~the-christian-scien | Bookmarks (509)

Cavendish bananas are under threat from a fungus that has wiped out other varieties. The island of Tenerife may have the conditions to protect them.

The Gospels spread the teachings of Jesus and stories about his life. A Bible historian unpacks the message behind them in “Miracles and Wonder.”

If Donald Trump can convince manufacturers to come back to the U.S., it may set off not a jobs boom, but an automation boom, as new factories may be the world’s most automated.

The U.S. Constitution divides power among three branches – executive, congressional, and judicial. Presidents have sometimes tried to claim more power, as President Trump is doing now. But when does it become a crisis?

Across Syria, the reunification of families and communities that had been displaced by conflict has enhanced the spirituality and generosity of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Facing American indifference to European security, Germany has launched a major rearmament drive. But without U.S. help, can Europe defend itself?

On opening day for Major League Baseball, our columnist looks at another side of Jackie Robinson’s legacy: statesman and writer.

Under the kafala system, in place since the 1970s Persian Gulf oil boom, workers arrive on visas that offer fewer protections than other visa categories do.

As Israelis demonstrate in defense of democracy, newspaper headlines and neighbors’ conversations brim with references to a constitutional crisis. Analysts say Benjamin Netanyahu is emboldened by Donald Trump.

Comfort food prepared by grandmothers from around the world? Our food writer is in. She visited Staten Island to experience the ambience and cuisine at Enoteca Maria for herself.

The largest protests against Hamas since the start of the war put a spotlight on the use of civilians as human shields to maximize killings by Israel.

The disclosure that senior Trump administration officials used a commercial messaging app to discuss secret military attacks has drawn bipartisan criticism – and risks hurting U.S. military morale.

The NBA is taking a bet on Africa. And Africans are taking a bet on an unfamiliar sport.

The Monitor’s film critic offers his highest rating to “The Ballad of Wallis Island,” which pulses with humor as it explores the landscape of nostalgia – and love.

South Sudan stands on the brink of civil war for the second time since it became independent in 2011, and the space for deescalation is shrinking.

Despite his arrest, the leading opposition figure urges peaceful action and the embrace of opponents in the face of rising autocracy.

Progress roundup: Nepal’s Supreme Court disallowed development in protected areas. And in Mexico, Congress put animal welfare in the constitution.

Palestinians flocking back to the Yarmouk refugee camp outside Damascus say it’s more than a physical place. It’s their last physical tie to a Palestine they have never seen.

David Sheff reappraises Yoko Ono’s role, as an artist in her own right and as a support to John Lennon, with whom she collaborated on “Imagine.”

Universities are reckoning with cuts of billions of dollars of in grants. Their research can lay the groundwork for what the private sector delivers to the marketplace – and its loss could have lasting consequences.

Civic groups like the White Helmets are using acts of equality and kindness to overcome ethnic and religious tensions built up during a half-century of dictatorship

Hundreds of university graduates are stepping up to teach children whose formal schooling has been interrupted by a brutal civil conflict.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Conservative opponent have kicked off their campaigns amid a trade war and annexation threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.