Tag Archives: Russia

The New York Times — Saturday, May 25, 2024

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As Rafah Offensive Grinds On, Hunger in Gaza Spirals

Aid officials and health experts expect famine this month unless Israel lifts barriers to aid, the fighting stops and vital services are restored.

The Increasing Trumpification of TikTok

An internal analysis found nearly twice as many pro-Trump posts as pro-Biden ones on TikTok since November, a sign of the right’s use of a liberal-friendly platform.

Almost 6,000 Dead in 6 Years: How Baltimore Became the U.S. Overdose Capital

The city was once hailed for its response to addiction. But as fentanyl flooded the streets and officials shifted priorities, deaths hit unprecedented heights.

The Capital of Women’s Soccer

The success of Barcelona’s team has made Catalonia a laboratory for finding out what happens when the women’s game has prominence similar to the men’s.

News: New China Military Drills Launched Around Taiwan, AI Legislation In EU

The Globalist Podcast (May 24, 2024): China has launched two days of military drills around Taiwan as “punishment” following the territory’s inauguration of its new president.

Then: a “commitment for peace” between South Sudan’s government and rebel forces, and the EU signs off on a new bill legislating artificial intelligence. Plus: television news, a report from Lisbon by Design and this week’s ‘What We Learned’.

The New York Times — Friday, May 24, 2024

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U.S. Military Faces Reality in Gaza as Aid Project Struggles

The Pentagon predicted that a stream of humanitarian aid would be arriving in Gaza via the floating pier, but little relief has reached the besieged strip, officials acknowledged this week.

Supreme Court Sides With Republicans Over South Carolina Voting Map

The case concerned a constitutional puzzle: how to distinguish the roles of race and partisanship in drawing voting maps when Black voters overwhelmingly favor Democrats.

Their Palm Springs Neighborhood Burned More Than 50 Years Ago. They Want Compensation.

The Black and Latino families of Section 14, who made up much of the labor force of Palm Springs, are asking for reparations for what they say was a racially motivated attack.

The Economist Magazine – May 25, 2024 Preview

Cash for kids: Why policies to boost birth rates don’t work

The Economist Magazine (May 23, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Cash for Kids’ – Why policies to boost birth rates don’t work…

Why paying women to have more babies won’t work

Baby's bottle filled with coins

Economies must adapt to baby busts instead

As birth rates plunge, many politicians want to pour money into policies that might lead women to have more babies. Donald Trump has vowed to dish out bonuses if he returns to the White House. In France, where the state already spends 3.5-4% of gdp on family policies each year, Emmanuel Macron wants to “demographically rearm” his country. South Korea is contemplating handouts worth a staggering $70,000 for each baby. Yet all these attempts are likely to fail, because they are built on a misapprehension.

Governments’ concern is understandable. Fertility rates are falling nearly everywhere and the rich world faces a severe shortage of babies. At prevailing birth rates, the average woman in a high-income country today will have just 1.6 children over her lifetime. Every rich country except Israel has a fertility rate beneath the replacement level of 2.1, at which a population is stable without immigration. The decline over the past decade has been faster than demographers expected.

Where next for Iran?

The death of the president changes the power dynamic

Meet Nvidia’s challengers

A new generation of AI chips is on the way

How to save South Africa

The rainbow nation needs an alternative to decline under the ANC

Britain’s election surprise

Rishi Sunak’s election call makes no sense, but is good news

News: General Election On July 4 For UK, Macron Visits New Caledonia

The Globalist (May 23, 2024): The latest from George Parker as the UK’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, sets the date for a general election.

Also in the programme: Nina dos Santos discusses Emmanuel Macron’s visit to New Caledonia following violence in the French territory. Plus: business news with Rachel Pupazzoni and we speak to Julie Finch of Hay Festival as the hallowed literary gathering begins.

The New York Times — Thursday, May 23, 2024

Spain, Norway and Ireland Recognize Palestinian State, Further Isolating Israel

The moves, while largely symbolic, were welcomed by Palestinians and denounced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called them “a prize for terrorism.”

America’s Monster

How the United States backed kidnapping, torture and murder in Afghanistan.

History: $1 Billion, Cocaine, a Fling With Elon Musk

Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer who was married to Sergey Brin, a Google founder, led a rarefied and sometimes turbulent life in Silicon Valley, according to a Times examination.

News: Israel Shuts Down AP Gaza, Finland-Russia Border Migrant Crisis

The Globalist (May 22, 2024): We assess why Israel shut down the Associated Press Gaza live video feed. Then: why the Finnish government has proposed emergency legislation to prevent any further migrants from entering the country via the border with Russia.

Plus: we discuss the latest World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Development Index, look at Dakar’s independent art scene and speak to this year’s Booker Prize winner.

Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – May 24, 2024

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Times Literary Supplement (May 22, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Other Europe’ – Defining a Continent; An English Country Garden; The church of Peter Ackroyd and Zombie apocalypse…

The New York Times — Wednesday, May 22, 2024

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I.C.C. Warrant Request Appears to Shore Up Domestic Support for Netanyahu

“The Hypocrisy of The Hague,” read the front page of one mainstream daily that has often been critical of Israel’s prime minister.

Biden and Big Oil Had a Truce. Now, It’s Collapsing.

Companies were enjoying record profits. But the president’s decision to pause permits for gas export terminals has whipped up industry support, and donations, for Donald Trump.

The Home Insurance Crunch: See What’s Happening in Your State

Climate change is making homeowners insurance less profitable. How has your state fared over the past decade?

Haiti’s Gangs Grow Stronger as Kenyan-Led Force Prepares to Deploy

Gang leaders with suspected links to the 2021 Haitian president’s assassination now control key infrastructure, and pose a major threat to the incoming Kenya-led force.

News: Protests Ahead Of Mexico Elections, Unrest In French New Caledonia

The Globalist (May 21, 2024): Mass protests take place in Mexico as the nation prepares for its general elections.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron calls a third meeting of his defence and security council to discuss the unrest in New Caledonia. Plus: Thailand’s plan to recriminalise cannabis, Japan’s changing attitudes to female emperors, Dakar’s independent art scene and the latest fashion news.