The Int'l Man's Hot Links Archive 2022 (2): July 1 -

Hot Links Archive 2022 (2): July 1 -

August 14, 2022

• Coronavirus: A-Z - everything you need to know | Face Masks - "3500+ Coronavirus COVID-19 Advice, News & Resources." UPDATED DAILY!
• Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases - by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
• CORONAVIRUS GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TRACKER - "Governments are taking a wide range of measures in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This tool aims to track and compare policy responses around the world, rigorously and consistently."
• Tracking Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide - "At least 218 countries and territories have administered more than 10 billion doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, since the first Covid-19 case was reported in China in late 2019. Several different vaccines have been developed at record speed, in large part due to years of research on related viruses and billions of dollars in investment."
• Climate Change - "Check out all about climate change: 1100+ evidence, facts, information, news, reviews and resources."
• Our world in data - "Research & data to make progress against the world’s largest problems."
• today's best deals at Amazon.com - over 100,000 results.
• Monkeypox - "Advice, Facts, News & Resources."
• Ukraine war live - "Live coverage of the all the latest developments in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine."
• THIS WEEK'S ACRONYM - RTD.
• THIS WEEK'S TWO BUZZWORDS - PAJAMA RICH.
• A disastrous megaflood is coming to California, experts say - "It could be the most expensive natural disaster in history."
• Europe’s rivers run dry as scientists warn drought could be worst in 500 years - "Crops, power plants, barge traffic, industry and fish populations devastated by parched waterways."
• Vanuatu, one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, launches ambitious climate plan - "The Pacific country has committed to 100% renewable energy in electricity generation by 2030."
• Climate activists fill golf holes with cement after water ban exemption - "Climate activists in southern France have filled golf course holes with cement to protest against the exemption of golf greens from water bans amid the country's severe drought."
• Why Steve Jobs Chose This Designer’s Turtlenecks - "The real beginning of the fashion-technology love affair and its legacy lies with Issey Miyake, who died last week."
• Howard Carter stole Tutankhamun’s treasure, new evidence suggests - "100 years after the discovery of the tomb of the boy king, a previously unpublished letter backs up long-held suspicions."
• 'The Netflix effect': Why Western women are heading to South Korea in search of love - "Hit Korean television shows like "Crash Landing on You" and "Goblin," were selling more than men with beautiful faces and chiseled bodies like their stars Hyun Bin and Gong Yoo. They were offering a glimpse into a world where men were romantic and patient, an antithesis to what the women saw as the sex-obsessed dating culture of their home countries."
• Sean Bean: ‘I used to read scripts from the end to see if I was still in them’ - "The actor, who is about to star opposite Nicola Walker in new BBC drama Marriage, talks about chemistry, crying and being killed off."
• Bryan Cranston On Breaking Into The Spirits Industry - "The Breaking Bad star on why he started the Dos Hombres mezcal brand with costar Aaron Paul, how their chemistry changed after the series, and how they’re giving back to the community where it’s produced in Oaxaca, Mexico."
• What forensic testing reveals about revolver in on-set Actor Alec Baldwin 'Rust' shooting - "The gun used in the fatal shooting on the 'Rust' movie set could not have been fired without pulling the trigger, according to an FBI forensic report obtained Friday by ABC News."
• 28 Iconic Photographs of Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco - "It is easy to describe Grace Kelly’s life as a fairytale: she was a one of the great beauties - and talents - of the Golden Age of Hollywood before leaving California behind to marry the dashing Prince Rainier of Monaco. Yet it’s a notion that Princess Grace herself dismissed: 'The idea of my life as a fairy tale is itself a fairy tale,' she once said."
• Unique Cartier ‘Cheich’ Watch Could Fetch $400,000 In Sotheby’s Paris Auction - "It will appear in public for the first time in 40 years as the top lot in Sotheby’s Paris Fine Watches auction. Online bidding will open September 16 with the final live sale on September 30. This hybrid bidding model has been used by the auction house since the coronavirus pandemic. Its estimate is $200,000 - $400,000."
• Bohemia Beach Is Having Another Day in the Sun - "Three recent books revisit the Outer Cape, long an inspiration for writers like Mary McCarthy, who lampooned the area as 'the seacoast of Bohemia.'"
• Kanye West's 1-of-1 Goyard "Robot Face" Backpack Surfaces for US$100,000 - "Bought in 2010 with Amber Rose in tow, the custom piece now finds itself on Justin Reed’s website again."

August 13, 2022

• FBI removed highly classified documents from Mar-a-Lago - "Judge unseals Trump Mar-a-Lago search warrant."
• 3 ways to know if you need a monkeypox vaccine & how to get one, according to experts - "The monkeypox vaccine Jynneos is in short supply in the US. Monkeypox is not as infectious as COVID, and vaccination is only being recommended for certain groups of people right now. Here's how to know if you qualify, and where to get jabbed if you do."
• Ecovado could be a greener alternative to 'green gold' - "Our love of avocados comes at a significant cost to the environment: approximately 2,000 liters of water are used to grow just one kilogram of avocados, while forests are cleared to make space for avocado trees. That's why London-based researcher and designer Arina Shokouhi decided to develop an eco-friendly avocado alternative. Called the 'Ecovado'."
• Take a global tour of the world's best frozen treats - "Whether it's in Asia, Europe, the United States or South America, it's safe to say that the frozen treat tends to be a favorite indulgence for anyone of any age, though it's hard not to picture a child holding a cone on a hot day, with the melting substance dripping down their arm."
• The 'lipstick index' says people buy more makeup when times get tough - "Here's where it comes from - and whether it can really predict a recession. The lipstick index is the theory that sales of 'affordable luxuries' rise during economic downturns. The phrase was coined in the early 2000s by Leonard Lauder, heir to Estée Lauder cosmetics. It played out during the 2008 recession and the pandemic, and it seems to be happening now too."
• Anne Heche - a life in pictures - "The US actor and director has died at the age of 53, a week after a car crash in LA."
• Streaming: the best Marilyn Monroe films - "Ahead of Netflix’s biopic of the Hollywood star, what better time to catch up on her deft, joyous screen performances, from Some Like It Hot to The Misfits."
• New super yacht goes up in flames off Spain - "The recently-delivered 44m super yacht Aria has been destroyed by fire off the coast of Formentera, Spain. The 20 million-euro vessel belonged to Italian motor parts tycoon Paolo Scudieri, who is the Ambassador for Tourism of Monaco."
• How to pick the best MacBook so you’re not overspending for what you don’t need - "Apple has five MacBook computers to choose from, which might be a little daunting if you’re in the market for a new laptop as we hit back-to-school season. There’s the new MacBook Air, for example, but Apple also sells its older 2020 MacBook Air. Then there are three different MacBook Pro computers to pick from."
• iOS 16: The complete guide to the next big iPhone update - "iOS 16 was announced at WWDC in June. Here's what you need to know about the new features, release date, and compatibility."
• The Latest iOS 16 Beta Update Brings Back This Much-Missed Feature to the iPhone - "You'll once again be able to check out your iPhone's battery percentage in the status bar - from anywhere on your device."
• How to Unlock an iPhone Without a Passcode - "Learn how to unlock an iPhone without a passcode before you're stuck. You never know when these methods will come in handy."
• Why you should really stop charging your phone overnight - "Do you plug in your phone every night right before you go to bed? Here's what you should be doing instead."
• Apple Watch Series 8: Apple May Have Just Revealed Its Brilliant Upgrade - "The next Apple Watch is expected to launch in September, with a record three new models planned, it’s believed. Now, a patent which has emerged with remarkable timeliness shows a body temperature sensor which has been predicted to be the key upgrade in this year’s models."
• WEMO’S STAGE SCENE CONTROLLER IS THE LIGHT SWITCH EVOLVED - "A souped-up smart button for Apple’s HomeKit smart home. Enter the Belkin Wemo Stage Scene Controller with Thread for Apple HomeKit. An elegant and reliable way to use physical controls to run your smart home, this $50 smart switch can do much more than a standard switch. Tap one of its three buttons to control any connected HomeKit device - from opening the shades and playing the radio to locking the front door and turning on smart lights. Even better, one press can do all these things at once, and a second press can turn it all off. See if your standard Decora can do that."

August 12, 2022

• Report that FBI sought nuclear documents sharpens Trump showdown with Justice Department - "A report that FBI agents searched for classified documents related to nuclear weapons at Donald Trump's Florida resort could explain the urgency of the unprecedented operation at the home of an ex-President and takes his showdown with the Justice Department to a grave new level."
• Donald Trump does not oppose US bid to unseal Mar-a-Lago search warrant - "In a statement, Mr Trump said he was encouraging its 'immediate release' - but repeated his claim the search was unnecessary and politically motivated."
• Zaporizhzhia nuclear workers: We're kept at gunpoint by Russians - "Staff at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have described to the BBC being kept at gunpoint while Russian troops use it as a military base."
• CDC ends recommendations for social distancing & quarantine for Covid-19 control, no longer recommends test-to-stay in schools - "In new guidelines released Thursday, the agency no longer recommends staying at least 6 feet away from other people to reduce the risk of exposure - a shift from guidance that had been in place since the early days of the pandemic."
• How do you manage Omicron BA.5 symptoms, including a sore throat? - "While a sore throat has always been a symptom of Covid, experts said that it is becoming more common, and sometimes more severe, with the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron - now, the dominant strain of Covid in the United States."
• Three cases of monkeypox in Monaco - "Monaco’s health authorities have reacted quickly to the appearance of monkeypox in the Principality, and an ‘adequate’ stock of vaccine has been obtained."
• 'I am a different person after having monkeypox' - "The 'traumatic experience' of US monkeypox patients. The US declared monkeypox a public health emergency late last week. It follows weeks of concern that more needs to be done to contain the virus."
• Even low levels of air pollution can damage health, study finds - "US researchers looked at Canada to see how people in cleanest areas were still experiencing ill health."
• Is dark chocolate really good for you? - "We've long been told that chocolate isn't good for us. But the darker the bar, the more surprisingly good it could be for health."
• The Tom Collins Is The Most Refreshing Way To Drink Gin - "What’s not to love about a simple, classic cocktail like the Tom Collins? It’s basically a spiked and sparkling lemonade, served in a Collins glass, obviously, which immediately inducts it into the summer cocktail hall of fame. This fizzy cocktail is as old as it is iconic, having made its first appearance in print in 1876 in the Bar-Tender’s Guide by famed father of American mixology Jerry Thomas. It hasn’t changed much since its inception, meaning that it's probably perfect the way it is."
• 20 of the most beautiful villages in Italy - "Fabulous food, amazing art, rich language, dramatic and gorgeous landscapes - we all know what makes Italy so special. Perhaps best of all are the scenic small towns and villages, where it's possible to enjoy all these while surrounded by picturesque coastline, mountains, valleys, rivers or volcanoes."
• Twilight of the A-list: has the 21st century killed off the movie star? - "Brad Pitt’s new film is fizzling out. Meryl Streep is doing TV. Only Tom Cruise fills cinemas - and, in the age of superheroes and streaming, his days may be numbered. So, what does the future hold for Hollywood’s big beasts?"
• Luxury watches: Entry-level is the new battleground - "It’s not enough to rely on the loyalty of the wealthiest customers. Swiss watchmakers and luxury brands are working hard to develop entry-price watches for a new generation of customers."
• The surprising benefits of gossip - "Gossip is often dismissed as universally bad. But little moments of chatter can make a big impact."
• How a Sleep Scientist Falls Asleep - "A sleep expert shares her tips to prepare for a restful night."
• The A380's biggest supporter is asking Airbus to build a new super jumbo - "The A380 super jumbo has many supporters around the world, but none quite as vocal and powerful as Tim Clark, the president of Emirates, by far the largest operator of the aircraft. The Dubai-based airline purchased nearly half of all A380s ever produced and now has 118 in its fleet, about 80 of which are currently flying."
• The Gabon woman who went from teacher to bamboo bike maker - "Walking for miles to get to school put huge strain on her pupils - particularly the women - so Grace Mabika decided to make pedal power accessible for all."
• The best iPad accessories you can get right now - "Make your iPad work harder for you with a few accoutrements."
• HOW NOKIA RINGTONES BECAME THE FIRST VIRAL EARWORMS - The Verge.

