Myanmar's military junta appears to be in terminal decline

S22

Myanmar's military junta appears to be in terminal decline     Myint Swe, the acting president of Mynamar’s military government, has warned that the country “will be split into various parts” after his armed forces suffered huge territorial losses to resistance fighters recently. His response was to call on Mynamar’s people to support his military forces, a call that is likely, based on previous experience, to fall mainly on deaf ears.Far from sharing the military government’s fears of shrinking territorial control, it’s likely that most among Myanmar’s 55 million people will celebrate the army’s territorial losses. Junta misreads like this are not new – after they seized power in February 2021, the coup leaders indicated surprise when the coup met with widespread outrage and sustained public protest and resistance. Continued here

S36

Stoicism on Tiktok promises happiness - but the ancient philosophers who came up with it had something very different in mind     I don’t know about you, but my TikTok is full of influencers telling me I should be a Stoic. You might know the term “stoic” as a person who goes through hardship while maintaining a steely and calm disposition, and never complains. However, a stoic is also someone who prescribes to the philosophical school of Stoicism. Stoicism became popular in ancient Rome. Stoic TikTok exclusively draws on Roman Stoicism, mainly Epictetus (a formerly enslaved person), Seneca (a fabulously wealthy and self-aggrandizing advisor to the emperor Nero), and Marcus Aurelius (who was himself a Roman emperor). Continued here

S41

Friday essay: Rai Gaita and the moral power of conversation     Both Juliet and Maria have an ongoing connection to Rai via their literary and academic lives.Ever since the University of Melbourne took from us Rai Gaita’s public lecture series we have been going to Rai’s house in St Kilda to talk. Not regularly, life is too much for that, whenever we can though. Continued here

S48

What does it mean to be asexual?     In recent years, we’ve seen a burgeoning social movement for the acceptance of asexuality. We’ve also seen more asexual characters popping up in shows such as Heartstopper and Sex Education.Asexuality refers to low or no sexual attraction. However, this does not mean all people who identify as asexual, or the shorthand “ace”, never experience sexual attraction or never have sex. Continued here

S40

NZ wants more seasonal workers - but Pacific nations no longer want to be the 'outposts' that 'grow' them     The three party leaders currently negotiating to form New Zealand’s next government might have their differences, but they seem to agree on one thing: the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme needs to expand.New Zealand, like Australia, faces critical labour shortages in some sectors, with real implications for future economic performance. The RSE scheme, which has delivered thousands of crucial workers in viticulture and horticulture since it began in 2007, is the logical solution. Continued here

S39

Big cats eat more monkeys in a damaged tropical forest - and this could threaten their survival     Monkeys are not usually a popular menu item for big cats. Primates are, after all, hard to catch: living in the canopies of large trees and rarely coming down to the ground. Jaguar and puma have varied diets and will normally hunt the species that are most common where they live, such as deer, peccary (a type of wild pig) and armadillo.Other studies have already found that when there is less of their usual prey around, big cats turn to alternatives. The changes in jaguar and puma diets that my colleagues and I recorded may indicate that the populations of these normal prey are shrinking, or that something in the environment has changed to make catching and eating primates easier. Continued here

S35

Viral TikTok raises concerns about a commonly prescribed contraceptive - what you need to know     A viral TikTok video by online influencer Morgan Roos has panicked some users of a commonly prescribed injectable contraceptive called Depo-Provera. In the video, Roos said she was shocked to learn the contraceptive she had been using for ten years was only recommended for a maximum of two years. Roos said she was only told this when she switched to a female doctor. Many viewers commented that they too had been using Depo-Provera for years – some for as long as 17 years without any guidance from healthcare professionals, male or female, that they should have stopped after just two. But is there really cause for panic? Continued here

S20

Pluto: Netflix's anime masterpiece explores how robots 'feel' when humans exploit them     There have been many TV shows and films inspired by the dual fear and excitement surrounding advances in artificial intelligence (AI). But not many exhibit such masterful craft and profound humanity as the new Netflix anime miniseries, Pluto. Pluto is adapted from a manga series of the same title (2003-2009), created by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki. The manga version – considered a comic masterpiece for its beautiful art and sophisticated storyline – incorporated fundamental elements from Osamu Tezuka’s celebrated manga series Astro Boy (1952-1968), including the beloved android adolescent who was the titular character. Continued here

