Year: 2024

The 2016 peace treaty, which ended decades of civil conflict in Colombia, has transformed the country into a birdwatcher's paradise. This agreement has liberated vast swathes of forests previously dominated by armed groups, making them accessible to both wildlife enthusiasts and researchers. For years, Colombia's rich biodiversity has been hidden behind the barriers of a long-running civil war. The nation's forests, home to an astonishing variety of bird species, were largely off-limits due to the presence of guerrillas and associated dangers. However, the peace agreement has made these once inaccessible areas accessible, revealing a treasure trove of avian diversity. Birdwatchers…

Concluding a years-long legal saga, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to return to Australia after pleading guilty to a single charge relating to the publication of classified US documents. The 52-year-old Australian citizen avoided a lengthy prison sentence by admitting guilt at a remote hearing in an American territory in the Pacific. This settlement marks a significant development in a case that has become a battleground for press freedom and national security concerns. From famous whistleblower to legal standoff Assange rose to prominence in the 2010s, when WikiLeaks published a series of sensitive documents exposing details of US military…

Mike Duggan and his hockey buddies were strapping on their gear one recent morning when their banter turned, as it often does, to the topic of joint replacement surgeries. Duggan, 74, the proud owner of an artificial hip, marveled at the sheer number of titanium body parts in the locker room. He nodded toward Mitch Boriskin, who was putting on a pair of skates along the opposite wall. “I don't think there's an original part to you,” Duggan said. Boriskin, 70, smiled. “Two fake knees, a spinal cord stimulator, 25 surgeries,” he began, as if he were reciting a sheet…

Tech giants like Apple, Google and Microsoft are racing to develop smartphones and computers powered by artificial intelligence (AI). These devices promise to make our lives easier by automating tasks like editing photos or scheduling meetings. But there's a problem: they require a lot of data from us. More data, more convenience, less privacy? These new AI capabilities come at the cost of increased data collection. The companies envision Windows PCs taking screenshots every few seconds, iPhones merging data from various apps, and Android phones analyzing calls in real time to detect scams. This raises privacy concerns. To offer personalized…

The Ukrainian government and army have already started major reconstruction projects. Bucha and Irpin, the devastated suburbs of Kiev, have become important construction sites. Architect Norman Foster has been hired for a new master plan for Kharkiv, whose extraordinary density of modern architecture is exposed to almost daily bombing. But this exhibition continues to focus on informal, bottom-up efforts in Ukrainian architecture. It showcases the work of architects inside and outside the country, but also some of Ukraine's most notable artists, not to mention the ravers and DJs from Kiev's world-leading electronic music scene, who have aided the reconstruction efforts…