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OpenAI’s facing a firestorm of late: a rogue agent hacking Hugging Face, a lawsuit launched by Apple accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets, and ongoing anger about AI and AI devices in general, plus a delayed IPO. In the midst of all of this, OpenAI President Greg Brockman spoke to reporters in New York Thursday to discuss the company’s latest AI plans and recent events. But he also dropped a few hints on the company’s wearable and hardware aspirations, and where it could overlap with some voice-focused advances in ChatGPT. And it won’t just be through OpenAI’s own hardware: expect other smart glasses and wearables to eventually get better access,…

Origins of Object-Oriented Programming I am having a hard time explaining to people what my Abject project is about. I've been taking people's feedback and updating the website to make it clearer. One idea people are having a hard time with is when I say, "The internet is an object-oriented system." Those trained in computer programming often have a hard time grasping this because we have been trained that object-oriented means classes and class hierarchies. Through that lens, it doesn't make sense. The person who coined the term "object-oriented programming" was Alan Kay, when he was in graduate school before he developed Smalltalk. He was influenced…

OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, were sued by a Florida pastor who accused the company’s chatbot, ChatGPT, of giving him “personalized and inaccurate medical advice” that "brought him to the brink of death." According to the lawsuit, the 55-year-old man listened to health advice from ChatGPT, which he claims led him to delay seeking medical attention. ChatGPT allegedly said his symptoms were not likely very dangerous, but the pain he felt was actually the beginning of a pulmonary embolism that almost took his life. Eric Fish, a partner at Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, joined "Forbes Newsroom" to break down the lawsuit. Watch the full conversation above.

TL;DR Claude Opus 5 tops Fable 5 on most benchmarks at half the token price and is Anthropic’s most aligned model to date Claude Opus 5 tops Fable 5 on most benchmarks at half the token price and is Anthropic’s most aligned model to date Anthropic on Thursday released Claude Opus 5, a model that matches or exceeds its flagship Fable 5 on most coding and knowledge-work benchmarks at half the token price. The model is the fourth Anthropic has shipped in under two months, following Fable 5 in early June, Sonnet 5 at the end of June, and now Opus 5 on July 24. It costs $5 per million input tokens and $25 per million output tokens, the same price as its…

MOST POPULAR AI and ML #### Tech leaders issue letter to train Uncle Sam about value of open weight AICan you guess who didn't sign on to the group letter? SYSTEMS #### AMD and Cerebras join forces against Nvidia’s Groq LPUsThe enemy of my enemy is my friend AI and ML #### Codeberg gives vibe-coded projects the toss, promotes human FLOSSAI no longer welcome in human-focused community Systems #### AMD attacks the rack with Helios systems that rival Nvidia'sSpec for spec, the House of Zen's first rack-scale AI compute platform is bigger and faster than Nvidia's Vera Rubin by nearly every metric, but that's only on paper DEVOPS #### Model Context…

Anthropic just launched Claude Opus 5, its latest model, which it says boasts near Fable 5 capabilities at a fraction of the cost. “Claude Opus 5 is available today. Itâs a thoughtful and proactive model that comes close to the frontier intelligence of Claude Fable 5 at half the price,” the AI giant shared in a press release. “Opus 5 is designed to be used every day: it works more efficiently than other models.” Anthropic says the model performed great on coding and knowledge work evaluations, though Anthropic’s secretive top dog model Mythos 5 still leads on cybersecurity tasks. That’s on purpose, according to Anthropic itself. “As with its…

I test over a dozen of the best coffee makers every year here at TechRadar, but having a small kitchen means I have to be very picky about which I choose to buy myself. The problem is, I love both drip coffee and espresso equally. I'd happily pick up a compact espresso machine and a quality drip coffee maker such as the Breville Luxe Brewer Thermal, but that would mean sacrificing valuable food prep space and, potentially, not having enough work surface available for rolling pastry and kneading dough. Of course, a kitchen with no space in which to make pies or bread would be tragic — but, thankfully, it doesn't have to come to that because the Ninja…

TL;DR As AI search engines cite the same media outlets that drive SEO, paid media placement platforms have become dual-purpose tools for both Google rankings and AI visibility. This roundup evaluates 10 platforms by their unique capabilities, from MCP-powered automation and AI Visibility Seeding to group buying and price-comparison aggregation. Millions now choose products through ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews appear in nearly half of all search queries. According to Muck Rack, 84% of AI citations come from media outlets, the same outlets where SEO specialists have been placing links for years. That means media distribution…

MOST POPULAR AI and ML #### Tech leaders issue letter to train Uncle Sam about value of open weight AICan you guess who didn't sign on to the group letter? SYSTEMS #### AMD and Cerebras join forces against Nvidia’s Groq LPUsThe enemy of my enemy is my friend AI and ML #### Codeberg gives vibe-coded projects the toss, promotes human FLOSSAI no longer welcome in human-focused community Systems #### AMD attacks the rack with Helios systems that rival Nvidia'sSpec for spec, the House of Zen's first rack-scale AI compute platform is bigger and faster than Nvidia's Vera Rubin by nearly every metric, but that's only on paper DEVOPS #### Model Context…

Traditional rulers and community leaders in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State, have pledged to voluntarily allocate a large parcel of land for a proposed Artificial Intelligence Academy to be located in the community. The pledge was made on Thursday during a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish the academy. The Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security organised the hearing. The bill is sponsored by Yemi Adaramodu, the senator representing the Ekiti South Senatorial District. Mr Adaramodu, who is also the Senate spokesperson, said the proposed academy would promote and strengthen artificial intelligence education and research in Ekiti State and across…

By Park Boram SAN FRANCISCO, July 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Dario Amodei, chief executive officer of U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic PBC, on Friday and asked for his special attention to South Korea's AI sector. The meeting took place on the first day of Lee's two-day trip to San Francisco aimed at promoting AI investment and cooperation between global tech giants and South Korea. "I am very glad and delighted to meet someone who is world-famous. You are also very well known in South Korea," Lee told Amodei. The president added, "As South Korea plans to significantly expand investment in the AI…

Pebblebee, known for its Android Find Hub / Apple Find My trackers, has just launched some new battery-free ID tags that help you recover lost bags, as well as give your pets a means of identification. Based on its Link QR code system introduced in 2025, Pebblebee has two new products now on sale. The first is the “Link Bag Tag,” a simple QR code that routes through Pebblebee’s network to help you recover lost items. This is specifically designed for luggage, with a TSA-friendly design, tamper-evident design, and the same battery-free, universal support as Link stickers. You can customize the page people land on, but it always includes needed…

A year ago, I was obsessed with my Boox Palma. I carried the phone-shaped e-ink device everywhere, and credited it with helping me read more and use my phone less. But after I discovered the quirky, wallet-sized Xteink X4 last December, my Boox e-reader has literally been collecting dust. As I've pointed out in various reviews and articles, Xteink devices are a bit clunky (the company is a Chinese startup, and its products display all the growing pains you'd expect from new tech). They're also probably not for everyone—but they're definitely for a lot of people: Xteink's devices (which now include the X4, the smaller X3, and the just-released X4 Pro)…

Qualcomm is hiking prices on its already-expensive Snapdragon chipsets, a move that’s likely to make price hikes on Android devices all the more common. Bloomberg reports that Qualcomm has informed its customers – many of which are Android phone makers – that it plans to implement price hikes on Snapdragon chips starting with any chips shipped after September 1. The reason provided is that Qualcomm has “exhausted its ability to absorb higher costs from suppliers.” The exact details are not yet clear, but prices could be going up by “double-digit” percentages. Even if that’s just 10%, it’s a huge blow to already-tight budgets for building Android…

Google Home users lose hands-free control of Nest Thermostats Jul 24, 2026 — 4:27 PM ET Google Home users are having trouble controlling their Nest Thermostats through voice commands. Users are getting a message that says, “Sorry, I can’t reach the Nest Thermostat right now.” There appears to be no issues with controlling the thermostat through the app. One of the benefits of having a smart home is being able to control devices without having to lift a finger. For example, a Google Home user can simply use their voice to tell their thermostat what to do. However, that convenience all comes crashing down if there’s a connection issue. That appears to…

Following the official rollout of its Liquid Glass redesign to most WhatsApp users on iOS, the messaging platform is now testing another visual change, this time focused on the look of its chat bubbles. Here are the details. New chat bubbles look slightly more rounded A couple of months ago, WhatsApp finally began rolling out its Liquid Glass redesign more broadly, following several months of testing and refining the new look with select users through TestFlight. Around the same time, WABetaInfo uncovered references in the app’s code pointing to a redesign of WhatsApp’s chat bubbles. Now, the site reports that new bubbles are beginning to reach select…

Apple’s first foldable iPhone is coming this fall, and rumors say it will be called iPhone Ultra. Here are six features to expect from Apple’s new high-end iPhone Ultra. Design: Book-style fold with titanium, crease-free display As Apple’s first foldable, iPhone Ultra will have an extremely unique design for an iPhone. Unlike most foldables, iPhone Ultra will be wider than it is tall when unfolded. It will have a book-style fold, with an outer display that looks shorter and wider than every other iPhone screen, and an inner display that resembles an iPad mini in size and shape. Also unlike previous foldables, the inner display of iPhone Ultra is…

Nothing said today that it’s laying off some staff members and “reorganizing” its teams, denying rumors that the company would be exiting various global markets as sales declined. Nothing cofounder Akis Evangelidis said on X that the reorg is being completed in an effort to prepare for the company’s “next phase of growth,” including the introduction of an “AI-native business unit.” “Decisions that impact people’s livelihoods are never taken lightly, and we know how difficult this transition is for our team members who are affected,” Evangelis said. â ï¸FAKE NEWS… We are not shutting down any markets. Inaccurate reports are being circulated; Phone (4b)…

For the past few months, I have had ereader envy. Its cause: the Xteink X4. In many ways, it’s the ereader of my dreams. Or at least close to it. It’s incredibly tiny, at 4.49 × 2.72 × 0.23 inches. It weighs less than 3 ounces. It uses physical buttons for turning pages (I find ereader touchscreens can be too sensitive). At $69, it’s so inexpensive compared to some other ereaders that it can almost be classified as an impulse purchase. There are some tradeoffs. There’s no background light. The CrossPoint software that many people use with it to unlock ePub support, Wi-Fi book transfers, and better typography often drains the battery significantly. And…

Pixel 11 price hikes look confirmed, as Google exec warns Pixel 10a could be next Jul 24, 2026 — 4:23 PM ET Leaks have suggested Pixel 11 prices will start higher than ever this year, beginning at $899. A new interview with Google’s VP of Devices and Services confirms that “adjustments” are impacting Pixel prices. Beyond the upcoming Pixel 11 series costing more, the existing Pixel 10a will also likely be impacted. With Samsung Unpacked now officially behind us, we are staring straight ahead at the Made By Google event coming up on August 12 where we expect to meet the new Pixel 11 series. These phones have already leaked six ways from Sunday, and…

Refugees and activists are alarmed about a reported effort by the federal government to begin interviewing hundreds of Afghans in the U.S., fearing sensitive information gathered by immigration officials will be used to fuel future deportations. The Office of Refugee Resettlement is reportedly seeking to interview roughly 800 Afghans brought to the U.S. for what the agency called a “wellbeing initiative” focused on assessing “common challenges” among Afghan refugees who may be in “vulnerable situations.” The alleged effort, according to a July 14 email to ORR staff obtained by The Washington Post, includes asking respondents about their identities,…

Just a few days ago, we marked the anniversary of the start of the Ottoman Empire’s famous Second Siege of Vienna. For those who may not know, the failed siege would become one of the defining moments in the history of the empire, as it was the last great push of Ottoman expansion into the west. So, I’d like to tell you the story of this famous siege. Although the reign of Sultan Mehmed IV (1648-1687) was overshadowed by eight years of instability, under the capable leadership of the Köprülü father-and-son grand viziers, the empire sought to regain its strength, drawing the attention of Europe. And for a while, it appeared as though the empire’s days…

We earlier reported that several strikes targeted Yemen's Hodeidah port. Al-Masirah TV reports that Saudi strikes hit telecom facilities in Yemen's rebel-held city of Hodeida as well as Kamaran island on Friday. "A Saudi aggression comprising a series of air strikes hit facilities belonging to the telecommunications authority," according to the group's media, adding that the strikes also targeted Kamaran Island.