S24

Can ketchup really be used as a sports supplement, as a new advert suggests?     In the world of endurance sports, how athletes fuel themselves can be the difference between success and struggle. Traditionally, athletes have relied on specialised energy gels for a quick and easily digestible source of carbohydrates during extended workouts. But now a surprising contender has emerged: Heinz ketchup packets, thanks to a new ad featuring runners using them as their supplement of choice.Taste is a crucial factor when choosing supplements, especially during strenuous endurance efforts. Traditional sports foods offer various flavours to cater to athletes’ palates. Heinz ketchup packets bring a familiar tangy taste, but the savoury nature of ketchup might not appeal to everyone during a workout. Personal preference matters, as an unpalatable choice could lead to digestive issues and detract from an athlete’s true potential. Continued here

S16

Women's activism in Iran continues, despite street protests dying down in face of state repression     Mona Tajali is affiliated with the transnational feminist solidarity network Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML). Large-scale protests that erupted in 2022 across Iran, centering on women’s rights, captured the world’s attention. Continued here

S18

Fewer U.S. college students are studying a foreign language - and that spells trouble for national security     When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, on Oct. 4, 1957, it did more than spark fears about America’s ability to compete technologically. It also raised concerns that the U.S. had a shortage of Russian speakers capable of monitoring Soviet scientific and military activities. More than six decades later, a new Modern Language Association report is raising concerns about America’s foreign language capabilities anew. The report shows that the study of languages other than English at the university level experienced an unprecedented drop of 16.6% between 2016 and 2021. Continued here

S37

Hamas isn't the first military group to hide behind civilians as a way to wage war     The Israeli military said on Nov. 15, 2023 that it had found weapons and a Hamas command center at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, after sending troops into the medical facility. Shifa has become the epicenter of Israel’s ground invasion into Gaza, as the Israeli military says that Hamas has strategically placed its fighters and weapons in a broad tunnel system that connects to the hospital, and that Hamas is using hospital workers and patients as human shields. The U.S. says its intelligence shows that Hamas, as The New York Times wrote, “has been using hospitals in Gaza, including Al-Shifa, as command centers and ammunitions depots.” Hamas has denied the allegations. Continued here

S34

Rwanda plan: Rishi Sunak has insisted on pushing ahead - here's where he could take it next     The UK supreme court has ruled against the government’s plan to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing. But this isn’t the end of the story – a version of the plan is likely to resurface in some form. The initial reactions from the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and his new home secretary, James Cleverly, shed light on where the government plans to take this next.After months of legal challenges, the UK supreme court ruled that the Rwanda plan was unlawful. The ruling was not about the concept of off-shoring the asylum process to another country. Rather, it found that Rwanda in particular is not currently a “safe country” in which to do this. The court found that people sent to Rwanda would be at risk of ill-treatment and forcible return to the countries they had fled in search of protection. Continued here

S45

The world's 280 million electric bikes and mopeds are cutting demand for oil far more than electric cars     We hop in the car to get groceries or drop kids at school. But while the car is convenient, these short trips add up in terms of emissions, pollution and petrol cost. Close to half (44%) of all Australian commuter trips are by car – and under 10km. Of Perth’s 4.2 million daily car trips, 2.8 are for distances of less than 2km. Continued here

S30

Climate change and farming: economists warn more needs to be done to adapt in sub-Saharan Africa     Sub-Saharan African countries strongly rely on the agricultural and forestry sectors. Agriculture contributes up to 60% of some countries’ gross domestic product. But the sector is highly vulnerable to climate change because it relies heavily on climatic factors. This vulnerability is particularly marked in the region because of its slow rate of technological advancement.As agricultural economists we carried out a review of the literature on the climate change challenge for agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. We explored the distribution of various climatic factors (like rainfall, temperature and extreme weather events) across the region, and their impact on agriculture. We also investigated what rural farmers were doing to respond to climate change. Continued here

S47

What is LockBit, the cybercrime gang hacking some of the world's largest organisations?     While ransomware incidents have been occurring for more than 30 years, only in the last decade has the term “ransomware” appeared regularly in popular media. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks access to computer systems or encrypts files until a ransom is paid.Cybercriminal gangs have adopted ransomware as a get-rich-quick scheme. Now, in the era of “ransomware as a service”, this has become a prolific and highly profitable tactic. Providing ransomware as a service means groups benefit from affiliate schemes where commission is paid for successful ransom demands. Continued here