August 11, 2022

• Elon Musk's antics may finally be catching up to him - "It seems the Elon Musk mystique - whatever combination of wealth, carefully cultivated charm and A-plus lawyers that have helped him emerge unscathed from countless scandals - is starting to unravel. Here's the deal: Federal regulators just announced that Musk's private space tourism company, SpaceX, will no longer receive nearly $900 million in subsidies that it was awarded last year because the company 'failed to demonstrate that [it] could deliver' the internet service it promised."
• Never Before in American History: The F.B.I. Searches a Former President’s Home - "The search of former President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is a high-risk gamble by the Justice Department, but Mr. Trump faces risks of his own."
• Can eating fish ever be sustainable? - "Finding sustainable seafood can be complex. Jocelyn Timperley digs into out how to make the most environmentally-friendly choices."
• Vegetarian women more likely to fracture hips in later life, study shows - "Research suggests some vegetarians may not get sufficient nutrients for good bone and muscle health."
• Nights are getting way too hot to handle - "It’s a ‘neglected’ climate risk, researchers say. Summer nights are getting increasingly dangerous thanks to climate change. By 2100, the risk of death from excessively hot nights is expected to grow six-fold compared to 2016 - even under the most optimistic predictions of future global warming, according to a new study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health."
• Let's talk about Covid-19 boosters - "There's been a lot of talk about Covid-19 booster shots in recent weeks. It makes sense - with colder months just around the corner in the northern hemisphere, public health authorities across the world are getting ready for a potential spike in coronavirus cases."
• North Korea leader Kim Jong-un 'suffered fever' during Covid outbreak, says sister - "North Korea's Kim Jong-un suffered from 'fever' during the Covid pandemic, his sister has said - in what appears to be the first suggestion he had the virus."
• China overtakes the US in scientific research output - "Between 2018 and 2020 China published 23.4% of the world’s scientific papers, eclipsing the US."
• Russian billionaire daring to speak out about Putin - "Boris Mints is one of a few rich Russian businesspeople to speak out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin."
• Crypto is making a comeback - "Is the crypto winter finally over? (And in the scorching heat of summer no less?) Bitcoin prices have stabilized around the $23,000 to $24,000 level after plunging below $20,000 in June."
• WhatsApp is letting us slink off with dignity intact, at last - "On Tuesday, WhatsApp announced new privacy features that will allow users to leave group chats without sending notifications to all members - and to control who sees when they are active on the app. These features are a reminder to all of us that we need to be more thoughtful about the ways in which we're letting technology control our lives."
• Change These Default Settings & Be Happier With Your Tech - "Simple steps can make your smartphone, computer and TV work better for you."
• Coke's latest bizarre flavor is here - "Coca-Cola's latest experimental, limited-time flavor is here. It's called ... wait for it ... Dreamworld. And it tastes like ... dreams?"
• Domino's tried to sell pizza to Italians. It failed - "Seven years after its debut in the country, the American pizza giant has formally shut its stores after it failed to win over locals who preferred homegrown options, according to a report by Milano Today."
• The 'pasta revolution' sweeping Italy - "Cacio e pepe en vessie: A new (old) twist on cacio e pepe. On the shores of Lake Garda, Italian chef Riccardo Camanini is bringing ancient Italian recipes - like cacio e pepe - into the modern day at his restaurant Lido 84."
• 6 Fall Denim Trends We're About to See Everywhere - "Fall is coming in hot and so are the new fall denim trends that will have a hold on the season to come. While jeans are 100% the mainstays in our closets, they're certainly not immune to the ebb and flow of the trend cycle. The big themes to know? Jeans are getting longer and baggier, waistlines are dipping lower, and the proclivity towards the early aughts is only growing stronger."
• How Bolivia’s ruthless tin baron saved thousands of Jewish refugees - "He has been described as ‘the worst kind of businessman’, but we now know that industrialist Moritz Hochschild also rescued as many as 20,000 Jews from the Nazis."
• Tehran museum unveils western art masterpieces hidden for decades - "‘Deviant’ works by artists including Picasso and Warhol return to display at exhibition in Iranian capital."
• Why Glenmorangie Rebranded - "When LVMH purchased Scottish whisky distillery Glenmorangie in 2004, for a cool for £300 million ($362 million), it didn’t seem entirely in-line with the company’s portfolio. While the Moët Hennessy empire was already packed with many award-winning and respected liquids, Glenmorangie felt a tad, well, traditional, in comparison. And it showed in the numbers; profits fell as the blended companies found their flow—only to be lifted after a minor rebrand in 2007."
• Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a fashion-forward foldable with minor improvements - "Still flipping, still $999."
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 hands-on: It's what you don't see that makes the difference - "This year, Samsung’s focusing on refining the Z series, and that’s not a bad thing."
• Galaxy Watch 5 & Watch 5 Pro hands-on: Barely-there updates (& one new design) - "Besides the debut of the larger Pro edition, little about the Galaxy Watch 5 line feels new."

August 10, 2022

• 60% of European Union & UK land is now facing drought conditions - "An area bigger than Alaska and Texas combined - is under either drought warnings or alerts, according to the European Drought Observatory."
• Bill Gates: We’re on the Verge of a Remarkable Moment for Congress & the Country - "Mr. Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, is also the founder of Breakthrough Energy and the author of 'How to Avoid a Climate Disaster'."
• China battles Covid outbreaks in tourism hubs of Tibet & Hainan - "Mass testing in Tibetan cities of Lhasa and Shigatse after 21 infections, as millions are put under lockdown in tropical Hainan and tourists stranded."
• Newly identified Langya virus tracked after China reports dozens of cases - "Virus, which causes symptoms including fever, fatigue, cough, loss of appetite and muscle aches, is believed to have spread from animals to humans."
• Olivia Newton-John's most fashionable moments, from red carpets to music videos - "he enduring image of Olivia Newton-John may always be one of permed hair, bare shoulders and black spandex on the set of 'Grease'. But the late actress and singer, who died Monday aged 73, was a fashion icon before - and long after - the blockbuster musical."
• France whale: Rescue operation begins to save beluga stuck in Seine - "A beluga whale stranded in the Seine river in France has been lifted from the water in the first stage of an ambitious rescue operation. The four-metre (13ft) whale - a protected species usually found in much colder Arctic waters - was stuck in the river, north-west of Paris, for a week."
• Homes needed for 4,000 beagles rescued from breeder in US - "Nearly 4,000 beagles are looking for new homes after what is thought to be one of the biggest ever dog rescue efforts in the US. The dogs were being bred at a facility in Virginia that then sold them on to laboratories for drug experiments."
• What it's like on the world's shortest flight - "The journey, made two to three times daily, connects Westray, an island on the edge of Scotland's northerly Orkney archipelago, to the smaller, even more remote island of Papa Westray. This, according to Guinness World Records, is the world's shortest scheduled airline service, a trip that covers just 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) in less time than it takes most passenger airplanes to reach cruising altitude. On a good day, with favorable winds and light luggage, it takes 53 seconds."
• Swapping salt for substitutes reduces risk of stroke & heart conditions - study - "High blood pressure contributes to around half of all heart attacks and strokes in the UK."
• The language that doesn't use 'no' - "Nepal's Kusunda language has no known origin and a number of quirks, like no words for 'yes' or 'no'. It also has only one fluent speaker left, something linguists are racing to change."
• A good year for Champagne - drought problem elsewhere - "The Champagne region is set for a good harvest with output seen above the five-year average, helped by rainfall in June and limited vine disease, it said."
• SAMSUNG’S ALL ALONE AT THE FOLDABLE PARTY - "Four years into folding phones and Samsung is the king of the party."

August 9, 2022

• ‘The new normal’: how Europe is being hit by a climate-driven drought crisis - "Water shortages across the continent, from France through Italy, Spain and beyond, are creating a critical situation."
• FBI executes search warrant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago in document investigation - "The FBI executed a search warrant Monday at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, as part of an investigation into the handling of presidential documents, including classified documents, that may have been brought there, three people familiar with the situation told CNN."
• Photos show handwritten notes that Trump apparently ripped up and attempted to flush down toilet - "Newly revealed photographs reveal two occasions on which former President Donald Trump apparently flushed documents down the toilet. Maggie Haberman, a New York Times reporter and CNN contributor, is publishing the new images in her forthcoming book, 'Confidence Man,' and the images were earlier posted by Axios. CNN has previously reported how Trump flouted presidential record-keeping laws and would often tear up documents, drafts and memos after reading them."
• 'Grease' co-stars, friends & fans pay tribute to Olivia Newton-John - "Hollywood icons joined fans worldwide to mourn the loss of Olivia Newton-John, the Australian singer and 'Grease' star, who died Monday at her ranch in Southern California at age 73."
• Dame Olivia Newton-John obituary - "Singer and actor with a girl-next-door reputation whose career rocketed after her starring role as Sandy in Grease."
• Olivia Newton-John: a life & career in pictures - "The singer, actor and activist has died at the age of 73. One of the world’s best-selling recording artists, she achieved global recognition in 1978 playing Sandy in the film adaptation of Grease. We look back at her life and career."
• Issey Miyake: Japanese fashion designer dies aged 84 - "Known for his innovative styles and perfume, Miyake built a global fashion brand, which included designing Steve Jobs' famous black turtle neck jumpers." Miyake was asked by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to design his iconic turtle neck jumpers and reportedly made 100 of them, at $175 each.
• The September issue is here! - VOGUE.
• The Richest Countries In The World: Tiny Luxembourg At The Top - "Most of the countries at the top of a new list of the wealthiest in the world are not among the biggest or the mightiest. Many, in fact, are among the smallest: Consider Luxembourg, which tops the list published by Global Finance. Singapore, Ireland, Qatar, Macao and Switzerland follow the world’s only grand duchy. The indicators of a nation’s wealth can vary from one ranking to another - thus the differences among them - but often include a country’s Gross Domestic Product, or GDP (goods and services produced by a country during one year), the GDP per capita (the average amount of money that each person in a country earns in a year) or the gross national income, or GNI."
• Just 2 Minutes of Walking After a Meal Is Surprisingly Good for you - "A new paper suggests that it takes far less exercise than was previously thought to lower blood sugar after eating."
• Earth broke the record for the shortest day since atomic clocks were invented - "If you feel like there's less time in the day, you're correct. Our planet's rotation measured in at 1.59 milliseconds short of the normal 24-hour day on June 29, according to the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, an organization in charge of global timekeeping."
• It’s official: Monaco’s air quality currently ‘poor’ - "The main cause of the poor air quality is ground-level ozone, a combination of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) heated by sunshine. VOCs are found in petrol. The main source of the pollutant is vehicle exhausts."
• The Best - & Most Anticipated - TV Shows of 2022 - VOGUE.
• The Problem With Wine Bottles - "They may be a perfect container for aging wine, but glass bottles contribute enormously to climate change."
• Billionaires are funding a massive treasure hunt in Greenland as ice vanishes - "A band of billionaires, including Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates, among others, is betting that below the surface of the hills and valleys on Greenland's Disko Island and Nuussuaq Peninsula there are enough critical minerals to power hundreds of millions of electric vehicles."
• I won the $1.6BILLION Powerball lottery jackpot - here is how I picked my numbers to scoop 1 in 292 million win - "A woman who won the $1.6billion Powerball lottery jackpot has revealed how she picked her lucky numbers."
• Why I'll Never Travel Without an Apple AirTag in My luggage again - "I used a $29 Apple AirTag to track my luggage on 2 buses and a plane and I'll never travel without one again."
• 20 Years at 30,000 Feet: A Flight Attendant Answers Readers' questions - "Does the cabin crew ever get scared in the air? Is there a secret flight attendant code? How do I survive a flight with my toddler? An industry insider answers."
• Why nothing lives forever - "Why do we die?"
• 26 Underrated Fashion Stars Who Deserve All the Praise - "What makes such an icon, you ask? That would be someone who’s not only cultivated a signature fashion look and stuck to it over the years, but also someone who has never made their outfits feel stale or too repetitive in the process." VOGUE.
• Average Pull-Up & Chin-Up By Weight, Gender & Experience Level - "Check out the average one-rep max pull-up and chin-up for your weight and how you stack up against your peers."
• 23 Best EDC Backpacks: Top Everyday Carry Bags For Men - "The best everyday backpacks serve as a compact home away from home. Inside are all your everyday essentials - everything you need to stay on the move from morning ‘til evening."
• Peter McKinnon’s Swiss Army Camera Tool - "Peter McKinnon’s Nifty Camera Tool." The multi-purpose tool is equipped with everything you would need to efficiently manage your camera out in the field in a compact, lightweight and stealthy Swiss army knife designed package.
• Anne Heche remains in critical condition as police continue to investigate her car crash - "Investigators obtained a warrant for a blood draw on the day of the incident. They are still awaiting those results, Hernandez said. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be referred to the LA City Attorney's office, Hernandez added."
• Brad Pitt has 'secret list' of Hollywood actors he will never work with again - "Hollywood star Brad Pitt allegedly keeps a top secret list of the 's**t actors' he refuses to film with - according to his Bullet Train co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson."
• Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Stopped Body Building & Became An Actor - "Arnold Schwarzenegger's transition from body building to acting may seem clandestine, but the reason for his career change is actually quite simple."
• Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk: ‘Without CPR I’d have been dead in minutes’ - "Actor opens up about on-set heart attack and reunion with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul ahead of Breaking Bad prequel’s finale."
• Dramatic photos cast Europe's ancient castles in a new light - "In his latest book, 'Stone Age: Ancient Castles of Europe,' writer and photographer Frédéric Chaubin set out to disrupt the familiar stereotypes, using prose and photography to link the medieval with the Modernist."
• Inside one of Hawaii's most photographed homes - "A vacation home in Hawaii that Justin Bieber rented for two weeks in 2015 at $10,000 per night for his entourage is headed to the auction block August 15 with a $5.99 million reserve, meaning the minimum price the seller is willing to accept for the home."
• Take a tour of Michael Jordan's Chicago mansion that's been on the market for 10 years & why he can't sell it - "Michael Jordan has tried to sweeten the pot by cutting the price nearly in half and throwing in a complete set of Air Jordans with the purchase of the house."
• WhatsApp: Mark Zuckerberg reveals new privacy features - "Users will be able to leave group chats silently, control who can see their online status and block screenshots on View Once messages."
• Battery percentage finally returns to iOS 16 & it’s hideous - "Apple released the iOS 16 beta 5 today and with it comes the long-awaited return of battery percentage to the status bar. Unfortunately, it’s ugly as hell and unreadable to boot."
• How to Use Lockdown Mode in iOS 16 to Make Your Phone More Secure - "Whether you want to turn off link previews or block unwanted FaceTime calls, here's what you need to know. Lockdown Mode is disabled by default but can be enabled on an iPhone by going to Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Lockdown Mode."