International Criminal Court (ICC) members voted on Friday to dismiss Karim Khan as prosecutor following allegations of sexual misconduct. The ICC's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, found that Khan had committed "serious misconduct and serious breach of duty," the body's President Paivi Kaukoranta said. What do we know so far? A British barrister, Khan was accused of sexual misconduct with a female aide, allegations which he has repeatedly denied. He had been temporarily removed from his duties at the ICC in June, following a report by the executive committee of the court's oversight body that found he had committed "serious…

One person was killed and two others injured after suspected bandits attacked Makoda town in Makoda Local Government Area of Kano State. The incident was revealed in a post shared on X on Friday by security analyst Bakatsine. According to him, the attack occurred on Thursday night when more than 30 armed men riding motorcycles invaded the community and opened fire repeatedly, sending residents fleeing for safety. Bakatsine said the assailants killed one person, injured two others, and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. He said residents described the attackers as heavily armed and noted that the incident left the community in fear before the…

Iran on Friday said it carried out attacks targeting US military assets and bases with US forces in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait in retaliation for Washington's latest strikes across the country. The US meanwhile bombarded sites across Iran as the conflict escalated, leading US embassies to alert its nationals across the region.

UN assembly approves four-year extension in mandate of rights chief July 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Friday voted overwhelmingly in favor to extend the term of U.N. Human Rights chief Volker Turk for four more years, in spite of opposition from Russia, Israel and the United States. A large majority in the 193-member General Assembly earlier voted against a Russian counter-proposal to extend Turk's term by just over two months to the end of 2026. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has worked closely with Turk in the past and steps down in December, proposed the second four-year term for Turk when his existing term…

Trump says he won't proceed with nuclear deal unless Saudis join Abraham Accords WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday said he would not go forward with a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia unless the Saudis agreed to a normalization in relations with Israel under theAbraham Accords. (Reporting by Steve Holland;Editing by David Ljunggren)

Saudi vessel sustains minor hull damage after Red Sea attack, state news agency says July 24 (Reuters) - A Saudi vessel, NCC MASA, sustained minor hull damage after it was attacked while sailing in the Red Sea on Friday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, citing an official source at the General Transport Authority. The vessel continued to its destination after checks confirmed it and its crew were safe, SPA said. (Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Nia Williams)

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had not decided on whether to launch major strikes on Iran as Tehran was now getting "very serious" in talks with Washington. "No, I haven't," Trump told journalists in the Oval Office when asked if he had made a decision, following reports that he was meeting advisors to discuss a large-scale operation. "Look, we're talking to them right now. I think they're getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason."

Oh, hey, Splatoon Raiders is out on Nintendo Switch 2. It’s really neat that Nintendo finally took all the well-deserved compliments about Splatoon‘s single-player modes seriously, sat down, and just made a proper PvE game out of it. I’m stoked to spend most of my weekend inking the heck out of a bunch of weird, junk-ridden islands and worrying I’m being way too mean to their salmon-like inhabitants. I’ve already put in some time with Splatoon Raiders, enough to really get a handle on the game after shaking off some rust from not playing Splatoon multiplayer in a while. As we go into our splat-filled weekend, here are some little things to keep in…

The Trump administration wants soldiers to consider becoming truck drivers when they leave the military to help replace the tens of thousands of immigrant drivers who lost their licenses in a crackdown this year. A new campaign launched Friday will promote programs that let veterans who recently drove large military vehicles skip the required skills test for a commercial driver’s license. Other soldiers can attend a commercial driving school during their last six months of active duty. The GI Bill will also pay for 100% of commercial driver's license training and for some people even pay a housing allowance while they are in school. The campaign will…

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has confirmed a third fatality from the catastrophic floods that have ravaged the state this month, prompting hundreds of rescues and leaving widespread damage. The latest victim was swept away on Monday while attempting to drive through floodwaters, according to Abbott. The severe weather has necessitated more than 500 rescues, damaged numerous homes and businesses, and continues to render some areas inaccessible. Governor Abbott traveled to Cotulla, located approximately 90 miles southwest of San Antonio, for an aerial assessment of the damage. He noted that parts of the city remain unreachable due to the high waters. The…

Israeli settlers escalate attacks on Palestinians near Nablus Israeli settlers have set fire to Palestinian homes and vehicles in villages near Nablus, as rights groups warn of ‘mass pogroms’ following a deadly shootout that left at least four Palestinians and two Israelis dead on Friday morning.

Five London police injured as boat hits bridge Five British police officers were injured after a Metropolitan Police boat struck Westminster Bridge in central London on Friday, the force said. The vessel, from the Met's Marine Policing Unit, hit the bridge at about 1440 GMT, the police said. It added that a number of officers had entered the water but were rescued, with additional police responding along with other emergency services. "We understand five officers were injured and are receiving treatment," the police statement said. "We await an update on the extent of their injuries." It added it did not believe any members of the public were involved…

The rampaging wildfires in Northern Ontario that forced several First Nations communities to flee and blanketed the province and beyond in ominous orange smoke have reignited debate on whether the province is doing enough to address the threat. First Nations chiefs and Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles have called for a public inquiry into Ontario’s wildfire response, once the smoke clears. (The Ontario government counters that it does an internal review every year.) Ms. Stiles says the provincial government has long failed to spend enough. Liberal MPP Adil Shamji, in an open letter this week to Mr. Ford, has called for a $100-million boost to the…

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov stated this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. According to him, the blast wave shattered windows in the apartment building. Later, the mayor added that, according to preliminary information, one person was injured in the enemy strike. That evening, Terekhov also reported a Russian attack drone strike in Kharkiv's Kyivskyi district. Clarification of the consequences is ongoing. Read also:Ten killed, dozens injured: Rescuers show aftermath of Russian missile strike on Kyiv region Meanwhile, Head of the Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov said on Facebook that in Saltivskyi district, in addition to broken windows, a…

Qantas’s A350-1000ULR, a commercial jet designed to fly directly from London, U.K., to Sydney, Australia, completed a crucial test flight on Friday after cruising non-stop for almost 20 hours. The first A350-1000ULR to take to the skies touched down in Melbourne on Friday, following an extensive test flight from Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France, the airline said in a news release. The flight was operated by four Airbus test pilots and five test engineers, who were tasked with putting the aircraft’s systems through their paces, including the 20,000-litre fuel tank that allows it to fly commercially non-stop for up to 22 hours. Its…

It's a little late in July for a fireworks mishap — those are typically centered around the Fourth of July weekend festivities — but a minor league baseball team's pyro display went sideways in the most literal way imaginable on Thursday. The Richmond Flying Squirrels — Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants — were hosting a fireworks display on Thursday night after their 3-1 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats. I think there's a compelling case for benching pre-planned fireworks if you lose, but that's for another time. Despite the L, the Flying Squirrels went ahead with their display over CarMax Park, and the aftermath has been making the rounds…

Wildfire survivors tell of narrow escape as Spain declares emergency More than 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate as firefighters struggle to contain central Spain’s ‘worst wildfire in history’. Published On 24 Jul 2026 Wildfire survivors tell of narrow escape as Spain declares emergency More than 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate as firefighters struggle to contain central Spain’s ‘worst wildfire in history’.

Christopher Nolan may be dominating the big screen this month — at least until Spider-Man shows up on July 31 — but there's still plenty of new releases to watch at home. As we head into the weekend, plenty of genre movies and blockbusters are free to stream or rent and purchase digitally, including the latest Star Wars movie and Steven Spielberg’s most recent take on aliens. The Mandalorian and Grogu is now available on VOD, continuing the story of Din Djarin and Grogu, this time on the big screen, all supported with a stunning score composed by Ludwig Göransson, who scored another win this summer with The Odyssey. While it may not feel like a Star…

Earlier this year, researchers warned against the dangers of âfluffy iceâ on Europaâs surface. If unaccounted for, missions headed to Jupiterâs moon could drown themselves in its deep, icy oceans. A new study suggests that this wonât happenâbut for reasons that wonât make our Europa trips any easier. A paper published yesterday in Nature Astronomy challenges the assumption that the shallow pools of water on Europaâs surface represent a direct access route to the moonâs deep, icy oceans. In theory, this supposed access route could make it easier for a probe to explore how liquid water from Europaâs deep oceans traveled through cracks in the ice to the…

Many birds can traverse both air and water, transitioning between the different elements according to their needs. Gulls, puffins, loons and petrels are all such boundary crossers. This special group has recently been joined by a new member. However, it’s not an animal. A robot can now mimic these aquatic avians’ ability to fly and swim—and seamlessly switch between the two activities—researchers reported July 9 in a study published in the journal Science. Their creation aims to shed light on how diving birds master both environments, and it could eventually help researchers monitor ocean habitats. Designing the device was challenging, as creating…

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare and unusual burial of premature twins in a 1,200-year-old tomb near the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Turkey. Although the burial was found in an abandoned latrine, researchers think the intention was to protect the babies in the afterlife. "This interment was made in an unexpected and exceptional setting," Lilli Zabrana, an archaeologist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences who co-authored a new study detailing the discovery, told Live Science in an email. Burials previously discovered at Ephesus were made in a dedicated cemetery outside the boundaries of the ancient temple. "What is even more unusual is that the…

Years ago, Bethesda famously marketed The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim with an enticing call to adventure: "If you see that mountain, you can go to it." But Halo did it first. In early Halo games, it was a rite of passage to try to escape the confines of its linear levels, exploring the mountains and buildings that bordered the pathways you were meant to stick to. So the fact that you seemingly can't replicate this trick in the new Halo: Campaign Evolved remake has upset some long-time fans. Out now in early access for PlayStation 5 (for real!), Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, Halo: Campaign Evolved is a fully rebuilt remake of Bungie's Halo: Combat…

Psychedelics get humans high. On this point, there is no question. For centuries, Indigenous shamans, the mystically inclined, and the neuro-curious have been ingesting the trippy stuff to incur strange visions and otherworldly flights. But why psychedelics evolved is less clear and remains the subject of strenuous debate. Tiny amounts of DMT are naturally produced in the brains of humans and other mammals, which has led some neuroscientists and ethnobotanists to argue that hallucination may have some direct evolutionary or therapeutic benefit to humans, that the DMT is there to serve a special visionary or consciousness-related function, and that…

Cindy Leckey has six children, and all but one have been educated at the same primary school on Brisbane’s northside. Like every other parent at Zillmere State School – according to official surveys – she believes behaviour is well managed there. Leckey knows firsthand what happens when a child is suspended, but it hasn’t made her upset with teachers or admin staff. “We’ve had a few hard conversations, but it’s been dealt with how it has to be dealt with,” she said. “[School staff] do have a lot of different things in place, but then sometimes even all of them don’t work.” Nestled in northern Brisbane suburbia, Zillmere recorded the highest level of…

Summer is in full swing in South Florida, but if you've been down here at any point in the last few months or you own a thermometer, you're probably aware of that. With the calendar rapidly approaching the last week in July, it's easy to get down about summer coming to an end, but it also means we are closing in on the most wonderful time of the year. No, I'm not talking about Christmas. It's spiny lobster mini season here in the Sunshine State. If you're unfamiliar with mini season, it's basically a time where commercial fishers aren't allowed to catch any lobsters so that anyone who does so recreationally can have first dibs. It happens the last…

Apparently, it’s a bad habit to cross your legs. It twists your pelvis, elevates your blood pressure and results in lower back pain. The other day someone explained the perils of crossing your legs, detailing the structure of the hominid skeleton. At one point they pulled out their masterstroke argument: “Gorillas don’t cross their knees.” Later on, I wondered: is that right? I fell into a pensive mood. I would have crossed my knees, supercharging my thinking, except I now knew how dangerous that would be. I fantasised about seeing a gorilla with their knees crossed, just sitting there, flipping through a copy of the newspaper, which is what I often…

Self-acclaimed financial/relationship coach and content creator, Gehgeh, has revealed that he has four baby mamas. He made the disclosure on Friday during his appearance on the Echoo Room podcast. Speaking about his relationship status, Gehgeh, who is known for his controversial views on relationships, revealed that he has four baby mamas and is currently expecting two more children from different women. Speaking in Pidgin, the interviewer asked, “So as you dey like this now, you get girlfriend?” Gehgeh replied, “I get women.” Interviewer: “How many?” Gehgeh responded, “They’re many. I get like four baby mamas now. My first child dey like 4 years now,…

