Current Affairs: A Global Snapshot
This article presents a collection of significant news highlights from around the world. Covering topics such as climate issues, geopolitics, and health concerns, the following links provide insights into pressing matters affecting various nations today.
Working Cats: A Brief History of Human-Feline Partnerships Earth Food Life
Brainwave study sheds light on cause of ‘hearing voices’ Medical Xpress
The Trees That Remember the Pyramids Nautilus
Climate and Environment
Banks vs. the Amazon: New Data Reveals $2 Billion of Financing New Oil & Gas in the Amazon Stand.earth
Bolivia Burning: Inside a Latin American Ecocide Climate and Capitalism
Invisible poison: Airborne mercury from gold mining is contaminating African food crops, new study warns European Geosciences Union
Mosquitoes Have Been Found in Iceland for the First Time Ever Gizmodo
Committed acceleration of climate stresses in the coming decades Environmental Research Climate
Pandemics
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Aging, HIV, and Long COVID: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities Pathogens
Japan
Japan Pushes Back on U.S. Pressure to Halt Russian Energy Imports OilPrice
China
Jin Canrong on the “Peace Disease” among China’s Elite (Part 1) Sinification
The China Model’s Fatal Flaw Foreign Affairs
G7, EU mull price floors over China’s rare earths curbs Asia Times
Taiwan to receive 1st Harpoon missile defense systems around New Year Focus Taiwan
‘Jakarta Can’t Be Ordered Around’: Indonesia Wants US to Let It Use Chinese Ships Jakarta Globe
Indonesian students stage protest as Prabowo marks a year in office Reuters
India
US May Cut India Tariff Rate to 15-16% in Trade Deal, Mint Says Bloomberg
The Lucky Country
Albanese’s critical minerals handout to Trump damages national security — and rewards laziness Crikey
Syraqistan
🚨BREAKING: Even after the ceasefire, Israel keeps demolishing Palestinian homes across Gaza’s “red zone” …
— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) October 21, 2025
⚡️🇺🇸🇮🇱JUST IN: Jared Kushner confirmed that the U.S. and its partners will not fund Gaza’s reconstruction …
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws1) October 22, 2025
⚡️🇺🇸BREAKING: U.S President Trump says several Middle Eastern countries have offered to send forces …
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws1) October 21, 2025
Countries refuse to send troops to Gaza over fears of confrontation with Hamas ANHA
Investigation reveals Israeli commander behind killing of Palestinian child Hind Rajab … Press TV.
Germany signs nearly €4 billion deal for Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system Times of Israel
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A mysterious airstrip has appeared in the Red Sea. Here’s what it could mean The Independent
Old Blighty
🚨 BREAKING: British-Palestinian NHS doctor, Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan …
— Majid Freeman (@Majstar7) October 21, 2025
European Disunion
Dutch seek solution to stand-off with China over chipmaker Nexperia, while carmakers fret Reuters
Reports of two separate oil refinery explosions in Hungary and Romania within 24 hours …
— Russians With Attitude (@RWApodcast) October 21, 2025
Hungarian oil refinery blaze: MOL addresses allegations of foreign interference Daily News Hungary
European Commission under pressure over Hungarian spying allegations Politico
Slop Check: No, Hungary Did Not Run Brussels’s Dumbest Spy Ring Hungarian Conservative
New Not-So-Cold War
TRUMP CANCELS PREMATURE EJACULATION — EXPLAINER John Helmer
Donald Trump’s Russia Policy… In Tatters or Just Playing? Larry Johnson
‘Calculated Act of Terror’ – US Lawmakers Seek to Cripple Russia with Terrorism Label Kyiv Post
Ukraine Says It Struck a Chemical Plant Inside Russia With British-Provided Storm Shadow Missiles Antiwar
Ukrainian military strike for first time disrupts operations of Western oil majors Intellinews
The Rise and Fall of Russian Historical Determinism Landmarks: A Journal of International Dialogue
Africa
Aid organisations warn of growing hunger crisis in Nigeria following US funding cuts Africa News
A Coup in Nigeria Would Be Bad…But Could Be (Initially) Popular Sawahil
South of the Border
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon heads to Argentina before key test for Milei Buenos Aires Times
Trump 2.0
Trump-GOP Giveaway to Big Pharma Will Hit Taxpayers With $9 Billion in Higher Drug Costs Common Dreams
US ranchers oppose Trump’s Argentina beef imports, experts doubt it will lower prices AP
Trump could bail out farmers hurt in his trade war, again. Here’s what happened the first time. Investigate Midwest
Trump Said to Demand Justice Dept. Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases New York Times
DHS Spends $172M on 2 Private Jets for Noem, Officials Amid Shutdown Truthout
“Anna, Lindsey Halligan Here.” Lawfare. My Signal exchange with the interim U.S. attorney about the Letitia James grand jury.
The Uniparty
AIPAC is now apparently having their donors give money to candidates “directly” …
— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews) October 21, 2025
Democrats en déshabillé
Why Democrats aren’t talking about climate change much anymore Grist
Video shows Graham Platner with ‘troubling’ tattoo that appears to be a Nazi symbol Maine Monitor.
His opponents are funding literal Nazis doing literal Nazi genocide is how he survives it…
— moe tkacik (@moetkacik) October 21, 2025
Immigration
TikToker shot by federal agents, deputy US marshal hit by ricochet bullet during South LA operation ABC7
Police State Watch
Phoenix sees sharp rise in police shootings since Trump DOJ ended oversight in May Copper Courier
Accelerationists
Palmer Luckey is getting into nicotine …
— TBPN (@tbpn) October 21, 2025
Treat Big Tech like Big Tobacco The Argument
Dear Tech Evangelists: Have You Tried “Move Slow and Make Things”? Lit Hub
Washington’s Battery Strategy Is Upside Down The Battery Chronicle
Groves of Academe
Judge declines to block Northwestern from disciplining students over antisemitism training Chicago Sun-Times
Antitrust
Amazon Web Services Had a Very Bad Day, Amazon’s Stock Price Did Not Big by Matt Stoller
Amazon Hopes to Cut 600,000 US Workers & Replace Them With Robots Cord Cutters News
This Is How Much Anthropic and Cursor Spend On Amazon Web Services Edward Zitron
AI
AI and the Extended Workday: Productivity, Contracting Efficiency, and Distribution of Rents HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute. From the abstract: “…we find that greater AI exposure …
I told you guys that AI is garbage …
— Nick Cruse 🥋 (@SocialistMMA) October 21, 2025
Healthcare
UnitedHealth and AARP Shake Hands on $9 Billion Deal HEALTH CARE un-covered
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
California’s Ban on Coercive Pricing Algorithms Has Massive Implications Economic Populist
Our Famously Free Press
CNN Cuts Off Pelosi Primary Challenger’s Discussion of NSPM-7 Common Dreams
The Friendly Skies
United flight’s ‘space debris’ scare turns out to be weather balloon, probe finds Interesting Engineering
Class Warfare
Common Evolution And Common Good 3 Quarks Daily
Call of Duty Working Class Storytelling
Antidote du jour (via):
For more insights, see yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
