Decolonise political thought. Africa’s alternatives to liberalism

Decolonise political thought. Africa’s alternatives to liberalism

Gabriel Asuquo writes: When African nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon claimed independence in the mid-20th century, they inherited more than borders and fragile institutions; they also inherited a political philosophy. Liberalism, born of Europe’s Enlightenment, was presented as the universal grammar of progress. It came clothed in the language of democracy, development and human rights, promising that multiparty elections, private property, free markets and individual rights would secure for Africa a swift entry into modernity. Yet, decades…

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Cutting calories by 30% may be sufficient to shield the brain against aging

Cutting calories by 30% may be sufficient to shield the brain against aging

Science Alert reports: A calorie-restricted diet could slow down the aging that naturally happens in the brain as we get older, according to a new study of rhesus monkeys, and the findings could also be relevant to brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Researchers led by a team from Boston University analyzed the brains of 24 rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) that had been fed calorie-restricted or standard diets for more than 20 years. After these lifelong dietary differences, the researchers found…

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Trump bets the GOP, his presidency, and the future of America on AI

Trump bets the GOP, his presidency, and the future of America on AI

Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write: President Trump is betting his presidency — and the future of the GOP — on lightly regulated, fast expansion of AI. Why it matters: Yes, Trump zigs and zags into countless political and diplomatic issues. But none comes close to his sustained, and surging, all-in alliance with tech billionaires and AI companies reshaping the U.S. economy. He won on the backs of working-class MAGA. But he governs, socializes and surrounds himself with tech swells and moguls. From…

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Tech billionaires already captured the White House but they still dream of becoming unfettered rulers

Tech billionaires already captured the White House but they still dream of becoming unfettered rulers

Vittoria Elliott writes: The shirtless man in the golden mask and cape has plans to lead his own country one day. There is no location yet, but it will be a crypto- and AI-powered paradise of medical experimentation, filled with people who want to “make death optional,” he says. For now, though, he’s leading a sparsely attended rave on the second floor of a San Francisco office building. A DJ is spinning at one end of an open room. A…

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The newsroom’s AI has a hidden political agenda

The newsroom’s AI has a hidden political agenda

Parker Molloy writes: In October 2023, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that “AI will be capable of superhuman persuasion well before it is superhuman at general intelligence, which may lead to some very strange outcomes.” Two years later, we’re watching those strange outcomes unfold in real time. And in 2026, they’re going to collide with journalism in ways most reporters won’t even notice. Here’s what’s happening: The Trump administration has been systematically pushing to reshape AI systems according to its…

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CIA torture techniques were used to punish migrant detainees at Alligator Alcatraz

CIA torture techniques were used to punish migrant detainees at Alligator Alcatraz

Spencer Ackerman writes: One of the most horrific torture methods that the CIA employed in its post-9/11 incommunicado “black site” torture chambers was the Confinement Box. Not many detainees in CIA custody experienced the Box. The most prominent of them is the man known as Abu Zubaydah, the first CIA detainee post-9/11 and someone the agency used as a guinea pig for all who came into their custody later. What follows is not pleasant reading. For 20 days in August…

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Hegseth said military should refuse ‘unlawful’ Trump orders in 2016 interview

Hegseth said military should refuse ‘unlawful’ Trump orders in 2016 interview

The Guardian reports: The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, stated repeatedly in 2016 on Fox News that US service members should refuse “unlawful” orders from a potential president Trump – exactly the position he called “despicable” when Democratic lawmakers said it last month. The debate about whether US soldiers should refuse illegal orders is now at the center of a fiery political dispute over the US killings of alleged drug traffickers in boats off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia….

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Eugenics: Child deaths projected to rise for first time this century, as aid cuts reverse decades of progress

Eugenics: Child deaths projected to rise for first time this century, as aid cuts reverse decades of progress

Sara Herschander writes: The world is a much better place than it used to be, especially for young children. Insecticide-treated mosquito nets and novel treatments have made malaria much less deadly for millions of kids. Many countries now have the tools and techniques they need to nurse even very premature babies back to health. And the stupendous rise of vaccines against deadly diseases — like measles, diphtheria, and pneumonia — have prevented countless children from getting sick to begin with….

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ProPublica: Trump’s own mortgages match his description of mortgage fraud, records reveal

ProPublica: Trump’s own mortgages match his description of mortgage fraud, records reveal

By Justin Elliott, Robert Faturechi and Alex Mierjeski This story was originally published by ProPublica For months, the Trump administration has been accusing its political enemies of mortgage fraud for claiming more than one primary residence. President Donald Trump branded one foe who did so “deceitful and potentially criminal.” He called another “CROOKED” on Truth Social and pushed the attorney general to take action. But years earlier, Trump did the very thing he’s accusing his enemies of, records show. In…

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Trump’s national security strategy is now aligned with Russia’s vision, Kremlin says

Trump’s national security strategy is now aligned with Russia’s vision, Kremlin says

The Guardian reports: The Kremlin has heaped praise on Donald Trump’s latest national security strategy, calling it an encouraging change of policy that largely aligns with Russian thinking. The remarks follow the publication of a White House document on Friday that criticises the EU and says Europe is at risk of “civilisational erasure”, while making clear the US is keen to establish better relations with Russia. “The adjustments that we see correspond in many ways to our vision,” the Kremlin…

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Trumpian corruption is worse than Ukrainian corruption

Trumpian corruption is worse than Ukrainian corruption

Anne Applebaum writes: A few days ago I called Oleksandr Abakumov, a senior detective at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. I wanted to ask him about his investigation into a kickback scheme in his country’s energy industry. While we were talking, I got interested in Abakumov himself. As he was explaining his motivations, I was struck by the surprising contrast between people like him—the Ukrainian civil servants and civil-society activists who have been demanding transparency from their leaders for…

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The Ellisons: The billionaire family poised to rewire U.S. media in Israel’s favor

The Ellisons: The billionaire family poised to rewire U.S. media in Israel’s favor

Will Alden writes: In early September, the Hollywood producer Lawrence Bender — known for his work with Quentin Tarantino on films including “Pulp Fiction” and “Inglourious Basterds” — had what he later described as “a really tough conversation” with the investors in “Red Alert,” an Israeli miniseries that dramatizes the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. With just weeks remaining before the anticipated release on the second anniversary of the attacks, the show, produced by Israeli mass media company Keshet…

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Echoes of 1938 in 2025

Echoes of 1938 in 2025

Timothy Snyder writes: In certain ways, the autumn of 2025 in the United States has recalled the autumn of 1938 in Nazi Germany. The mass deportation of undocumented people was one of Hitler’s largest coercive policies before the war. That fall, the German police and SS rounded up Jews who lacked German citizenship and dumped them on the Polish side of the German-Polish border. This set off a chain of events which can give us a useful perspective on where…

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How a cryptocurrency helps criminals launder money and evade sanctions

How a cryptocurrency helps criminals launder money and evade sanctions

The New York Times reports: Smugglers, money launderers and people facing sanctions once relied on diamonds, gold and artwork to store illicit fortunes. The luxury goods could help hide wealth but were cumbersome to move and hard to spend. Now, criminals have a far more practical alternative: stablecoins, a cryptocurrency tied to the U.S. dollar that exists largely beyond traditional financial oversight. These digital tokens can be bought with a local currency and moved across borders almost instantly. Or they…

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