An overlooked still life by Flemish artist Clara Peeters, titled *Still Life with Small Game and Grapes on a Gilded Tazza*, has been reattributed to her after being stored away as "anonymous" for decades in Norway's National Museum. The painting, created around 1620 and featuring nine dead birds, hazelnuts, and grapes, will be a key exhibit in the upcoming exhibition "Woman Painter," which showcases the work of 19 female artists from northern Europe and Italy between 1550 and 1650, including notable figures like Artemisia Gentileschi. The examination by curator Cynthia Osiecki revealed details linking the painting to Peeters, and it highlights the need to recognize women's contributions to art history, particularly in a field previously dominated by male artists.
In June, German industrial output rose for the third consecutive month, while exports hit a record high. A fire at a pig barn near Augsburg resulted in the death of over 1,000 pigs, with estimates from the police indicating around 1,600 pigs were housed there. German energy giant RWE has abandoned several US offshore wind projects after reaching a $1.22 billion settlement with the Trump administration, citing a lack of prospects for obtaining permits.
Germany is investigating how a drone loaded with explosives reached Leipzig airport, with authorities warning of a "new level of danger" that may involve foreign powers, although no direct link to Russia has been established. In a related context, a previous Russian-backed plot in 2024 involved a sophisticated incendiary device at the same airport and implicated a substantial network of men charged with terror offences, who transported explosives concealed in cans of food and headphone sets, including RDX explosives equivalent to 6kg of TNT. Almost two dozen suspects have been charged, but the status of their handlers in Russia remains unclear and raises concerns about the potential re-emergence of such threats.
Testosterone is essential for sperm production, and when men self-medicate with it, their bodies may interpret high levels as a signal to stop natural production, potentially leading to fertility issues. Some men push their testosterone levels to over four times the clinical lower threshold of 300 nanograms per deciliter, resulting in health risks such as blood clots and mood instability, with estimates indicating that 10-20% may never regain natural production after stopping. While testosterone replacement therapy is a legitimate treatment for diagnosed deficiencies, many men are seeking it unsupervised for performance enhancement without medical assessment, which can have dangerous consequences.
Tariq Lateef, a hospice and palliative care physician, struggled with the limitations of modern medical ethics, particularly when faced with helping patients navigate the end of life during emotionally charged moments. After experiencing profound discomfort with his role in the dying process, Lateef sought a deeper understanding of medicine's purpose, which led him to explore Islamic bioethics, enriching his professional and personal life. Transitioning to Chicago, he balanced his practice with studies in bioethics and Islamic thought, ultimately finding a cohesive framework that integrated his two areas of knowledge.
Record-breaking heat is contributing to thousands of deaths and impacting water, food, and energy supplies globally, with comparisons made using data from thousands of weather stations. The most complete datasets for tracking climate change span back to 1880, and historic climate archives, such as ice cores and tree rings, reveal temperature changes over millions of years. Current climate change, primarily driven by human activities like fossil fuel combustion, is occurring at an accelerated pace compared to historical warming events, according to climatologists.
Since July 25, hundreds of job seekers in Jharkhand have protested at a stadium in Ranchi, demanding an overhaul of the state’s government examination system due to allegations of malpractice in a preliminary civil service exam held in April. Candidates claimed that leaked answer sheets indicated that some successful applicants had answered far fewer questions than required, leading to demands for the exam to be scrapped and investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while the Jharkhand Public Service Commission has postponed the next stage of the examination. This unrest highlights a broader dissatisfaction with recruitment irregularities, as many individuals have invested years in preparation, with protesters sharing personal stories of disappointment over results they believe were manipulated, contributing to a climate of distrust in the examination process.
A Thai teenager opened fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi school, killing seven people, including six victims and himself, making it the country's worst mass shooting since 2022. In addition to the fatalities, at least 15 others were injured, with the shooter having fatally shot his grandparents before the school attack. The prestigious school, part of the Debsirin network with around 3,100 students and 147 teachers, was secured by police as students hid in classrooms during the incident.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will launch a nationwide campaign called "Kya bolti public" starting September 1, focusing on education, unemployment, and institutional accountability, as they aim to gather youth input for a Youth Reform Charter. This initiative follows a mass protest in Delhi, with CJP leadership engaging with ordinary citizens across India, emphasizing the importance of listening to public concerns before drafting their proposals. Additionally, the CJP plans to support the campaign through a crowdfunding initiative, reflecting their commitment to addressing pressing issues for the youth.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unanimously expressed its support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, contrasting the stance of UEFA, which has announced a boycott of future World Cups while Infantino remains in office. CAF, representing 54 of FIFA’s 211 member associations, has been a reliable voting bloc for Infantino since his election in 2016, and its endorsement follows the abandonment of Infantino's controversial plan to sell World Cup commercial rights. CAF president Patrice Motsepe emphasized the importance of governance and transparency in football while reaffirming their commitment to collaboration with FIFA and the global football community.