It was a rough week for Elon Musk. Tesla shares plunged 18% during the week to close at $313.03 on Friday, their worst weekly slump since 2022. And SpaceX continued its downward slide, dropping 7.2% over five days to close at $115.07 Friday, its lowest since the company's record IPO last month. The declines in both stocks wiped away about $130 billion of Musk's wealth, weeks after he'd become the world's first trillionaire. In a post on X on Friday, Musk wrote, "(Former) trillionaire." Tesla's slump was spurred by weaker-than-expected earnings when the electric vehicle maker reported second-quarter results late Wednesday. The company turned cash flow…

WASHINGTON — United Launch Alliance’s corporate parents have guaranteed a loan to the company as it addresses “financial challenges” caused by the grounding of its Vulcan Centaur rocket. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing about its second-quarter financial results July 23, Lockheed Martin revealed that it provided a bank guarantee for a loan taken by ULA during the quarter. Lockheed owns 50% of ULA, while Boeing owns the other half. “During the first quarter of 2026, ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket experienced performance challenges that are negatively affecting ULA’s financial condition and results of operations,” Lockheed stated in the…

NASA evacuated its Madrid Deep Space Network ground station on Friday as wild fires near the Spanish capital city swept through the area. The agency said all personnel were safe and it had yet to survey the site for damage. Photos posted on social media appeared to show smoke and flames in the vicinity of the tracking dishes. The Madrid location works in concert with ground stations at Goldstone, California, and Canberra, Australia to send commands to and receive data from spacecraft in deep space. According to Canal 24 Horas, 90 workers at the site were evacuated and that government officials assured local media that “the impossible is being done” to…

Space Verdict The ZWO Seestar S30 Pro is a self-contained astrophotography system, compact enough to fit in a camera bag yet capable of producing detailed, 8.3-megapixel images of galaxies and nebulas, it's an accessible and portable entry point into deep-sky imaging. Pros +Small and lightweight +Performs well under light-polluted skies +8.3MP resolution with FITS export Cons -Limited manual control over imaging -Weak planetary performance -Internal storage fills quickly Why you can trust Space.com Smart telescopes like the Seestar S30 Pro have changed astrophotography and, arguably, urban astronomy. The Seestar S30 Pro takes that concept further than…

In democracies, opinion polls are one of the most common ways to measure public and therefore political support for an issue. Because space exploration is still closely tied to the government policy and funding, public opinion can play an important role in shaping Americaâs space priorities. In May 2026, Global Strategy Group (GSG) surveyed 1,000 U.S. voters and found broad support for space exploration. The report, The Next Frontier: Public Attitudes Towards Space and the Space Economy, reveals an electorate that is enthusiastic about a future beyond Earth, but views it through a practical, Earth-focused lens. Letâs start with the headline numbers.…

A group of environmental advocacy organizations is claiming that the race to build data centers in Earth’s orbit is not only potentially harmful to the environment, but it might also be illegal. In a petition filed jointly by the non-profits Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Environment America, and DarkSky International, the groups are asking the Federal Communications Commission to pause its licensing of orbital data center projects until “the completion of a rigorous examination of the risks, alternatives, needs, costs, and impacts of this sudden transformation of Earth’s exosphere.” Artificial intelligence hype has spurred demand…

The hotel The Literary Man, Obidos, Portugal Check-in Staying at The Literary Man means dragging my suitcase 400 metres from the bus stop along a snaky cobbled street, but it’s worth the short-term headache. It’s just past dusk, and all would be silent if not for my suitcase wheels rattling over the stones towards the heritage hotel, which glows like a beacon on the fringe of medieval Obidos, illuminated by two diamond-shaped lanterns. Stepping through French doors, the chill is superseded by a cosy ambience and a soundtrack of jazz. The reception area is tiny, akin to a study nook, with a single, glass-topped desk beside windows exposing the hotel’s…

They used to build castles and fortresses on high ground, to better see the enemies approaching and better deal with them if they did. Here at Spicers Peak Lodge, at 1100 metres above sea level, I’m at the highest non-alpine lodge in Australia. There are no enemies in sight (and I’m not expecting any) but there’s still something instinctively calming about being above it all. Maybe it’s also the departure from Brisbane’s heat and hustle, having crossed the Great Divide at Cunninghams Gap, rainforest rising along its shoulders and the Darling Downs unfolding to the west. Up the track to Spicers and we’re now surrounded by the scent of eucalypts and the…

He said this in his evening address, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that intelligence services and Ukraine's partners had informed the authorities that Russia had prepared missiles for a new large-scale strike on Ukraine. He added that, according to preliminary information, the attack could take place within the next 48 hours and urged Ukrainians to take care of themselves and pay close attention to air raid alerts. Read also:Zelensky holds meeting with updated Cabinet As reported earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the time for gradual responses to Russia’s boundless terror has…

For over half a century, the astronomers and astrophysicists pursuing the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) have called it the âwater hole.â The water hole is a quiet little gap in the cosmic background noise between 1.42 and 1.66 GHz, overlapping with the natural microwave-band frequencies emitted and absorbed by hydrogen and hydroxyl molecules, which react to form water. Researchers have long theorized that our fellow water-loving, carbon-based lifeforms might use this range to broadcastâboth due to these frequenciesâ obvious symbolic implications and because widespread hydrogen and hydroxyl in interstellar gas absorbs the static…

Scientists have issued a warning about the spread of a deadly tickborne illness after finding the first tick infected with it in the state of New York. The team found a lone star tick carrying Bourbon virus, an illness that can lead to fever, fatigue, vomiting, rash and body aches. Lone star ticks are common throughout the Northeast, but cases of Bourbon virus are rare. Cases are often confused for other illnesses the tick can spread, such as the red meat allergy-causing alpha-gal syndrome, experts at Stony Brook Medicine explained in a statement. “There are a lot of lone star ticks in New York and in the Northeast, we have dense populations, and when…

Key Takeaways from the Recent Cancer Breakthroughs Cancer survival rates are improving thanks to faster, more effective treatments. Several major breakthroughs could transform cancer care, including mRNA cancer vaccines, immunotherapy, and gene testing. Improvements in testing, for example, through blood tests could help detect cancer earlier and save more lives. In the mid 1970s, only around half of those diagnosed with cancer lived for another five years. Today, 70 percent of cancer patients can expect to be alive five years later, and many live much longer than that. One reason for this positive trend is the development of newer and better…

Is strength training secretly just diet culture? – Stateside with Kai and Carter After years of trying to be skinny, Guardian reporter Madeleine Aggeler did a 180 and decided to 'bulk'. Bulking, or gaining weight on purpose to get stronger, challenged everything she had been taught about her body, and transformed her relationship to food. Madeleine speaks to Carter Sherman about her owns body image struggles, and they discuss why strength training and weightlifting has become so popular for women. Is this actually healthy, or just an extension of toxic diet culture?

Cafe food has long been associated with simplicity and speed. Granola with a scoop of Greek yoghurt, fried eggs, a chicken sandwich to-go. If you didn’t know any better, you might think it’s the same deal at cafes like Serva in Seaforth, Ellenin Alexandria or Angus in Marrickville. What’s the big deal about a cheese toastie, after all? Well, maybe you haven’t tried Serva’s: filled with maple-glazed mushrooms, house made mushroom XO sauce, kombu butter and three types of cheese, with a side of syrupy thick blueberry chutney (also made in-house). It’s delicious, textural and entirely singular in Sydney. This list is part of the 100 Essential Sydney…

Earlier this year, I picked up a rather unfortunate habit: vaping. More specifically, I started smoking flavored vapes manufactured in China’s so-called “Vape Valley” and sold throughout the United States. Flavored nicotine vapes are largely illegal in the US, yet convenience stores and tobacco shops across the country have generated billions of dollars in sales from these products in recent years, despite periodic law enforcement seizures and efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to keep them off the market. More recently, Chinese manufacturers have found a new way to sidestep the law, escaping regulatory oversight altogether. Like many people,…

Cadbury has issued a recall of its Dairy Milk Oreo candy bar, which it says may contain pistachios, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says. Cadbury says its 38 gram and 12 pack candy bars may contain pistachios, which are not listed on the package. Get breaking National news It says there have been reported reactions associated with the consumption of the product. A food safety investigation is underway, conducted by the CFIA. It says this investigation could lead to further recalls. “The CFIA is verifying that industry is removing recalled products from the marketplace,” it says. The CFIA says the recalled products should not be consumed if…

The floodgates are expected to open up for several peptides previously restricted by the Food and Drug Administration. This week, an advisory panel assembled by the FDA weighed in on whether compounding pharmacies should be allowed to produce seven peptides currently placed on a banned list. The panel ultimately recommended giving the green light to nearly every peptide up for review over the objection of career scientists at the FDA. With these unapproved drugs set to be more widely available than ever before, here’s what you should know about them. The unknowns of peptides Peptides are simple chains of two or more amino acids. In the human body,…

I spent nearly a decade leading FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. That role convinced me that food safety and nutrition are interdependent in so many ways, and if we want to make our population healthier, we need to support both. Over the past few weeks, record numbers of cases of cyclosporiasis have driven that message home broadly, including to consumers. FDA is currently investigating six cyclospora outbreaks, only one of which is currently linked to shredded iceberg lettuce. Fresh fruits and vegetables, which nutritionists have been promoting for decades, are especially vulnerable to cyclospora contamination. In response to a…

An outbreak of parasitic illness linked to iceberg lettuce is affecting nine U.S. states, federal health officials have announced. That's up from the five affected states that were identified in earlier stages of the officials' investigation. This lettuce-related outbreak is one of several in the U.S. that are being caused by the parasite __ Cyclospora cayetanensis__, which can enter the body when someone consumes food or water contaminated with the organism. The federal government has not officially identified a source of contamination in the other Cyclosporaoutbreaks yet, although some state officials have mentioned potential culprits. (North…

The CDSCO’s approval of the Qdenga dengue vaccine — the first in India’s history — follows the vaccine’s licensing in over 40 countries and a WHO prequalification, and some of the country’s worst dengue years vis-à-vis the disease’s burden, although that is evidence of better surveillance as well. The Aedes mosquitoes that spread the disease are expanding into semi-urban and rural districts, where conventional vector control is harder to sustain. The time to develop the vaccine itself is understandable. The four antigenically distinct dengue serotypes and the possibility of a ‘second infection’ by a different serotype producing more severe disease…

By John Gruber Following up on the previous item today, re: content blockers and ad-blocking, I ran into a weird situation a few weeks ago with my column “John Ternus Should Reverse Apple’s Slide Down the Advertising Slippery Slope”. That article contains this sentence, in Markdown: ``` And -- at this writing, still "coming soon" -- Apple is launching ads on Apple Maps. ``` The problem is that anyone reading that article in NetNewsWire saw it rendered like this, with the words “ads on Apple Maps”1 omitted: It looks like I forgot to finish writing that sentence. But I did. NetNewsWire simply omits the hyperlinked words. After a few readers reported…

WASHINGTON, July 24. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said he trusts Russian head of state Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping when they say Russia and China are not supplying weapons to Iran. "I will tell you that President Xi said he will not partake, and President Putin said the same thing. <...> I trust them," Trump told reporters at the White House, responding to allegations in some US circles that Moscow and Beijing could provide military assistance to Tehran. Asked to comment on Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s recent remarks that Russia and China were enabling Iran, Trump said: "Do they? They've had a long-term relationship. There could…

Privacy advocates can breathe a sigh of relief. The UK government has ruled out plans to ban or restrict virtual private networks (VPNs) after the technology found itself thrust into the spotlight following the introduction of the Online Safety Act last year. While it never seemed like an outright ban was on the cards, the government began exploring whether to expand age verification to VPNs in March, following a surge in VPN downloads after age checks were introduced for adult websites. On 2 March, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology launched a public consultation on children's online safety. As part of the consultation, the…

A decade ago, id Software rebooted its most popular franchise with the very good Doom (2016). Since then, id has released Doom Eternal, a bigger and (mostly) better sequel, some DLC for Eternal, and then last year put out Doom: The Dark Ages, a medieval-esque prequel to those recent entries. Now, 10 years since bringing Doom back and following a recent, large series of layoffs at id Software and the rest of Xbox, the studio has released Revelations, a meaty expansion for The Dark Ages that continues the story and brings the franchise closer to where it began in 2016. Revelations feels like a culmination of everything the studio has been doing with…

Trump says hasn't decided on big Iran strikes, Tehran getting 'serious' US President Donald Trump said Friday that he had not decided on whether to launch major strikes on Iran yet, as Tehran was now getting "serious" in talks with Washington. His comments came after reports that an increasingly frustrated Trump was meeting senior advisors to discuss launching a large-scale military operation against Iran. "No I haven't," Trump told journalists in the Oval Office when asked if had made a decision. "Look, we're talking to them right now. I think they're getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason." Trump said Iran had…

