PRESS REVIEW – Tuesday, September 22: The Moscow Times talks about mobilisation rumours scaring anti-war activists in Russia. Next: The New York Times interviews South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung. Also: why is multitasking bad for the brain and the nervous system?
Finally: this year's Fat Bear contest is starting in Alaska. Who's going to be the chonkiest chonk? Independent paper **The Moscow Times** says there are rumours that the Kremlin could order another mobilisation to sustain its Ukraine invasion.
The paper spoke to anti-war activists who say that anxiety is rising, even though helping Russians avoid the military is a routine part of their work.They remember September 2022, when 300,000 reservists were called up – Russia's first mobilisation since the Second World War. According to an independent source, more than 20,000 of the men who were mobilised then were later confirmed killed. Many activists worry that a new call-up could come faster and be even harder to avoid.
Another independent paper, **Novaya Gazeta**, writes about Yulia Kuznetsova's State Duma election experience.She was a candidate who abruptly went missing on the eve of Russia's three-day voting, shortly after meeting with voters.On Sunday, she said in a Telegram post that she and her husband are safe, but didn't really explain what happened.Kuznetsova's platform called for peace, the admission of all candidates and parties to the elections, media freedom and the release of political prisoners. Next: **The New York Times** interviews South Korea's PresidentLee Jae-myung. He urges the United States to ease its sanctions on North Korea – saying that Trump should demand that Pyongyang freeze, not eliminate its nuclear weapons programme.He adds that "there is a significant value in a trade-off between sanctions" and "the world has no realistic alternative".
He is making those claims as Pyongyang is increasingly showing off its nuclear missiles against the South and as both Russia and China have embraced North Korea as a strategic partner. Lee also told the NYT that Trump is the only leader "capable of drawing Mr. Kim back to the negotiating table".
Also: **The Washington Post** writes that "Toxic multitasking is breaking your brain" and explains how to "take control". In today's always plugged-in world, performing several tasks at the same time has become the new normal – scrolling while watching TV, reading emails while in a meeting. It can become addictive, especially when it involves screens.An expert who spoke to the paper says that it's only an "illusion of productivity" and "our brains simply aren't wired for it".
Extract — continue reading at the source.