Rail passengers in north-west England are experiencing a second day of disruption due to a power failure at a regional signalling centre, which occurred shortly before 2pm on Thursday, impacting services from operators like Avanti West Coast and Northern. National Rail indicated that while trains can now operate, delays are expected until noon, with advice for passengers to avoid traveling before 10am, as thousands remain affected by cancellations and revised journeys, particularly in Greater Manchester. Additionally, a wartime bomb discovery between Tamworth and Burton-on-Trent further complicated the situation, with expectations set for a gradual return to normalcy by the following day.
Colombia's armed conflict is poised for a resurgence as the National Liberation Army (ELN) prepares for military offensives under new President Abelardo de la Espriella, who has vowed to end peace talks and implement a new military strategy. With the ELN's commitment to engage in attacks across various territories, Yerson, a commander within the group, stated, “Where we can go on the offensive, we will,” illustrating their readiness to respond to escalating violence from rival groups for control of key resources like the San Juan River. The ongoing conflict, which has roots tracing back to the 1960s and has led to hundreds of thousands killed and millions displaced, continues as the ELN remains reluctant to disarm without significant political and economic reforms in Colombia.
Footage from Kumamoto General Hospital in Japan captured the moment a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on July 28, while four surgeries were in progress. In the operating room, medical staff protected the patient with their bodies, and all surgeries were ultimately completed successfully. The hospital resumed normal outpatient services on August 5, following a brief suspension due to the earthquake.
On September 6, 1995, human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted by police shortly after his family left home, tortured in custody, and ultimately killed for investigating thousands of disappearances and extrajudicial killings by Indian security forces during the Khalistan movement. Khalra alleged that police had cremated 25,000 bodies of missing individuals, which they dismissed as exaggerated, yet his case led to life sentences for five police officials involved in his murder. Despite his family's ongoing pursuit for justice, many families in Punjab are still seeking closure for their loved ones who disappeared during this violent crackdown by the state.
Primary schools in England will be recommended to identify children at risk of leaving education without finding a job by age 16, as part of a government review led by Alan Milburn into youth unemployment. Currently, over one million 16 to 24-year-olds are classified as Neet, representing one in eight young people, with the rate rising faster than in other countries. Milburn emphasized the need for early intervention, citing a Bradford study that found children not school-ready at age 4 to 5 were nearly three times more likely to become Neet by age 16.
In the West Midlands, an initiative allows convicted offenders to engage in community payback by cleaning canals and green spaces instead of serving prison time, part of a broader strategy to alleviate prison overcrowding. Over the last year, community payback schemes across England and Wales contributed an estimated 5 million hours of service, with courts granting between 40 to 300 hours of community service for various offenses. The Sentencing Act introduced in January promotes the suspension of short custodial sentences, leading to increased participation in community-based punishments, particularly among offenders like burglars and shoplifters, who statistically have a 68.2% reoffending rate when released from sentences of less than 12 months.
An Australian aviation crew successfully executed a medical evacuation mission in Antarctica, rescuing a US expedition member under extreme conditions, including temperatures as low as -43°C (-45.4°F), on July 31, 2026. The operation took 24 hours to prepare the Airbus A319 for the mission, which included modifying the aircraft to accommodate a stretcher, while an initial weather-related delay added 12 hours more before takeoff from Hobart. The crew spent just one hour on the ground at the research station before continuing on to Christchurch, where the patient is now recovering well.
On August 7, 2026, a shooting occurred at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Thailand, where a student shooter remained inside the school, leading to deaths and injuries. Although specific numbers of casualties were not disclosed, officials reported that the building had been secured, and students were evacuated after hiding from gunfire. This incident follows previous school shootings in Thailand, including a February attack by a 17-year-old that killed one person and injured two others.
Alan Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching involving six men, with complainant J, now in his 40s, being the first to testify. During cross-examination, J denied accusations from Jones's defense barrister that his testimony, which included details about Jones’s genitals and described incidents at a Fitzroy Falls farm over 20 years ago, was fabricated to humiliate or smear the broadcaster. The defense pointed out inconsistencies in J's statements and questioned the authenticity of certain details, while J maintained his account of unwanted sexual encounters with Jones.
