Latest Episode
May 23 1200 UTC Brief
In China
A coal mine explosion in Shanxi province has killed at least 90 workers, with nine still missing and more than 120 people hospitalized, according to state media. It is a grim toll, and rescue crews are still working through the aftermath.
At Dover
Lorries and holidaymakers were hit with long queues at the Port of Dover as the EU’s new entry-exit system was rolled out. Delays reportedly stretched to around four and a half hours before French authorities suspended the extra checks for now to ease traffic flow. Border management, in other words, remains a concept more admired in theory than in practice.
In Europe and security
Backlash is growing after Mohamed Bakkali, described as a coordinator of the Paris attacks, was granted prison leave six times for 36 hours each. The decision has drawn anger in both Belgium and France.
Separately, an undercover investigation says Iran’s intelligence services appeared to be trying to recruit Britons in London to organize anti-Israel protests and spread propaganda, offering payment and instructions to place posters and bring in more people. The Metropolitan Police says it is now looking at whether this “gig economy” model of espionage is being used in the capital.
In U.S. news
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has vetoed a bill that would have made collective bargaining mandatory for public employees statewide. She said she still supports collective bargaining, but unions criticized the veto after lawmakers rejected her weakened alternative.
In Philadelphia, police are investigating two overnight shootings in Spring Garden and Parkside, where multiple victims were reported. In Wissinoming, a drive-by shooting injured a teenager and an adult, and stray bullets damaged a pickup truck.
In business
Take-Two says rising console prices should not stop demand for GTA 6, which is due out on consoles on November 19, 2026. The company says it is counting on a larger console audience by then, helped along by holiday sales and, presumably, one very large video game.
About
This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
Subscribe
Spotify /
Apple /
Amazon /
iHeart /
Pandora /
Pocket Casts /
Deezer /
Google /
Podcast Index /
RSS