Ashis Basu

It was a pleasure listening to Michael Ondaatje reading from his latest book of Poetry, and listening to him in conversation with @amitava.bsky.social who added just the right amount of humour to the evening!

Another C.D.C. Vaccine Skeptic Steps Down

Adding to a rapid shake-up of the leadership at federal health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Monday that Dr. Ralph Abraham had resigned as the agency’s principal deputy director. @apoorvanyt.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/h...

The Story of Capital For decades, David Harvey has been teaching Marx's work, particularly Capital, to great acclaim. He has analysed chapter by chapter - sometimes line-by-line - Marx's three volumes and the Grundrisse. ...

www.versobooks.com/products/337...

Marxism can still change the world I have spent my life interpreting capitalism in order to build an alternative

Problems have solutions. Contradictions do not. They are permanent points of tension that can only be managed within the system in which they are embedded. They only go away when the system as a whole disappears.

www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2026/0...

Botswana’s diamond-funded health system has failed: it needs to be reformed and rebuilt | Duma Gideon Boko As Botswana’s president here is my plan to renew this country’s beleaguered health system – and my vision for a stronger Africa

As Botswana’s president here is my plan to renew this country’s beleaguered health system – and my vision for a stronger Africa

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

‘Reimagining matter’: Nobel laureate invents machine that harvests water from dry air Omar Yaghi’s invention uses ambient thermal energy and can generate up to 1,000 litres of clean water every day

The invention, by the chemist Prof Omar Yaghi, uses a type of science called reticular chemistry to create molecularly engineered materials, which can extract moisture from the air and harvest water even in arid and desert conditions.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Are we really overdiagnosing mental illness? It’s tempting to dismiss the proliferation of labels as a fad, but there’s more to this phenomenon than a simple culture-war reading allows

“It’s tempting to dismiss the proliferation of labels as a fad, but there’s more to this phenomenon than a simple culture-war reading allows.” @lucyfoulkes.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/books/2026/f...

Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show Exclusive: approximately 350-acre compound planned as base for multinational force, according to records reviewed by the Guardian The Trump administration is planning to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza, sprawling more than 350 acres, according to Board of Peace contracting records reviewed by the Guardian. The site is envisioned as a military operating base for a future International Stabilization Force (ISF), planned as a multinational military force composed of pledged troops. The ISF is part of the newly created Board of Peace which is meant to govern Gaza. The Board of Peace is chaired by Donald Trump and led in part by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Continue reading...

Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show

Plug-in hybrids use three times more fuel than manufacturers claim, analysis finds While most hybrids are said to use one to two litres of fuel per 100km, a study claims they need six litres on average

Plug-in hybrids use three times more fuel than manufacturers claim, analysis finds

#EVs
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

BREAKING: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, BBC News reported reut.rs/4s0NSPL

Say goodbye to the sex drought! What the Danes can teach us about making more love While other countries are deep in a sex recession, the Danish drive shows no signs of stalling. How do they stay so frisky?

While other countries are deep in a sex recession, the Danish drive shows no signs of stalling. How do they stay so frisky? @zoesqwilliams.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Single dose of potent psychedelic drug could help treat depression, trial shows Researchers find DMT – used in shamanic rituals – in tandem with psychotherapy has significant effect

People with major depressive disorder can see a rapid and lasting improvement after a single dose of the psychedelic drug dimethyltryptamine (DMT) when it is combined with psychotherapy, doctors have said. @iansample.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

These charts show how Trump is isolating the US on the world stage Analysis shows that the world is moving closer to China, as Trump’s isolationism rears its head at the United Nations

In 2026, the world is now diplomatically closer to Beijing than it has been in recent memory, with significant shifts in alignments taking place during the start of Trump’s second presidential term.

www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...

Epstein engineered intimate relationship for Tesla’s Kimbal Musk, emails show Elon Musk’s younger brother and the woman were involved for about six months between 2012 and 2013 Jeffrey Epstein engineered an intimate relationship between a woman in his network and Kimbal Musk, who is the brother of Elon Musk and on the board of directors at Tesla, according to emails from the Department of Justice’s recent release of documents involving the convicted sex offender. The younger Musk and the woman were involved for around six months between 2012 and 2013, with Kimbal Musk describing them as “dating”. In the lead-up to Musk and the woman’s first meeting, Epstein and his longtime associate Boris Nikolic labored to set them up and bring her to a birthday party Musk was throwing – with Nikolic telling Epstein: “please prepare [the woman] —;)” Continue reading...