August 8, 2022

• Now should I worry about monkeypox? Our medical analyst explains - "Monkeypox is spreading in the United States and around the world. There are at least 26,000 infections documented in over 80 countries. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting more than 6,600 infections, just two months after monkeypox was first detected in this outbreak, and on Thursday, the Biden administration officially declared monkeypox to be a public health emergency in the United States."
• Why Extreme Heat Is So Bad for the Human Body - "Heatstroke happens when the body reaches a core temperature of at least 104° F, which can lead to organ failure, brain damage, and even death."
• Another court case fails to unlock the mystery of bitcoin’s Satoshi Nakamoto - "As Craig Wright’s legal tussles pile up, the world is no closer to knowing who the currency’s inventor really is."
• Tesla shares are about to get a lot cheaper with three-for-one stock split - "Tesla officially announced a three-for-one stock split, meaning the company's stock price - which has jockeyed between $600 and $1,000 for a year - is about to get more affordable for investors. The stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on August 25th."
• International Cat Day - "Celebration which takes place on 8 August of every year. It was created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. It is a day to raise awareness for cats and learn about ways to help and protect them."
• Discovered in the deep: meet Casper the ghostly octopus - "First spotted in Hawaii in 2016 more than two miles beneath the surface, scientists are slowly learning the cephalopod’s secrets."
• Siri or Skynet? How to separate AI fact from fiction - "Determining the way artificial intelligence is used and governed will be one of the century’s key political battlegrounds. Here’s what everyone needs to know."
• London museum to return 72 Benin treasures to Nigeria - "Horniman museum is first government-funded institution to hand back artefacts looted by British forces in 1897."
• What should I do if my luggage is delayed, lost or damaged? - "A recent report from the US Department of Transportation shows an increase in the number of "mishandled" bags. (Any baggage that is lost, damaged, delayed or pilfered is considered mishandled.) In May 2021, 0.38 out of 100 bags enplaned were mishandled. That figure went up to 0.56 per 100 bags enplaned in May 2022."
• ‘There’s a raw energy’: Hydra, artists’ haven, still casts its spell - "The Greek island has attracted creatives for over 8o years, from Henry Miller to Leonard Cohen and Jeff Koons."
• Europe's remote, lost-in-time villages - "Life in Târnava Mare has barely changed in centuries, offering a precious insight into the age-old traditions that are still going strong in its Saxon villages."
• How This Luxury Vacation Club Anticipates Your Every Desire - "In addition to luxe residences and amenities, Exclusive Resorts pairs families with a personal ambassador to ensure each vacation is a one-of-a-kind experience."
• Everything We Know About The White Lotus Season Two - "The second season will be titled White Lotus: Sicily and will feature a new cast."
• Netflix was overvalued, now it's becoming what it's always been - "Netflix is not in deep trouble. It's becoming a media company."
• The Best Copper Pots & Pans to Add to Your Cookware Collection - "It's time to upgrade your stockpots and saucepans to something with a little more flair - enter copper and its lightning fast heating capabilities."
• 11 Best Tennis Sweaters to Wear On & Off the Court - "If tennis skirts were the wardrobe must-have of summer, then these knits will no doubt be the trend of fall."
• Girlbosses: The women being demonised on screen - "Few stereotypes are more derided than the 'girlboss', a term used to refer to women focusing on self-empowerment at others' expense. Now, from TV shows like HBO's Industry and Succession to films like I Care A Lot and Don't Look Up, popular culture is weighing in, says Laura Martin."
• THE FIRST THREAD MOTION SENSOR ADDS MUCH-NEEDED RELIABILITY TO THE SMART HOME - "A smart home without sensors and automations is basically a remote-controlled home. Using your voice or an app to turn lights on isn’t much easier (and in some cases is harder) than flicking on a light switch. Smart is when lights just turn on as you walk into a room. But when you walk in and they don’t turn on, that’s worse. This common smart home frustration is something the Eve Motion Sensor ($39.99), with its shiny new Thread protocol on board, promises to fix."

August 7, 2022

• There’s Just One Drug to Treat Monkeypox. Good Luck Getting It - "Doctors who want to prescribe tecovirimat, or Tpoxx, must navigate a gantlet of bureaucratic hurdles that experts say could be quickly lifted."
• Biden tests negative for Covid after 'rebound' case - "US President Joe Biden has tested negative for Covid-19 days after getting a second bout of the virus, his doctor says."
• Covid lockdown strands 80,000 tourists in 'China's Hawaii' - "Around 80,000 tourists are stranded in the popular resort city of Sanya on China's tropical Hainan island after authorities announced lockdown measures to stem an outbreak of Covid-19."
• Zaporizhzhia: Real risk of nuclear disaster in Ukraine - watchdog - "The warning comes amid reports of Russian shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. The UN's nuclear watchdog has called for an immediate end to any military action near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, warning of a 'very real risk of a nuclear disaster'."
• A Harvard nutritionist shares the No. 1 food she eats every morning to help her brain ‘stay sharp’ & ‘age well’ - "Eating the right 'brain-boosting foods' can significantly decrease your risk of developing neurological problems, improve your mental health, and help you stay sharp and focused."
• 10 moves, 10 minutes & no equipment to build ab muscle & core strength - "This bodyweight abs workout only takes 10 minutes to train your core and improve stability."
• Tiffany's sells out custom Cryptopunk 'NFTiff' pendants for $50,000 each - "On Friday, Tiffany & Co debuted and quickly sold out a limited collection of 250 custom jewel-encrusted pendants for holders of CryptoPunks, a popular early non-fungible token collection."
• It's the little things: The only pan every cook needs - "I have a kitchen stuffed to the rafters with all sorts of cookware. As a professional recipe developer and food writer, I can claim it's for work. But my cast-iron skillet is the pan I use more often than any other. A cast-iron pan is one of the most versatile and reliable pieces of kitchen equipment for any cook, and unlike most electronic kitchen must-haves, it can last for generations. (I'm looking at you, air fryer.)"
• How Swatch Went From Disrupter To Iconic Brand - "There's no such thing as having too many Swatches - and trust us, there are plenty to choose from."
• Visualizing Which Countries Drink the Most Beer - "Where do people drink the most beer? China ranks number one due to its sheer size, and the Czech Republic comes out on top, per capita."
• Passengers should 'avoid' 2 items of clothing for free upgrade 'Will enhance your chances' - "Travel experts at Forbes Advisor shared their advice on how to increase the chances of being upgraded on a flight including what passengers should wear to impress the crew."
• Photographer transforms into eclectic characters inspired by thrifted nametags - "British fashion photographer and director Nadia Lee Cohen's self-portrait series imagines 33 different characters and their posessions based on nametags she collected at thrift shops and flea markets."
• BEST EDC DESIGNS YOU NEED IN YOUR TOOLBOX - "EDCs are the living embodiment of 'big things come in small packages'. EDCs are the kind of smart little tools that are always great to have in your backpack or tool kit. You never know when one of them could come to your rescue, helping you out of the trickiest situation, or to even pop open a bottle of beer, when you need to unwind after work. These little superheroes can make a world of difference while completing tasks - whether big or small. And, we’ve curated the best EDC designs we’ve seen in a while! From a fully-functioning balisong-style pocket knife to a unique bottle opener inspired by Chinese architecture - these are the EDC designs you definitely need by your side."
• Werner Herzog: ‘I was never, contrary to rumours, a hazard-seeking, crazy stuntman’ - "The German director, famed for making films about people at the fringes of society, has written a novel about another one: a Japanese soldier who carried on fighting the second world war for 29 years after it ended."
• Actor Anne Heche reportedly in critical condition after car crash in Los Angeles - "Collision near the home of actor known for films including Donnie Brasco left her vehicle ‘engulfed in flames’."
• Discoveries in Pompeii reveal lives of lower & middle classes - "Archaeologists are enriching our knowledge about those who were ‘vulnerable class during political crises and food shortages’."

August 6, 2022

• Top scientist admits 'space telescope image' was actually a slice of chorizo - "A French scientist has apologized after tweeting a photo of a slice of chorizo, claiming it was an image of a distant star taken by the James Webb Space Telescope."
• Why Monkeypox Vaccine Shortage May Threaten the Immunocompromised - "People with H.I.V. and other immune-system problems may need the full two-dose regimen, researchers say. But the shots, particularly second doses, are hard to come by."
• Water restrictions to be tightened in France - "Christophe Béchu, France’s Minister of Ecological Transition, said on Friday that more than 100 municipalities have no natural water supplies and are being provisioned by water tankers."
• Climate Crisis Chronicles, Vol. 1 - "‘How do you even begin to fight a fire that big?’"
• In Defense of Daydreaming - "Letting your mind wander can benefit the brain, researchers say."
• What the 'golden age' of flying was really like - "Cocktail lounges, five course meals, caviar served from ice sculptures and an endless flow of champagne: life on board airplanes was quite different during the "golden age of travel," the period from the 1950s to the 1970s that is fondly remembered for its glamor and luxury."
• The diamond-inspired superyacht concept with an on-board 'waterfall' - "Real diamonds shouldn't float in water. But this brilliant new superyacht concept with an on board cinema, helipad and three integrated pools, is clearly an exception to the rule. Designed by Italian studio Gabriele Teruzzi Yachts & Design, the Stella del Sud concept was inspired by the famous Cartier 128 carat diamond it takes its name from."
• 'Bring me his head' - the spy sent to get Bin Laden - "Obituary: Gary Schroen, the CIA spy sent to get Osama Bin Laden. On 19 September, 2001 - with the ruins of the World Trade Center and Pentagon still smouldering from the 9/11 attacks - CIA officer Gary Schroen stepped into his boss's office and received a set of orders: 'Capture Bin Laden, kill him, and bring his head back in a box on dry ice'."
• Beaches, mountains, ancient towns & low prices? Albania has it all - "Depsite its dark 20th-century past, the country is now a traveller’s paradise of amazing landscapes, coast and historic cities."
• Amazon bought iRobot to see inside your home - "With Roomba’s maps, Amazon’s vision of ambient intelligence in the smart home is suddenly attainable."
• Stream These 9 Titles Before They Leave Netflix in August - "Of the many movies leaving the streaming service for U.S. subscribers this month, these are the ones most worth checking out."
• A.I. Is Not Sentient. Why Do People Say It Is? - "Robots can’t think or feel, despite what the researchers who build them want to believe."
• Social capital: measurement & associations with economic mobility - "Social capital - the strength of an individual’s social network and community - has been identified as a potential determinant of outcomes ranging from education to health."

August 5, 2022

• One miscalculation away from nuclear holocaust - "'Humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation,' United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres said this week."
• how climate breakdown is supercharging toll of extreme weather - "Guardian analysis shows human-caused global heating is driving more frequent and deadly disasters across the planet, in most comprehensive compilation to date."
• Scorched Britain: the July heatwave in pictures - "With July 2022 being one of the driest on record, we look at how the country has been affected."
• Something is making the Earth spin faster & days shorter - "A negative leap second may be needed to correct clocks, but Meta believes that could be 'devastating.'"
• "Don't Blame Me": Taylor Swift Rep Refutes Private Jet Usage Claims - "A representative for the singer says her Dassault Falcon 7X is often on loan. Thus, blaming Swift for its emissions is 'blatantly incorrect.'"
• Monkeypox: US declares outbreak a public health emergency - "The decision will speed up the distribution of vaccines, treatments and federal resources to curb the spread of the virus. Cases have topped 6,600 in the US, according to health officials."
• What puts someone at risk of catching monkeypox? - "As monkeypox spreads across the United States, it may be giving people flashbacks to the days of wiping down counters and groceries to get rid of the coronavirus. But for most people, the risk of getting monkeypox remains low. Almost all cases in the current outbreak - 98 percent - have been in adult men who have sex with men."
• The lost nuclear bombs that no one can find - "The US has lost at least three nuclear bombs that have never been located - they're still out there to this day. How did this happen? Where could they be? And will we ever find them?"
• Is K2 the new Mount Everest? - "K2 just had its busiest climbing season ever. The world's second highest mountain, K2 in Pakistan, has welcomed a record-breaking number of climbers this year amid a post-pandemic surge of summit fever."
• French mayor wants Mont Blanc climbers to pay €15,000 rescue & funeral deposit - "Anyone wanting to summit Europe's tallest peak, Mont Blanc, may soon have to put up a €15,000 (about $15,300) deposit to cover possible rescue and funeral costs under plans announced by a local mayor fed up with the 'contempt' of risk-taking climbers. Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, a town on the French side, says too many unqualified climbers are gambling with their lives on the mountain, where recent hot weather has made conditions more treacherous."
• ‘Underweight’ beluga whale in France’s River Seine near Paris prompts rescue effort - "Drones used to track mammal in ‘worrying’ health amid struggle to guide it back to Channel."
• The Best Investment Watches of 2022, From Rolex to Patek Philippe - "Here are the most collectible models from watchmaking's holy trinity: Patek Philippe, Rolex and Audemars Piguet."
• Saint-Tropez suffers scourge of muggings as Monaco stays safe - "The reputation of Saint-Tropez, in particular, is being stained by a growing incidence of audacious watch thefts, local prosecutor Michael Darras said in court this week. Thieves target individuals wearing expensive watches and rip them from their wrists, often causing injury. 'The teams of thieves are very well organised,' Mr Darras said."
• Spend a day in Monaco with Charles Leclerc - "Ferrari Formula 1 driver and local superstar Charles Leclerc has won the internet over again, this time as a result of his very own ‘day in the life’ vlog, in which he takes his fans along with him for a day his home country of Monaco."
• Why Brad Pitt is the 21st Century's ultimate film star - "In his latest film Bullet Train, and throughout his career, Brad Pitt's wry, self-referential humour has earned him a unique and enduring status in Hollywood, writes Caryn James."
• Twitter says Musk is ‘conjuring’ excuse to escape takeover deal - "Twitter rebuts billionaire’s lawsuit and his arguments for abandoning the takeover as legal standoff heats up."
• This is a great time to be an airline. It's the worst time to be a passenger - "US airlines just had one of the most lucrative quarters in history. Passengers are suffering for it. The record revenue many airlines reported in April, May and June came via very high airfares and packed airplanes. A series of service disruptions caused by staffing shortages has made flying even worse."
• Massive queues in Moscow as shoppers take last chance to shop at H&M - "Retailer halted operations in Russia after invasion of Ukraine but has reopened for limited time to sell remaining stock."
• Does Vitamin B6 Boost Mental Health? - "Here’s what we know about this essential vitamin’s effects on well-being."
• The public garden growing deadly plants - "The Poison Garden at the Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, England, is home to more than 100 toxic, intoxicating and narcotic plants. And it's open to public."
• ‘Walking’ forest of 1,000 trees transforms Dutch city - "Spectacle of leafy ash, oak and elm ambling through Leeuwarden’s streets offers vision of a greener future."
• Mapped: The Salary You Need to Buy a Home in 50 U.S. Cities - "Depending on where you live, owning a home may seem like a far off dream or it could be fairly realistic. In New York City, for example, a person needs to be making at least six figures to buy a home, but in Cleveland you could do it with just over $45,000 a year. This visual, using data from Home Sweet Home, maps out the annual salary you’d need for home ownership in 50 different U.S. cities."
• US couple transforms abandoned Italian house into dream home with an elevator - "The couple, from Montgomery County in the US state of Maryland, were among those who snapped up a historical dwelling in Sambuca, situated deep in the heart of Sicily, after local authorities put 16 abandoned homes up for auction with prices starting at a symbolic one euro -- roughly $1."
• New Gmail Attack Bypasses Passwords & 2FA To Read All Email - "Among the best practice items for Gmail security protection, strengthening your login credentials and enabling two-step verification are high on the list, as I mentioned in an article over the weekend. But what if I were to tell you that security researchers have now uncovered evidence of one likely state-sponsored attack group that has found a way to bypass even these protections?"

