A longtime first-person shooter fan finds Battlefield 6’s glossy near future combat disturbingly close to today’s wars, and uncomfortably like training rather than escapism.
Month: October 2025
With Halloween and Day of the Dead arriving, here are the would-be ghosts of documented evil and bloodshed from the past.
Donald Trump has ordered renewed testing of nuclear weapons, while Vladimir Putin is touting the power of his nuclear-capable missiles and underwater drones. Why all this noise about nuclear weapons?
Perhaps the conditions are finally right for a shift in Argentine politics. Here are some reasons for hope — and reasons to fear.
Nepal was late to adopt social media. Now that it’s arrived, cross-border traffickers have access to a much wider field of exploitation.
As floods become increasingly frequent across France and the risk to the capital grows, Paris City Hall conducted a large-scale “real-life” simulation of a Seine River flood on Monday, October 13.
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have negotiated a truce in their trade war, delaying China’s planned restrictions on rare earth exports. Yet Trump has been forced to back down in the face of a strong Chinese response, a miscalculation that could have long-term consequences, also for Taiwan.
Beyond U.S. tariffs, the deeper economic drag in China is domestic: weak demand, a deflationary price war, debt laden local governments mortgaging assets, and collapsing trust between private business and the state.
A writer revisits his own machismo as the discourse between the genders evolves.
Paul Biya, 92, has been reelected for an eighth seven-year term, while Alassane Ouattara, 83, will serve a fourth five-year term in Côte d’Ivoire. The question of democracy remains unresolved in Africa, where countries that regularly change their leadership are still in the minority.
Categories
How Algae Could Feed (And Heal) The World
Algae are emerging as a promising new source of food and pharmaceutical compounds — but their development depends as much on investment as on educating the public about what to expect.
Whether at the beach, in the garden, or deep underground, shovels connect us to power, truth, and memory.
Donald Trump was the first to congratulate Javier Milei on his surprise victory Sunday, having earlier promised financial support tied to his Argentine ally’s campaign. But that alone doesn’t explain the success of a man who has slashed social services.
Fifty years on, the mass walkout by 90% of Icelandic women still shapes politics, pay equity, and gender norms, from Vigdís Finnbogadóttir’s presidency to today’s parental leave model.
It’s well known that learning to play an instrument can offer benefits beyond just musical ability. Indeed, research shows it’s a great activity for the brain – it can enhance our fine motor skills,language acquisition, speech, and memory – and it can even help to keep our brains younger.
Lebanon is bracing for a new assault by Israel, while the recent ceasefire in Gaza looks bound to break. In the Middle East, there’s a massive gap between pause and peace.
In one of the world’s most connected countries, cyber soldiers protect critical systems against constant foreign attacks while preparing for the day when artificial intelligence could take control of the battlefield.
Surrogacy’s health risks raise ethical issues over whether the practice is exploitative and should be banned.
“Every French person should be able to find a McDonald’s within 20 minutes of their home.” This was the fast-food giant’s goal by early 2025. In Tessancourt-sur-Aubette, a town under 1,000 inhabitants northwest of Paris, the rural area is now under American influence. Most locals are happy.
Like two centuries ago, Tehran is caught between two competing powers: Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the West, led by the U.S. and UK.
In parts of Europe, some shops already run on card-only payments. While many nations are pushing toward a cashless future, global tensions are prompting them to reconsider.
In border towns, rallies organized by Hindu nationalists often end in violence — fracturing communities and threatening Nepal’s fragile secularism.
The first joint prayer since Henry VIII anchors a Vatican day focused on peace, climate ahead of COP30 in Belém, and closer Anglican Catholic ties, with Charles named Royal Confrater at Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
With offensives stalling, Ukraine hitting Russian refineries, Western aid thinning, and winter power grids under fire, the gap persists as Moscow floats Donbas withdrawals and Kyiv rejects concessions while outside mediation muddies the waters.
Paris Calling, Worldcrunch’s new podcast series, where each episode introduces you to a notable person from somewhere in the world — in their own voice, in English. Today, we have Shi Yang Shi, a Chinese-Italian actor, who takes us through his self-discovery journey from a privileged childhood in China to rebuilding a life in Italy, and how acting became his way of exploring identity, faith and belonging between two worlds.
New research suggests sunlight has unexpected benefits, but this doesn’t mean everyone should ditch their sunscreen.
Despite record employment, millions are opting out of full-time work: it’s a trend that risks undermining growth, pensions, and the country’s future.
As ChatGPT learns your habits and starts spending on your behalf, the future of online shopping may belong to the bots.
After lifting an exhibition trophy and talking through his rest days, Jannik Sinner’s decision to skip the home Davis Cup final has jarred fans who embraced his fair play and hero status. It’s a genuine disappointment, even if his record stands untouched with two Davis Cup titles, a Wimbledon crown, and a former world No. 1 ranking.
On the Russian army’s channel Zvezda (“Star”), a program entirely generated by algorithms takes fierce aim at Western leaders.
At a cultural diplomacy forum in Kyiv, Nobel laureate and human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk urged the world to see culture as a force for justice and freedom — and as essential to building a lasting peace.
From cluttered Instagram stories to casual drinking and questionable taste, Gen Z weighs in on why Millennials can be equal parts endearing … and annoying.
Donald Trump’s ultimate battle isn’t abroad — it’s at home. From campuses to city halls and the military, resistance is rising as America’s institutions push back against his power grab.
South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung is shifting foreign policy toward a pragmatic approach: diversifying partnerships without upsetting the U.S., strengthening trade and technology, and managing regional challenges — with lessons for Argentina.
At one public hospital in Kathmandu, half of all infertility cases come from men who work in Gulf countries.
Frustrated by rising prices and inconsistent quality, consumers are turning away from traditional restaurants. From fast food to delivery, delis, and meal kits, alternative dining options have become a staple in their daily lives.
Israel’s post-hostage relief must not harden into absolution, but must be taken as a moment for accountability and a rethinking of coexistence.
A German woman’s vision of “racial purity” has grown into an international platform linking neo-Nazis, conspiracy theorists, and white nationalists in search of partners.
China is now wielding a U.S.-style extraterritorial law on rare-earth trade. It has tilted the balance of power in its favor, but rattled global markets and left the rest of the world caught in the crossfire.
Tourists found Largo Maradona sealed off this week after municipal police fined stalls, seized goods, and flagged illegal licenses, prompting ultras leader “Bostik” to cover the famous mural of the soccer legend in protest. A neighborhood continues to defend its secular shrine.