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• On 14 July, the European Union held intergovernmental conferences in Brussels to advance the membership process for four candidate nations: Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine. • These meetings served to ceremonially inaugurate or conclude specific negotiation tracks, representing the most significant enlargement effort in over two decades. • This move signals a strategic shift in EU expansion, integrating Eastern European and Balkan nations to strengthen regional stability and political alignment.

Replacement of panels with version that’s sympathetic to enslavers comes amid effort by Trump to dismantle diversity initiativesCritics say the Trump administration acted under the “cover of darkness” to replace an exhibit exploring the lives of nine enslaved people who lived at George Washington’s ​Philadelphia home with a version that is overly sympathetic to enslavers and that whitewashes the country’s origins.The installation of new information panels followed a six-month fight between the city of Philadelphia and the Trump administration over an enslavement memorial at the former home of Washington and John Adams. Continue reading...

• Israeli identity management startup Oak has emerged from stealth mode after securing $60 million in seed funding. • Co-founded by serial entrepreneur and former army major Shai Morag, the company aims to replace manual, operations-based identity processes with risk-based triggers. • The solution addresses security gaps created by AI agents and anomalies, such as employees logging in from unusual locations.

Different Seasons, which incudes stories that inspired films such as Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption, judged to contain ‘objective sensitive material’Stephen King is the most banned author in US schools, according to reportA collection of Stephen King novellas that inspired classic films including Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption has been banned from Utah public schools.Published in 1982, the collection, titled Different Seasons, contains four novellas: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: Hope Springs Eternal, Apt Pupil: Summer of Corruption, The Body: Fall from Innocence, and The Breathing Method: A Winter’s Tale. Continue reading...

• Scientists have developed a new theoretical framework that expands the application of thermodynamics to dynamic, ever-changing black holes. • Previously, these laws were primarily applicable to perfectly stable black holes, limiting the scope of astrophysical models. • This upgrade is significant as it allows for a deeper understanding of complex phenomena, including black hole mergers and the process of evaporation.

• Stephen Chow's new film, "Kung Fu Soccer," a spinoff of "Shaolin Soccer," opened to $74 million at the China box office. • This project marks Chow's first return to the director's chair in seven years. • The film is projected to earn over $350 million in its home market, signaling a massive commercial success.

Government to launch campaign to help people cope with events such as weather emergencies or cyber-attacksThe British public should begin taking “small but important steps” to secure and protect water, power supplies and basic phone signal in case of further severe weather emergencies, national crises or cyber-attacks, Downing Street has said.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, told MPs “the risks we face from climate change cannot be underestimated”, and warned of the “significant and prolonged disruption to essential services” extreme weather events could cause. Continue reading...