Officially

• The EU and UK have officially attributed a cyberattack on Poland's power grid to Russian spies, specifically targeting GRU leaders Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin, and Ivan Kasyanenko. • The operation allegedly involved collaboration with cybercriminals and a firm called IMPULS to recruit cybersecurity specialists from Russian universities to orchestrate hybrid attacks. • The incident is considered critical as it threatened to leave approximately 500,000 people without electricity during the winter months.

• Microsoft has introduced "Brain," an internal AIOps system designed to monitor Azure's health in real-time, automatically declare outages, and pause harmful rollouts. • Separately, Anthropic has named UST as its second Global Premier Partner to help enterprise clients transition AI projects from proof-of-concept to full production scale. • These developments highlight a broader industry shift toward standardizing the AI stack, moving model selection from individual developer choices to high-level architectural decisions.

• The United States risks losing its official measles-free status, which it has maintained since 2000, following a surge to 2,134 cases in 2026. • The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will conduct a formal review in November 2026 to determine if the country still meets elimination criteria. • This potential status change highlights a significant decline in public health control over the virus and may trigger new national vaccination strategies.

• Canada has officially announced that it will join the Eurovision Song Contest starting in 2027. • The move marks a significant expansion for the competition, allowing a non-European nation to compete in the eclectic music event. • This development is expected to spark widespread debate and excitement among fans regarding which Canadian artists should be selected to represent the country.

• The FDA approved the updated COVID-19 vaccine strain in May, but official guidance on who should receive it remains unavailable. • A critical lack of a quorum since March has stalled the committee responsible for determining eligibility and insurance coverage for the fall rollout. • This administrative gap creates uncertainty for healthcare providers and patients regarding the timing and necessity of booster shots.

• Canada is now officially eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest after CBC/Radio-Canada became a full member of the European Broadcasting Union. • While Canada has not previously competed as a nation, Canadian artists have won before, most notably Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland and won in 1988. • This membership marks a significant expansion of the contest's reach, allowing the North American broadcaster to engage with the international competition.

Downing Street responded after Andy Burnham publicly admitted that he would consider launching a bid to become Labour leader‘I wouldn’t flinch’: Burnham on social care, markets, Brexit – and the prospect of a general electionHello and welcome to our UK politics blog.David Lammy has come out in support of the prime minister, saying Keir Starmer would fight in a leadership contest after Andy Burnham said he would join one if elected an MP. Continue reading...