Epstein engineered intimate relationship for Tesla’s Kimbal Musk, emails show

Tumbler Ridge school shooting: seven found dead and suspect deceased, say police in Canada – latest updates Royal Canadian Mounted Police respond to an active shooter incident at a high school in British Columbia At least eight people are dead following a shooting at a high school in British Columbia, Canada on Tuesday afternoon. According to a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, seven people were found dead in an attack in British Columbia’s municipality of Tumbler Ridge. A suspect was also found deceased, police said. Continue reading...

Tumbler Ridge school shooting: seven found dead and suspect deceased, say police in Canada – latest updates

If only giant networks could hire people who can understand Spanish. Of whom there is no shortage.

‘Women’s freedoms are at stake’: concern at rise of Islamist party before Bangladesh election Jamaat e-Islami, oppressed under Sheikh Hasina’s rule, could take unprecedented share of the vote on Thursday

‘Women’s freedoms are at stake’: concern at rise of Islamist party before Bangladesh election

The big AI job swap: why white-collar workers are ditching their careers As AI job losses rise in the professional sector, many are switching to more traditional trades. But how do they feel about accepting lower pay – and giving up a dream career?

As AI job losses rise in the professional sector, many are switching to more traditional trades. But how do they feel about accepting lower pay – and, in some cases, giving up their vocation?

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for creamy chicken and mustard fricassee | Quick and easy A versatile, one-pan dish to which you can add pretty much whatever seasonal vegetables you like and whatever side suits, and all ready in about half an hour

Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for creamy chicken and mustard fricassee | Quick and easy

‘We’re being turned into an energy colony’: Argentina’s nuclear plan faces backlash over US interests Push to restart uranium mining in Patagonia has sparked fears about the environmental impact and loss of sovereignty over key resources

‘We’re being turned into an energy colony’: Argentina’s nuclear plan faces backlash over US interests

UK, UN and EU deplore ‘monumental injustice’ of Jimmy Lai’s 20-year jail sentence Son says Hong Kong media figure, 78, fears dying alone while legal team say Lai is now world’s highest profile political prisoner The UK, the UN, EE and rights groups have condemned the sentencing of the pro-democracy activist and publisher Jimmy Lai, a British citizen who has been jailed for 20 years in Hong Kong on national security convictions that critics say are politically motivated. Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary, said: “For 78-year-old Jimmy Lai, 20 years is an effective life sentence, following a politically motivated prosecution under a law that was imposed to silence China’s critics. The Hong Kong authorities must end Jimmy Lai’s appalling ordeal and release him to be with his family.” Continue reading...

UK, UN and EU deplore ‘monumental injustice’ of Jimmy Lai’s 20-year jail sentence

UN Expert Says Companies Dealing in Illegally Seized Venezuelan Oil Face Legal Risk Despite U.S. claims of legal impunity, companies engaging in the refining, shipping and sale of illegally seized oil—particularly those headquartered in the EU—might face judicial hurdles.

By me: UN human rights and business expert Fernanda Hopenhaym says companies dealing in illegally seized Venezuelan oil face legal exposure
Despite US claims of legal impunity
drilled.media/news/hopenhaym

Please see my statement on the sentencing of Jimmy Lai:

What It Means to Be ‘Touch-Starved’

What It Means to Be ‘Touch-Starved’

“Being touch-starved, or lacking wanted physical connection, has become increasingly common in our fast-paced, digital world, experts say. And a lack of touch can affect both our physical and mental well-being.”

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/w...

‘Biblical Diseases’ Could Resurge in Africa, Health Officials Fear

Parasites and infections that cause blindness and other disabilities were nearly eliminated in some countries, but drug distribution to prevent and treat them was derailed in many places in 2025 after the U.S. cut aid. @snolen.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/h...

Hail our new robot overlords! Amazon warehouse tour offers glimpse of future At its new Stone Mountain, Georgia, facility, Roomba-like robots shuffle between stacks, another adds shipping labels while another arranges packages in pallets

At its new Stone Mountain, Georgia, facility, Roomba-like robots shuffle between stacks, another adds shipping labels while another arranges packages in pallets @msainato.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

“This conversation explores curiosity, responsibility, and the power of paying attention, even when the truth feels heavy.”

Must listen 🎧

Embracing ‘Cathedral Thinking’ with Elizabeth Kolbert | The Nature Of with Willow Defebaugh

It was a pleasure speaking to Willow Defebaugh about the Nature Of, well, everything:

An ‘amazing feat’: how was 13-year-old Austin Appelbee able to swim for four hours to save his family? Saltwater, survival backstroke and sheer mind over matter may have helped the teenager save his family, experts say

An ‘amazing feat’: how was 13-year-old Austin Appelbee able to swim for four hours to save his family?