S46

Let coastlines be coastlines: How nature-based approaches can protect Canada's coasts     IDPhD Student, School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University Along Canadian coasts, storm surges and flooding have gone from breaking news to seasonal norms. Continued here

S15

Jury convictions of Bannon and Navarro for refusing congressional subpoena may energize lawmakers' ability to hold powerful people accountable     Director of the Washington Office of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, Wayne State University On Jan. 25, 2024, Peter Navarro is scheduled to be sentenced – perhaps to prison – after his swift conviction by a jury on contempt of Congress charges. He has joined Steve Bannon as the first defendants in decades to be held criminally liable by the U.S. Department of Justice for refusing to provide information in response to congressional subpoenas. Continued here

S38

Gaza Update: as the world debates 'ceasefires' and 'pauses', Israel is silent on the 'day after'     I spent several hours on Wednesday night wrestling over how we could best cover the raid by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital. My initial plan was to get an expert in international law to write a piece about the legality of such a raid under the various conventions that set out the rules of war. Article 13 of protocols added to the Geneva Conventions in 1977, which deals with the “discontinuance of protection of civilian medical units”, sets out that in certain circumstances hospitals and other medical units can be considered military targets – if, for example, they are being used to shelter combatants or store weapons or are being used as a command and control centre. Continued here

S32

How colonialist depictions of Palestinians feed western ideas of eastern 'barbarism'     Like so many other Palestinians, my friend Abeer Salah (not her real name) lives in exile. For Salah, home is Baqa’a refugee camp 20 kilometres north of Jordan’s capital of Amman. But she has family and friends trapped in Gaza. Since the horrific Hamas attacks of Oct. 7 and Israel’s catastrophic military action in Gaza, she has been watching the news and social media closely. Recently, Salah shared a video clip of Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, holding up a brick to show how “terrorist” Palestinians throw them at soldiers and settlers. The clip, recorded last year, has been circulating again. Continued here

S42

'I feel like I've been able to create more awareness': what is it like for Indigenous men at top-ranked universities?     Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students Equity and Indigenous), Edith Cowan University One of the top priorities of the Universities Accord process it to improve access to university in Australia, particularly for those from underrepresented groups. Continued here

S27

There are too few toilets in Africa and it's a public health hazard - how to fix the problem     Imagine you are miles from the nearest restroom, and nature’s call is urgent – a situation that might raise a mild panic during a hike or at a music festival. Now, picture that same scenario, not as a one-off inconvenience, but as a daily reality. This is the case for about half a billion people globally. In African countries, the issue of open defecation often goes unaddressed by society and policymakers despite its negative impact on health, economic development, dignity and the environment. Continued here

S43

Grey Cup 2023: Canadian institution or antiquated tradition?     As football fans tune into the 110th Grey Cup on Nov. 19, there will most likely be fewer of them watching than in the past. While the Grey Cup and Canadian football were once considered significant national institutions, part of their allure appears to have faded over the years. Canadian football evolved from British rugby and has been played for over 150 years. The creation of Canadian football was a direct expression of national identity that promoted pride and patriotism, and was a way to differentiate Canada from Britain and the United States. Continued here

S70

The Poststrike Future of Hollywood     If the recent Hollywood strike were a movie, it would have a satisfying ending. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) got the important things they were asking for, namely better residuals for streaming shows and some protections from AI. Fran Drescher, an actor and the president of SAG-AFTRA, made a convincing case that this was a historic victory for labor and women’s empowerment, and recently said Meryl Streep was urging her to run for president of the United States.The sequel to this saga, however, looks a lot darker. Like previous strikes, this one was instigated by a genuine reckoning for the industry. Every time there is a new technological innovation—TV sets, video cassettes, pay TV, digital downloads—Hollywood has an identity crisis. The latest tech foil was streaming. It was an exciting, generative, endlessly replicated innovation—or seemed that way until everyone started to slow down and look at the numbers. Disney, for example, has lost $10 billion on its streaming service since 2019. And many writers, actors, and studio heads felt it wasn’t working for them either. (Maybe it worked for viewers, on the nights they didn’t feel paralyzed by infinite choice.) Continued here