August 4, 2022

• 'Never seen anything like it': One of planet's most powerful volcanic eruptions - "Tonga eruption blasted enough water to fill 58,000 Olympic pools into the Earth's atmosphere, NASA says."
• Iceland volcano was so beautiful, I had a little cry - "A volcano has erupted in Iceland near the capital Reykjavik."
• Record coral cover on parts of Great Barrier Reef, but global heating could jeopardise recovery - "Fast-growing species of branching and plate-like corals push cover up but are also the preferred prey for crown-of-thorns starfish."
• The curious case of the Covid-19 rebound - "The condition grabbed international attention last week when US President Joe Biden tested positive for the virus six days after testing negative following his first bout of the illness."
• French government orders laser weapon prototype for Paris Olympics - "The French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced in June that it has ordered one prototype of an anti-drone laser weapon system, called HELMA-P, to be deployed for the 2024 Paris Olympics."
• Monaco Yacht Show announces first list of superyachts for 2022 show - "On Wednesday, August 3 the Monaco Yacht Show published the first list of superyachts that will be exhibited in the Principality’s Port Hercule as part of the upcoming show next month."
• Seawater-Powered Superyachts: Baglietto, Sanlorenzo & Lürssen’s Big Plans for Hydrogen Yachts - "The race to build a zero-emission superyacht is on. Three of the biggest and most successful superyacht building companies have announced plans to incorporate hydrogen fuel cell technology into their yachts, including a seawater-powered system. This promises zero emissions, less waste and less damage to the marine environment. Superyachts are amongst the worst greenhouse gas emitters that you can own. A typical vessel with a permanent crew can emit as much as 7,020 tons of CO2 a year; up to 1,500 times more than a typical family car at 1.5 to 4.6 tons of CO2."
• Elon Musk’s father says he isn’t proud of his son - "When asked if he’s proud of his son’s accomplishments, Errol Musk says: ‘No ... we are a family that have been doing a lot of things’."
• Elvis Presley’s Private Jet, Harley-Davidson & Lincoln Continental Go Up for Auction - "Elvis Presley was not only the king of rock and roll, but also the king of bling. Presley was a fashion trendsetter back in the day, and he left behind an impressive collection of jewelry and other personal belongings, a portion of which will be auctioned off later this month."
• Marilyn Monroe’s estate defends Ana de Armas over biopic accent criticism - "Cuban-Spanish actor’s accent in movie Blonde disparaged but ABC says she ‘captures Marilyn’s glamour, humanity and vulnerability’."
• Pig to human heart transplants are the future. Are we ready for it? - "Xenotransplantation promises to solve organ shortage and to reshape how we think about human longevity, but also raises a host of question."
• Are you a subject, consumer or citizen? - "Citizen future: Why we need a new story of self and society. Are you a 'subject', a 'consumer'... or a 'citizen'? The authors Jon Alexander and Ariane Conrad argue that our societies need a new narrative, and it starts by ditching the stories sold by authoritarianism and consumerism."
• Netflix's biggest epic yet - "The Sandman: How an 'unfilmable' comic made it to Netflix. It's considered one of the great comic book series of all time, and now it's finally made it to the small screen. So ends an agonising journey, creator Neil Gaiman tells Stephen Kelly."
• 4 Helpful iPhone & Android Tricks You May Not Know About - "Keeping up with new software features can be a chore, but here are a few tools from recent updates that may be useful - and potentially lifesaving."
• How to change the side panels in Gmail’s new view - "You can have one or two side panels, depending on how you use Gmail."
• The Best Shoes to Wear to the Airport - VOGUE.
• The 6 Designer Bags Everyone Is Buying Second-Hand - VOGUE.
• A Chance To Own An Actual James Bond Worn Omega Seamaster 300M 007 Edition - "The very watch worn by Daniel Craig in the 2021 James Bond No Time To Die movie."
• Polish institute classifies cats as alien invasive species - "A respected Polish scientific institute has classified domestic cats as an 'invasive alien species,' citing the damage they cause to birds and other wildlife."

August 3, 2022

• US sanctions Putin's reputed girlfriend - "The US Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin's reputed girlfriend as part of a series of measures targeting Russian elites in the Biden administration's latest attempt to punish the Kremlin for its ongoing war in Ukraine."
• As Biden Mulls Sanctions, Three Theories On How Putin Makes His Millions - "According to Swedish economist Anders Aslund, the author of the 2019 book Russia’s Crony Capitalism, Putin has recruited family, childhood friends, bodyguards and others to hold his money. He estimates that each person has between $500 million and $2 billion and that his net worth is anywhere between $100 billion and $130 billion."
• Specially Designated Nationals & Blocked Persons List (SDN) Human Readable Lists - "As part of its enforcement efforts, OFAC publishes a list of individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries. It also lists individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. Collectively, such individuals and companies are called 'Specially Designated Nationals' or 'SDNs.' Their assets are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them. View more information on Treasury's Sanctions Programs." U.S. Department of the Treasury.
• Business Retreats & Sanctions Are Crippling the Russian Economy - "As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters into its fifth month, a common narrative has emerged that the unity of the world in standing up to Russia has somehow devolved into a 'war of economic attrition which is taking its toll on the west', given the supposed “resilience” and even “prosperity” of the Russian economy. This is simply untrue."
• How the New Climate Bill Would Reduce Emissions - "A major climate and energy package announced last week in a deal by Senate Democrats would put the United States much closer to its goal of cutting global warming pollution in half by 2030, several new independent analyses have concluded."
• Golf legend turned down almost $1 billion offer to join Saudi-backed LIV Golf series - "Tiger Woods turned down an offer worth approximately $700-$800 million to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, according to the tour's CEO Greg Norman."
• Dogs in Tokyo cool down with wearable fans - "Sweet Mommy, a Tokyo-based maternity clothing apparel company, is making wearable fans for pets. The battery-powered fan is designed to help pets stay cool as Japan faces unusually high temperatures."
• How cheetahs will be brought from Africa to India - "Next week, a group of cheetahs are finally expected to make a long journey from Africa to their new home in a sprawling national park in India."
• Women may not live longer than men after all - study - "‘Substantial chance’ married or university-educated men outlive women without spouse or high school diploma."
• North America's sacred trio of foods - "In Quebec, the tale of the 'three sisters' isn't just a myth about cooperation; it's a message from Wendat ancestors that teaches modern people about ancient, life-sustaining food. They're crops: corn, squash and beans."
• Spain warns heatwave threatens olive oil production - "Weather also threatens output in Italy and grain across Europe as Ukraine war pushes prices higher."
• Why You Should Never Use A Metal Knife To Slice An Avocado - "Since stainless steel knives contain copper and iron, says Allrecipes, these metals activate the enzymes in avocados that cause the fruit's flesh to turn brown in the presence of oxygen. Slicing into an avocado with a metal knife speeds up the browning process, which can lead your avocado to go bad prematurely."
• Man who threw away £150m in bitcoin hopes AI and robot dogs will get it back - "Computer engineer who accidentally discarded hard drive consults Newport council over scheme."
• Louis Vuitton’s ‘200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries’ Exhibition in Photos - "Louis Vuitton’s New LA Exhibition Showcases 200 Trunks Designed by BTS, Lego, Supreme and More. Running until September 6, the exhibition on Rodeo Drive includes 200 Louis Vuitton trunks that have been reimagined by 200 visionaries."
• iPhone Users: Remember to Clear Your Cache Regularly - "A simple trick to make your iPhone run faster is clearing the cache. If you don't clear your cache, the data stored in your web browsers gets cluttered over time and might slow you down."
• First Drive: Rolls-Royce’s New Phantom Shows Us Why It’s the Ne Plus Ultra of Luxury Sedans - "On the roads of the French Riviera, we pilot the aesthetically enhanced Series II and have never been so pampered."

August 2, 2022

• This giant 'water battery' under the Alps could be a game-changer for renewable energy in Europe - "Switzerland has unveiled its latest renewable energy innovation: a giant water battery. Beginning operations last month, the water battery, called Nant de Drance, is a pumped storage hydropower plant that provides the same energy storage capacity as 400,000 electric car batteries."
• Gazprom daily gas output in July lowest since 2008, analysis suggests - "Output last month of Russian firm was down 14% on June, sharpening fears Moscow could provoke energy crisis in Europe."
• Should we be wooried about monkeypox? - "What is monkeypox and why is it spreading? The virus that causes monkeypox was first discovered at the end of the 1950s, but there are signs it has undergone changes in the past three to four years that have enabled it to pass between humans more easily."
• The fall & rise of Thailand's most famous beach - "Tourism killed Thailand's most famous bay. Here's how it was brought back to life. Resurrecting paradise: Maya Bay, a beautiful cove in Thailand's Andaman Sea, began welcoming tourists on January 1, 2022 for the first time since 2018 following a massive rejuvenation program. Today, boats are forbidden from entering the bay."
• Call for hippos to join list of world’s most endangered animals - "New classification would mean a total ban on international trade in the animal’s body parts, as climate crisis and poaching hit populations."
• The best public swimming pools around the world - "From Bondi to Berlin and Copenhagen to Cornwall, swimming pools - particularly outdoor ones - are always in demand. Dominic Lutyens dives in and explores the pool's past, present and future."
• First Russian-owned super yacht goes to auction this month - "The 72-metre Axioma is likely to be the first seized super yacht to be auctioned, with the sale planned for August 23. Supposedly worth $75 million, she will be sold with no reserve by the Admiralty Court in Gibraltar."
• From the Rolex Yacht-Master to Breitling’s SuperOcean, 8 Watches Designed for the High Seas - "With August vacations seconds away from kicking off, you might be dreaming of kicking back on azure seas and golden sands or jet-setting to Mediterranean destination ports. If that’s the plan for this annual summer sojourn, consider adding one of the latest yacht-friendly timepieces to your wrist. These 2022 debuts blend high-end precision with functions and styling and are perfect companions for sailing and motor yachts excursions alike."
• From Die Hard to The Raid: Guardian writers on their favourite action movies - "As Brad Pitt’s new thriller Bullet Train arrives in cinemas, Guardian writers have picked their most exciting action films of all time."
• Cover your hide: how to care for leather clothing - "How to clean, what products to use, and when to take it to the professionals: experts share their tips for making leather last longer."
• Is This The World’s Rarest Scotch Whisky? - "In December of 2021, a single bottle of Ladyburn from the 1966 vintage - featuring a Bailey portrait of John Lennon as its label - was sold at auction for just over £80,000."
• Spotify’s paying customers will soon get separate play & shuffle buttons - "You won’t see the combined play / shuffle button on your playlists anymore."

August 1, 2022

• Japan is open to travel. So why aren't tourists coming back? - "The country currently only permits leisure tourists to come in organized groups rather than as individuals. For many in the West, who prefer spontaneity and don't want to follow a strict itinerary, that issue was a dealbreaker."
• Flight attendant shares travel tip to sit together without paying - ‘never pay’ for a seat - "Many budget airlines will charge passengers to choose a seat. But how can passengers sit together without paying?"
• Visitors to the world's tallest tree face $5,000 fines - "Hyperion, certified by Guinness World Records as the world's tallest living tree, is officially off-limits to visitors. California's Redwood National Park issued a statement last week that anyone who is caught near the tree can face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine."
• What is monkeypox & how do you catch it? - "Cases of monkeypox - a rare, little-known disease - are being investigated in European countries including the UK, as well as in the US, Canada and Australia."
• Slow response to monkeypox exposes ‘tired, overworked’ US health agencies - "Virus has taken hold amid ragged system ravaged by years of underfunding, messy bureaucracy and Covid."
• Single servings at low prices: how Unilever’s sachets became a scourge - "Plastic in the Depths: Multinational denies dropping plan to recycle plastic sachets - and leaving developing countries with a toxic headache as they end up in landfill or the ocean."
• Heatwaves put classic Alpine hiking routes off-limits - "Routes that are usually safe at this time of year now face hazards as a result of warmer temperatures."
• Why you need to worry about the ‘wet-bulb temperature’ - "Scientists think we need to pay attention to a measure of heat and humidity – and it’s edging closer to the limits of human survivability."
• $2,245.62 a second: ExxonMobil scores enormous profit on record gas prices - "Including one-time items, both earned hundreds of millions more: ExxonMobil's net income reached $17.9 billion, while Chevron brought in $11.6 billion. ExxonMobil's net income came to $2,245.62 every second of every day of the 92-day long quarter. On that basis, Chevron earned $1,462.11 per second."
• How HermÈs’ Oran Sandal Retains Its Status As One Of The Most Desirable Accessories - "While handbags are often our most exalted accessories (spurred on by the fact that we literally hold them like trophies) footwear is less likely to reach certified style icon status. Generic types of shoes and sandals are regularly cited as must-wears, however it’s far rarer for one individual shoe, or sandal, to ascend the upper echelons of fashion’s most fabled. Yet one shoe has risen to take the mantle: Hermès’ Oran sandal. A simple slider-style mule, decorated modestly with a cutout leather H initial. Since its inception 25 years ago, the Oran has become one of the most desirable shoes - indeed accessories - in the world."
• It's official: Jennifer Lopez's flared jeans are this season's must-have denim trend - "While visiting the Louvre Museum on Tuesday, the 'Maid in Manhattan' star rocked a pair of US$328 Frame Le Baggy Palazzo jeans, which she paired with a Dior sweater, an Hermès Birkin bag, and a pair of sky-high Dolce & Gabbana platform sandals."
• Man wins another huge lottery prize at the same location where he won $1 million - "Indeed, Kevin Miller of Montague, Massachusetts, is lucky for life. He recently won $25,000 a year for life in the multistate lottery game Lucky for Life. The win comes six years after winning a $1 million prize in the Massachusetts State Lottery's 'Cadillac Riches' game, state lottery officials said."
• Ireland's priceless treasure hidden by monks - "One of the most exciting archaeological finds in the history of Irish art was unearthed on Tipperary's Derrynaflan Island by a man and his son using metal detectors."
• After 350 years, sea gives up lost jewels of Spanish shipwreck - "Marine archaeologists stunned by priceless cache long hidden beneath the Bahamas’ shark-infested waters."
• 11 of the best TV shows to watch in August - "Game of Thrones and Rogue One get prequels, Industry returns, and Steve Carell stars as a therapist held captive by a serial killer."
• Max Verstappen pulls away in F1 standings after victory at Hungarian GP - "For Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, packing the bags for Formula One’s annual summer break will be a joy: buckets and spades and doubtless a spot of Scandi-noir crime fiction hurled in with abandon. They carry the joie de vivre of drivers who will take a deserved rest after claiming the top three places at the Hungarian Grand Prix."
• From 5-Star Meals to Luxe Showrooms, Business Jet Builders Are Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Clients - "Finding a design studio that matches the sophistication of the $75 million business jet you want to build can be a tricky proposition, since the designers are typically located inside aircraft manufacturing facilities and assembling a jet remains a noisy, industrial activity. But a number of bizjet manufacturers are looking to change that, investing big in an overlooked part of the design process: the client experience."
• Inside the world’s most OTT superyachts: from IMAX theatres, helipads & hospitals, to ski rooms, golf driving ranges & priceless works of art by Leonardo da Vinci - "From Beyoncé and Jay Z to Donald Trump campaign donor Robert Mercer, the ultra rich are looking for extra perks, and modern boatbuilders are pulling out all the stops. It’s one thing to own a yacht with a sunbathing deck and a swimming pool - quite another to have one that can sail through ice and has its own ski room."