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, to pay $567 million to address mental health harms to children from its platforms, with $420 million allocated for treatment services. This penalty is in addition to a previous $375 million civil penalty, bringing the total liability to $942 million, which is a minor amount compared to Meta's annual profit of around $60 billion in 2025. The ruling mandates changes to Meta's platform, including improvements in age verification and educational campaigns to enhance child safety online, even as Meta plans to appeal the decision.
A school shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Thailand's Nonthaburi province resulted in the deaths of four people, including at least one teacher, and injuries to others. The suspected gunman, a teenage student, reportedly committed suicide following the incident. Local authorities have deployed police and emergency services to the scene, where evacuations of students and staff took place.
Extreme heat has shattered temperature records in central and eastern Europe, with Slovakia recording a new high of 42°C (108°F) in Dolné Plachtince, and Austria registering 41.2°C. Poland had to shut down the Kozienice and Połaniec coal-fired power plants due to critically low water levels in the Vistula River, removing about 1.3GW of capacity from its power system, while an estimated 11,900 people died from heat this summer in Germany. Furthermore, the European Forest Fire Information System reported that around half a million hectares have burned across the EU, predominantly in Spain and France, with fire weather conditions setting alarming new records in several countries.
In July, UK high street visits decreased by 3.8% year-on-year, following a 6.2% drop in June, primarily due to the heatwave that led shoppers to opt for online purchases. In London, shopper numbers declined by 5.3%, while England overall saw a decrease of 3%, contrasted by increases of 2.7% in Scotland and 2.5% in Northern Ireland. The high temperatures negatively impacted physical retailers, with fashion and supermarkets experiencing some benefits, while the furniture and gardening sectors faced challenges due to decreased consumer activity.
Detectives have reopened an investigation related to the murder of former politician Ann Widdecombe, after identifying a possibly overlooked line of inquiry. Simon Levy, 40, has been found guilty of double murder and rape after a seven-year spree of preying on women in London, during which he committed his second murder while still a suspect in the first. An urgent manhunt has been launched for Cliff Lyons Dobbie, a violent child rapist who escaped from a psychiatric clinic; he was previously convicted of raping a 10-year-old girl in Glasgow while on bail for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy.
Taiwan's President William Lai participated in an emergency evacuation drill during the annual Han Kuang military exercises, which are scheduled from August 5th to 14th. This drill is part of Taiwan’s preparation for potential military threats, particularly from China. The exercise aims to enhance the country's readiness for a possible invasion.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Saudi Arabia for a trilateral meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif amid regional tensions, marking his second visit to the kingdom this year and coinciding with the US-Israel war on Iran. The discussions may lead to a joint defence agreement among Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, potentially building upon a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in September 2025. The visit follows Saudi Arabia's announcement of a multinational maritime security initiative supported by 14 countries, including Turkey and Pakistan, while addressing ongoing conflicts in the region involving Iran and the Houthis in Yemen.
A teacher was killed and four others injured in a shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Thailand, where the gunman, identified as a student, subsequently took his own life. The school had an enrollment of approximately 3,100 students and 147 teachers in the 2025 academic year. Despite strict gun laws in Thailand, ownership remains relatively high, and there have been several mass shootings in recent years, prompting tighter regulations.
Congressman Andy Ogles lost his Republican primary in Tennessee to Charlie Hatcher, despite receiving a "complete and total endorsement" from President Trump, marking a rare failure for Trump's endorsements in Republican races. With nearly 90 percent of the votes counted, Hatcher led Ogles by 6.6 points and will face Democratic mayor Chaz Molder in the November election. Ogles, who has faced controversy for his anti-Muslim statements, is the second Trump-endorsed candidate to lose a primary that week.
A judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567 million and implement operational changes for Facebook and Instagram aimed at protecting young users, following a ruling that deemed the platforms a "public nuisance" affecting children's mental health. This latest penalty adds to $375 million in damages previously awarded, bringing Meta's total liability in New Mexico to $942 million, while roughly three-quarters of the new funds will finance mental health treatment for youth. The ruling also imposes specific changes, such as usage limits for teens, enhanced safety measures, and improved age-verification processes, as Meta prepares to appeal the decision.
Donald Trump's second term has seen a significant consolidation of power, with internal checks nearly eliminated and executive power being used to reshape various aspects of governance such as the economy and immigration. Former challengers and dissenting lawyers have been sidelined, leaving Trump as an "imperial president." Jonathan Swan, a journalist from the New York Times, discusses the implications of this power shift for the U.S. and global politics.