Thousands of people continued to turn up at the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar on Friday, even as the restrictions around the authorities closed the entry and exit gates at 18 metro stations, two more than were closed the previous day. Internet services remained suspended at Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg and parts of central Delhi for the third consecutive day. The protest’s momentum appeared undimmed despite the restrictions. Following their meeting with Union Ministers, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said they would call for a nationwide stir on the lines of the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march if the government does not agree to…

A member of Vice President JD Vance ’s security detail is being investigated over allegations tied to a suspected news leak, the U.S. Secret Service said Thursday. Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, said the security-team member faces an internal investigation and potential criminal inquiry over allegations involving compromised “operational and information security.” “While we will not comment on the specifics of this matter, one principle is unequivocal: any conduct that potentially threatens the safety of a protectee will not be tolerated,” Guglielmi said in a statement. The agency did not identify the person under investigation. The…

CNN and SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish acknowledged Wednesday on "The Michael Smerconish Program" that he could no longer claim noncitizen voting never occurred after New Jersey disclosed that a software error improperly registered roughly 6,600 noncitizens and fewer than 400 cast ballots. "I can’t say that any longer," Smerconish said. "I don’t know how often it does happen, but I can’t say any longer, ‘This never happens.’" Smerconish said he had previously reached the opposite conclusion after discussing a January New York Times analysis titled "Initial Review Finds No Widespread Illegal Voting by Migrants, Puncturing a Trump Claim." The analysis…

OnTrac parcel delivery company is informing that hackers breached its corporate network and may have accessed personal details belonging to its customers. The incident was detected on March 23, and an internal investigation revealed that the attacker accessed certain files between March 20 and 22. Apart from names, it is unclear what type of information was exposed, as the company redacted the data elements in the notification sample shared with authorities. OnTrac is a private American parcel-delivery company specializing in “last-mile” e-commerce deliveries, formed in 2021 from the merger of OnTrac Logistics and LaserShip. The firm operates at 102…

FBI director meets China’s public security chief in Beijing on crime crackdown Talks come as the US and China step up high-level engagement and seek closer cooperation on law enforcement and security Washington and Beijing’s top police officials met on Friday in the Chinese capital, the latest meeting by senior level representatives in advance of a much-anticipated summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, expected in the US capital in late September. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel met Wang Xiaohong, China’s state councillor and minister of public security, in Beijing on Friday, according to state…

Splatoon might look all cutesy and approachable, with its turf wars and stylish squid kids. (And no, that's ink, not blood.) And sure, it's a lot less brutal than Call of Duty. If you jump in thinking the single-player campaign was enough of a tutorial, though, you're in for a rude surprise. For as casual as Splatoon is, it's a sweaty, unforgiving series that happily stomps newcomers into the ground before they have a chance to learn. Enter Splatoon Raiders, a game that, despite ostensibly being single-player (unless you want to play co-op), teaches you a lot of the skills you need to succeed in Splatoon's standard Turf War mode. Splatoon's weapons…

Caitlin Clark was seen speaking with former President Barack Hussein Obama at WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago on Friday. She later revealed what the conversation was while speaking to reporters. "He just complimented me for the way I handle everything. Obviously with everything going on, and he's certainly someone who's been in front of the media quite a bit. And he reminded me, he's like 'I got famous in my 40s, I didn't have to do it in my 20s,'" Clark said. "And you know, sometimes, I think people don't always realize I'm 23 or 24 years old and trying to navigate a lot of different things, while trying to play basketball at the same time. So it…

Paramount has agreed to a delay of its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery after a group of 12 states sued to stop the $111 billion deal. The states, led by California, brought the lawsuit over antitrust concerns, and Paramount has agreed to close the deal until five days after a potential trial is held or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first, according to a court filing. The state Attorneys General successfully obtained a restraining order to pause the deal on Monday. The U.S. Justice Department had previously approved the merger in June, which didn’t come as much of a surprise given the politics of the parties involved. President Donald Trump is…

While Nintendo has a long and infamous history of petty litigiousness, its recent efforts to secure a series of Pokémon-related patents have been particularly obnoxious—obnoxious enough that even the Japan Patent Office seems like its patience for the publisher's quibbling is wearing thin. Earlier this month, Japanese patent examiners issued a rebuke of Nintendo's objections to a Patent Office's prior rejections of one of the publisher's Pokémon patent applications. In its refusal of the publisher's arguments, the JPO's examiner was so atypically blunt that experts like Japanese patent attorney Kiyoshi Kurihara have described the exchange as…

Paramount agrees to delay closing Warner Bros buyout while judge considers challenge Skydance-owned Paramount on Friday agreed to delay closing its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros NEW YORK -- Skydance-owned Paramount on Friday agreed to delay closing its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery well into next year, as a judge continues to consider a challenge from 12 states seeking to block the deal altogether. In a court filing, Paramount said it wouldn’t close the merger until five days “after the merits determination in these matters” or June 1, 2027. The move arrives just days after U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a…

WWE SmackDown emanates from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. as the west coast showcase advertised a follow-up between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk after their altercation at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where the babyface duo was victorious over Gunther and Sami Zayn. Gunther took the losing pinfall after outside interference from SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, whom Gunther will address tonight. Aldis is set to come out of retirement to face Gunther at SummerSlam. Two women’s matches are advertised for the Interim WWE Women’s Title Ladder Match at SummerSlam as Charlotte Flair takes on Nia Jax while Chelsea Green battles Kiana James. WWE…

Here are the lotto draw results of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for Friday, July 24, 2026. Check these out. READ MORE: Lotto draw results, July 23, 2026 Lotto draw results, July 20, 2026 PCSO lotto games The PCSO holds five 6-pick number games, the Lotto 6/42, MegaLotto 6/45, SuperLotto 6/49, GrandLotto 6/55, and UltraLotto 6/58 at ₱25 per combination. All of these number games can be played using the system play (systems 7 to 12), 5 Roll, and Lucky Pick. The PCSO draws the Lotto 6/42 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and offers an initial jackpot prize of […]...Keep on reading: Lotto draw results, July 24, 2026

PlayStationâs online services, including the PlayStation Store and some game servers, have been down for at least the last eight hours. Gamers who are still very upset about Sonyâs planned demise of game discs arenât letting this outage slide. On DownDetector, thousands of users reported early on Friday that PlayStation Network seemed to be experiencing issues. PlayStationâs status page still says the PlayStation Store is on the fritz. While Gizmodo was still able to access some PlayStation Network services, including the store, we spent nearly five minutes trying to join a match in Battlefield 6 before receiving an âUnknown Errorâ report, so your…

Leave it to trademark filings to publicly utter the name of a new videogame before anyone else: The next Kingdom Come will almost surely be called Kingdom Come Salvation. Huzzah. That's according to an official trademark filing by Warhorse Studios itself with the EUIPO—first spotted by PhraseMaker—issued on July 23. Had the owners of the trademark not already been confirmed to be Warhorse, the styling of the Salvation logo (see below) would've been a dead giveaway, as is matching legal information for the Czech studio's other trademarks. While Warhorse has yet to comment on the name reveal, it did already say back in May that another "Kingdom Come…

PlayStation still hasn’t blinked in the face of the “no disc, no buy” outcry its recent announcement has prompted. Nintendo gets a stern rebuke from the patent office. And another studio is on the brink of collapse. Welcome to Kotaku Checkpoint for the week ending July 24, 2026, where we are obsessed with re-watching old Emeril Lagasse clips. This shit is electric pic.twitter.com/aSb8vWj8ia — nacho (@nachoeveryday) July 21, 2026 San Diego Comic-Con is currently underway, the only place in the world this week where you could watch the Rizzler bowl a double strike with his eyes closed in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. The event is quieter this year than…

When I first learned about testing in Rust I was surprised by the lack of what I consider a basic feature: test setup and teardown. Many other popular testing frameworks have it: jest, pytest fixtures, and so on. Global setup and teardown are especially useful in integration tests. In integration tests, as well as in similar component tests or end-to-end tests, the code runs against a complete or partial set of the application infrastructure. In this important class of tests we don't mock out database access or skip message brokers. Setup and teardown are good candidates for provisioning that infrastructure so we can reuse it across multiple tests.…

If update notifications have stopped showing up on your Ubuntu 26.04 LTS install, that isn't some random glitch. OMG Ubuntu's Joey Sneddon has traced it back to a Launchpad bug report and a Discourse thread that both point to the same root cause. The issue is that update-notifier only sends a desktop notification when its tray icon is visible, and that icon was switched off in Ubuntu 26.04, with nothing in the Settings menu to switch it back on. Guillaume Michaud, who filed the bug on July 5, found 10 pending non-security updates sitting on his machine without a single prompt to install them. He tested it manually. With the tray icon forced on,…

PySINDy is a package for system identification, primarily revolving around the method of Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamical systems (SINDy) method introduced in Brunton et al. (2016a). It also includes other methods from related literature. System identification refers to the process of using measurement data to infer the governing dynamics. Once discovered, these equations can make predictions about future states, can inform control inputs, or can enable the theoretical study using analytical techniques. The resulting models are inherently interpretable and generalizable. The preferred way to install is with pip or conda e.g. pip install…

The web and Google once had a deal: Google collects data and indexes webpages and in exchange sends oceans of traffic to websites. The deal wasn’t perfect and certainly made Google more money than it made the websites, but it worked for a long time. Now, however, the deal seems to be dead. And the web is being forced to reckon with what happens when the Google traffic dries up. You can’t ignore Google Zero anymore On The Vergecast: Google vs. websites, OpenAI vs. Hugging Face, and Ford’s deal with Apple Maps. On The Vergecast: Google vs. websites, OpenAI vs. Hugging Face, and Ford’s deal with Apple Maps. On this episode of The Vergecast, David and…

Chinese AI lab Moonshot’s open model Kimi went viral this week for reasons that had less to do with the model itself and more to do with how the U.S. AI industry reacted to it. Meanwhile, an unreleased OpenAI model wandered outside its test environment and ended up connected to a real security breach at Hugging Face — a reminder that “China risk” isn’t the only kind of AI risk worth worrying about. On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into why Kimi K3 set off a fresh round of AI panic, the industry’s response to an OpenAI staffer’s “regulatory FUD” post, and what that OpenAI breach…

By John Gruber Please enjoy this article on its own webpage. Trust me. You know what a dickover is, even if you didn’t know what to call it (until now). If you use the Internet, you encounter them every day. They’re popovers, but dickheaded. The web is absolutely lousy with them, and mobile apps present them too, with increasing frequency. Dickovers are a veritable scourge. They’re so common they’re effectively part of the firmament. I started calling these things dickpanels in 2022, but when dickover popped into my head last week,1 I couldn’t shake the feeling that it’s a better term for these ubiquitous odious irritations. You can hardly go anywhere…

I built a SaaS in a few hours. It does its job better than tools people pay real money for. And I will never sell it. Every instinct trained into technical people over the past decade says that’s leaving value on the table. Landing page, Stripe, launch post, recurring revenue. That script is practically a religion in indie circles. I think that script is now obsolete. What I’m doing instead, I call Service with a Software: private tools that never get sold, built to make one service impossible to compete with. I’d bet it’s the strongest position left for independent builders. Here’s why, starting with the tool I’ll never sell. The instrument I’m a…

Two years ago, AI coding tools were a curiosity. Agencies let junior devs experiment with them on internal tools and side projects, the kind of work where nothing broke if the code was bad. Client work stayed handwritten. Nobody was betting a deadline on autocomplete. That era is over. The same tools now sit at the centre of how software gets built. Dev shops that once quoted six months for an MVP now quote six weeks, and clients have started asking why anyone would quote more. The tools changed fast. The workflow around them changed just as much: new review habits, new pricing models, and new roles for senior engineers who spend less time typing and…

Pachuca Hosts International Primal Energies Festival of Theatre and Butoh Cultural Investment & Frontier Living The second International Primal Energies Festival will bring nine stage works, Butoh, and body-research laboratories to Pachuca this July, signalling Hidalgo’s growing pull as a cultural-tourism destination for investors and expats watching Mexico’s decentralising arts economy. A Festival Built on Physical Research The second International Encounter “Energías de lo Primitivo: Investigación y Prácticas Escénicas” opens on 23 July at the Sala Ramón Noble inside Pachuca’s Centro Cultural del Ferrocarril. Organisers have programmed nine…

