Exploring Global Events and Trends
This article provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments around the globe, covering environmental issues, socio-political movements, and cultural shifts. Each section brings light to significant news stories, offering insights into how they may impact societies and relationships between nations.
For Smart, Social Crows, Pennsylvania is a Warm Winter Oasis Allegheny Front
DNA Reveals German Family Has Lived in Same Village for 3,000 Years Greek Reporter
What We Call Progress Boston Review
Climate and Environment
Wall Street’s gas addiction fuels the AI boom, derails climate progress Private Equity Stakeholder Project
Can an Imperiled Frog Stop Oil Drilling Near Denver Suburbs? Residents Hope So. Capital & Main
Global Rush for Copper Hits the Amazon Inside Climate News
Dozens feared dead as section of copper mine collapses in DR Congo Anadolu Agency
Plastic Planet Phenomenal World
Pandemics Updates
Washington State DOH: H5N5 Avian influenza confirmed in Grays Harbor County resident Avian Flu Diary
Dear doctors M (Is) Living With Long Covid
The Koreas
Top US admiral says South Korea’s new submarine should keep China in check Straits Times
Anduril is building MASC autonomous warships with HD Hyundai Naval News
Japan Developments
Takaichi’s ambitions continue to unfold Observing Japan
The CCP’s Kryptonite Matt Turpin. Belligerence cheerleading from a Hoover Institution fellow and senior advisor at Palantir.
Japan sends envoy to China to calm escalating spat, media reports Channel News Asia
Current Events in China
China’s people are on a grueling treadmill Asia Times
Updates from India
Seven Reasons Why RSS Lobbying in Washington DC is Alarming The Wire
How Pakistan’s Spending Blitz Helped Win Over Trump and Flip U.S. Policy New York Times
Syraqistan Insights
Shadowy Firm Run by Israeli-Estonian Has Gotten Hundreds of Palestinians Out of Gaza Haaretz
Scoop: Israel wants Trump to condition F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia on Israel normalization Axios
Iran turns to cloud seeding as historic drought deepens Firstpost
In world first, Israel begins pumping desalinated water into depleted Sea of Galilee Times of Israel
Euphrates River Becomes the Last Battle Line in Syria’s Civil War Drop Site
Canadian Affairs
95-Year-Old Human Rights Scholar Richard Falk Interrogated for Hours by Canada Countercurrents
European Disunion
Trump trade negotiator hits out at EU delays in cutting tariffs and rules FT
Very useful that all this is clearer now. Don’t believe in a Christian god, oppose American wars, anarchist, Marxist, anti-capitalist? Then you’re a terrorist and the US will come after you. And Europe will roll over, of course https://t.co/q037T3wVGD pic.twitter.com/wH2kjfy8OG
— Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) November 16, 2025
German auction house cancels sale of Holocaust artefacts after outcry The Guardian
German ambassador says Polish opposition “helping Putin” with WWII reparations claims Notes from Poland
New Not-So-Cold War
The outcome of the UN vote on Russia’s resolution to “combat the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, and other forms of racism and intolerance.”
Basically the West against the rest of the world.
Two key US allies broke ranks: Israel backed the motion and Turkey abstained. pic.twitter.com/fCylrQz1Vb
— Brian McDonald (@27khv) November 16, 2025
Ukraine’s best defence against Putin’s energy war is more attacks on Russia’s oil refining sector Chatham House. Let me know how that works out.
Greece To Supply Ukraine With US Natural Gas For Winter Bloomberg. Let me know how that works out.
Serbia’s US-Sanctioned Oil Firm NIS Gets Three Months To Find Buyer Reuters
Novorossiysk Resumes Oil Loadings After Ukrainian Attack Devdiscourse
SITREP 11/16/25: Overblown Energy Strikes on Russia Again Mask UA Frontline Collapse Simplicius
Bottleneck on the border, truckers baffled by major snarl-up on Kazakhstan-Russia frontier Intellinews
African Developments
US Launches a Series of Airstrikes in Somalia, Civilians Reported Killed Antiwar
Why Solarpunk is already happening in Africa Climate Drift
South of the Border
U.S. military announces latest strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific NBC News
The CIA’s Cartel The After-Action Report
What is really happening in Venezuela? US attacks and economic situation explained Geopolitical Economy Report
Venezuela Reports Localized Sabotage of Power Grid; Satellite Communications Disrupted Orinoco Tribune
Trump signals possible talks with Maduro as US ramps up Caribbean military campaign Anadolu Agency
BREAKING Mexican protest exposed:
Left is the “One piece” flag from Nepal & right, the same flag from these Mexican Gen Z “protests”.