July 31, 2022

• ‘Soon it will be unrecognisable’: total climate meltdown cannot be stopped, says expert - "Blistering heatwaves are just the start. We must accept how bad things are before we can head off global catastrophe, according to a leading UK scientist."
• Kylie’s 17-Minute Flight Has Nothing on the 170 Trips Taylor Swift’s Private Jets Took This Year - "The pop star landed at number one on a new report that tries to track the carbon emissions of celebrity private jets."
• The Default Tech Settings You Should Turn Off Right Away - "These controls, which are buried inside products from Apple, Google, Meta and others, make us share more data than we need to."
• President Joe Biden tests positive for Covid-19 again - "President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 again Saturday morning, per a letter from presidential physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, in what is likely a 'rebound' Covid-19 positivity that the doctor noted is 'observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid.'"
• Prince Charles accepted £1m from family of Osama bin Laden - "Prince had meeting at Clarence House - and seven-figure donation from Saudis followed."
• So, Prince Harry's memoir is done - but what's likely to be in it? - "Ghostwritten book, with interviews conducted mostly during 'peak rage', expected to be published by end of year."
• Princess Diana’s Rare Moments In a Little Black Dress - "Princess Diana was known for her cheerful prints, but one of her most famous dresses of all time was black. Known as the 'revenge dress', the Christina Stambolian LBD Lady Di wore to the Serpentine Gallery’s summer party in June 1994 was equal parts glamorous and daring."
• Breaking History: A White House Memoir by Jared Kushner - "Jared Kushner was one of the most consequential presidential advisers in modern history. For the first time, he recounts what happened behind closed doors during the Trump presidency." Amazon.com.
• Why a Vogue Cover Created a Controversy for Olena Zelenska - "Is the magazine romanticizing war, or is the first lady weaponizing glossies?"
• Can We Resist the Age of the Algorithm? - "To resist, our culture needs less Netflix and more Miranda Priestly."
• Visualizing the World’s Largest Oil Producers - Visual Capitalist.
• Saudis want to build a 106-mile-long building that will act as a city - "Future or fantasy? Designs unveiled for one-building city stretching 106 miles in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has unveiled designs for its ambitious urban project 'The Line,' touted as a one-building city in the desert which will stretch over 106 miles and ultimately house 9 million people."
• 25 of the Best Revenge Movies of All Time - "Horror, romance, and thrillers all get their due in the cultural canon - but the best revenge movies of all time are a genre unto themselves. Revenge movies capture a deep cut of emotions: the painfully human desire for payback, and the extreme, crazy, and sometimes obsessive lengths a character will go to to get it."
• Sotheby’s $6.1 Million Sale of a Rare Dinosaur Skeleton Has Sparked Outrage Among Scientists - "The skeleton is one of the most valuable dinosaurs ever sold."
• Why you should reach out to old friends - "Thinking of reaching out to old friends but nervous it will be awkward or that they won't appreciate it? You should make those phone calls or send a text or email, according to new research. A study published July 11 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people often underestimate how much their friends and old acquaintances appreciate hearing from them."
• Why Do I Sweat So Much in My Sleep? - "There are many possible reasons you might wake up in a pool of perspiration. Here’s how to tell when it should be cause for concern."
• Meet the people lured by Sicily's cheap homes - "When dozens of towns across Italy started selling crumbling buildings for the cost of an espresso, people from all over the world were prompted to grab a slice of the action - and for many different reasons."
• Shades of grey: a Danish restoration brings a dull home to life - "Two families joined forces to open up a large apartment near Copenhagen."

July 30, 2022

• Cold showers & no lights: How one German city is fighting Russia's energy battle - "The German city of Hanover has banned hot water in public buildings and has introduced measures to reduce heating and energy usage as Europe faces a potential natural gas crisis this winter."
• Monkeypox: First deaths outside Africa in Brazil & Spain - "Brazil and Spain have reported their first monkeypox deaths."
• Three Pressing Questions About Monkeypox: Spread, Vaccination, Treatment - "Containing the outbreak, scientists say, will depend on better understanding the virus’s transmission and how well available tools work."
• Will Smith addresses Oscars slap in new video - "Will Smith is 'deeply remorseful' about slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards in March. Smith posted a video to his verified Instagram account on Friday that began with the words on screen, 'It's been a minute.'"
• Elon Musk countersues Twitter over $44bn deal amid fresh legal action by shareholder - "Musk’s 164-page filing is under wraps for now, as Twitter shareholder launches separate action to force entrepreneur to close the deal."
• Donald Trump’s Great Escape: How The Former President Solved His Debt Crisis - "The 45th president was chained to money-losing real estate and drowning in debt when he left office. Now, magically, he is flush with cash and free to deal - thanks to a little help from powerful friends."
• Watching Trump Play Golf: Decent Drives, Skipped Putts, Lots of Sweat - "The former president’s barge-ahead style and whim for scooping up shots too hard to make wouldn’t fly on the LIV Golf series, which his Bedminster club is hosting this weekend."
• Chris Xu: Who is Shein’s mysterious billionaire founder? - "Very little is known about China’s king of fast fashion who has rapidly become one its richest men."
• Hitler's watch sells for $1.1m in controversial sale - "A watch said to have belonged to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler has sold for $1.1m (£900,000) at an auction in the US. The Huber timepiece, which sold to an anonymous bidder, shows a swastika and has the initials AH engraved on it. Jewish leaders condemned the auction ahead of the sale at Alexander Historical Auctions in Maryland."
• 20 Vintage Pictures of Jackie Kennedy in Honor of Her Birthday - "To mark what would have been her 92nd birthday - and to celebrate her timeless appeal as a fashion icon - here, Vogue pays tribute to the late Jackie Kennedy Onassis."
• Dior accused of 'culturally appropriating' centuries-old Chinese skirt - "Dior is facing accusations of cultural appropriation after Chinese social media users - and protesters outside one of the label's Paris stores - claimed that a $3,800 skirt was inspired by a centuries-old traditional garment."
• Jackpot for Friday's Mega Millions now $1.28 billion, second-largest jackpot in game history. Here are the six numbers - "The winning numbers for Friday's Mega Millions drawing worth $1.28 billion were 13-36-45-57-67 with a Mega Ball of 14."
• One ticket in Illinois won the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot of an estimated $1.28 billion - "The chase for the second-largest Mega Millions jackpot is over - because a single ticket has claimed the whole estimated $1.28 billion. One ticket bought in the Chicago area hit the top prize in Friday night's drawing, according to the Illinois Lottery, securing the third-largest jackpot of any US lottery game and ending a buildup that began when Mega Millions last drew a jackpot winner in mid-April. If the holder chooses a lump-sum cash option, the ticket will yield a one-time payment of an estimated $742.2 million. Otherwise, the roughly $1.28 billion prize will be spread over annual payments."
• Notre-Dame Cathedral on track to reopen in 2024 - "The Notre-Dame Cathedral is on track to open its doors to worshippers and the public in 2024, says France's culture minister. The 13th Century Paris monument caught fire in April 2019, sparking a vast outpouring of emotion. Since then, a huge restoration project has been carried out aiming to restore it to its previous design."
• Apple TV Plus’ new thriller Surface keeps you completely in the dark - "The first three episodes are nothing but question marks."
• Ana De Armas Transforms Into Marilyn Monroe in the Latest Trailer for Blonde - "In the pantheon of ill-fated 20th-century blondes, Marilyn Monroe might be the only character more difficult to portray than Diana, Princess of Wales, so interest in Andrew Dominik’s adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’s 2000 novel has been enormous from the start. Ahead of its much-delayed 2022 release on Netflix, here’s a summary of every major talking point about the film so far."
• How Streaming Stars Pay the Price of Online Fame - "Stars on Twitch, the video game streaming platform, invite viewers into their homes virtually. What happens when one shows up in person?"
• Free AI tool restores old photos by creating slightly new loved ones - "It works wonderfully, but there's a risk of a 'slight change of identity.'"
• Four Fitness Facts to Fuel Your Workout - "Things to keep in mind for when you’re low on motivation."
• How to Find Out Who You Are - "The worst advice you can give to people trying to find themselves is to look within."
• The forest of dilapidated mansions - "Yucatan's lost hacienda trail. Hundreds of plantations once symbolised the peninsula's wealth but were abandoned in the 1950s after a sudden downturn of fortune. Over the years, the jungle has taken them back."
• World’s Best Bar 2022: London’s Lyaness Wins Top Honor At The 16th Annual Spirited Awards - "London’s Lyaness roared to victory at the 16th annual Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. Ryan Chetiyawardana - a longtime darling of the hospitality world awards circuit - bested Fifty Mils, Charles H. Seoul, and the American Bar at The Stafford, as his famed cocktail cathedral was named World’s Best Bar for 2022."
• Inside A $35 Million New York Penthouse - "Manhattan’s Puck Building, located at the intersection of Nolita, the Bowery, Soho and Greenwich Village, was built between 1886 and 1893, an example of the German Rundbogenstiel (round-arch) style of architecture designed by Albert Wagner. The building is owned by Kushner Properties, the company of Charles Kushner and his son, Jared, son-in-law of former President Donald Trump."
• Rolls-Royce begin testing upcoming electric car on CÔte d’Azur - "Having completed extreme condition testing in the Arctic circle, the first ever electric Rolls-Royce has begun testing on the windy roads of the Côte d’Azur."

July 29, 2022

• Scientists say temperatures are getting 'hotter faster' than their tools can calculate - "The UK's recent heat wave was the Great British Bake Off that no one wanted - and it was made at least 10 times more likely by human-caused climate change, a new analysis shows."
• Will naming heatwaves save lives? - "Faced with increasingly dangerous and sometimes fatal temperatures, nearby Los Angeles is among the cities that is considering naming heatwaves - like storms - in a bid to raise public awareness of the dangers and help local officials roll out measures to mitigate the impact of extreme heat, such as opening air-conditioned shelters or activating a 'heat action plan'."
• The town with the cleanest air in the world - "In Svalbard, there's a village where the atmosphere is ultra-clean, Wi-Fi is banned, and all buildings go unlocked in case you need to hide from polar bears - but as Anna Filipova discovered, big changes are in the air."
• Surprise Deal Would Be Most Ambitious Climate Action Undertaken by U.S. - "The $369 billion climate and tax package forged in a surprise deal by Senate Democrats would be the most ambitious action ever taken by the United States to try to stop the planet from catastrophically overheating."
• How climate change is melting the Alps’ glaciers - in pictures - "Most of the world’s mountain glaciers are retreating because of the climate crisis, but those in the European Alps are especially vulnerable. Smaller and with less ice cover, this year they are on track for their highest loss of mass in at least 60 years of record keeping."
• How to Live With Covid When You Are Tired of Living With Covid - "The BA.5 surge is a reminder that we need to take precautions to avoid illness, slow the relentless cycle of new variants and minimize the disruption to our daily lives."
• San Francisco declares emergency as monkeypox cases rise - "California city has recorded 261 cases so far and declaration will allow authorities to mobilize more staff and resources."
• U.S. offers reward for information on alleged Russian interference in elections - The U.S. State Department said it was offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on alleged Russian interference in American elections.
• Rewards for Justice - Reward Offer for Information on Russian Interference in U.S. Elections - U.S. Department of State.
• Why Apple can't quit China - "For close to two decades, Apple and China have been inextricably linked. The world's most populous country not only accounts for the bulk of Apple's device manufacturing but also a significant portion of its sales."
• Viktor Bout: the Lord of War at centre of Griner & Whelan prisoner swap - "Moscow has never forgotten the arms dealer who reportedly keeps a photo of Vladimir Putin in his US cell. Merchant of Death, Lord of War, the Bill Gates of Arms Dealing: Viktor Bout’s nicknames speak for themselves."
• This company claims its boats can save Venice - "Swedish company Candela thinks that its electric boats can help fight 'moto ondoso' - the damaging phenomenon of waves bashing against the buildings and sidewalks from the wakes of boats being driven around the city."
• Is Pilates as Good as Everyone Says? - "The strength and flexibility workout is having a moment. What can - and can’t - it do for us?"
• 10 of the best films to watch this August - "This summer's unmissable releases include Brad Pitt on a bullet train, Jane Fonda as a dragon and Idris Elba as a djinn, writes Nicholas Barber."
• The myth of Marilyn Monroe: how her ‘sex bomb’ image buries the truth - "Six decades on, the spectacle of Marilyn Monroe’s tumultuous life and death still holds us in its grip. With a major new biopic on the way, her biographer sorts fact from fiction."
• This Personal Shopper Will Help You Find the Sauciest Vintage Pieces - "Serena Morris, who is based in Los Angeles, creates hyper-specific mood boards of yacht babes or vacation girls and writes mini odes about the likes of Kimora Lee Simmons and Kidada Jones’s era at Tommy Hilfiger. Most recently, Morris has launched a personal-shopping arm of @shes__underrated, offering up her discerning sense of style to clients searching for frisky vintage pieces."
• Gorgosaurus: Ancient dinosaur skeleton sells for $6m at auction - "It was offered up by Sotheby's and sold at the firm's natural history auction in New York City on Thursday."
• The Anatomy of a Sneaker Explained - "Everything You Need to Know About the Parts of Your Shoes & How They Work."
• The ancient French town of floating gardens - "Carved out of the River Somme's marshy hinterland, the Hortillonnages is made up of 110km of slender canals that have led Amiens to be dubbed "the Venice of the North"."
• Chess: Magnus Carlsen in Olympiad action as world No 1 targets record rating - "The newly retired world champion will aim for a high score at Chennai to boost his chances of reaching the 2900 target which has twice narrowly eluded him."
• Bicycle graveyards: why do so many bikes end up underwater? - "Every year, thousands of bikes are tossed into rivers, ponds, lakes and canals. What’s behind this mass drowning?"
• Piaget Goes Green With New Polo Skeleton & Date Watches - "It’s no secret that green has become the new blue this year when it comes to watch dials. Make no mistake, blue is still a beloved color, but watch brands are recognizing the soothing effect green has. It reminds us of nature, life and Earth - something everyone is trying to protect these days. As such, it comes as no great surprise that Swiss watch brand Piaget would opt to bedeck its beloved Polo watches in vibrant green."
• Pixel Buds Pro review: Google’s best earbuds yet - "Active noise cancellation is finally part of the equation."

