Bernard, Peter and Cathrine talk about the Middle East conflict, the fuel crisis, Christopher Luxonâs clash with Winston Peters over the US attack on Iran and the warning from Earth Sciences NZ about a formidable El Niño later this year. Paul Spoonley talks about his report for Koi TĆ« titled: People, Place & Prosperity - The case for a population strategy.
TĂŒrkiye will unveil a 10-year vision document on family and population policies at a program in Istanbul on May 2. President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan and Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ăzdemir GöktaĆ are expected to attend. The document will enter into force through a presidential circular to be published in the Official Gazette.
Molly Blessing is Vice President of Sustainability & Product Stewardship for the Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA). Molly and I discuss the challenges industry faces today in the complex world of product stewardship. We address the growing pains of conflicting state extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws and the challenges in California of labeling a product as recyclable.
Conversations that aim to bring passion and perspective to the big issues of the day are called Slow Boring conversations. They are intended to bring a different perspective to big issues in the society at large. They can be fun and interesting or boring at the same time.
JĂŒrgen-Joachim von Sandrart (63) was commander of the Multinational Corps North-East in Stettin (Poland) before he left the Bundeswehr a year ago. He believes Russia is always in a position to "seek another, limited use of arms in parallel".
Mali's military junta turned to Russia for support after expelling French and UN troops following coups in 2020 and 2021. The junta was rocked at the weekend by an offensive by West Africa's al-Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group. Russia's Africa Corps was forced to withdraw from Kidal and Moscow used helicopter gunships and strategic bombers to hold insurgents back.
Stratechery Plus is a subscription service. It costs $15 per month or $150 per year. It offers the subscriber-only Stratechery Update, Interviews, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Dithering, Greatest of All Talk, and Asianometry podcasts.
The US-Israel war on Iran has cost an estimated $25 billion so far. US crude exports achieved a record surge of more than 6 million barrels a day last week. US companies and the US are expanding their energy footprint abroad. China agrees to cooperate with Australian business on jet fuel shipments to ease the energy shortage caused by the war in the Middle East.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, will remain in custody while his federal criminal case moves forward. He is accused of trying to kill Donald Trump by rushing the press gala in Washington DC at the weekend. Allen is charged with attempted assassination, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines.
Fatty15 is a once-a-day supplement that contains 100 milligrams of C15:0 per day. According to the brand, it has over 100,000 active subscribers. In a survey of 6,243 customers, 70% reported feeling or seeing benefits within 16 weeks of taking it.
Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles will open in September. It will be spread across 30 galleries in the museum's 300,000-square-foot building, which sits on the edge of LAâs Exposition Park and includes an 11-acre campus. The initial hang of the Lucas Museum will feature around 12,000 objects, drawn from the Lucas's collection of more than 40,000 items that he began collecting over 50 years ago. Artists that Lucas has deep holdings of will get their own galleries.
Gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 2.0 percent in the January to March period, according to the Commerce Department. The growth was higher than the 0.5 percent figure in the final three months of 2025, but still below the 2.2 percent expansion that economists predicted. White House spokesman lauds the growth rate, saying it was "driven by an astonishing surge in business investment" and President Donald Trump's agenda of tax cuts and deregulation. But analysts warn of its reliance on an AI investment boom, and consumers are showing fatigue as the energy shock from the war worsens.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program was launched by the Biden administration five years ago. It was supposed to help build 500,000 public EV charging ports by 2030, but the program has been beset by problems. Sierra Club reports that in 2025, states spent $94 million on projects, more than double the $44 million spent in 2024. Pennsylvania and Ohio ranked first and second in program funding, but it's still a tiny share of the amount originally set by Congress with the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. More than 95 percent remains unspent, largely because of legal challenges related to the federal freeze.
On April 8, Israel launched more than 100 attacks in under 10 minutes across Lebanon, killing 357 people. Israel conducted 100 air strikes and dropped more than 160 bombs across Lebanon on that day. Israel claims it targeted Hezbollah, but experts say the evidence proves otherwise.
Swedish researchers found that young Atlantic salmon exposed to cocaine and its breakdown product, benzoylecgonine, swim farther and more widely in the wild than the control group. The study was done at Lake VĂ€ttern in Sweden. It highlights the need for improved wastewater treatment and more comprehensive environmental monitoring.
Lawrence, Velshi and Alexander Vindman discuss the current political situation in the U.S. and the world. They discuss Trump's war on Iran and the current state of the economy under his leadership. They also discuss the relationship between Trump and Elon Musk.
The Strait of Hormuz tensions are rippling through global markets, sending oil prices above $120 a barrel and driving US petrol prices to a four-year high. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismisses the US blockade as ineffective, while the military says its restraint so far has been intended to give diplomacy a chance. Top Iranian football officials left World Cup cohosts Canada before the start of the FIFA Congress because of âinappropriate behaviourâ by immigration officials at Toronto airport. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his US counterpart Donald Trump not to resume attacks on Iran.
Eight officials in China's Xinjiang region have been placed under investigation since Ma Xingrui's removal. Li Xuan, Party secretary of Xinjiangâs Department of Commerce, is under investigation for âserious violations of discipline and lawâ Ma's tenure in Xinjiang coincided with the continuation of China's strict âzero-COVIDâ policies. The developments have renewed focus on the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
China exported 68 gigawatts of solar panels, cells and wafers in March. The total is equivalent to Spainâs entire installed solar capacity. At least 50 countries recorded all-time highs in their imports of Chinese solar equipment. In Africa, imports jumped 176 per cent month on month, driven by Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Pakistan's fuel import bill has risen from $300 million before the conflict to $800 million now. The knock-on effects will be severe, impacting everything from agriculture and transport to the price of food and basic goods. The State Bank of Pakistan raised its key policy rate by a full percentage point to 11.5 percent. Pakistan is heavily dependent on imported energy and higher costs worsen its already precarious balance-of-payments position.
Ennahda's leader Rached Ghannouchi, 84, was transferred to a hospital for treatment and medical monitoring for several days. The movement renews its call for his immediate release, considering his detention to be arbitrary. He has received multiple prison sentences in separate cases, including 20 years in prison in the Ramadan gathering case.
New maps of the Gaza Strip were issued by Israel a little more than a month ago. The restricted area, marked on the maps with an orange line, makes up an estimated 11% of Gazaâs territory beyond the âYellow Lineâ demarcating the part of Gaza occupied by Israeli troops since an October ceasefire. The expanded zone has stirred fears from displaced Palestinians living there that they could be deemed targets by Israel. Israel has previously moved blocks deeper into Hamas-controlled territory.
Core inflation rate hit 3.2% in March. GDP grew 2% in first quarter. Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspends campaign for US Senate. Spirit Airlines only has enough cash for a matter of days. First commercial flight from US to Venezuela takes off after nearly seven years. Supreme Court strikes down redistricting map challenged as racially discriminatory.
April was a great month for book covers. Here are some of the best ones from the month. See you back here in May for the next month's picks. for the rest of April's picks, check out the gallery below. For the full list, visit the gallery here.