Topic: The Conversation
Autocrats in the 21st century aren’t like past dictators — just look at Putin
Today 54% of the global population lives in an autocracy like Russia, Belarus or Venezuela – the highest percentage in 20 years.
More and more children are turning up alone at US-Mexico border. Biden is on the defensive
Children at the border have been a challenge for the past three US presidents. What can Biden do now?
Why UPS drivers don’t turn left and you probably shouldn’t either
UPS have designed their vehicle routing software to eliminate as many left-hand turns as possible.
Pretty, tall, naughty — Words that don’t mean what you think they do
Warning before you read, attempting to constrain the uses of words is plain silly.
Sports reporting won’t be the same again due to coronavirus. Look at India-England match
Cricket writers are a rare breed because they are away from home for so long — more so than other sports media.
New study shows ‘dry’ Kalahari was more important to human evolution than previously thought
Researchers from South Africa, Canada, UK, Australia and Austria have been working to understand what the climate of Kalahari was like 105,000 years ago.
Young women are taking sex-ed into their own hands on YouTube
Inadequately trained teachers, material and awkwardness are making more and more young people look online for sex-ed.
El Salvador jails women for miscarriages, stillbirths – now one woman’s family wants justice
El Salvador is one of three countries in Central America and 24 worldwide with a total abortion ban — with penalties ranging from two to 50 years.
‘Every day is war’ – Life in Syria after a decade of conflict and violence
Violence and destruction have reshaped the lives of millions of Syrians since the start of the Syrian Revolution in March 2011.
Xbox to graphics card, the world is running out of semiconductors in 2021
Ford is predicting a 20% slump in production and Tesla shut down its model 3 assembly line for two weeks. Nvidia and Microsoft are struggling.
The science behind the Sputnik V vaccine & decoding India’s disastrous second wave
Shekhar Gupta explains how the Russian Sputnik V works and sheds some light on India’s Covid ‘disaster’.
Deserted roads bring back nightmare of demand slump for Indian fuel companies
It’s an ominous sign for India, where fuel consumption still hasn’t fully recovered from last year’s national lockdown that saw oil demand fall to the lowest since 2007.
Defence
China changes stance, wants de-escalation before disengagement in Ladakh. India disagrees
De-escalation before disengagement could give China an advantage as it can move troops back much faster than India due to its better infrastructure.
Why mosques in rear view mirror, like Kashi’s Gyanvapi, can crash India’s drive into future
Court’s order to ASI to survey Gyanvapi Mosque for remains of old Kashi Vishwanath Temple questions the optimism that Ayodhya wouldn’t be repeated.