelo at the Albertina; The Musée des Arts Décoratifs gets modern; An interview with Sarah Lucas and The Norman conquest of the European imagination.

Inside this issue

Time-Lapse Travel: Qatar After The 2022 World Cup

Little Big World (August 29, 2023) – Qatar is a small country in the Middle East and received a lot of international attention by hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

“I was invited by Visit Qatar to explore what Qatar has to offer beyond football. After two amazing and very hot weeks of shooting, I have condensed hours of footage into a bite sized film with less than 3 minutes that you might hopefully enjoy. Check out stunning desert landscapes, breathtaking art installations, amazing beaches, oriental markets and a vibrant and futuristic urban capital.”

A time-lapse & tilt-shift & aerial video by Joerg Daiber

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