90 million pesos have been spent in 2 months, with accounts linked to the Atlas Network, a CIA cut out linked to regime change ops in LATAM… pic.twitter.com/op1NtmeKHA
— Fiorella Isabel (@FiorellaIsabelM) November 16, 2025
L’affaire Epstein
Trump, in reversal, calls on House GOP to vote to release Epstein files The Hill
The Clayton appointment is so unreal.
Geoffrey Berman was pressured to step down by the first Trump admin roughly a year after prosecuting Epstein in 2019 (as I recall it was around the time when Berman was targeting Steve Bannon). Bill Barr tried to have Clayton replace him in… https://t.co/GuOZlDB8rI
— Whitney Webb (@_whitneywebb) November 16, 2025
The Blast Radius of Jeff Epstein BIG by Matt Stoller. With a focus on Larry Summers and his fabulous career.
Epstein Gave NY Times Journalist Tips About Trump. Why Did They Never Get Reported? The Intercept
⚡️🇺🇸🇮🇱JUST IN: U.S Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene:
“I think the right question to ask is, was Jeffrey Epstein working for Israel?”pic.twitter.com/i9s5mVV60Y
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws1) November 16, 2025
Trump 2.0
THE LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN U.S. HISTORY ENDS WITHOUT AMELIORATING OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS Notes on the Crises
Even though Congress approved the funding for NIH here’s what’s going on now: All NIH Oct & November grant application submission deadlines to be rescheduled….no new dates yet. All study sections & council meetings to be rescheduled at some point too. See below. Where is the $… https://t.co/oyGgCs5mRS
— Pearl Freier (@PearlF) November 16, 2025
GOP Dynamics
Republicans clash over surprise phone records provision that could enrich senators The Hill
Young MAGA Is Souring on Israel American Conservative
Once He Was ‘Just Asking Questions.’ Now Tucker Carlson Is the Question New York Times
Are 30-40% of conservative Gen Z staffers really Groypers? UnHerd
Democratic Reflections
The Democrats’ health care rhetoric is a sham Bleeding Heartland
Former First Lady Michelle Obama:
“Don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. So don’t waste my time. We got a lot of growing up to do” pic.twitter.com/zr8xLRki4S
— HOT SPOT (@HotSpotHotSpot) November 16, 2025
Immigration Issues
‘Tread Carefully’: What a $112 Million Verdict Could Mean for Local Police Working With ICE NOTUS
Emerging Paradigms
Robert Skidelsky: After Globalisation – Return of Fascism & War Glenn Diesen (Video)
Republicans’ Latest Gambit to Deny Rural Veterans Health Care Barn Raiser
Mamdani References
What Mamdani Can Learn from Past and Present Public Grocery Projects Food and Power
Artificial Intelligence
Goofing on Meta’s AI Crawler Information Camouflage
Ex-Disney star makes the ‘most evil’ app ever. It barely even works San Francisco Standard
Most states don’t disclose which companies get data center incentives, report finds Kansas Reflector
The songs remain the same Internal Exile
Academia Developments
The Harvard Endowment’s Biggest Public Investment is Now Bitcoin Gizmodo
Antitrust Issues
Ballroom Blitz: Union Pacific donates to White House ballroom while proposing massive merger Flatwater Free Press
Economic Insights
America’s corporate meltdown: 655 big firms bankrupt as 2025 crisis surges to 15-year high Economic Times
Screening Room
Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive The Ankler
The Friendly Skies
RyanAir Refuses Refund for Man Who Missed Flight After Knife Attack AV Geekery
Trump administration axes Biden-era rule to provide passenger compensation for delayed flights The Points Guy
Guillotine Watch
Americans Want Billionaires Out Of Politics—And Think They’re A Threat To Democracy, Poll Shows Forbes
Class Warfare
Whatever happened to U.B.I.? Read Max
Selling a Defective Dream New York Review
Antidote du jour (via):
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
