The Dig

An allotment holder has shown the plot at the end of September, with cloches protecting newly planted autumn garlic and onions. The crops are hardy, but a visiting badger has been digging in the soft, moist ground looking for worms, so the covers keep it off the beds.

The European Central Bank's digital euro project is being framed as a way to reduce Europe's reliance on US card networks, with Visa and Mastercard currently processing nearly half of all card payments in Europe. The initiative is presented as a step toward European payment sovereignty, keeping transaction data and fees within the continent rather than flowing to American companies.

Reports are circulating that the digital euro has arrived, with commentary warning of high alert and explaining what the European Central Bank's digital currency would mean for ordinary users. Discussion centres on how a central bank digital currency could change payments, banking and privacy for eurozone citizens. Reactions range from curiosity about the new payment option to concern over state control of money.

Online crowds are recruiting Korean internet sleuths to investigate the background of a rape defendant at Cornell University. The crowdsourced digging has drawn warnings from researchers, who say the information being spread about the case may not even be accurate. The case is drawing attention to the risks of amateur online investigations spreading unverified claims.

A new environmental news digest has been published, promising readers an update on coastal warnings and shifts in energy. It groups climate, environment and general news items into one briefing for readers wanting a round-up of current environmental developments. Details of the specific stories covered are not given beyond the coastal and energy topics named.

Art Basel and UBS are drawing attention with 'Decoding Art in the Digital Era', an initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the creation, collection and valuation of art. The collaboration between the leading art fair and the Swiss bank continues their partnership on art market research, now turning to questions around digital and online art.

A new commentary argues that the digital revolution is shifting economic activity back into the household, as technology enables home-based work, production and services on a scale not seen since the industrial era moved labour out of the home. The piece suggests households are once again becoming centres of economic productivity rather than just places of consumption.