July 28, 2022

• China's Wuhan shuts down district of 1 million people over 4 asymptomatic Covid cases - "The Chinese metropolis of Wuhan has shut down a district of almost a million people after detecting four asymptomatic Covid cases, as the original epicenter of the pandemic takes no chances in preventing another outbreak under China's stringent zero-Covid policy."
• 'Lulo Rose' may be largest pink diamond found in 300 years - "At 170 carats, this may be the largest pink diamond found in 300 years."
• What it's like inside Boeing's new 777X - "Described as "the world's largest and most efficient twin-engine jet," the Boeing 777X was originally scheduled to enter into service in 2020, but the launch of the jetliner has been beset by delays. Now expected to debut in 2025, the airplane's most striking exterior feature is undoubtedly its folding wingtips - a first for commercial aviation."
• The Democratization of Airport Lounges - "No longer just for the flying elite, these havens from chaos are easier to get into now, with the crowds to prove it."
• Gmail’s new look is now rolling out to everyone - "It’s not that different."
• Swimwear has undergone a radical redesign - "From Chromat to Skims, inclusive design is radically changing the bathing suit silhouette."
• Saudi Arabia wants to build a 106-mile-long building that will act as a city - "Saudi Arabia has unveiled designs for its ambitious urban project 'The Line,' touted as a one-building city in the desert which will stretch over 106 miles and ultimately house 9 million people. The Line is a proposed 200-meter wide (656 feet) building acting as a vertical city, designed to sit 500 meters (1,640 feet) above sea level. It will span 34 square kilometers (13 square miles), according to the press release."
• Huge new bridge redraws map of Adriatic coast - "New Croatia bridge redraws map of Adriatic coast. The launch of the 2.4 kilometer (1.5 mile) cable-stayed structure is being hailed as a historic moment for the country, with hundreds of people turning out to be the first to cross on foot as the bridge opened to pedestrians and then to motorists. Up until now, both residents and tourists had to cross through Bosnia-Herzegovina when traveling to and from the region of Southern Dalmatia to the mainland, which meant they were subject to border checks, bringing about traffic delays and leaving some of those in the Adriatic region feeling isolated."
• Reduce your risk for dementia by improving your diet & activity levels, studies say - "Eating more natural, unprocessed food, keeping active and having a good social life are all ways you can fight off dementia as you age, according to two new studies published Wednesday in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology."
• Luxury balloon will ride to the edge of space - "Take a look at the 'world's only carbon-neutral spaceship'. The space tourism race is now firing on all rockets, but one company is hoping to carve out a niche as 'the only carbon-neutral, zero-emission way' to travel to the edge of space. Florida-based Space Perspective plans to take passengers up to 100,000 feet for suborbital adventures in a pressurized capsule suspended from an enormous high-tech version of a hot-air balloon. New images released July 27 show the latest patented capsule design for its Spaceship Neptune craft."
• Why clock time is not 'real' - "The super-clocks that define what time it is. How do we know the time... precisely? The question is more complex than it first appears."
• The ambitious quest to map every cell in our body - "The human body has 37 trillion cells. If we can work out what they all do, the results could revolutionise our healthcare."
• James Lovelock, Whose Gaia Theory Saw the Earth as Alive, Dies at 103 - "A British ecologist, he captured imaginations with his hypothesis and was essential to today’s understanding of man-made pollutants and their effect on the climate."
• 7 apps I can't live without for Android & iOS - "These are the apps I immediately go to when I set up every new phone."

July 27, 2022

• Putin's troops shoot down their OWN helicopter in Kherson after it mistakenly attacked them - "The Ka-52 'Alligator' helicopter, which costs an estimated £12million, was gunned down in Kherson, Ukraine's General Staff revealed. The Ukrainian military bosses joked it was a 'gesture of goodwill' from the invading forces."
• New studies agree that animals sold at Wuhan market are most likely what started Covid-19 pandemic - "Scientists from around the world used mapping tools and social media reports to do a spatial and environmental analysis. They suggest that although the 'exact circumstances remain obscure,' the virus was probably present in live animals sold at the market in late 2019. The animals were held close together and could easily have exchanged germs. However, the study does not determine which animals may have been sick."
• Setting the Record Straight on Covid Variants & Reinfections - "The blitz of Omicron variants has felt like one long wave. And many questions have arisen amid the tumult. Are we seeing the emergence of entirely new coronavirus variants that are impervious to immunity from vaccines and previous infections? If we keep getting reinfected, is it inevitable that most of us will end up developing long Covid? In short, the answer is no."
• IMF says global economy is edging towards recession - "Fund cuts forecasts as US, China and eurozone stall and inflation beats expectations."
• How much exercise you need for your longest life, according to a new study - "Exercise more than the recommended amounts for the longest life, study says."
• Ghee: The purest food on Earth? - "Ghee had fallen out of favour as saturated fats were considered unhealthy. But now, Indians are finding their way back to this ingredient that's so integral to their cuisine."
• How to Cope With Financial Stress - "Experts share tips on how to feel empowered and manage stress as prices continue to rise."
• Our toxic love affair with plastic & how we can fix it - "When it first emerged in design, plastic embodied progress, glamour and convenience."
• Air pollution is ‘likely’ to raise dementia risk, find UK government experts - "Cognitive decline in older people more likely to be accelerated by exposure to emissions, finds review of 70 studies."
• Russia to pull out of International Space Station - "Russia says it will withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) after 2024 and build its own station instead."
• Buzz Aldrin's moon jacket sells for sky-high $2.8m - "Adorned with a US flag and Nasa logo, Mr Aldrin wore the white in-flight jacket while speeding through space in Apollo 11's command module Columbia. The jacket was sold by New York Sotheby's and becomes the most valuable American space artefact ever sold at auction."
• Nord Stream 1: Why is Russia cutting gas supplies to Europe? - "The news has already caused international gas prices to leap again and renewed fears of shortages. The Russian government is being accused of using gas as a political weapon. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline stretches 1,200km under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to north-eastern Germany. It has been open for 10 years and pipes a maximum of 170m cubic metres of gas per day from Russia to Germany."
• Largest diamond in 300 years unearthed in Angola - "The Australian site operator named the 170-carat stone The Lulo Rose."
• Apple’s Stunning New London Store Showcases Company’s Focus On AR - "Inside Apple Brompton Road, the newest Apple Store: It’s gorgeous. The familiar light colors and appealing surfaces, attractive wooden tables mounted with every Apple product. It has trees, along the windows and through the store, adding an outside-in feel to the whole thing. The 12 Sicilian ficus trees at the front look inviting and welcoming, and touch on how Apple is evoking a sense of location here."
• Bhutan - & its incredible cross-country trail - welcoming tourists back - "Bhutan is one of the world's most mysterious countries. Visiting the Land of the Thunder Dragon can be challenging, but there's new incentive to finally cross it off the bucket list in 2022, as its breathtaking Trans Bhutan Trail is open to travelers for the first time in 60 years."
• Iceland's best geothermal bathing pools - "Spellbinding vistas punctuated by plumes of steam are commonplace while driving Iceland's winding fjords and gravel roads. Marking the country's geothermal activity, this form of energy also ushers in the tradition of soaking in Iceland's geothermal hot pools - an activity revered by locals and tourists alike. From natural, stone-lined craters to luxuriously designed tubs, there's countless soaking spots for every type of visitor, whatever the weather."
• 'Always, always pack it': Flight attendant's crucial packing tip - what to carry on plane - "A flight attendant has highlighted an item she tells travellers they should 'always, always, always' pack when they travel by plane."
• 8 of the Cheapest Countries to Retire Around the World - "Where to retire cheaply abroad - and how much you could save in each destination."
• The 10 Best Travel Experiences in the U.S. - "These are the 10 best travel experiences in the U.S. right now, according to the latest TripAdvisor report."
• Portrait of Bravery: Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska - VOGUE.
• Kyiv Nightlife Comes Back Amid Urge for Contact. ‘This Is the Cure’ - "Frenzied raves. Crowded bars (with free therapy). And of course, cuddle parties. Nightlife is returning to Ukraine’s capital. But revelers still have to reckon with guilty feelings. Plus curfew."
• Why It Matters That J. Lo Is Now J. Aff - "'A woman taking her husband’s last name feels to me like a submission - a gesture that doesn’t say 'I belong with him' so much as 'I belong to him."
• Catastrophising: How toxic thinking leads you down dark paths - "Expecting the very worst to happen in any given situation can harm mental health. How do we stop these toxic-thinking spirals?"
• Average Bench Press By Age, Weight, Gender & Experience Level - "Check out how you stack up against the average bench press for your gender, age, weight, and experience level."
• Fast-food restaurant founder buys ticket for $810 million lottery for all 50,000 employees - "The Mega Millions lottery jackpot grew to an estimated $810 million Tuesday and players are testing their luck nationwide - including Todd Graves, the founder of fast-food restaurant chain Raising Cane's. At $2 a ticket, Graves spent $100,000 and bought 50,000 tickets Monday, one for each of his 50,000 employees at the chicken chain with locations in 35 states."
• See All the Nominees for the 2022 MTV VMAs Here - "Next month, on August 28, the MTV Video Music Awards - better known as the VMAs - will return with all the showstopping spectacle the ceremony is known for. There are already plenty of high-profile performances rumored for the night - which will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey - alongside the handing out of accolades to the year’s best and most impactful music videos."
• The best smart home gadgets you can buy right now - "From smart speakers to robot vacuums, here are the best devices to make your home more connected."
• Italian police ‘find’ Leclerc’s stolen Richard-Mille watch - "For those who can’t recall the unfortunate incident, Leclerc was recognised while out with friends, and obliged to sign autographs for a group of fans. However, not everyone was a true fan of the Monegasque, in that moment the watch was stealthily swiped from the driver’s wrist. The watch in question being a one-of-one Richard Mille RM 67-02, completed in the colours of the Principality."
• Introducing The GlashÜtte Original Pano Matic Calendar - "The Pano Matic Calendar is built around Glashütte’s new in-house Calibre 92-09 and 92-10 movements. The two are virtually identical, but the 92-10 is customized with special visual elements for the skeletonized platinum version of the watch. Both are rhodium-plated, with 28,800 beats per hour. They feature silicone balance springs, which remain consistent when exposed to magnetic fields or temperature changes. They also have an impressive 100-hour power reserve, more than twice what you’ll get from typical automatic movements."
• Hands-On Review - The 2022 Cartier Santos-Dumont with Lacquered Cases Are In For The Win - "The iconic square wristwatch made for the Brazilian aviation pioneer returns with sleek and stylish lacquered bezels."
• Zenith watches join Rolex & Patek on waitlists as sales surge - "Customers seeking to buy Zenith brand watch models including the Chronomaster Sport and Defy Skyline are now having to join waitlists as sales for the Swiss brand surge. The Zenith models join brands like Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe with watches where demand outstrips supply, forcing customers to join waiting lists with retailers. Zenith watch sales are also rising overall, Tornare said, with sales in the first 7 months of the year up about 45% compared with last year’s record performance, which was highest since the storied Swiss brand was acquired by LVMH in 1999."
• Rolls-Royce’s Latest Phantom Is The Most Imaginative Crafted Bespoke Collection - "The Phantom is rarely wholly redesigned. These magnificent motor cars are imagined to last way beyond fashion cycles, each personally tailored to be kept, cherished and passed through generations. Yet, given the speed of technology and material change, the grandest maker of grand luxury transport tends to give its pinnacle product mid-life touch-ups — new expressions that are almost always client-driven."

