NYTIMES (Paul Mozur, Adam Satariano and Aaron Krolik) - How China’s A.I. Is Surging Across Africa
In African tech hubs, developers are picking China’s cheap, freely available artificial intelligence models over more powerful U.S. ones.
NPR (Jonathan Lambert) - Invasive species cause more harm in the Global South
Invasive species can wreak havoc on ecosystems. A new study in Science suggests low- and middle-income countries in the Global South experience greater harms.
NPR (Jasmine Garsd) - It's not just Cape Verde: African soccer is having a World Cup moment
The soccer greats — Brazil, England, Spain — have been giving uneven performances out on the pitch during this World Cup. Meanwhile, team from Africa have been relentless.
AXIOS (Ashley Gold) - China's AI progress strains U.S. alliance pitch
Washington is racing to sell the world on American AI just as China's cheap and capable models are becoming harder to ignore. Why it matters: Chinese models don't have to beat OpenAI or Anthropic to reshape the global AI order. They just have to be useful, available and widely adopted. Between the lines: Experts argue that two key things are kneecapping the U.S. government's desire to export American AI: - An erratic export controls strategy that involves making decisions about access to advanced models on the fly. - Not paying sufficient attention to China's efforts to spread its open-source AI models abroad while deploying AI at scale across manufacturing, health care and other industries domestically. Driving the news: The State…
NPR (Neha Bhatt) - 'Cool Ladies Club' is directed by 10 working-class women. They live up to the title
They gave smartphones to 10 women from a working-class Indian community to make a documentary about their unseen and unheralded lives. The results are .... pretty cool.
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SUBSTACK (The Grayzone) - Soros’ OSF helped stir Indonesian rebellion, leaks reveal
Leaked documents reviewed by The Grayzone expose how the Soros-run Open Society Foundations plotted to “prevent the continuation” of Indonesia’s elected government by bankrolling opposition media, youth activists groups and lawfare operations to remove President Prabowo Subianto.
This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Ever since the election of Prabowo Subianto as Indonesia’s President in February 2024, Jakarta has faced continuous waves of anti-government protests. Activists enraged by harsh economic conditions and elite corruption have taken to the streets in vast numbers, often engaging in fiery clashes with police and the military. A series of leaks obtained by The Grayzone indicate this upheaval has unfolded according to a well-honed plan to take down Prabowo, which drew on organic grievances but which depended heavily on funding the Open Society Foundations. Founded by anti-communist billionaire George Soros in 1993, OSF has…Open
AMERICANGREATNESS (Lipton Matthews) - The Truth about Immigration from the Global South
For decades, discussions surrounding mass immigration into Western nations have largely been confined to two unproductive viewpoints. One perspective, which views culture as a superficial […] Source
NYTIMES (Jeffery C. Mays) - Mamdani’s Advice to Royals: Give That Priceless Diamond Back to India
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and King Charles did not meet privately. But if they had, the mayor said, he probably would have raised the issue of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond.
DAILYCALLER (Francis Kapper) - The American Military Is Blowing Its Load In Iran — And China Is Noticing
'Xi Jinping does nothing, still wins'
NPR (Fatma Tanis) - From night life in Egypt to rice farming in Vietnam, the war in Iran is a drain
Fuel costs more. Food is harder to get. jobs are evaporating. And in Cairo, cafes and restaurants are ordered to close at 9 p.m.