Before Cindy Pham became a New York Times bestselling author, she spent years building an audience on YouTube as Read With Cindy, where nearly 600,000 subscribers tune in for her thoughtful book commentary. In today's publishing industry, that's the kind of platform many authors dream of, one that can help sell books long before readers crack open the first page. But Pham has always been wary of turning creativity into a commodity. She still works full-time as a graphic designer, deliberately keeping writing and content creation separate from the job that pays her bills. It's a choice that gives her the freedom to write slowly, chase ideas that…

Paramount on Friday agreed to delay closing its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery well into next year, as a judge continues to consider a challenge from 12 states seeking to block the deal altogether. In a court filing, Paramount said it wouldn’t close the merger until either a court ruling is made on the merits of the states’ lawsuit or June 1, 2027. The move arrives just days after U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a temporary restraining order to freeze the transaction for several weeks, ruling that the states had raised some “serious questions” and a strong case about the merger’s potential to “substantially lessen…

With WestJet flight attendants currently set to begin striking as early as Aug. 2, the union says there’s a core issue members want resolved: unpaid work. Close to 4,400 union members represented by CUPE Local 8125 voted 99.4 per cent in favour of a strike on July 15, effectively grounding Canada’s second-largest airline in the middle of the August long weekend, a major travel period between Aug. 1 and the statutory holiday on Aug. 3. WestJet has since given passengers with flights booked between July 30 and Aug. 4 the ability to make a one-time change or cancellation to their bookings with no fee. John Gradek, faculty lecturer in supply networks and…

US small businesses sue Trump administration over new ‘forced labour’ tariffs The lawsuit argues that the US president is trying to reimpose duties that were already ruled illegal by the Supreme Court Two US small businesses on Friday challenged President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners, saying that the new policy, like most of Trump’s previous tariffs, went beyond the president’s authority to tax imports. The lawsuit, filed in the US trade court in New York, argues that the new tariffs require more detailed country-specific findings about “forced labour” to be legally justified. The two small businesses,…

The naira on Friday continued its appreciation against the US dollar at both the official and parallel foreign exchange markets, ending the week on a positive note. Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, showed that the naira strengthened further to N1,362.09 per dollar on Friday, up from N1,367.76 per dollar recorded the previous day. This means the Nigerian currency appreciated by N5.67 against the dollar on a day-to-day basis. Similarly, at the black market, the naira strengthened by N10 to N1,410 per dollar on Friday, up from N1,420, according to a Bureau de Change operator in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Further analysis indicated that, on a…

Topline Paramount Skydance said in a Friday court filing it agreed to push back its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which has been challenged by 12 states, to 2027, voluntarily making the concession after a judge temporarily blocked the merger this week. Key Facts Paramount voluntarily agreed to delay the merger until June 2027 or until five days after the judge makes a decision on the case, whichever comes first. Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin issued a temporary restraining order against the merger on Monday, giving her two weeks to determine if she would issue a more stark order that pauses the deal indefinitely while the lawsuit against the…

Washington — President Trump campaigned on lower prices for Americans, but his trade war with Canada is pushing prices higher for Americans, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told CBS News in an interview Friday. Earlier this week, Mr. Trump starting next month on a number of Canadian goods, including hockey sticks and alcohol, on top of other tariffs he's already imposed on Canada and elsewhere. In response, Canada to U.S. officials to attend the of the Gordie Howe Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Ford said Canadians love Americans, but he said the president's decision to "go after" America's close ally and trading partner Canada is hurting both…

The S&P 500 ended close to flat but its biggest weight came from the S&P 500 technology index, which underperformed the broader market as chip stocks fell. While investors wait for results from megacaps Microsoft , Amazon.com, Meta and Apple Inc , their enthusiasm was weakened by Alphabet's announcement, late on Wednesday, of a plan to hike capital spending even as it burns cash. After piling into technology stocks in recent years, on the promise of growth from AI, investors have become worried about the need for ever-increasing capital outlays for AI, according to Peter Andersen, CEO of Andersen Capital Management. "People are thinking, how do we…

There are aspects of being president of the United States that Donald Trump is really bad at, and others at which he is significantly worse. It goes without saying that none of that is improving, but what is most notable about his performance in the position is the extent to which he has never really bothered to figure out what the job is. From the earliest days of his presidency there was a sort of inchoate yearning that emanated from the more respectable reaches of the political culture for the possibility that Trump would not so much grow into the job as be transformed by its sheer prestige into a totally different type of person—not just chastened…

Roku's streaming hardware is getting up to 50% more expensive Jul 24, 2026 — 4:03 PM ET Roku streaming hardware is getting more expensive. Listed MSRPs for Roku streamers have increased by between $10 and $50. As of writing, the streaming devices can still be purchased for less than their new sticker prices. Roku devices are getting more expensive. The streaming hardware maker quietly raised the prices of its products this week, with increases ranging from $10 to $50. As spotted by The Desk (via The Verge), the listed retail prices of Roku’s current-generation streaming hardware have gone up. The Roku Ultra and the Roku Streambar SE saw the largest…

Korean electronics giant LG is taking heat over intrusive settings on its TVs and computer monitors — and the backlash may just be getting started. It all began on July 17, when an LG gaming monitor customer noticed a pop-up ad for McAfee antivirus software on their screen. The user took to X to vent their frustration. "PSA: Do NOT buy an LG monitor, it automatically downloaded an app that gives me pop ups for their own apps and McAfee," wrote the customer identified as wexos. You May Also Like This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The YouTube channel Gamers Nexus looked into the report, finding that LG…

Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you. An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. MEMBERS OF TRADE union Siptu have voted in favour of 72-hour strike action at a dementia care facility in Dublin after a “lack of progress in talks with management”. St Joseph’s Centre in Shankill, Co Dublin, is the country’s largest care home dedicated solely to dementia care. It is part of St John of God services and over 80 people use the centre daily. Members employed as household/domestic staff at St Joseph’s Centre have already undertaken three days of strike action this month. Siptu announced the escalation today following what…

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi occupies a distinctive position in the intellectual history of the Islamic world. His establishment of the Maragha School of Mathematics and Astronomy, together with the scholarly tradition that developed around it, played a pivotal role in the advancement of scientific thought. The achievements of this school subsequently paved the way for the emergence of the Samarkand School of Mathematics and Astronomy. As is well known, the intellectual legacy of these institutions was transmitted organically to the Ottoman scholarly tradition. A polymath who produced influential works across a wide range of disciplines – including…

Türkiye’s elevation from an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner to a full ASEAN Dialogue Partner represents far more than just another diplomatic milestone. It reflects a transformation in Southeast Asia’s external relations and demonstrates Türkiye’s emergence as a strategic stakeholder in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. The decision, reached during the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, marks the culmination of years of diplomatic efforts and deepening economic ties between Türkiye and ASEAN. However, ASEAN’s decision to appoint Malaysia as the country coordinator for ASEAN-Türkiye Dialogue Relations is equally significant.…

Here are the guests for Sunday, July 26, on CBS News' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan": Republican Sen. John Kennedyof Louisiana Independent Sen. Bernie Sandersof Vermont U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb A look at new CBS News polling with Anthony Salvanto, CBS News' executive director of elections and surveys "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" airs on CBS News at 10:30 a.m. ET and streams on Paramount+ and CBSNews.com at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sundays.

Given the country’s economic challenges, the most important part of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) should be a clear outline of the Marcos administration’s policy direction in its final two years. Our recommended executive and legislative actions include: Investing further in agriculture and industry to diversify growth sources. Supporting the agricultural sector is […]...Keep on reading: Sona 2026: What Filipinos need to hear (2)

Real-world politics might not inspire many pleasant thoughts at the moment, but at least our new favorite fictional president is getting another term. At today’s San Diego Comic-Con for the Rick and Morty spinoff President Curtis, fans learned the show is already in production on season two. Or make those prospective fans. President Curtis hasn’t even premiered yet! Its first episode arrives July 26 after the season nine finale of Rick and Morty. Having seen all 10 episodes of the first seasonâread io9’s review here!âwe feel confident that President Curtis won’t have any problem finding its audience, and the quick renewal certainly speaks to Adult…

When National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said, as an impeachment trial witness the other day, that an opinion poll is “only a snapshot,” he surely meant that it was applicable to the time when it was fielded. In the case of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey for the second quarter this year, […]...Keep on reading: Interpret polls responsibly

Every fourth Monday of July, Filipinos expect the chief executive to deliver the State of the Nation Address (Sona) and hope he would talk about the things that truly matter to them. Last year’s speech was memorable. It was when President Marcos admonished government officials and told them to “have some shame” with regard to […]...Keep on reading: A Sona that is truly for the people

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his evening address, Ukrinform reports. "I hope that America will continue to stand with Ukraine and that we will be able to end this war with a dignified peace. This is what we need. We are preparing for a meeting with the President of the United States and his team. I thank America. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine – with our people and our efforts to protect life," he said. Zelensky noted that American blogger Laura Loomer, a person very close to Trump, is currently in Ukraine. Read also:Zelensky warns of possible massive Russian strike within 2 days "We spoke, and Laura saw a lot in Ukraine, in the…

A 25-year-old law student has been charged after police intercepted a car comb near the Irish border on Friday. Isobella Perrie Sullivan, of Abbeylands Park, Clane in Co Kildare, appeared before a special sitting of Trim District Court in Co Meath on Friday evening after a bomb was intercepted in a car near the Irish border. Gardaí investigating the incident, which involved a suspected dissident republican bomb, arrested Sullivan, who was the driver of the car. In an intelligence-led swoop, members of the Garda’s Special Detective Unit stopped the vehicle travelling on the N2 south of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan on Wednesday afternoon. The Garda…

“Old blokes win stuff” was a phrase beloved of all-rounder and now coach Dan Christian, as he spent his final few playing years hoovering up Twenty20 franchise trophies around the world. It’s also a neat summary of the philosophy followed by the national selectors, as they do all they can to keep the ageing core of the Australian Test team together for a glut of major assignments over the next 12 months. When selection chair George Bailey, coach Andrew McDonald and selector Tony Dodemaide got together in 2022, they agreed on an approach that marked a significant departure from previous panels. Rather than playing their best team whenever possible, the…

Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, has made a u-turn of his stance about signing Rodri from Manchester City. Perez initially refused to sanction a move for Rodri. But according to Marca, no formal negotiations have begun between Madrid and City. However, there is growing optimism that Rodri could become the club’s marquee signing this summer. Madrid view the Spain captain as the ideal player to become the new leader of its midfield, a position the club considers a top priority to strengthen. Meanwhile, Manchester City has no intention of giving up easily.

Folashade Oluwafemiayo produced a stunning performance to claim gold medal in the Women’s Heavyweight Para Powerlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, DAILY POST reports. Oluwafemiayo set a new world record , lifting 175kg to amass a total of 134.8 points. Her compatriot Rita Ferdinand lifted 158kg to secure the silver medal. Remarkably, Ferdinand also surpassed the previous world record, capping a breathtaking Nigerian clean sweep of the top two positions. Australia’s Hani Watson claimed the bronze medal with 111.5kg. It marks Nigeria’s second one-two finish of the day in para powerlifting. Esther Nworgu, and Esther Oyema had earlier claimed…

There is a two-minute countdown clock when para powerlifters enter the arena. In that time they have to settle on the bench, most get their legs strapped down, align their back and shoulders under the bar, get their grip perfect, then lift. Eventually, the pump-up music fades out when the lifter is finally ready, usually about halfway through the time. Not Australia's Hani Watson, though. For the first 30-40 seconds of her time on the bench, Watson, an effusive and effervescent athlete who loves a chat, takes a moment of supreme stillness. As trusted coach Simon Bergner hurriedly organises straps and chalk with arena staff, he at no point rushes his…

Simone Biles recently underwent an undisclosed procedure weeks after revealing she nearly died. Last month, the Olympic gold medal gymnast, 29, revealed a health issue, calling it the “scariest experience of my life.” Sharing a photo on her Instagram Story of multiple hospital bracelets on her wrist, she wrote, “I’ve been in bed resting this week, I’ll explain sooner or later.” While Biles still has yet to share what landed her in the hospital, she has since publicly alluded to the incident, telling one Instagram fan in late June that she was “not ready to talk about it just yet.” In a new health update shared Thursday on her Instagram Story, the…

It was 25 years ago that Mark Butcher scored a monumental 173 not out in England’s successful chase against Australia in the Headingley Test. He scored seven other Test hundreds, some of them against the most fearsome attacks. He is now a popular commentator and sharp analyst of the game. Excerpts from Butcher’s exclusive interview with The Hindu at Lord’s: Your comparison of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with Garry Sobers earlier this year got a lot of attention. It was fascinating, how you proved, through the help of visuals, the similarities in the bat swing, hand speed… I watched him make that 175 [off 80 balls] in the Under-19 World Cup final [against…

