Lost

Thousands of heat-related deaths in record-breaking temperatures appeared to only intensify hosts’ climate denialsAs the first heatwave of the record-breaking summer arrived on 23 May, GB News host Cristo Foufas was not happy: “I am sick to death of the naysayers saying firstly that we’re all going to die and that we have to put out heat alerts, because, you know, just drink some water and drink a bit less rosé in the sunshine.”“We used to call it Darwinism,” replied co-host Renée Hoenderkamp. She is a medical doctor. Continue reading...

• Stephanie Coxon and Lauren Muglia discuss the deteriorating state of American political discourse in a recent episode of "Two Women Inspiring Real Life." • The conversation highlights the erosion of bipartisan friendships and the quiet redefinition of common language used in political debate. • A key point of focus is the widening ideological divide between traditional Democrats and the Democratic Socialist wing of the party.

• Astronomers continue to debate the classification of Pluto 20 years after it was stripped of its full planet status. • The controversy centers on whether the current definition of a planet is accurate or if Pluto should be reinstated. • This ongoing dispute highlights a fundamental disagreement within the scientific community regarding how celestial bodies are categorized.

English translation of Élisabeth, the New Wave director’s 1946 book about young lovers in prewar Paris, receives rave reviews as precursor to auteur’s cinematic workIn the dog days of the second world war, 24-year-old Maurice Schérer wrote a tale of young lovers in prewar small-town France. He described lazy August swims in the Marne River east of Paris. He wrote about age-gap affairs and semi-incestuous flirtations. Schérer gallantly used a nom de plume, Gilbert Cordier, to shield his Catholic family from scandal, but he needn’t have bothered as his concerns were unfounded. The finished novel, Élisabeth, barely made a ripple and quickly slipped out of print. Undeterred, Scherer adopted a second pseudonym – Éric Rohmer – and decided to try his luck as a film-maker instead.Now – eight decades on from its first publication, 16 years on from its author’s death – Élisabeth belatedly returns from the cold. Republished in an English-language translation by Aaron Kerner, Rohmer’s book has been greeted with glowing reviews, hailed as a lost modernist classic and a crucial origin story for the award-winning director of Claire’s Knee, The Green Ray and My Night at Maud’s. “It would be a rewarding, exciting read even if the identity of its author were unfamiliar,” wrote Richard Brody in the New Yorker. The fact that it’s by Rohmer? That’s the icing on the cake. Continue reading...

• The author argues that Thailand may be entering a second consecutive "lost decade" of economic stagnation and political uncertainty. • This follows a first lost decade from May 2014 to August 2023, which the author attributes to the illegitimate nine-year rule of coup leader Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. • The analysis highlights how prolonged political instability and leadership under Gen Prayut hindered the nation's economic growth and development.

• Poland's Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski announced that the country will maintain its ban on Ukrainian grain imports to protect local farmers. • This move reflects a broader trend where voters feel mainstream European politicians have failed to address critical daily struggles. • The shift highlights a growing disillusionment with the political center, fueling the rise of right-wing parties like Meloni's in Italy, Le Pen's in France, and the AfD in Germany.

• South Korean personal investors are facing severe financial losses following a brutal correction and extreme volatility in the domestic stock market. • By the end of July, approximately 1.2 million investor accounts triggered margin calls, affecting roughly one in every 30 working-age adults in the country. • The crisis highlights the risks of leveraged trading, a growing trend among retail investors that has also expanded into U.S. and Taiwanese markets.