S19

Colleges face gambling addiction among students as sports betting spreads     Three out of four college students have gambled in the past year, whether legally or illegally, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.An estimated 2% to 3% of U.S. adults have a gambling problem. The portion of college students with a problem, however, is potentially twice that number – up to 6%. Continued here

S49

Belvoir's The Master and Margarita: astonishingly ambitious, physically demanding and a resounding success     Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov’s cult novel The Master and Margarita has inspired many artists. Mick Jagger drew on the novel when penning the lyrics for Sympathy for the Devil. Salman Rushdie did something similar when writing The Satanic Verses. Baz Luhrmann bought the film rights for Bulgakov’s book back in 2019. Federico Fellini and Terry Gilliam are two other noted filmmakers who have expressed an interest in adapting the novel. Continued here

S69

Why Is the Martian Sky Glowing Green Right Now? Here's the Eerie Answer      Someday in the future, the first astronauts to explore the north and south poles of Mars may trek across the dusty ice by the eerie green light of oxygen atoms high in the Martian atmosphere.The European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter recently spotted the atmosphere around Mars’s southern pole glowing an eerie green during the long polar night. The green glow is thanks to oxygen atoms recombining high above the Martian surface, releasing energy in the process. University of Liege planetary scientist Jean-Claude Gerard and his colleagues published their findings in the journal Nature Astronomy. Continued here

S25

Six ways the upcoming autumn statement could affect your personal finances     The UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt will have limited room for manoeuvre when he makes his autumn statement about the government’s financial plans on November 22. The government is committed to supporting the Bank of England’s current strategy for reducing inflation, which involves using rate hikes to slow down economic activity. This means Hunt can’t take any steps that would immediately boost spending by people, businesses or the government, such as across-the-board income tax cuts. But he is likely to focus on extending tax breaks for business investment aimed at stimulating economic growth over time. Continued here

S65

Persona Developer Raises Worker Pay As Game Dev Layoffs Continue Worldwide     Layoffs have dominated games industry headlines in 2023, and they seem unlikely to stop any time soon. While employment in the games industry has always been precarious, this devastating past year may give the impression more than ever that game development at a large scale simply can’t be sustainable. But in the midst of all the pink slips, at least one developer has something positive to share for once.Atlus announced that it’s raising annual salaries for all of its employees and contractors by 15 percent starting next April, Game Developer reports. Along with that raise, it’s also increasing starting pay by roughly $2,000 and implementing employee bonuses based on the company’s profits. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Continued here

S17

No, you're not that good at detecting fake videos - 2 misinformation experts explain why and how you can develop the power to resist these deceptions     Someone tracking the conflict raging in the Middle East could have seen the following two videos on social media. The first shows a little boy hovering over his father’s dead body, whimpering in Arabic, “Don’t leave me.” The second purports to show a pregnant woman with her stomach slashed open and claims to document the testimony of a paramedic who handled victims’ bodies after Hamas’ attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.Even though these videos come from different sides of the Israel-Hamas war, what they share far exceeds what separates them. Because both videos, though real, have nothing to do with the events they claim to represent. The clip of the boy is from Syria in 2016; the one of the woman is from Mexico in 2018. Continued here

S26

New Beatles and Rolling Stones music owes much of its success to the psychology of nostalgia     Throughout the 1960s, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles were engaged in a friendly rivalry. Despite being amicable in person, they were in competition for record sales, cultural influence and aesthetic credibility.Despite their enormous popularity, however, not even the most ardent fans of either band would have expected that such a competition would still be going on more than 50 years later. And yet, the Stones recently reached number one on the UK album charts with their album Hackney Diamonds, and the Beatles have done the same on the singles charts. Continued here

S33

AI: how it hands power to machines to transform the way we view the world     There are signs of AI everywhere, it’s behind everything from customer service chatbots to the personalised ads we receive when browsing online. However, we remain largely unaware of the hidden algorithms doing the heavy legwork behind the scenes.Too heavy a human reliance on technology can reduce creative and critical thinking. AI has already led to job displacements and unemployment. And, while the warnings that it could lead to human extinction shouldn’t be taken at face value, we can’t afford to completely dismiss them either. Continued here