He’s back and good to go. Despite tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament on Dec. 14 and having reconstructive surgery on Dec. 15, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will practice at training camp without limitations. “He’s been cleared to go ahead and participate full,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “Pat’s doing great.” Mahomes officially got the green light from Dr. Dan Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys’ team doctor who specializes in LCL tears, two days before the Chiefs quarterbacks and rookies reported to camp on July 24. “This is another checkpoint on the schedule,” Mahomes said. During minicamp Mahomes…

Jake Paul, the NFL player? The 29-year-old boxer claimed that some teams have already reached out to him about bringing him in. "I have a couple of teams and coaches that I’ve already talked to that are interested in bringing me onto the team. It’s really going to be quite easy," Paul told Front Office Sports. Paul said there is a lot of mediocrity in the NFL and believes he is a better athlete than most of the current players. "I think there is a lot of super mediocrity in the NFL. A lot of not good athletes. Lot of people dropping passes on a consistent basis. I have better hands than them, I’m faster than them, I’m stronger than them, I work harder…

Para powerlifter Hani Watson is familiar with pain. So much so, she’s given it a nickname. “I call it Nigel and Nigel is always there,” she laughed. The para athlete was born with bilateral metaphyseal dysplasia, which bowed her tibia and femur bones and means she has to live with “24/7 bone cracking pain”. In the past year, Watson has had multiple surgeries on her legs to help deal with it. But on Friday evening in Glasgow, Watson, a bronze medallist at Birmingham in 2022, banished “Nigel” to secure bronze again with a 147-kilogram lift in front of a roaring crowd at the SEC Armadillo. “It’s still very surreal,” she said afterwards, proudly wearing…

Five days after the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded, UFC announcer Bruce Buffer is back home reflecting on a monumental, month-long stretch of assignments. Before gracing the world’s largest sporting event with his iconic voice, Buffer’s work took him to two titanic UFC events. On June 14, the promotion held their milestone event “UFC Freedom 250” on the White House lawn. This was followed by Conor McGregor’s return from a five-year layoff in Las Vegas on July 11 to culminate International Fight Week – the MMA equivalent of the Super Bowl. Looking back at his involvement across both disciplines, Buffer said, “The last month has been like the epitome of…

Director Chuck Russell, who helped propel actors such as Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to the Hollywood A-list, was found dead in his San Diego, California, home on Wednesday. He was 74. Russell directed several box office hits in his decades-long career including A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Blob and The Mask. In 2002, his film The Scorpion King featured The Rock in his first leading role. The local fire department was called to Russell’s home on Wednesday afternoon with reports of an unconscious male, the director’s family said in a statement to TMZ. His death was confirmed by his attorney to Variety; a…

At her age, race activist Alveda King wasn't the least bit surprised by the Caitlin Clark opinion piece penned this week by USA Today sports columnist Nancy Armour. "I've seen every kind of race-baiting that you can imagine. I'm 75 years old," the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told OutKick on Friday. Armour's column relating the murder of Emmett Till to Caitlin Clark putting black and lesbian WNBA players in physical danger didn't come as a shock to a woman who has seen so much over her lifetime. King, a Fox News contributor, says this playbook by the left-wing media is all too predictable. "What people have learned to do, is to throw out…

Rick and Morty’s first spinoff, President Curtis, doesn’t premiere until July 26, when it will air right after the finale of Rick and Morty season 9. But Adult Swim is so confident in the show that it’s already been renewed for a second season. The announcement was made July 24 during a San Diego Comic-Con panel featuring co-creators and executive producers Dan Harmon and James Siciliano along with stars Keith David, Stephanie Beatriz, and Jim Rash. “President Curtis quickly proved himself worthy of another term!” Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen said in a statement. “With Keith David’s inimitably endearing performance and the creativity of Dan,…

It’s been a long, long 15 years for Green Lantern fans. One of DC’s most exciting and malleable heroes was last seen on the big screen in the 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie that was so bad, it basically killed the character entirely. Since then, while so many other heroes have had their adventures adapted in incredible ways, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Sinestro, and so many others sat dormant. Waiting. The wait is over. This new DC Universe gave us one Green Lantern immediately, and now the full Lanterns show is premiering on August 16. We’ve already seen a few trailers, but the cast and crew dropped into San Diego Comic-Con to debut the best trailer yet. And…

In his latest cinematic offering, acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda delves into the profound depths of grief and technology, presenting a poignant narrative where a bereaved couple seeks solace in a recreated likeness of their lost child. His new film, "Sheep in the Box," is set to open in U.S. theaters this Friday, promising a deeply emotional exploration of loss and connection. The film centers on a married couple grappling with the death of their son, leading them to commission a humanoid crafted in his exact image. The title itself is a nod to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic children’s book, "The Little Prince," where a sheep is…

Eddie Brock may be separated from the Venom symbiote in Marvel's comic book universe, but don't expect that status quo to last much longer. Today at Comic-Con, Marvel announced that Eddie will become Venom again in a new ongoing series launching after the Queen in Black crossover wraps. As revealed at Marvel's "Next Big Thing" panel, the new series will be helmed by writer Charles Soule (Star Wars), artist Tommaso Bianchi (Thunderbolts), and cover artist Davide Paratore. You can see art for Venom #1 and the other books featured at the panel in the slideshow gallery below: Here's the official summary for Venom #1: Eddie Brock and Venom are reunited —…

The original Star Wars turns 50 next year, and Disney’s marking the occasion with more than just a re-release in theaters. Lucasfilm Publishing’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con revealed a wave of new books for the sci-fi franchise. First and foremost are the novelizations of the original trilogy that will be released on February 2, 2027, in unabridged, audiobook format. At the time each film was released, they were each adapted into a book, with A New Hope‘s novelization coming out half a year before the film’s release under the title Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker. Written by Alan Dean Foster (but credited to George Lucas), the…

Toy Story 5 is lighting up more than just movie theater screens across America. The fifth installment of the beloved franchise hit theaters last month and has raked in an impressive $957 million, likely on its way to becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise. But its impact is felt beyond the screen thanks to Disney’s long-standing partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation. As part of the partnership, the company has converted hospital spaces into immersive screening events for patients and their families. The film became available to patients in more than 400 children’s hospitals globally, including more than 300 across the U.S.…

Paramount Skydance has agreed to delay its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery to as late as June 2027 — a multi-month delay that will ultimately raise the deal price — as the tie-up faces a legal challenge. Last week, a group of state attorneys general led by California's Rob Bonta sued to block the deal over antitrust concerns. On Monday, a judge reviewing the case issued a temporary restraining order, delivering a near-term delay. Paramount had repeatedly said it intended to complete the transaction by the end of September. Yet in a statement Friday, Paramount called the agreement a "significant win." "The result is exactly what we have…

Sarah Ferguson’s charity has been shut down following scrutiny of her links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Sarah’s Trust which introduced philanthropists to good causes in need of funding was formally wound up last month after being first registered with the Charity Commission in 2018. The commission’s website lists the trust as being “removed”, meaning it is no longer a registered charity. It was also listed at Companies House as a “charitable incorporated organisation” but its status is now “converted/closed”. The King’s former sister-in-law has faced calls to speak to the US authorities about the financier Epstein after the release…

CORTIS' first world tour will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on August 13 and 14, via a partnership between Trafalgar Releasing and HYBE. The event, titled 2026 CORTIS TOUR IN LA: Live Viewing, will broadcast live from YouTube Theater in Los Angeles and include a 30-minute theatrical-exclusive pre-show created specifically for cinema audiences. Tickets go on sale July 31 at 6am PDT at CortisLiveViewing.com. The Los Angeles show will also be screened simultaneously at The Vermont Hollywood on August 13 as a live club viewing experience with concert-grade sound. Standard and VIP ticket packages are available for the club event, with both tiers…

MUSICALSReg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical ★★★★★Victorian Opera, Union Theatre, until July 25 Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical sets itself a challenge from the outset. First of all, which version of the much disputed Kelly story do you tell? Do you portray the famous outlaw as a folk hero or a villain? Then, once that is sorted, what tone should the whole thing have? After all, there are very real deaths and tragedies scattered throughout this story – and we all know how badly things turn out for the Kelly gang. This new production by Victorian Opera navigates all of this deftly. The story firmly has its flag planted in the folk hero camp,…

How The Illharmonic's mix of hip-hop and classical builds community, one show at a time Vocalist and composer Jeffrey McNeill says it was back in 1987, when he was still a kid, when he first started hearing the links between hip-hop and classical music. "I was put in flute and piano lessons as a child, and my father introduced me to The Sugarhill Gang, 'Rapper's Delight,'" McNeill explained in an interview with All Things Considered. "One day, my brother brought home the Beastie Boys' 'Paul Revere,' and to me, it sounded like it went perfectly with Beethoven's 5th Symphony." Nearly 40 years later, the marriage of those two genres — as well as…

At a time when the manosphere has taken over corners of social media, with figures like Andrew Tate and Myron Gaines pushing a conservative and aggressive take on what it means to be a man, singer Budjerah wants to recapture what it means to be a gentleman. The 24-year-old, a Coodjinburra man from the Bundjalung nation, says the way masculinity was represented in his life was consistently positive. “I was very blessed to have so many incredible role models in my family. My dad, my cousins, my brothers, they influenced me in a good way,” he says. “You hear a lot of bad stereotypes about Aboriginal men in particular that aren’t always true. That’s the…

Long before “link in bio” became one of advertising’s most valuable calls to action, brands relied on television commercials to sell everything. Whether it was a toy demonstrated by laughing children, a luxury fragrance sold through sweeping shots of the Amalfi Coast or a celebrity endorsement during primetime television, advertising was largely a one-way conversation. But while companies crafted the message as consumers watched, today, that messenger looks different—and so does the business of advertising. What began as an experimental marketing tactic has become one of advertising’s most dominant strategies: nearly every consumer brand is now…

Endless media interviews this week are not how seven-year-old Miles Phillips knows he has written a hit – it’s the fact his primary school is using his song Eastern Rosellas as this week’s bell sound. The catchy, viral song about a colourful bird Miles saw while on holiday to Raymond Island in Victoria’s Gippsland region – a tune his dad, Joel, says, “burrows deep into the brain” – has accrued well over a million views on social media since it was uploaded on July 15 and added to ABC’s Triple J Unearthed rotation. “I was at Raymond Island, and I was feeding the birds seed on the veranda, and birds just came along. There were pigeons, there were…

Chance the Rapper has announced "The Coloring Book 10 Year Anniversary Tour," a nearly 40-date North American run marking a decade since the release of his breakout mixtape. At each show, Chance will perform Coloring Book in full, alongside selections spanning his catalog from his 2012 debut mixtape 10 Day through his 2025 album Star Line. The announcement lands at a strangely fitting cultural moment. Since the start of 2026, social media has been swept up in a nostalgia wave built around the idea that "2026 is the new 2016," a trend that took off on TikTok and Instagram in the trend's opening weeks and has since pulled in celebrities and ordinary…

Paul Anka slammed modern singers and the technology that helps them sound better, saying Franka Sinatra would have thrown a chair at someone if they asked him to use autotune. Anka called Sinatra and Elvis Presley his two "towers" of music while speaking to Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins on his "The Magnificent Others" podcast this week. "When Elvis was around, he just – they both owned a room, and they were both given that it factor," he explained. He added, "And Elvis worked his a-- off. This was a shy guy. I would sit with him like this: ‘Hey, Paulie,’" he said in a reserved imitation of Presley. "‘How you doing, man? Yeah, Paul. You know,…

Veteran Baluchi musician Shir Mohammad Espandar dies at 98 TEHRAN- Shir Mohammad Espandar, the legendary Baluchi donali player whose lifelong dedication helped preserve one of Iran's oldest regional musical traditions, passed away on Wednesday night. He was 98. A towering figure in Iranian folk music, Espandar spent decades introducing the music of Sistan and Baluchestan to audiences both at home and abroad, becoming widely recognized as the country's foremost master of the rare double-flute instrument known as the donali. Born in Bampur, southeastern Iran, he traveled to neighboring Pakistan as a teenager to study traditional music before returning…

