The Decibel

Drones have become a part of everyday life for many Ukrainians. Now, they’re showing up in the airspace of Baltic countries. On Wednesday, people in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, were instructed to take shelter when drone activity was detected near the border with Belarus. The day before, a NATO jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia. This followed an incident earlier this month when two drones hit an empty oil facility in Latvia.

It’s still not clear exactly how these drones are ending up in Baltic airspace, but some analysts believe the drones could be autonomously choosing their targets – a potential first in warfare.

Mark MacKinnon is the Globe’s senior international correspondent. He’s here to explain what we know so far about how these drones are ending up in NATO countries, and what the implications are for the next phase of the Russia-Ukraine war.

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Finding the time to cook can be a challenge. The solution for many Canadians looks like using convenient pre-prepared foods. Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are branded, commercial foods made from cheap ingredients and contain little to no whole foods. But despite their convenience, foods like these are usually known for being bad for your health.

So is it possible to go without UPFs? Kelly Grant, one of the Globe’s health reporters, decided to find out. She and her family underwent a week-long experiment of eating no ultraprocessed foods. She’s on the show to discuss how the week went, what she learned and what makes it so easy for consumers to turn to UPFs.

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“Birth alerts” were a controversial practice in several Canadian provinces that allowed hospitals and child-welfare agencies to flag pregnant patients they deemed to be high-risk without their knowledge or consent. They were in place until as recently as 2023 in Quebec.

Last week, a proposed settlement worth $66-million was reached in a class action lawsuit over British Columbia’s use of birth alerts. Across the country, several other class actions are underway.

Andrea Woo is a staff reporter for the Globe, based in Vancouver. She’s on the show to explain the effects of birth alerts on mothers and the significance of the B.C. class action suit.

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U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China to meet President Xi Jinping this week is full of jeopardy. From tense talks over trade and tariffs, the role of each superpower in the war in Iran, and the future of Taiwan – each leader has been full of praise, while also talking past each other on the thorniest issues. Will any substantial deals get done? And where does this leave the U.S.-China relationship?

James Griffiths, The Globe’s Asia correspondent joins the show to discuss the recent history and tensions between the U.S. and China. Later, Steven Chase, The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter details the progress made so far and how it can impact Canada’s standing with the two countries.

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Once relegated to paperback stands in grocery stores, the business of romance novels is hot right now – especially in Canada. In a moment when book sales in other genres appear to be relatively flat or declining, what is it about romance novels that’s making readers fall in love?

Deborah Aarts is a freelance business journalist. She’s on the show today to discuss what’s driving this “swoon boom,” how Canada became such a hotbed for romance readers and writers, and what it is about this moment that has readers pining after romance novels.

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