Nikesh Chapagain

Senior Contributor
Nikesh Chapagain is a Texan native who has spent over five years as a journalist and political analyst. He graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas and has since been published by the Texas Observer, the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Business Journal, and many other outlets. His first book is The People’s Candidate.
Cooling vents on data centres in Virginia. Researchers hope that storing data on glass will save energy.

Laser-Etched Glass Could Store Data For Millennia, Says Microsoft

In an age where everything lives on fragile hard drives, the idea is unsettling. Files vanish. Systems crash. So how do you preserve human knowledge for thousands of years—not just decades? Enter Microsoft’s bold experiment: storing data inside glass. Through its Silica project, researchers are using lasers to etch information into silica glass. Yes, actual

Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai gets 20 years' jail.

Hong Kong Tycoon Jimmy Lai Jailed For 20 Years

Hong Kong has delivered its toughest verdict yet under the national security law. It’s landed on one of the city’s most recognisable faces. Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old media tycoon and outspoken pro-democracy figure, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. For “colluding with foreign forces.” For critics, it feels less like justice and more

Portugal braces for more rain as 200,000 left without power.

Portugal Braces For Rain As 200,000 Lose Power

What happens when a country barely has time to dry out before the next downpour arrives? Portugal is finding out the hard way. Days after Storm Kristin tore through the country, killing five people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. Authorities are bracing for yet another round of heavy rain. Around 200,000 homes

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant has the world's largest installed capacity.

Japan Brings Worlds Largest Nuclear Plant Back Online Amid Fukushima Concerns

Japan has just restarted operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant — a first since the 2011 Fukushima disaster shut down all reactors. But does this move signal a new era of energy independence, or a risky leap back into the unknown? Reactor No. 6 at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, northwest of Tokyo, was brought back online

The incident has sparked calls for a review of the country's waste management system.

Deadly Landslide In Philippines Claims 11 Lives

How does a pile of garbage turn deadly? In Cebu City, central Philippines, a landslide at the Binaliw landfill last week has claimed 11 lives and left more than 20 people missing. Over 100 workers were on site when the disaster struck, and rescuers have pulled 12 injured from the rubble so far. Cebu City

Bluefin tuna fetches record $3.2m at Tokyo auction.

Bluefin Tuna Breaks Records With $3.2 Million Sale In Tokyo Auction

What’s a new year in Tokyo without a little jaw-dropping drama — and a very expensive fish? At dawn on Monday, a massive bluefin tuna stole the spotlight at Toyosu fish market. Selling for a record-smashing 510.3 million yen (about $3.2 million), yes, for a single tuna. The 243-kilogram giant was snapped up by Kiyomura

Woman killed in suspected mountain lion attack in US.

Suspected Mountain Lion Attack Leaves Woman Dead In US

What began as a quiet hike in Colorado’s backcountry may have ended in a rare and chilling tragedy. Wildlife officials say a woman is believed to have been killed by at least one mountain lion on a remote trail north of Denver. If confirmed, the incident would mark the state’s first fatal mountain lion attack

Arkansas ticket scoops $1.8 billion in Christmas Powerball jackpot.

Arkansas Ticket Wins $1.8 Billion Christmas Powerball Jackpot

Talk about a Christmas miracle. Somewhere in Arkansas, one ticket just turned into a $1.8 billion surprise. And yes, it’s one of the biggest lottery wins the US has ever seen. After Monday’s Powerball draw produced no winner, the jackpot ballooned fast. By Wednesday night, fueled by last-minute hopefuls, it hit a staggering $1.817 billion.

Trump expands access to cannabis in a major shift in drug policy.

Trump Expands Cannabis Access In Major US Drug Policy Shift

Is the US finally turning the page on cannabis? President Donald Trump thinks so — and he’s just taken a big step to prove it. With a stroke of a pen, Trump signed an executive order directing the justice department to downgrade cannabis from a Schedule I drug — alongside heroin. It was moved to

Search for long-missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 to resume.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Search To Restart

More than a decade later, the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is set to resume on 30 December. Can we finally get answers about what happened to the Boeing 777 that vanished with 239 people on board in 2014? The renewed 55-day hunt was initially launched in March but had to be paused due

Trump backs Cuomo for New York City mayor and threatens to cut funding if Mamdani wins.

Trump Backs Cuomo, Warns NYC Could Lose Funds If Mamdani Wins

So, Donald Trump just threw his weight behind Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race — or did he? The president took to Truth Social, urging voters, “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. He is capable of it. Mamdani is not!” Cuomo, running as an Independent

North Korea using crypto, IT workers to dodge UN sanctions: report.

North Korea Uses Crypto, IT Workers To Evade UN Sanctions, Reports Say

How do you fund a weapons program when the world’s watching your every move? If you’re North Korea, the answer seems to be: go digital. A new report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) reveals Pyongyang has turned cryptocurrency into a lifeline. It has also turned covert IT work into one. These have become