President Donald Trump expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Despite this, Trump mentioned he is not finished working with Putin.
Key Facts
Donald Trump is the President of the United States.
Trump spoke to the BBC about his views on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump is disappointed because there is no ceasefire deal in Ukraine.
Trump stated he is "not done with" President Putin.
Trump and Putin have not resolved their disagreements over Ukraine.
Dairy farmers in the West Country are struggling because a long and dry spring has dried up the grass, leaving it with no nutritional value. Farmers are now using grain meant for winter to feed their cattle, which is costly and unusual for this time of year.
Key Facts
The spring of 2025 was the warmest and sunniest on record and the driest since 1893.
Dairy farmers in the West Country, like Sarah Godwin in north Wiltshire, are feeding their cattle grain usually reserved for winter.
The dry conditions have left grass with no nutritional value, forcing unusual measures.
Typically, cows graze on pasture all summer, but now farmers must provide extra feed.
Experts point out that spring is vital for plant growth, and its dryness has hurt grass and crops.
Professor Nicola Cannon highlighted that grass growth was severely affected due to the dry spring.
The Royal Agricultural University is studying stressed grass conditions through an experimental meadow.
Across Wiltshire, hay yields have decreased by 50% due to the dry conditions.
Melissa Febos, a writer and professor, decided to take a break from sex and relationships for about a year to focus on herself. She documents this experience in her book, "The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex," where she explores the benefits of celibacy and how it allowed her to redirect her energy towards self-discovery and personal growth.
Key Facts
Melissa Febos is the author of "The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex."
Febos stopped having sex and engaging in romantic relationships for around a year.
Her decision followed a challenging relationship that led her to neglect her well-being.
This break helped her have more time and energy for personal growth.
Febos realized she often engaged in sex due to internal pressure rather than desire.
Initially, she planned for a three-month break, a common timeframe in recovery programs, but extended it to a year.
She used this time to reflect on her past relationships and understand her role in them.
Meta, the company behind Facebook, plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on building large AI data centers in the United States. The first center, named Prometheus, is scheduled to start operating in 2026 in Ohio, with another center, Hyperion, planned for Louisiana by 2030. The company aims to develop advanced AI technology and has seen a rise in its stock following this announcement.
Key Facts
Meta will invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI data centers in the US.
The first data center, Prometheus, will be located in New Albany, Ohio, and is expected to start in 2026.
Another data center, Hyperion, is planned for Louisiana and should be fully operational by 2030.
These centers are part of Meta's efforts to develop "superintelligence," which could surpass human intelligence in certain tasks.
The company's revenue exceeded $160 billion in 2024, mainly from online advertising.
Meta's stock rose 1% after the announcement and has increased more than 20% this year.
AI data centers use a lot of energy and water, and one study suggests they could use 1.7 trillion gallons of water worldwide by 2027.
There are over 10,000 data centers globally, with the majority located in the United States.
Rescuers in Indonesia are looking for 11 missing people after a boat tipped over due to bad weather near the Mentawai Islands. Seven out of 18 passengers have been saved. The rescue team is searching the area of the accident to find the remaining people.
Key Facts
A boat capsized in bad weather near the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
11 people are missing from the boat, which had 18 passengers.
Seven people have been rescued from the accident site.
The boat departed from Sikakap and was heading to Tuapejat.
10 of the passengers were local government officials.
Rescuers are using two boats to search for the missing people.
Marine accidents are common in Indonesia due to weather and safety issues.
Similar incidents have occurred recently, including a July 3 accident near Bali.
Fewer movies and TV shows are being filmed in Los Angeles, even though it is the heart of the film industry. Many filmmakers are choosing other places because they offer financial incentives, which are called subsidies. This has led to a significant drop in filming activities in L.A.
Key Facts
Many filmmakers are choosing to film outside Los Angeles despite its strong ties to Hollywood.
Numerous states in the U.S. and various countries provide financial help to filmmakers.
This financial help is known as subsidies, and it encourages filmmakers to shoot in different locations.
Los Angeles has seen a significant decrease in filming activities in recent years.
The COVID-19 pandemic, labor strikes, and wildfires have also impacted L.A.'s film industry.
There is an ongoing discussion about how to revive L.A.'s role in filmmaking.
The social media account for Sesame Street character Elmo was hacked, and offensive posts about Jewish people and other topics were posted. The posts were removed shortly after being uploaded, and the account has been secured.
Key Facts
Hackers took control of Elmo's account on X, a social media platform.
Offensive posts included harmful messages about Jewish people and comments about Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.