July 26, 2022

• Endemic Covid-19 Looks Pretty Brutal - "100,000 annual deaths may be as good as it gets."
• Russia to further cut gas supply to Europe - CNN World.
• Napping regularly linked to high blood pressure & stroke, study finds - "'This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night. Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that,' said clinical psychologist Michael Grandner in a statement."
• Disney VIP world tour will produce 6.2 tonnes of carbon for each guest - "Travellers on ‘bucket list adventure’ costing $110,000 will emit 20 times more than poor people do in a year."
• Freezing point climbs to record high above Swiss Alpine summits - "Weather balloons rise to 5,184 metres before finding freezing point amid record heatwaves."
• 'I was quite young & innocent': Kate Moss opens up in rare interview - "Kate Moss opens up about the 'painful' side of modeling."
• Freya the walrus sinks boats & captures hearts in Norway - "The enchanting but unwittingly destructive 600kg marine mammal, named after a Norse goddess, has taken up residence in Oslo fjord."
• The big idea: should we be using data to make life’s big decisions? - "Faced with tough choices, people usually fall back on gut instinct or seek the advice of friends. Now, there’s an alternative."
• Lego’s new Minifigure Factory lets you create a $12 minifig of yourself - "Customize your very own minifigure."
• Ready or not, the Glassholes are coming back - "Is the world finally prepared for hands-free cameras?"
• A mind-reading combat jet for the future - "During World War II, Spitfire pilots described their plane as so responsive it felt like an extension of their limbs."
• The 20 best easy Mediterranean recipes - "Dishes that read like poetry: pomegranate fattoush, burrata on bruschetta, huevos a la flamenca, strawberries in moscatel with sandcakes. Twenty delicious and easy recipes from the north and south of the Mediterranean."
• Paul Sorvino, 'Goodfellas' & 'Law & Order' star, dead at 83 - CNN Entertainment.
• David Warner: a life in pictures - "The British actor has died at the age of 80. His long career spanned Shakespeare on stage to Star Trek on screen - here we look back at the highlights."
• Yacht where Princess Diana spent her final summer on sale for £10m - "The 64-metre-long boat was the setting of Princess Diana's fatal romance with Dodi Fayed."
• Step Inside Extravagant $433m LÜrssen Superyacht Ahpo - "Sleek, modern, aerodynamic looking exteriors mean the first thing you notice about superyacht Ahpo is not its 115 metre length, but the gorgeous silhouette and obvious pedigree."
• Why the Classic Riva Aquarama Is Still the the Most Beautiful Runabout Ever Made - "There are boats that look cool for a year. Others have such classic looks that can be reinvented from generation to generation. Then there are a handful that stand the test of time. The Riva Aquarama is one of those. Carlo Riva’s creation, celebrating the 60th anniversary of its launch in August, was an instant hit when it arrived in 1962."
• Rolls-Royce puts the Phantom back on its lofty pedestal - "A mid-life refresh ensures the flagship Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II is at the top of its game, a last hurrah for traditional engines before an electrified future."
• Test-Driving The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX - "Minutes after driving a historic 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, widely recognized as the world's first practical automobile, I'm behind the wheel of the all-new VISION EQXX prototype, which is the world's most advanced and efficient vehicle. My remarkable experience - from benzene burning to emission-free electric - is a 140-year leap of technical innovation courtesy of celebrated automaker Mercedes-Benz, which has brought me to Germany to study and drive its record-setting teardrop-shaped prototype."
• Gordon & MacPhail Introduces One Of The Oldest Scotch Whiskies Ever Released - "Famed Scottish independent whisky bottler and maker Gordon & MacPhail will release a rare bottling of ultra-aged whisky from the Milton Distillery. The expression, among the oldest released by Gordon & MacPhail and among the oldest Scotch whiskies ever released, is the latest edition to the company’s Private Collection range of ultra-aged rare whiskies."
• Should You Get a MacBook Air or iPad Pro? - "A few years ago, asking whether one should get a laptop or a tablet for professional work would be a ludicrous question."
• Apple Watch ‘Pro’ will reportedly introduce first redesign since 2018 - "The wearable may also offer multiday battery life."
• Jorts Have Taken Over - "Jorts are everywhere on the runway as well." VOGUE.
• Your Next Pair of Canvas Sneakers Should Come With a Serious Dose of Indie Cred - "5 low-key footwear brands making the trusty summer beater feel exciting again."
• The 16 Best Nike Shoes of All Time That You Can Shop Right Now - "Nike is undoubtedly one of the most popular sportswear brands on the market, largely due to its history of innovative footwear designs that continue to stand the test of time."

July 25, 2022

• Jonas Vingegaard Wins Tour de France, Completing His Sudden Ascent to Top - "Vingegaard, 25, won cycling’s most prestigious race on his second attempt, setting up a new rivalry with the two-time champion he dethroned, Tadej Pogacar."
• Plastic in the depths: how pollution took over our oceans - "So much plastic pours into the sea every year that species are now endemic to it. A new Guardian series looks at where it comes from, the harm it does and what can be done about it."
• France energy: Air-conditioned shops will be told to shut doors to cut waste - "Shops in France will be ordered to close doors when using air conditioning and limit neon lighting in a bid to cut energy waste, a minister has said."
• Elon Musk denies affair with Google co-founder Sergey Brin's wife - "Tesla boss Elon Musk has denied having an affair with Nicole Shanahan, the wife of Google co-founder, Sergey Brin."
• Chess robot breaks seven-year-old boy's finger during Moscow Open - "A robot broke a seven-year-old boy's finger during a chess match in Moscow last week, Russian news outlets report."
• Chess robot grabs & breaks finger of seven-year-old opponent - "Moscow incident occurred because child ‘violated’ safety rules by taking turn too quickly, says official."
• Ukraine conflict: How are drones being used? - "Thousands of drones are being used in the Ukraine war - to spot enemy positions, launch missiles and direct artillery fire."
• The mysterious inner life of the octopus - "Octopuses are problem-solvers, mischief-makers and notorious escape artists. They also appear to have a rich inner life - so what is it like to be an octopus?"

July 24, 2022

• Four Things Nations Can Do to Conserve Energy - "European Union officials have called on countries in the bloc to sharply reduce their natural gas consumption. These are some of the strategies they could use."
• How to talk to a denier - "What can you do when the people closest to you believe climate change is a hoax?"
• Travel chaos is ‘the new normal’ after Brexit, British tourists are warned - "Anger over lack of cash for Dover upgrade as Tory candidates vie to blame France for delays."
• 15 Simple Tricks to Help You Sleep in the Heat - VOGUE.
• I stopped using my phone to wake up. Here's what happened - "Why you should reinstate the classic alarm clock."
• It's Never Too Late - "10 Insightful Tips From People Who Prove It’s Never Too Late. Let their stories be your inspiration as you set resolutions for 2022."
• It’s Never Too Late to Pick Up Your Life & Move to Italy - "Holly Herrmann vowed to move to Italy when she was 20. Her dream came true 38 years later."
• Covid in China: Xi Jinping & other leaders given domestic vaccine - "The news was released as part of a campaign to increase vaccination rates, especially of boosters."
• Inside Movie Stars’ Salaries: Joaquin Phoenix Nabs $20M for ‘Joker 2,’ Tom Cruise Heads to Over $100M & More - Variety.
• The 32 Best (and Most Anticipated) Movies of 2022 - VOGUE Culture.
• Are cats or dogs smarter? - "Both are domesticated, but is one smarter? Is there any truth to the saying that 'cat rule, dogs drool'?"
• Say goodbye to your favorite Italian beach break - "It's the Italian dream: sprawling on one of the Mediterranean's best beaches, drink in hand, moving only to eat some freshly caught fish or pick up another glass of local wine. From December 31, 2023, beachside concessions - whether that's a beach club renting out sunbeds, a bar or a restaurant - will be put out to tender, in a move that 'puts the dolce vita lifestyle at risk,' say those who work in the industry."
• Queen Elizabeth’s Jaw-Dropping Collection of Royal Jewels Is on Display at Buckingham Palace - "Holding onto precious jewelry has been the royal family’s jam for generations. Now a new UK exhibition is putting those skills - and the heirlooms they’ve culled - on full display. The show, organized by the Royal Collection Trust, showcases pieces from Her Majesty’s extensive prized jewelry collection. The exhibition, entitled 'The Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession,' opened to the public on Friday inside the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace."
• What, Exactly, Was the Connection Between Victoria’s Secret & Jeffrey Epstein? - VOGUE Culture.
• A Look Back at Julia Roberts’s Best Hair Moments of All Time - "There’s hair, and then there’s Julia Roberts hair. The Oscar-winning actor may be celebrated for her million-dollar smile, but over the years she’s proved that her shape-shifting mane will always make a statement."
• Summertime & Denim’s Easy! 15 Jeans You Can Wear & Now - "Everyone from Louis Vuitton to Molly Goddard styled jeans within their summer collections for the 2022 season - and that doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, there’s no wardrobe staple that embodies casualness like a pair of jeans and there’s really no better time to embrace a relaxed wardrobe than during the summer season. Put the two together, and voilà! You have a case for the summer jean."
• Ranked: The 20 Countries With the Fastest Declining Populations - "Visualizing Population Decline by Country. The following table ranks countries by their rate of population decline, based on projected rate of change between 2020 and 2050 and using data from the United Nations."
• Legendary golf photographer chooses his greatest images - "An accidental master: The rise of legendary golf photographer David Cannon."
• High Noon at 70: the politically loaded anti-western adored by US presidents - "Loved by both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, the 1952 convention-defying film is like a political Rorschach test."
• 15 Greatest Sex and the City Episodes of All Time - VOGUE.
• Kate Moss ‘sick & angry’ at being made a scapegoat for taking cocaine - "The British supermodel talks candidly on BBC radio’s Desert Island Discs about her drug use, defending Johnny Depp and being ‘objectified and scared’."
• Cadillac reveals its $300,000 Celestiq EV - "Although this is a show car, the production version is expected to be nearly identical."

July 23, 2022

• WHO declares monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern - "The decision was announced Saturday morning after WHO convened its second emergency committee on the issue on Thursday. 'I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern,' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Saturday morning."
• How Koreans fell in love with an American World War II era personality test - It's as if Seoul is infatuated. Stroll through the South Korean capital and amid the sea of traditional Hangul characters it's hard not to notice the same four letters of the Latin alphabet cropping up again and again: MBTI.
• Boom Supersonic unveils new design for Overture supersonic jet - "Nearly two years after rolling out ts prototype supersonic demonstrator, the XB1, Boom has unveiled a major new design for its much anticipated Overture airliner, which will fly at twice the speed of today's subsonic commercial jets and is expected to carry its first passengers in 2029."
• These European Train Journeys Are The Ultimate Grand Tour - "The European Grand Tour Returns With Iconic Rail Journeys Aboard VSOE."
• Scotch whisky guide: These 6 regions of Scotland produce the world’s best single malts - "Which single-malt whisky shall we pour? Here's a look at Scotland's six whisky regions and the characteristics of the spirits they produce."
• Taste Test: Romania’s First Whiskies Show the Carpathian Distillery Has a Promising Future - "The country makes its debut with three expressions to try with the launch of Carpathian Single Malt, the first whisky - they spell it like the Scots - to be produced in the country."
• Amber Heard & Johnny Depp each file notice of appeal in defamation case - "Amber Heard took a first step toward appealing the verdict in the defamation case with her ex-husband Johnny Depp and he did the same."
• Google fires engineer who said AI tech has feelings - "Last month, Blake Lemoine went public with his theory that Google's language technology is sentient and should therefore have its "wants" respected."
• Louis Vuitton's Updated "LV Archives" Set of Socks Will Set You Back $2,000 - "Made from a lightweight cotton, polyester, and elastane blend, the colorful socks see various graphics that play with collegiate, floral, and cartoon themes as well as a reimagined Damier pattern. The set comes in a monograph acrylic presentation box and is priced approximately at $1,990, which translates to $330 a pair."
• This crazy Yamaha concept turns your smartphone into a turntable - "You can already turn your smartphone into a guitar amp and a recording studio, so why not a turntable? Enter the Yamaha Design Lab TurnT - a hipster-friendly portable speaker that has a 'stylus' but doesn't actually play vinyl. Rather, it plays virtual vinyl platters displayed on your phone's screen."
• How long should you stay at a job? - "The case for job hopping. Traditional thinking is that employees should stay at a company for the long term - or at least a few years. But many workers swiftly switching roles are earning greater career riches."
• How TikTok can help you get better at studying - "A growing group of educational influencers can help."
• Linda Evangelista settles cosmetic procedure lawsuit - "Former supermodel Linda Evangelista says she has settled a lawsuit over cosmetic procedures which she claimed ruined her career. The 57-year-old Canadian fashion model sued cosmetic company Zeltiq Aesthetics, a unit of Allergan Aesthetics, for $50 million last year, alleging she became a recluse after a CoolSculpting treatment to reduce fat left her 'brutally disfigured.'"
• Gaga for goo goo: Wellington named the global capital of baby talk - "Residents of the New Zealand city have the world’s most extreme vocal changes when speaking to babies, a study has found."
• Rare original copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio sells for £2m - "400-year-old edition of playwright’s first collected book of plays including Macbeth and Twelfth Night auctioned at Sotheby’s."

