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What We're Watching

Italy Gets Belted – Later this month, Italy is likely to become the first G7 country to formally endorse China's Belt and Road global investment plan. Italian officials hope to draw Chinese investment into Italy's aging infrastructure and open Chinese markets to more Italian-made products. EU and American officials fear that Chinese investment will leave Italy dangerously deep in debt. (Italy is already the second most indebted country in Europe, after Greece.) They also worry that Italy's endorsement for Belt and Road will undermine their ability to present a united front when bargaining with China over trade and investment practices.

The Queen's Instagram Account – This week, England's Queen Elizabeth II posted on Instagram for the very first time. We'll be watching closely to be sure this lady doesn't become a nuisance.


What We're Ignoring

138: Russian state media has published 138 contradictory accounts of last year's nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK. Ironically, Russian lawmakers moved this week to criminalize "fake news." #ForYourDisinformation

3D printed steaks – A Spanish scientist has created a 3D-printed vegan steak made of rice protein, pea protein, and algae fiber. It takes 10 minutes to print and two minutes to cook. Is this an environmentally friendly way to make a steak? Maybe. Will your Friday author give this a try? HELL NO.

More For You

​U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum look on, on the day he signs an executive order, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 23, 2025.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum look on, on the day he signs an executive order, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 23, 2025.

REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
Trump’s Strait talk gets wavyThe US president has now suggested several times that the Iran war could end without reopening the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday morning, he blasted European allies for not sending forces to protect navigation through the Iran-dominated waterway, which handles a fifth of the world’s oil and gas. “Go get your own oil!” [...]
The number of Asian countries that have lined up to participate in the first edition of Eurovision, the world’s longest-running international music competition, on the continent.

The number of Asian countries that have lined up to participate in the first edition of Eurovision, the world’s longest-running international music competition, on the continent.

Natalie Johnson
10: The number of Asian countries that have lined up to participate in the first edition of Eurovision, the world’s longest-running international music competition, on the continent.The annual musical extravaganza will make its debut in Asia this year, with the grand finale set for November in Bangkok. Countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, South [...]
People wait in a long queue to buy liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders for domestic use outside a gas agency amid the reported nationwide shortage of LPG, in Kolkata on Monday.

People wait in a long queue to buy liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders for domestic use outside a gas agency amid the reported nationwide shortage of LPG, in Kolkata on Monday.

ANI
The Iran war is causing the biggest energy shock in decades, with still no end in sight. As the conflict chokes off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of the world’s daily oil supply, prices are spiking, countries are rationing supplies, and governments are scrambling to shore up alternative energy sources.Iran [...]
The amount of time police said it took four masked men to steal paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse from a museum near Parma, Italy, earlier this month.

The amount of time police said it took four masked men to steal paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse from a museum near Parma, Italy, earlier this month.

Natalie Johnson
3 minutes: The amount of time police said it took four masked men to steal paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse from a museum near Parma, Italy, earlier this month.The crew that pulled off the daring heist at the Villa dei Capolavori made off with paintings worth more than $10 million. [...]