Monocle on Saturday, February 10, 2024: Will China’s economy recover during the Year of the Dragon? What is the UK’s new tech that could control the weather?
And how is the ‘Bayeux Tapestry’ being updated? Join Georgina Godwin and David Bodanis for a round-up of the week’s news and culture. Plus: the owner of The Steam Room, Tony Chung, joins us to talk about his collaboration with Ai Weiwei and Avant Arte for the Lunar New Year.
Many civilians in Rafah are sheltering in rickety tents made of plastic and wood and say there is nowhere left in Gaza to avoid Israeli shelling.
In a closed-door meeting, the aide offered some of the administration’s clearest notes of contrition for its response to the Gaza war, a sign of rising Democratic pressure on President Biden.
Polling shows it’s a broad concern expressed about President Biden, not just one person’s opinion.
The actor denied physical abuse. Separately, he said he wasn’t told of accusations of misbehavior on the set of “Lovecraft Country.”
Justices across the ideological spectrum expressed skepticism about several aspects of a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court, but there was little discussion of the Jan. 6 riot or Mr. Trump’s role in it.
After an inquiry concluded that President Biden was “well-meaning” but had “a poor memory,” he angrily fired back in an attempt at political damage control.
In a two-hour interview, President Vladimir Putin of Russia was more direct than usual about how he sees his Ukraine invasion ending: not with a military victory, but a deal with the West.
They are reshaping the balance between humans and technology in war
Investors at home and abroad no longer trust China’s policymakers
The arsenal of hypocrisy
Their cynicism over Ukraine weakens America and makes the world less safe
Video timeline: 00:00 – The Saudi normalisation deal 00:42 – Israel and Saudi Arabia’s history 01:10 – How to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 02:26 – Will the deal happen?
The Guardian Weekly (February 8, 2024) – The new issue features ‘Final Straw’ – What’s eating Europe’s Farmers?; Joe Biden’s Middle East masterplan; Can anything stop the AI deepfakes? and The Pet Shop Boys are back in town…
If you live in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland or Greece, you may well have already run into one of the numerous roadblocks or protests formed in recent weeks by furious farmers. If you’re in Spain and Italy, take cover – because they are coming to you soon, if not already.
In this week’s cover story, we explore what has proved to be the final straw for Europe’s farmers. A combination of rising costs, environmental rules and grievances over EU policies, coupled with more localised complaints, seem to be the factors driving the convoys of tractors. But far-right and anti-establishment parties, who could make major gains in forthcoming European parliament elections, have also picked up on the protests as part of their agenda against EU influence.
Paris correspondent Angelique Chrisafis and Europe correspondent Jon Henley delve into the protests (if not the piles of steaming dung being dumped on the continent’s roads, as illustrated wonderfully by Neil Jamieson on this week’s cover), and ask what can be done to placate them.
The Israeli prime minister said that the proposed deal would leave Israel vulnerable to attack and that its forces were preparing to expand their operations.
American officials concede there is nothing on the horizon that could match the power of a new, $60 billion congressional appropriation to support its war against Russian aggression.
The relationship became closer during protests over police brutality, but brings political risks, like straining the alliance between African Americans and Jews.
The king has let people know more about his health than other monarchs, but a decision to keep private the form of cancer he has is leading to speculation in lieu of facts.
The ruling answered a question that an appeals court had never addressed: Can former presidents escape being held accountable by the criminal justice system for things they did while in office?
An analysis of social media videos found Israeli soldiers filming themselves in Gaza and destroying what appears to be civilian property. The footage provides a rare and unsanctioned window into the war.
As Israel and Hamas inch closer to a deal to free hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a cease-fire, the military disclosed that at least 30 of the captives still in Gaza have been confirmed dead.
In a stunning defeat, the House rejected impeachment charges against the homeland security secretary, as rank-and-file lawmakers balked at what they considered a misuse of the process.
The top U.S. diplomat spoke with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler as he sought to broker a pause in the fighting. His visit came the same day a drone struck a Syrian base used by U.S. forces and their allies.
There is no clear mechanism to force early elections in Israel. But there are other ways to oust the Israeli prime minister.
The president said a “reset” was needed to revive the struggling war effort, adding that his plans were “about the direction of the country’s leadership” and not just about replacing his top general.
At the hot spots of the eastern front line, Ukrainian troops are outmanned, outgunned and digging in.
The attack on Houthi militants in Yemen came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed for the Mideast to try to defuse escalating tensions.
As libraries become battlegrounds in the nation’s culture wars, their allies are fighting to preserve access to their collections and keep themselves out of jail, or worse.
In the year since earthquakes devastated southern Turkey, the Karapirli family has struggled to heal, find a home and cope with a bottomless sense of loss.
Pushed by an advocacy group, Arkansas became the first state to shield noisy cryptocurrency operators from unhappy neighbors. A furious backlash has some lawmakers considering a statewide ban.
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