books Shot in the '70s, North African Villages shows medieval villages unchanged by modernity Kevin Kelly

News India and Bangladesh brace for Super Cyclone Amphan, strongest storm ever in Bay of Bengal Xeni Jardin

new york city Legendary East Village corner store, Gem Spa, closes its doors Gareth Branwyn

Japan How Animal Crossing is modeled on 18th century debt-based Japanese villages Mark Frauenfelder

Italy coronavirus death toll now 7, WHO says COVID-19 not pandemic yet Xeni Jardin

housing Turning the ruins of a Medieval Italian village into a home and stone masonry school Gareth Branwyn

futility closet In 1907, hunter Jim Corbett stalked a Nepalese tiger that had killed 434 people Futility Closet

krampus A happy sing-along song about Krampus Rusty Blazenhoff

gimp Arrests made in Somerset gimp mystery Rob Beschizza

Games Tiny Islands, an addictive card-based island-drawing game Rob Beschizza

islamic state Terrorists are putting suicide vests on cows Seamus Bellamy

Environment Nepal is banning single-use plastic on and around Mt. Everest David Pescovitz

happy mutants The only path to victory in the Middle Earth election is to appeal to the moderate orc voter Cory Doctorow

britain Why Essex is crap, or at least why everyone thinks it is Rob Beschizza

china Chinese urbanization has left 25 million vacant homes in rural villages Cory Doctorow

ngos Report: WWF hires paramilitary torturers and murderers in developing world Rob Beschizza

gender Barefoot Engineers: rural women from Malawi, trained as solar engineers, who are electrifying their remote villages Cory Doctorow

urbanization What is it like to live in rural Japan Mark Frauenfelder

Funny Humorous ad about South African explorer discovering Europe in 1650 Rob Beschizza

cars Welcome to the grim new car-dependent exurban villages of housing-crisis Britain Rob Beschizza