transport Behold the schnauzer chariot of Kazakhstan Rob Beschizza

Sacha Baron Cohen Kazakhstan adopts Borat catchphrase as new tourism slogan: Very Nice! Rusty Blazenhoff

censorship Genetic Evasion: using genetic algorithms to beat state-level internet censorship Cory Doctorow

china Muslim woman who escaped from a Chinese concentration camp describes gang-rapes, torture, forced medical experiments Cory Doctorow

Technology Google, Mozilla, and Apple are using this one weird trick to block Kazakhstan's surveillance of its own citizens Xeni Jardin

canada Russia-linked hacker Karim Baratov gets 5 years in U.S. prison & $250,000 fine for Yahoo breach Xeni Jardin

Kazakhstan This is what a wedding cake for some Kazakh one percenters looked like Rusty Blazenhoff

politics Left-wing activists across the former USSR launch "September," to rally opposition to far-right movements Cory Doctorow

corruption EFF and partners reveal Kazakh government phished journalists, opposition politicians Cory Doctorow

Space Europe and Russia just launched a Mars space mission to sniff out signs of life Xeni Jardin

NASA "Nominal" Soyuz launch sends Expedition 44 crew of three to International Space Station Xeni Jardin

Boing Boing Gadgets The aloSIM is a great travel buddy for saving money on international data, now only $21.97 Boing Boing's Shop

flags Here is the 2023 "Best Countries" list from US News and World Report David Pescovitz

donald trump Sacha Baron Cohen plays Borat to lambast Trump, Kanye, and U2 at Kennedy Center Honors Rusty Blazenhoff

sexism Chess commentator fired after "chess is maybe not for women" remark Rob Beschizza

politics Russia sends troops into Kazakhstan Rob Beschizza

trains New rail line construction makes it possible to take a train from Portugal to Singapore (in just 21 days) Mark Frauenfelder

music Are you in a "music bubble"? Check out local variations in #1 hits Annie Rauwerda

Joe Biden's "smoking gun" and Elvis Presley's "odd sex life" in this week's dubious tabloids Peter Sheridan