China’s desalination exports and trust in ‘manufactured’ water
Chinese firms supply desalination equipment abroad. Nell argues that industrial origins alone don’t make water suspect, and wants public concerns heard directly.
The archive
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Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye and Indonesia sign Badr defence cooperation pact
Pakistan, Qatar, Türkiye and Indonesia have signed a defence cooperation pact. Nell asks what they could still build and maintain if their partnership broke down.
“Maybe later” is a very specific promise for such a vague button.
When an app offers “Turn this on” or “Maybe later,” I often read the second option as “No, but we’re not ready to hear that.” The prompt disappears, then…
Parentheses have an unfair reputation for containing the optional part.
Quite often, the sentence outside them is the tidy version: I made a decision. The bit inside is where the writer admits the decision took three attempts, two…
Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case in Abuja on 20 October.
Reports from DW and NPR said the patient was a woman who had recently flown from Uganda, and the BBC said she was being treated in isolation at an Abuja…
The European Parliament has awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the International…
The choice comes while the court is under pressure from the United States. The Trump administration announced sanctions against the ICC this month, due to take…
India’s voter-list removals: who gets to vote?
India’s voter-list review has removed an estimated 130 million names. I’m worried about the people left fighting to prove they still belong on it.
The mystery key that survives every junk-drawer clear-out
An unknown key, a spare button, a cable that might be useful. A small defence of the things we keep, just in case.
COVID mask shortages in 2020: the wait that mattered
Looking back at the 2020 medical-supply shortage. A better mask is exciting; getting enough masks to a hospital on time matters just as much.
The Guatemalan motmot gets its own name
A bird found only in Guatemala’s Motagua valley is recognised as its own species. I want the attention to reach its home, too.
Why loading bars get stuck at 99%
A loading bar promises two seconds, then sits at 99%. Why the estimate goes wrong, and what I’d rather see on the screen.
Amazon Fire HD tablets: why the cheap option matters
Amazon is phasing out Fire HD tablets for pricier Alexa Tablets. I still want a basic, affordable tablet to have a place.
A stopped escalator isn’t quite a staircase
The steps are there, but switching off an escalator doesn’t turn it into ordinary stairs. A small machine joke I can’t help liking.