The posts were quickly deleted after gaining attention online.
Sesame Workshop confirmed the hacking and stated the account is now secure.
Elmo is a popular character on Sesame Street, known for his high-pitched voice and friendly demeanor.
Elmo's account is usually used for positive messages and has over 650,000 followers.
The hacking adds to recent incidents of anti-Jewish content issues on the platform X.
A new AI tool from the British company Synthesia can mimic regional UK accents more accurately than some other AI products. The tool, called Express-Voice, was developed using a database of UK voices and aims to preserve people's actual accents in various digital content. Concerns exist about losing language diversity and the potential misuse of advanced voice-cloning technology.
Key Facts
Synthesia, a UK firm, has created a voice-cloning tool called Express-Voice.
Express-Voice can mimic a wide range of UK regional accents.
The tool was developed by collecting voice data from people with different UK accents.
It is intended for use in training videos, sales support, and presentations.
Many AI voice products traditionally use North American voice data, making it harder to reproduce non-American accents.
The company says it addresses customer needs for accurate regional accent representation.
There are fears that digital technology might lead to the loss of diverse languages and accents.
Voice-cloning technology could be misused, as there are already free tools available that may lack safety protections.
Octopus Energy is producing heat pumps at a factory in Northern Ireland. The UK government aims to install 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028, but the country has not yet reached this goal. Demand for heat pumps grew in Europe after gas prices went up in 2022 but has slowed since gas became cheaper again.
Key Facts
Octopus Energy manufactures heat pumps in Craigavon, Northern Ireland.
Heat pumps use electricity instead of oil or gas, helping to reduce carbon emissions.
The UK government wants to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028.
UK sales of heat pumps were below 100,000 in 2024.
Demand increased in Europe after gas prices rose following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Octopus Energy's factory can produce 600 heat pumps monthly, with plans to double output.
Heat pumps absorb environmental heat, using a compressor and refrigerant to transfer warmth.
Octopus has a unique design and uses technology like insulation beads to improve efficiency.
The UK is resuming the processing of asylum claims from Syrians after more than seven months. This decision follows changes in Syria’s government and aims to handle asylum applications with accurate and reliable information. The UK hopes to enforce returns to Syria by the end of the year, following updated guidelines for assessing risks.
Key Facts
The UK paused Syrian asylum claims in December after a change in Syria's leadership.
Over 7,000 Syrians in the UK were waiting for decisions on their asylum claims.
The UK aims to start enforcing returns to Syria before the year ends.
Updated guidance helps officials decide on Syrian asylum claims.
The guidance states that uncertain security does not automatically qualify someone for asylum.
Decisions must consider the individual's specific risk of persecution.
The UK is gradually lifting sanctions on Syria.
The Refugee Council welcomes the move, emphasizing case-by-case assessments of risk.
The UK government is starting a scheme to make electric vehicles cheaper by offering discounts up to £3,750 on new cars that cost up to £37,000. These grants aim to encourage people to switch from petrol and diesel cars, and carmakers can apply for this funding starting soon. The initiative is part of a larger government plan to ban new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, but there are concerns about the current lack of charging points.
Key Facts
The UK government is offering up to £3,750 discounts on new electric cars.
Discounts apply to cars costing up to £37,000, with bigger cuts for eco-friendly models.
About 1.3 million electric cars are on UK roads, but there are only around 82,000 public charging points.
The government has budgeted £650 million for these discounts, running for three years.
The UK plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
Some people find the cost of upgrading home electricity connections for charging too expensive.
A new £63 million investment will help build more EV charging points in the UK.
The grants make electric cars cheaper than before, with added tax benefits for drivers using company car schemes.
Starting from July 14, Reddit will begin checking the ages of its users in the UK to prevent those under 18 from accessing mature content. This move is part of the UK's new Online Safety Act, which requires websites showing adult material to use strong age verification methods.
Key Facts
Reddit is starting age verification for UK users to stop under-18s from accessing adult content.
This change is to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act.
An outside company, Persona, will handle the age checks through a selfie or government ID photo.
Reddit will not see or keep the photos used for verification.
The policy starts on July 14 and helps Reddit follow new rules effective on July 25.
Companies not following these rules could face fines or other penalties from the UK regulator, Ofcom.
Superman had a successful debut at the box office during its opening weekend. Jeffrey Brown interviewed two film critics to discuss their favorite recent movies, including big releases, comedies, and smaller films as part of the CANVAS arts and culture series.
Key Facts
Superman is a highly anticipated movie that did well in its first weekend at theaters.
