This Month
‘Everything is becoming more split’: the global AI divide
In the race for cutting-edge AI systems and computing power, a handful of countries and companies are gaining control of our digital future.
8 countries where your money will go further than Europe
The US dollar’s decline means it’s suddenly a lot cheaper to travel to some popular holiday destinations.
April
World record tumbles in London Marathon thanks to ‘super shoe’
The $900 Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo shoes that Tigst Assefa brought to world fame in Berlin 18 months ago have struck again.
October 2024
‘We should learn from history’: ex-general warns of climate wars
As chief of the Dutch armed forces, Tom Middendorp was castigated for suggesting climate change was a security threat. Now his views are mainstream.
September 2024
Here’s what happens to your heart when you run a marathon
When Brimin Misoi broke the Sydney Marathon record on Sunday, his heart would have temporarily swollen by about 15 per cent. Getting too big might be a problem.
Running a marathon with the big five. At least that was the plan
Riots ended the promise of an extraordinary experience in a Kenyan game reserve. And while some thrilling safaris made up for any disappointment, there’s always next year.
July 2024
Olympic hope Jess Hull stars on record-breaking night in Paris
The Australian runner smashed her Oceania 1500 metres record by more than five seconds to leap to fifth on the world all-time list.
May 2024
How sanctions played havoc with Iran’s ageing helicopters
The US-made Bell 212 carrying the country’s president and foreign minister was almost 30 years old when it crashed into a mountainside.
January 2024
When the heavens open, it’s time to celebrate life on the Masai Mara
The wet season has nourished the Kenyan plains, baby animals gambol at every turn, and a new luxury camp has sprouted amid verdant acacias.
January 2024
Emerging market debt issuance hits record as borrowing costs fall
Uncertainty over the path of US rates is pushing countries to front-load their borrowing as much as possible.
World revels, but wars cast shadow over New Year festivities
Midnight advanced from one time zone to the next starting with Oceania, then the rest of Asia and the Middle East, followed by Europe, Africa and the Americas.
November 2023
Going green the Fortescue way
Fortescue’s AGM showcased Andrew Forrest’s determination to lead the green energy transition, even if that makes some investors nervous about costs and priorities.
Why two ports in New York cost radically different amounts
Infraclear collates infrastructure project and financial documents to help parties seek a fair deal and save time negotiating.
August 2023
Lex Greensill’s new investment is coconut waste
The shareholding is the financier’s first known investment since the collapse of Greensill Capital.
June 2023
If you spot this rare elephant, you’ll never forget it
Kenya’s fabled national park covers 13,747 square kilometres, but the big tuskers for which this region is renowned are now scarce. Hope is on the horizon, however.
January 2023
Is ChatGPT a form of magic or the apocalypse?
The new generation of artificial intelligence has ingested an internet’s worth of data and generates content that appears to be magical. It might also be a form of creative bankruptcy from which humans never recover.
How your holiday can help save a northern white rhino
A luxurious bush camp in Kenya is on a conservancy that is at the forefront of saving endangered species.
Davos: a pointless elitist indulgence or inspirational agenda-setter?
The annual World Economic Forum meeting is about to get underway in Davos. European correspondent Hans van Leeuwen and special contributor Peter Holmes a Court go to head-to-head on whether the world should care.
June 2022
Queen Elizabeth II, 70 years of duty without drama
The discreet monarch has presided over decades of change while remaining largely an enigma.
January 2022
Tonga shrouded by ash and mystery after volcano eruption
As concerns grew, the nation of about 100,000 remained largely cut off from the rest of world, its undersea internet cables knocked out of commission by the volcano.