Who knew a record player could be so … cute? Tiny Vinyl — the company known for making pocket-sized records — introduced this month a tabletop player designed to spin the collectible four-inch discs. Called the Tiny Vinyl Player, the turnable costs $49.99 and can be purchased exclusively via Target. “When we built the concept of Tiny Vinyl, we were like, ‘Let’s make sure this plays on as many existing record players as possible,’” said Jesse Mann, a music industry veteran and co-founder of Tiny Vinyl. "But we had so many inbound emails from fans asking us to make a player. Target asked us to make a player. So we were like, ‘You know what? Let’s see…

A thick blanket of wildfire smoke that hung over the City of Calgary Friday sent the city’s air quality index soaring — and compared to the air quality in other major cities around the world, it was among the worst on the planet, according to measurements by Switzerland-based air quality technology company IQAir. Environment Canada’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), which measures a combination of common air pollutants that are harmful to human health, including ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, put Calgary’s air quality at 10+, which is defined as “very high risk.” The AQHI measures air quality on a scale of one to 10, with…

In the Sundarbans, hundreds of acres of mangrove forests have been lost to encroachments, including the construction of shallow fish ponds. West Bengal Environment and Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon, who recently visited an island where over 100 hectares of mangroves have been encroached on, said on Friday that such areas would be restored. “In one of the islands with green mangrove cover till a few years ago, I saw that the entire island has been turned into fisheries. There are hundreds of such examples,” Mr. Oraon said, referring to Kripakhali in the Sundarbans. The Minister said when one travels along the water bodies and creeks of the…

Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you. An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. IT IS FIVE days and counting since a fire broke out on Slievenamon in Co Tipperary, razing sprawling acres and wreaking havoc on wildlife. Emergency services had appeared to have brought the blaze largely under control until, on Wednesday, a sharp change in wind saw the flames pushed towards a nearby Coillte forest on the mountainside. Lining the landscape where the fire is burning are plantations of Sitka spruce trees. Sitka spruce, which originates in North America, is a staple of Coillte forests, owing to its preference by the…

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Water firm bosses have received in total multi-million-pound pay hikes over the last year amid public outrage over pollution and bills, as well as government bonus bans. Among the top water bosses who received the biggest wage hike was Louise Beardmore, the chief executive of United Utilities, who earned £2.5million this year - over a million-pound increase on her salary the year before. The FTSE 100 firm, which does not anticipate being under the bonus ban, gave Beardmore a £435,000 'annual allowance' as well as a fixed pay increase to £971,000. The water firm said the money was sourced…

Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you. An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news. #WEST BANK: Israel widely deployed troops in the West Bank after clashes broke out today across the occupied territory after the killing of an Israeli settler triggered violence that left two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian villagers dead. #TRUMP TARIFFS: Donald Trump threatened to impose “substantial” tariffs on the European Union over fines that the bloc has placed on a number of US tech giants. #WILDFIRES: French and Spanish authorities ordered some of the…

Pennsylvania’s roughly 100,000 oil and gas wells produce wastewater that’s many times saltier than seawater and contains radium, a known carcinogen. For decades, that saltwater, called brine, was spread on dirt and gravel roads across the state to control dust and also on paved roads to melt ice. The state Department of Environmental Protection halted the practice in 2018, but residents continue to report oil and gas brine being spread in their communities. Now, a permit issued by the Department of Environmental Protection in May 2026 could open a new path for oil and gas well wastewater to be sold as a commercial product that could be purchased by…

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday reviewed measures taken by the Haryana govt to address the issue of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, and emphasised the need for âaccelerated implementation, stronger inter-agency coordination and strict enforcementâ to ensure substantial reduction in pollution before the onset of the winter season when stubble burning and meteorological conditions raise the levels of pollutants. The meeting, chaired by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav in Gurugram, held extensive discussions on Haryanaâs air pollution action plan and multiple steps, which are being taken, with particular focus on legacy waste, road dust, industrial…

A two-year-old male spotted deer was rescued by residents near Vaniyambadi town in Tirupattur near Palar River on Friday. Officials of the Forest Department said around 11 a.m, R. Siva, a farmer in Thikuvapalayamu village, noticed the spotted deer near his house and immediately alerted Vaniyambadi Town police and forest officials. A team of forest officials, including a veterinarian, reached the spot and trapped the animal. Water was provided to the dehydrated spotted deer as the district had been experiencing searing heat for the past few days with temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius. Later, the rescued deer was brought to the range office…

Improving diets is one of the world's biggest public health and environmental challenges. More than 2.5 billion adults are now overweight or obese, 88% of countries with available data face a serious burden of two or more forms of malnutrition, and food systems account for between a quarter and a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Published in Nature Food, the study introduces MATILDA (Micro-Macro Assessment Tool to Identify Low-impact Dietary Actions), a global database that combines individual dietary surveys with country-level food supply chains and population data. Covering 165 countries, it provides a globally harmonized picture of how the…

The world could face the strongest El Niño since record keeping began, increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events and significant, long-term economic impacts globally. A new analysis by Berkeley Earth climate scientist Zeke Hausfather paints a worrying picture of the climate phenomenon developing in the Pacific Ocean. Models have consistently forecast that this year's El Niño—characterized by hotter than normal waters in the eastern tropical Pacific—could be among the strongest on records. Hausfather's analysis using the El Niño forecast based on 14 climate models through July indicates that “this year’s El Niño is not only very likely to be…

The doctor who performed the autopsy on 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez gave the difficult details of her death Friday at a hearing to determine whether singer D4vd should go on trial in her killing. Much of what Dr. Grant Ho of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said on the stand was already known: She had been killed by two sharp force wounds to her upper body and her dismembered, decomposing body was found in the trunk of a Tesla. But the details he shared of what the autopsy showed — and tellingly, what it was unable to determine because of how degraded her body was when it was found — made Friday's proceedings perhaps the…

The suspect in on New York City's Upper West Side has been charged with attempted murder as a hate crime, among other things. The two stabbing victims come from two different communities that that something must change to keep people safe. Charges in NYC double stabbing Raul Morales, 51, has been charged with attempted murder as a hate crime, assault as a hate crime, and criminal possession of a weapon for the attack on Moshe Grunhaus, a 50-year-old Jewish man, police say. For the attack on a 57-year-old Asian man, police say Morales has also been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, along with attempted murder and assault – but not as a hate…

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old man, Ahmed Saleh, for allegedly impersonating a police officer and unlawfully gaining entry into a female students’ lodge at Malikiyya College of Health, Old GRA, Bauchi. The suspect, a resident of Kobi Area, Bauchi, is also accused of attempted rape and theft. The incident, according to a statement by the command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, occurred in the early hours of Friday. The statement said the police received a distress call from the college at about 6:30 am, reporting that a man allegedly dressed in full police camouflage uniform had gained entry into the female students’ lodge…

Published An alternative healer jailed over the death of a woman at one of his workshops has been released from prison just 18 months into a 10-year sentence, it is understood. Hongchi Xiao, 63, from California, was convicted and sentenced in 2024 for the manslaughter by gross negligence of 71-year-old Danielle Carr-Gomm in 2016. Carr-Gomm, who was diabetic, died while taking part in a therapy event in Wiltshire, which involved people being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly. On Friday, during a Court of Appeal hearing where an application to overturn his conviction was quashed, it emerged Xiao had been returned to the US and was believed to no…

The mother of a man shot and killed by Madison police said Corey Ruiz was an exceptional man who loved his daughter and the rest of his family. “He was my love. He loved his daughter, he loved his family. He did not deserve to be taken out like that. They took my baby from me,” his mother Elsa Ruiz said, breaking down in tears. She said she never imagined she would be burying her son. The emotional news conference Thursday marked the first time the family has made a public statement since Ruiz, 38, was killed on a busy city street on Wednesday. Police say Ruiz pulled a knife during a struggle with four officers, injuring one of them. That officer then…

The Ondo State Police Command says it has arrested four police officers seen in a viral video allegedly engaging in unprofessional conduct during a stop-and-search along the Lagos-Benin Expressway. Spokesperson of the command, Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Friday. Mr Jimoh gave the names of the officers as Elomore Sodayo, Adefila Adewale, Olorunfemi Opeyemi and Odusola Peter, all inspectors. The Video In the video, one of the officers who went through the vehicle documents of a driver and found them up to date, asked him to go and “do something better,” meaning to offer him bribes. | | | |---|…

Netflix have denied that they almost pulled their controversial docuseries Michael Jackson: The Verdict days before it was released in June. The three-part documentary from director Nick Green focused on the King of Pop’s 2005 trial, which eventually saw him acquitted of multiple counts of child molestation. Variety reported earlier today that sources claimed Netflix executives debated pulling the series from air just a week before it arrived on the streaming service. “It would have been very embarrassing to pull the series after you drop the trailer — it would have been a huge story,” a source told the publication. The source claimed that executives…

Sean "Diddy" Combs was sent to solitary confinement after he was involved in a fight with another inmate in the prison where he’s serving a 50-month term, according to several reports. The rapper was convicted last year on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and is serving his sentence at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fort Dix in New Jersey. The 56-year-old was found guilty a year ago and began serving his sentence at Fort Dix in October. The fight started after the other inmate made some kind of comment to the "I’ll Be Missing You" rapper, ABC News reported. The music mogul "held his own" during the physical fight that was…

Four years after being stabbed on an amphitheater stage, Salman Rushdie sat across a courtroom from his convicted attacker Thursday and told jurors for a second time about the ambush that nearly killed him. The prize-winning writer recalled feeling what he thought was a punch under his chin, then feeling blood coming from his neck. Soon “I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me,” Rushdie testified. “It was an enormous and expansive lake of blood.” A Buffalo federal court jury watched Rushdie fixedly as he testified — and at one point removed his glasses to show his now sightless right eye — at Hadi Matar’s terrorism…

Two sons of a man shot by immigration officers in Houston this month testified at a congressional hearing Friday, describing the horror and confusion of learning their father had been killed, and demanding a transparent investigation into how he died and why. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed July 7, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers chased his white work van through the streets, then shot him through the window in front of his work crew, including his brother. Salgado Araujo’s sons read from prepared remarks at a Houston hearing with Democratic members of Congress. The sons' voices often choked with emotion as they described their…

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Delta state wing, has announced plans to stage a peaceful protest on Thursday, over what it described as an alleged attempt to polarise the union and undermine the August 27, 2018 stakeholders’ agreement involving the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASSUS. The union formally notified the Department of State Services (SSS) of the planned protest in a letter dated July 24, signed by State Secretary, Comrade Dan Basime, requesting security protection for its members. According to the NUT, the protest became necessary following recent developments which it believes threaten industrial harmony and seek to…

The Euro banknote is getting a fresh look, and Europeans have the chance to influence it through a public voting campaign. People have ten bill designs to choose from that draw on two different options for motifs. While old Euros bear images of historic architecture, the new Euros will feature either birds or cultural icons like Ludwig van Beethoven and Marie Curie. “Euro banknotes are more than a means of payment—they are one of the most tangible expressions of Europe,” says Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), in a statement. “Through designs that combine beauty and meaning, they will reinforce our shared identity.” At…

The U.S. government is generally supportive of countries like Canada pursuing their own sovereign artificial intelligence strategies, so long as it’s not at the expense of “the best technology,” an American official said Friday. Those comments and others were made during a briefing call held with reporters by the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa on how the U.S. and Canada are aligning and seeking further partnerships in AI. “I see no issue with Canada promoting Canadian companies,” said the U.S. Embassy official, who spoke on background in order to freely discuss U.S. AI policy. “This is the same principle that we see in the American AI export plan. “The…

Investors are getting increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of capital needed to make the artificial intelligence buildout a reality. It's playing out in real time in the bond market, where the biggest names involved in the blitz — Google, Amazon and Meta — are seeing credit spreads widen as fixed-income investors demand more reward to lend to the companies. Yields ticked higher this week after Alphabet lifted its capex forecast, raising concerns that other hyperscalers could follow suit. Part of the reason capex budgets are going up is the rising cost of power. Energy is a major expense for all of the hyperscalers, which are constructing large…

House passes bill on lawmakers using insider information for stock trading According to Senator Elizabeth Warren, the House bill “won’t solve the problem“ of insider trading in Congress as lawmakers will still be allowed to own and sell stocks. The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that would ostensibly prohibit members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from purchasing publicly traded stocks. In a 232-198 vote in the House on Wednesday, lawmakers approved the Stop Insider Trading Act, sending the bill to the Senate for consideration. Representative Bryan Steil, the Wisconsin lawmaker who sponsored the bill, said that the…