Jeffrey Brown, a journalist, spoke with two film critics about recent movies.
They discussed major film releases, comedies, and lesser-known movies.
This discussion is part of the CANVAS series, which covers arts and culture topics.
Ireland has started digging up the remains of up to 800 infants buried in a septic tank at a former home for unwed mothers. This home was known as part of the "Magdalene Laundries," where many young women were sent in the past.
Key Facts
The excavation is taking place in Ireland.
Up to 800 infant remains are expected to be found.
The remains are buried in a septic tank.
The site was a home for unwed mothers.
These homes were called "Magdalene Laundries."
The site has been under investigation for several years.
HBO's new documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" offers a detailed look at the life of musician Billy Joel. The film shares personal stories about Joel's career and personal life, featuring interviews with family, friends, and other famous musicians.
Key Facts
The documentary is in two parts and directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin.
It includes personal insights from Joel, his family, friends, and former bandmates.
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier in the year.
Joel discusses personal challenges, including an affair and attempts at suicide.
The documentary features stars like Paul McCartney, Pink, and Bruce Springsteen.
Key songs and their origins, like "Piano Man," are explored in the documentary.
Joel's past relationships and behaviors, such as heavy drinking, are discussed.
The documentary highlights his influence on music, with comments from top musicians.
President Trump is receiving criticism from both his supporters and opponents. The criticism is about how his administration has dealt with information about Jeffrey Epstein's death.
Key Facts
President Trump told his supporters not to focus on documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Some of Trump's supporters are upset with his approach.
Criticism is coming from both Trump’s supporters and those who oppose him.
The criticism is based on how the information about Jeffrey Epstein is being handled by the Trump administration.
Jeffrey Epstein was a financier who was involved in legal controversies.
Production has started on a new Harry Potter TV series by HBO. The first photo of Dominic McLaughlin dressed as Harry Potter has been released. The series aims to stay true to the books and is set to take about 10 years to complete.
Key Facts
HBO is making a new Harry Potter TV series.
Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry Potter in the series.
Other cast members include Rory Wilmot as Neville, Amos Kitson as Dudley, and John Lithgow as Dumbledore.
The show will be filmed at Warner Bros Studios in Hertfordshire, the same place as the Harry Potter movies.
The series is planned to stay true to the original books by JK Rowling.
The first series of the show will release in 2027.
Filming includes many staff who worked on "The Crown."
The series will give more time to explore book storylines compared to the films.
Customs officials in Germany found about 1,500 young tarantulas hidden in chocolate cake boxes at an airport. The spiders were in a package from Vietnam, and many did not survive. There is an ongoing investigation into violations of customs and animal-welfare rules.
Key Facts
Customs officials found about 1,500 young tarantulas at Cologne Bonn airport.
The spiders were hidden in plastic containers within chocolate spongecake boxes.
The package came from Vietnam and was detected due to an unusual smell.
Many tarantulas did not survive the journey.
Survivors were handed over to an expert for care.
This discovery is linked to possible violations of German animal-welfare laws.
Criminal proceedings are underway against the recipient for not declaring the shipment properly and not paying import duties.
The discovery occurred about three weeks ago, but was only recently made public.
Bitcoin's value hit a record $122,055, driven by anticipation of "Crypto Week" in the US, where lawmakers will discuss new cryptocurrency-related bills. These bills could establish clearer regulations for digital currencies, which some people in the industry believe are needed. The discussions may influence how easily crypto products can be launched and traded in the US.
Key Facts
Bitcoin reached a new high of $122,055 for the first time.
"Crypto Week" in the US will focus on debates about cryptocurrency regulations.
Three important bills will be discussed: the GENIUS Act, the Clarity Act, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act.
The GENIUS Act aims to clarify how digital currencies are categorized to reduce legal uncertainty.
The Clarity Act seeks to prevent federal agencies from overreaching their regulatory powers.
The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act would stop the Federal Reserve from creating a digital currency.
The sector's total market value is about $3.8 trillion.
Critics, including some Democrats, worry the new bills might favor the crypto industry too much.
A drone strike in Gaza, carried out by Israel, resulted in the deaths of 10 Palestinians at a water collection point. The Israeli military stated the strike missed its intended target due to a "technical error."
Key Facts
A drone strike by Israel occurred in Gaza.
10 Palestinians were killed in this strike.
The incident happened at a water collection point.
The Israeli military described the missed target as a result of a "technical error."
Jessica Dorsey, a professor, noted that Israel generally faces little accountability for its use of advanced weapons.