S44

Verdict in Nathaniel Veltman trial provides a legal roadmap on how acts of terrorism can result in first-degree murder convictions     On June 6, 2021, five members of the Afzaal family were out for an evening walk in London, Ont., when they were deliberately targeted and struck by a man driving a black pickup truck. Only the nine-year-old son survived the attack. Hours after the incident, police stated that the family was struck intentionally. The trial for the accused killer, Nathaniel Veltman, began on Sept. 5 in Windsor, Ont. The final arguments began on Nov. 14, closing the 11-week trial. On Nov. 16, after deliberating for six hours, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one account of attempted murder. Continued here

S28

Nkoli: The Vogue Opera - the making of a musical about a queer liberation activist in South Africa     The history of South Africa’s struggle against apartheid (separatist white minority rule) is taught only through the broadest of brushstrokes in the country’s schools. So might music be a way to bring the story of one anti-apartheid activist alive for a new generation? And when that activist is a Black gay man, Simon Nkoli (1957-1998), how do you reclaim his story from the stereotypes all of those labels potentially carry?We’d be at the Skyline; Simon would have a dance, have fun – and also be an Aids activist, talking to people about condoms. Continued here

S21

Jurassic Park: why we're still struggling to realise it 30 years on     Jurassic Park is arguably the ultimate Hollywood blockbuster. Aside from the appeal of human-chomping dinosaurs, tense action sequences and ground-breaking cinematography, its release in 1993 was a movies-meet-science milestone.As global audiences were soaking up the gory action, the premise of the movie - extracting DNA from fossil insects preserved in amber to resurrect dinosaurs - was given the credibility of publication by several high-profile studies on fossil amber. The authors recovered ancient DNA from amber, and even revived amber-hosted bacteria. The world seemed primed for a real-life Jurassic Park. Continued here

S23

China: why there has been a sudden 'surge' of antisemitism in the People's Republic     During the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, many nations have tried to maintain a neutral stance by not explicitly supporting either side. But despite attempts at balanced commentaries at the top of business and politics, there has been evidence of rising antisemitism in many countries. One of these has been China.This has come as a surprise. Since 2010, China’s political and economic ties with Israel have grown substantially. This includes a dramatic increase in Chinese tourism to Israel, academic links and investment in Israeli science and technology from large Chinese companies such as Baidu, Alibaba and Ping An. Continued here

S29

Development aid cuts will hit fragile countries hard, could fuel violent conflict     Fragile and least developed countries have had their development assistance cut drastically, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. For instance, net official development assistance to sub-Saharan African countries has shrunk by 7.8% compared to 2021. And development aid for peace and conflict prevention has declined to its lowest in 15 years. These cuts will hit fragile countries hard. Fragile countries make up 24% of the world’s population and account for 73% of the world’s extreme poor. The list includes Mali, Lebanon, Somalia, Syria and Iraq. Continued here

S66

The Latest 'Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League' Footage Makes a Smart Pivot     Rocksteady Studios has been radio silent concerning Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League since the game was delayed (again) till 2024 this April. That ended this week with the release of the first episode of what the studio is calling Suicide Squad Insider, a behind-the-scenes look into the game’s development. The game has faced plenty of criticism for its focus on live service over its long development cycle, which the new video hopes to combat by highlighting a heavy focus on story and a connection to the beloved Arkham trilogy. Things could be looking up for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.With the latest footage from Suicide Squad Insider 01, it looks like Rocksteady is trying to put its best foot forward and assure players that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be more than just another forgettable live service looter-shooter. Continued here

S68

A CRISPR Gene Therapy Was Just Approved In The UK -- That's a Really Big Deal For Medicine     Casgevy is the world’s first gene-editing therapy for sickle cell anemia and beta thalassemia. In the ever-evolving realm of modern medicine, the once-distant dream of conquering disease through genetics has now inched closer to reality. On Thursday, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is its version of the FDA, approved Casgevy, the world’s first gene-editing therapy for sickle cell anemia and beta thalassemia for people aged 12 and over. Continued here

S31

Palestine was never a 'land without a people'     Modern settlers to Palestine viewed the desert as something they needed to “make bloom.” But it already was, thanks to the long history of Palestinian agricultural systems.As violence continues to erupt in Gaza, and more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 remain missing, many of us are seeking to better understand the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has been raging for decades. Continued here