GrapheneOS duress PIN could land a man in prison Jul 24, 2026 — 4:02 PM ET A US man is being prosecuted after allegedly offering a GrapheneOS duress PIN that wiped his Pixel phone. The charge treats the alleged wipe as destruction of property intended to prevent a government seizure. The incident happened during a border search at Atlanta airport after agents demanded access to his phone. GrapheneOS offers one of the more drastic privacy tools available on an Android phone. Known as a duress PIN, the dummy PIN wipes the device instead of unlocking it, for use in situations when you may be forced to hand over access to your device against your will.…

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged two Volkswagen engineers with securities fraud for an alleged insider-trading scheme connected to the German automaker’s joint venture with Rivian. The indictment, unsealed Friday by the U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Michael Stamp and Marcus Plank made more than $300,000 by using confidential insider information. Stamp and Plank allegedly bought Rivian stock and options after learning that the EV maker and Volkswagen planned to form a joint venture — internally codenamed “Project Climb” — but before the companies made any public announcements. Rivian and Volkswagen…

Senate Republicans want to rein in President Donald Trump’s income explosion since returning to the White House, but Democrats aren’t sold on how they’re going to do it. The Senate is on the cusp of moving landmark cryptocurrency legislation known as the Clarity Act that, if passed, proponents say would finally fold the novel currency into the nation’s web of financial regulations. Tucked away in the over 600-page package are a slate of ethics provisions that target Trump, the vice president and their spouses. The White House signed off on the provisions, and the architects of the bill say that the restrictions reach beyond just Trump and target…

You didn't think Logan Paul was done trying to artificially inflate the Pokémon trading card game market, did you? After breaking records with a $16 million Pikachu card sale, and a shameless attempt to ruin the manga community, the infamous YouTuber is back with yet another scheme. This time, Logan Paul wants the public to get excited about an esoteric Pokémon collectible from a Japanese magazine. It's not quite working out the way he'd hoped, though. Paul is often blamed for kindling the current frenzy around Pokémon cards. Some TCG fans believe that the YouTuber uses his enormous platform to drum up excitement around his Pokémon card collection to…

In brief Samsung said Samsung Wallet will add native stablecoin support at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, showing a mockup with Circle's USDC. The move builds on a 2019 Knox-based crypto wallet, 2021 hardware wallet support, and an October 2025 Coinbase integration that reached 75 million U.S. Galaxy owners. It landed alongside the Galaxy Card, Samsung's first credit card with Barclays and Visa, as the global stablecoin supply sits near $310 billion under the year-old GENIUS Act. Samsung wants stablecoins living next to your boarding pass. At Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, the company said Samsung Wallet—the app that already stores…

Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you. An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. CLOSE TO 100 fines have been issued since Ireland’s first level crossing red-light camera came into operation at the end of January. On 30 January, Iarnród Éireann put into operation at Merrion Gates in Dublin the first garda camera at a railway level crossing. The camera records motorists using the crossing, and automatically detects drivers proceeding beyond a stop line when red lights are flashing at the rail level crossing. This new camera is the first of up to six camera units which are planned for a range of level crossings.…

Waymo is reportedly looking for a way out of its deal with Uber, which has made the Alphabet-owned company’s robotaxis available on the ride-hailing giant’s network in Austin and Atlanta, according to the Financial Times. Waymo already told Uber that it intends to offer robotaxis on its own app in those markets starting in January 2028 and alongside the existing offering, the ride-hail giant told TechCrunch on Friday. Uber said the contract with Waymo that covers Austin and Atlanta ends in May 2028. The two companies already split in Phoenix earlier this year, as TechCrunch first reported. Waymo didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.…

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has backed the proposed 13.1million dollars Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) project, saying it aligns with the state’s industrialisation agenda and would strengthen clean energy and manufacturing development. The project, proposed by Earthoc Group and its partners, involves the establishment of a 14.13 million Standard Cubic Feet Per Day (MMSCFD) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) mother station at Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area. The project is focused on boosting gas utilisation and supporting industrial growth in the state. Speaking during a meeting at Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, on Thursday with…

TL;DR Tesla FSD subscribers hit nearly 1.5 million after a record 200,000 added in Q2, with 55% of deliveries opting in Tesla FSD subscribers hit nearly 1.5 million after a record 200,000 added in Q2, with 55% of deliveries opting in Tesla now has nearly one and a half million active Full Self-Driving subscribers after adding 200,000 users in the second quarter, the largest single-quarter gain on record. CFO Vaibhav Taneja told analysts that 55 percent of North American deliveries in Q2 had FSD activated at the time of purchase, a quarter in which Tesla delivered more than 480,000 vehicles worldwide. Year-over-year subscriber growth stands at 56…

RAMageddon spares no one, as the best wireless Android Auto adapter, AAWireless, has been hit with a price hike in recent days. Quietly applied to its own website and Amazon, AAWireless TWO and TWO+ are now a bit more expensive. For the base AAWireless TWO, solely an Android Auto adapter, the price is now $64.99 directly from the company’s website. That puts it back at its original pricing from 2024 after it received a price cut following the launch of TWO+. The price is the same on Amazon. Meanwhile, AAWireless TWO+, the one that supports both Android Auto and CarPlay, the price is now $69.99, up $5 from its debut in late 2025. That’s on the…

A 73-year-old parking attendant filed a lawsuit against autonomous delivery company Starship Technologies, alleging one of its devices knocked her down at an Arizona State University parking structure in Tempe in late 2023. Trudy Perez claims the collision resulted in permanent impairment and a spinal fracture. The case is scheduled to go before a jury in early 2027, as reported by NBC affiliate 12 News. According to court filings and an Arizona State University Police Department report, the incident unfolded as Perez walked behind the delivery robot. The device initially crossed in front of her before reversing into her, knocking her onto the ground.…

A security vulnerability affecting at least two million vehicles on the road today is so serious that some cybersecurity experts are calling it one of the worst car-hacking threats in years. It involves a third-party, aftermarket device called the KARR Security System. When exploited, the threat potentially gives attackers a way to wirelessly unlock a vehicle’s doors or prevent it from starting. While Acrisure Protection Group has issued a software update to fix the issue, many drivers who have the device hooked up to their car never paid for it and may not even know it’s installed. The device was installed in several models from major car brands,…

Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you. An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. A DOCTOR HAS been spared jail after a court heard how a “catastrophic” tyre defect triggered a crash that fatally injured his six-year-old daughter on the M6 on her birthday. Babak Meshkat (46) of An Cimín Mór, Cappagh Road, Galway, was charged following a garda investigation into a crash on the motorway, at Rochfortbridge, in Co Westmeath on 8 February 2024. Hana Meshkat had been unbuckled in the back seat of her father’s BMW X5 for just a minute before the car lost control. He had been driving over the speed limit to get to Dublin…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is considering new car-door safety rules after reports that people were unable to escape burning Teslas, but any changes could be years away from taking effect. On July 24, NHTSA denied a citizen’s request, filed in November, that the agency initiate a safety defect investigation into 2022 Tesla Model 3s. The request alleged that the cars’ manual emergency door releases, intended to work when the electronic controls fail, were not readily accessible or identifiable. The petitioner said their Model 3’s electronic door-opening controls failed after the car had a head-on collision and caught…

Ford Motor Co. has announced the recall of more than half a million Bronco vehicles due to a wiring harness defect that poses a significant fire risk. The recall affects 565,691 Ford Broncos and Bronco Raptors from model years 2021-2026. The issue stems from inadequate protection on the engine compartment's wiring harness, which can lead to exposed wires and subsequent short-circuiting. Drivers might observe smoke emanating from air vents or a warning message on their dashboard, potentially followed by flames from the passenger side of the engine compartment. Ford estimates that approximately one per cent of the affected vehicles exhibit this defect,…

Halifax Water is proposing a 650 per cent increase to water hook-up fees for new developments and an additional 265 per cent hike to connect to the wastewater system. The utility has applied to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board, citing in part “increased infrastructure costs, faster-than-expected growth, (and) changes in housing patterns.” But the president and CEO of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia worries these potential hikes will hamper growth in the municipality. “It’s across the spectrum that there’s going to be an impact,” said Duncan Williams. “This may be the thing that pushes us over the top in terms of the feasibility…

When the Trump administration canceled more than $7.5 billion in Biden-era federal grants for clean energy projects in October, it framed the move as an urgent corrective to protect taxpayer funds from waste. But it wasn’t true. In little-noticed court documents, federal officials acknowledged this month that they had terminated the funding “based solely” on political criteria, targeting projects in states that were represented by Democrats and had voted for Kamala Harris, the party’s presidential nominee, in the 2024 election. The admission showed how President Trump has weaponized the provision of federal education, energy, health, housing and…

US bureau clears early design for South Korea's nuclear container ship concept Twin molten salt reactors replace conventional engines in ambitious cargo vessel proposal Engineers removed fuel tanks to create additional cargo-carrying capacity South Korea has secured preliminary US approval for the conceptual design of a 15,000 TEU container ship powered by two molten salt small modular reactors (SMRs). The Approval in Principle was issued by the American Bureau of Shipping, indicating the concept satisfies applicable safety intentions for this early design stage while remaining subject to additional technical conditions. The proposal combines nuclear…

NEW YORK, July 24. /TASS/. The UK and European nations face a contraction in GDP for the year if the Strait of Hormuz does not resume full operations by October, Bloomberg reported, citing estimates from the consulting firm Baringa Partners. According to analysts, if shipping in the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted for another two months due to the new round of conflict between the US and Iran, it will trigger a surge in oil and gas prices sufficient to push the GDP of the UK and Europe into negative territory for the year. According to the agency, Qatar that was the world’s second-largest LNG exporter prior to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran,…

The general perception of RAMageddon has been, for a while now, that it will get worse before it gets better. Qualcomm is seemingly confirming that. Bloomberg reported on Friday that the chip maker, whose chips can be found in all of Samsung's new foldables, Windows laptops, and smartwatches, has reportedly told clients to expect a price increase on its products for anything shipped after Sept. 1. The specific size of the price increase is not known at this time, but Bloomberg said it will be a percentage in the double digits, so it's not a small one. All of this, of course, was attributed to rising memory component costs due to the AI spending spree.…

Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) has identified 45 cases and served notices to large housing or commercial establishments for failing to complete the mandatory electrical infrastructure within the stipulated timeline under self execution projects or have violated the provisions of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC). A release on Friday stated that a penalty of 10% will be imposed in accordance with the applicable KERC regulations for violations. Wherever the mandatory electrical infrastructure is not completed within the stipulated timeline and such non-compliance results in transmission constraints at KPTCL…

Oil prices dropped Friday on a report that Pakistan is looking for a way to restart talks between the U.S. and Iran. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, fell nearly 4% to close at $96.78 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures lost 3% to settle at $89.31 per barrel. Three sources told Reuters that Pakistan's effort to renew U.S.-Iran talks was backed by China. "The Chinese are unhappy because Iran's attacks on other Gulf states and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are hitting their interests," a Pakistani government official told Reuters. U.S. crude oil gained about 8% this week and Brent advanced nearly 10% as fighting…

Western Australia’s new building commissioner has made his living listening to people complain. “People don’t write to me and say, ‘My builder is great’,” Phillip Payne says. “That just doesn’t happen.” It’s a role the lifelong public servant is well-equipped for, having starting his career in Perth’s courthouses fresh out of high school. The experience made Payne an expert on regulations, rules and standards, and an annoying thorn in the side for government departments. “Back in those days, they used to give information to people, and they’d come to the courts – then [I’d hear it] and say, ‘Well that’s not quite right’,” he says. “So I’d ring up ……

Oil tankers are increasingly coming under fire on several fronts as economic warfare is deployed as a weapon in the escalating conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. Iran has stepped up its attacks on tankers in and around the Strait of Hormuz this month as it tries to impose its control over the crucial oil corridor. Tehran's Houthi allies in Yemen opened a second front this week, firing on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea after declaring a maritime embargo against Riyadh. Ukraine, meanwhile, says it has attacked more than 150 tankers, cargo ships, and other vessels associated with Russia's shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea, according…

CHENNAI: Going harder on overcharging liquor buyers beyond the maximum retail price (MRP), the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has revised its penal action to dismiss personnel at retail vending shops if they are caught violating the MRP norms for a third time. The revised disciplinary guidelines, issued through a circular by Tasmac on Friday, follow a Madras high court order dated June 12. The new instructions replace the corporation's earlier circular issued in 2019 on action against employees selling liquor above the MRP, which was limited just to collecting penalty. However, under the revised norms, a supervisor, salesman or…