Our picksChernobyl Is Burning | Robots Ride to the Rescue | Self-Defending Machines, and more

U.S. Accuses North Korea of Cyberattacks, a Sign That Deterrence Is Failing (David E. Sanger and Nicole Perlroth, New York Times)
Through the attacks, a report says, the North steals and launders money, extorts companies and uses digital currencies to gain cash for its nuclear program.

Machines Protecting Themselves Is the Future of Cybersecurity (Louis Columbus, Forbes)
Existing approaches to securing IT infrastructure are proving unreliable as social engineering and breach attempts succeed in misdirecting human responses to cyber threats, accentuating the need for machines to protect themselves.

Africa’s Huge Locust Swarms Are Growing at the Worst Time (Matt Simon, Wired)
As coronavirus takes hold and farmers plant crops, the continent faces a new wave of locusts 20 times larger than one earlier this year.

Chernobyl Is Burning and a Sci-Fi Cult Is Blamed (Anna Nemtsova, Daily Beast)
A vast wildfire is burning through the forests and the abandoned villages around the entombed reactor, threatening a radioactive waste dump and the huge “sarcorphagus.”

China Is Bargain Hunting—and Western Security Is at Risk (Elizabeth Braw, Foreign Policy)
Beijing could use the coronavirus-induced economic crisis to go on a buying spree. The U.S. and European governments must restrict the purchasing of distressed companies in sensitive sectors.

Robots Ride to Rescue as Delivery Risks Rise (Rob Lever, AFP)
The Starship delivery robots have seen surging demand in dozens of cities around the world, with consumers staying home and virus risks growing for both shoppers and delivery workers.