July 22, 2022

• Biden had received a second booster. Here’s why it wasn’t enough to prevent infection - "President Biden’s coronavirus infection is a stark illustration that the Covid vaccines, powerful as they are, are far from the bulletproof shields that scientists once hoped for."
• Japan urges ‘highest level of vigilance’ as Omicron subvariant drives record Covid surge - "People in Okinawa asked to avoid non-essential outings amid new wave of infections driven by highly transmissible BA.5."
• Monkeypox has made its way to Monaco - "A first case of monkeypox has been discovered in the Principality, Dr Olivia Keïta-Perse, head of the epidemiology and hygiene department at the Princess Grace Hospital said on Thursday evening. Transmission is by close contact, skin to skin or mucous membrane-to-mucous contact. Transmission can also be by air droplets. On July 5, there were 577 confirmed cases in France, 387 in the Paris region. The vast majority of cases were in men, with only three women and a child contaminated, according to Public Health France."
• A 17-minute flight? The super-rich who have ‘absolute disregard for the planet’ - "Kylie Jenner is far from the only celebrity to make short hops using private jets despite mounting concerns over the climate crisis."
• Nasa images show extreme withering of Lake Mead over 22 years - "The pictures from 2000, 2021 and 2022 offer a new view into its dramatically low water levels, now at just 27% capacity."
• Russia 'looting' steel bound for Europe & UK - "Russia is looting $600m worth of steel from plants and ports in Ukraine, according to the boss of Ukraine's largest steel firm Metinvest."
• Amber Heard files to appeal Johnny Depp’s $10M win in defamation case - "Lawyers for Heard, 36, filed the 'notice of intent to appeal' Thursday in Fairfax County, Virginia, court, records show."
• World's worst airports for delays & cancellations this summer - "These airports are the world's worst for delays and cancellations this summe. Anyone who's been to an airport recently can see that demand for travel is back in a big way. What's not back with a vengeance are the resources needed to handle the crush of air travelers. Add summer weather to staffing issues at airports and airlines and you have a perfect storm of delays and cancellations."
• Tips For Traveling With Only Carry-On Luggage - "If you’ve been following the news, you likely have heard that airports worldwide have been having issues regarding limited staff, which has led to delays, cancelations, and even a backlog of checked luggage. Knowing that, you may decide to fly only with a carry-on to avoid checked baggage fees and risk losing your bag. These tips can help you efficiently get everything you need into your carry-on for a stressless flight."
• The newest superfood is good for humans & the planet - "When most of us read the words 'plant-based diet,' we tend to think of foods such as kale salads and grain bowls or trendy meat replacements. But there is one nonmeat option that's gaining traction as the newest superfood: seaweed."
• The sustainable superfood of the future - "Why I prefer eating grasshoppers to beef. For most people in Europe and the US, the idea of eating crickets and grasshoppers can seem revolting, but they are a popular snack in parts of Africa and Asia. Not only are they packed with nutrients but they are less harmful to the climate too."
• How Much Money Is Enough? Not As Much As Americans Might Think, Study Says - "'The results suggest that sustainable goals of limiting wealth and growth "may actually be more consistent with human ideals and aspirations than (is) commonly believed.' This study was published at the same time as simultaneous research by an independent organisation that studies inequality in French society, L’Observatoire des Inégalités. That study determined that to be considered rich, a person must have a revenue of €3,673 per month ($3,903)."
• Can thinking young delay ageing? - "Can you delay ageing by refusing to act your age? When old age starts depend on where you live in the world. But it may also partly depend on how you view ageing. Can you delay it with a positive attitude?"
• Humphrey Bogart ignored Ingrid Bergman on Casablanca set in 'gin-fuelled' feud - "Humphrey Bogart became a household name after starring in the iconic movie Casablanca in 1942. But while he was filming the movie, he simply refused to speak to his on-screen lover, Ingrid Bergman. It got to the point where she begged him to have dinner with her."
• CNN gets first look at a captured Russian drone. See what was found inside - "Western technology used in drones is helping Russia to track and kill Ukrainian forces."
• iOS 15.6 & iPadOS 15.6 now available to all users, here’s what’s new - "The update includes an option to restart, pause, rewind, and fast-forward a live sports game that's in progress, plus it addresses an issue that could cause the Settings app to continue to display that device storage is full even when it's not."
• You Don't Have to Be Brad Pitt to Appreciate His Low-Key Adidas Kicks - "Bullet Train actor Brad Pitt stepped out for the Parisian premiere of his latest film in a louche suit and pair of Gucci x Adidas Gazelles."
• He climbed the world's 14 highest peaks. Twice - "Nepali Sherpa breaks his own climbing record. A 47-year-old Nepali sherpa has set a climbing record by scaling all the world's 14 peaks that are higher than 8,000 meters (26,247 ft) for a second time, his agency said on Thursday. Sanu Sherpa, from Sankhuwasabha district in east Nepal, reached the top of Pakistan's Gasherbrum II, which at 8,035 meters is the 13th highest, on Thursday morning, his Pioneer Adventure hiking company said in Kathmandu."
• One man has photographed 13,000 different species - "Joel Sartore, an American photographer and founder of the National Geographic Photo Ark, a personal effort to document every species in captivity around the world. Sartore has photographed 13,000th species in 16 years. His ultimate goal is to photograph 20,000."
• Bare walls can be an eyesore. Here’s what to plant to soften & hide them - "We can’t keep ripping up and starting again just because something offends our aesthetic sensibilities."
• Just hot air? For all the Farnborough talk, zero-carbon flying remains years away - "Record heat reaffirms urgency to decarbonise, but technical challenge is far greater for aviation than for most other parts of economy."
• I think Dakota Johnson’s kitchen changed my life - "The ‘Persuasion’ star’s kitchen became a viral sensation in 2020, unveiled in an instantly viral video for Architectural Digest in March 2020. For Adam White, though, it inspired a new way of looking at home furnishings, interior design, and the world itself. Seriously."
• James Bond grave tour: Visiting spot where Daniel Craig's 007 perished in No Time To Die - "James Bond Tombstone Tour review. Stunning trip to the Faroe Islands with a breathtaking hike up to the No Time To Die filming location where Daniel Craig's 007 died - as led by The King of Kalsoy, who worked on the 2021 blockbuster finale."
• Leica Oskar Barnack Award - presented almost continuously since 1979, recognizes photography expressing the relationship between man and the environment. It was known as the Oskar Barnack Award when presented by World Press Photo between 1979 and 1992, and has been known as the Leica Oskar Barnack Award while presented by Leica Camera since 1995.

July 21, 2022

• Biden Tests Positive for Covid - "President Biden, who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted, was 'experiencing very mild symptoms,' according to the White House."
• CIA chief says no intelligence that Putin is in bad health - "There is no intelligence that Vladimir Putin is unstable or in bad health, the director of the CIA has said."
• The Russians Just Shot Down One Of Their Own Best Jets - "Russian air-defense troops just shot down one of the most sophisticated warplanes involved in Russia's wider war in Ukraine."
• Video shows Russian tank blown to pieces by Javelin anti-tank guided missile - "Video shows how the tank is caught in the missile system's crosshairs before the projectile soars through the air and meets its target."
• EuroMillions: UK ticket-holder claims £195m record jackpot - "It eclipses the wealth of Sir Tom Jones, who is worth £180m according to the 2022 Sunday Times Rich List."
• £187m of Windsor family wealth hidden in secret royal wills - "Contents of dozens of royal wills have been kept private by judges in special hearings closed to the public."
• Biographer Tom Bower claims Meghan married Prince Harry to become famous - "His book is called Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors."
• Covid vaccine figures lay bare global inequality as global target missed - "Only one in seven people in low-income countries are fully vaccinated with poorest pushed to the ‘back of the queue’."
• Greenland shed 6 billion tons of water per day last weekend - "The amount of Greenland ice that melted last weekend could cover West Virginia in a foot of water."
• A380 superjumbo to test experimental open fan engine - "This Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger jet, has been recruited as a demonstrator to trial new cutting-edge open fan engine architecture which could help cut carbon emissions by up to 20%."
• Who Will Make Apple Fashionable Now? - "With the metaverse looming, a shift in designer could make a big difference."
• A US flyer tracked his lost luggage back to London & was told by American to go pick it up from the airport - even though he was 4,000 miles away in North Carolina - yahoo!.
• global lost luggage crisis mounts - "Some are calling it the summer of lost luggage as suitcases get caught in a conveyor belt-shaped vortex that only seems to grow."
• At Ivana Trump’s Funeral, a Gold-Hued Coffin & the Secret Service - "On Wednesday afternoon, when a funeral was held for Ms. Trump at an Upper East Side Catholic church, former President Donald J. Trump, along with his current wife, Melania, was there, seated in the front row, across from their three children: Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr. The Trump Organization had handled the funeral arrangements, and the coffin had a gold hue. The Secret Service stood by."
• Magnus Carlsen will not defend his World Chess Championship title in 2023 - "Magnus Carlsen says he will not defend his World Chess Championship title in 2023 against Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi. The five-times winner is not retiring but promising 'to be the best in the world' even if that means taking no part in chess’s showpiece event."
• A Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII Isn’t Just a Car, It’s a Lifestyle - "The only car where the driver’s seat is the worst place to be - because it’s all about the back."
• A Complete Guide to This Weekend’s Sneaker Releases - "Two of the most anticipated sneaker releases of 2022 will be up for grabs this week."
• A Chocolate Cake for the Queen of ASMR Eating - "A surprising online discovery leads to an unlikely friendship and a heartfelt cake recipe."
• This designer is turning balloons into fine furniture - "South Korean artist, Seungjin Yang, makes candy-colored, bulbous chairs, stools and benches with a twist - his pieces are made out of actual blow-up balloons. Since graduating in 2013 from Hongik University in Seoul, Yang's main design endeavor has been fashioning sturdy, structurally sound furniture from the rubber party favors/unexpected medium/unusual material."
• Brad Pitt's linen skirt is drawing attention - "On Tuesday, the star was in Berlin for the film preview of his new action flick "Bullet Train" while the city saw highs in the mid-90s. Pitt kept it cool by wearing a head-to-toe linen look featuring a brown skirt, matching jacket and a salmon button-up shirt left attentively half-open."
• 19 of the Best Celebrity Wedding-Guest Dresses to Inspire Your Own Look - VOGUE.
• How the Tamara Ecclestone £25m diamonds case was cracked - Over 14 days, cell site data pinpointed them in Golders Green, London Bridge, New Bond Street, Chelsea, Fulham and Orpington.
• How Abu Dhabi became the world's hottest cycling city - "Cycling vacations usually conjure up images of pedaling across the French countryside, a baguette lashed to the handlebars, or perhaps a breezy ride along the flat and friendly bike paths that weave their way through cities like Copenhagen or Amsterdam. But that could soon be changing. A two-wheeled revolution is beginning to gather pace in Abu Dhabi, with huge investment propelling both residents and visitors into the saddle for cycling experiences that are like nowhere else on Earth."
• World's oldest male giant panda in captivity dies in Hong Kong zoo - "The panda, called An An, was euthanized at the age of 35 - the equivalent of a human living till 105."
• Suspected FabergÉ egg found on Russian oligarch’s superyacht, US investigators say - "What could be a priceless Fabergé egg has been found on board a Russian oligarch’s superyacht seized by US authorities, one of the more curious items unearthed in sanctions-led investigations so far."
• Onboard The Yacht Being Dubbed The ‘Ferrari’ Of The Seas - "Almost two decades after the launch of the wallypower118, Monaco-based shipyard Wally is back with its biggest head-turner yet. Launched during the Venice Boat Show, the eye-catching wallypower58 was the most talked about boat on the water - and for good reason, as I was to discover."
• Tesla sold 75 percent of its Bitcoin - "The automaker reported $2.26 billion in profit this quarter."
• Porsche Taycans will charge faster & go farther with latest update - "The changes are available for free to all Taycans ever manufactured (2020-2022 models), as Porsche again shows the benefits of the software upgrade path paved by Tesla."
• Michael Mann’s Damaged Men - "In 'Ferrari,' his first film since 2015 - and in 'Heat 2,' his first ever novel - the director returns to his great theme: outsiders with a brutal determination to win."
• The Jewish Deli: An American Tale Told in Pickles & Pastrami - "'I’ll Have What She’s Having,' a traveling exhibit on the Jewish delicatessen, looks back at a vibrant institution fueled by immigration and irresistible food."
• Personality Test: Your Favorite Number Reveals These Personality Traits - "Number Personality Test: What your favorite number says about you? Know interesting personality traits based on your favorite number between 0 to 9."

July 20, 2022

• UK smashes its hottest-day record, 100 million Americans under alerts in global heat emergency - "Heat waves across multiple continents have dashed records, threatened public health and buckled infrastructure, in what scientists say are signs of the climate crisis' impact on day-to-day weather. Americans are used to switching on their air conditioners any time temperatures near 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). But in the UK, record-shredding heat this week has brought life to a pandemic-esque standstill. Temperatures in the UK breached 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time on Tuesday, making it the country's hottest day on record."
• Over 100m Americans under heat warnings as wildfires rage in 12 states - "Blazes have scorched over 3m acres as temperatures expected to reach 100F in much of the Plains and Mississippi Valley."
• In pictures: Western Europe swelters in heatwave - "Much of Western Europe has been facing sweltering weather, with extreme heat warnings issued and record temperatures tumbling."
• Anger in China after officials break into homes in hunt for Covid contacts - "Officials in Guangzhou apologise for ‘violent’ behaviour after 84 homes broken into during search for possible close contacts."
• Old cars forced off road as Europe’s clean air zones nearly double - Low-emission zones, now in 320 cities, are increasing as EU battles pollution health emergency.
• How to tell if your flight is going to be delayed - the secret word your pilot will use - "With flights regularly being delayed and cancelled at the moment, it's helpful to know if you'll be spending an hour or two on the runway."
• Flight attendant issues stark warning to people who fall asleep on planes - "Tourists who fall asleep on aeroplanes should avoid resting their head on the window, a flight attendant has warned today."
• What Kim Kardashian really eats! - "The health-conscious star tucked into an array of salads, arancini, pizzas and fish dishes, before finishing off her feast with chocolate cake and Nutella pizza."
• The world's most powerful - & worst - passports for 2022 - "A trio of Asian passports offer their holders greater global travel freedom than those of any other countries, according to a new quarterly report released by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners."
• The 10 darkest moments of the Queen's reign - "Her reign has had lows as well as highs."
• Secrecy of royal wills questioned by senior officials, documents reveal - "Papers from 1970s and 1980s warn practice of sealing wills was ‘haphazard’ with ‘slender’ legal basis."
• Crypto is making a big comeback. Will it last? - "There are hopes that the worst for crypto might be over. Bitcoin has gained more than 15% in the past week, and two other top cryptos have surged even more."
• The Worst Foods & Drinks for Your Teeth - "When assessing how likely a given meal, snack or drink is to harm your dental health, there are two main things to consider, experts say."
• Inside Bentley Residences, Miami’s Most Anticipated Luxury Living - "Coming to Sunny Isles Beach, Florida in 2026, Bentley Residences is set to bring the legendary automobile company’s design sensibility and timeless appeal to the Miami coast. Brought to life in collaboration with Dezer Development and Sieger Suarez Architects, the property will feature 216 private luxury residences inspired by Bentley’s creative process. Joining Miami’s existing Porsche Design Tower, Dezer Development’s latest project translates the craftsmanship that goes into creating the perfect vehicle into a physical, immersive space where every choice is made in the name of comfort."
• Sables & Minks & Chinchillas Galore: Ivana Trump’s Opulent Style - "Ivana Trump's Style Defined the 'Greed Is Good' Era."
• Mad Men at 15: how the genius advertising drama foresaw the death of the American dream - "From the micro-aggressions toward Black, female and LGBTQ characters to its depiction of a worrying narcissist named Donald, this forward-thinking drama was a warning from history."
• Saif Gaddafi: London life of former playboy who could lead Libya revealed - "A cache of emails and documents sheds light on the would-be ruler’s activities at a time when he was entering public life."
• Private jet use is more popular than ever & first-time buyers are driving record sales - "Business has been booming for some time for major private jet manufacturers, to the extent that firms have been unable to keep pace with skyrocketing demand since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Data from Transport & Environment shows that private jets are up to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes per passenger, and up to 50 times more polluting than trains."
• Lotto curse - Brits whose lives were destroyed when they became millionaires - "It seems like it would be the answer to many of life's problems, but a high-profile lottery win can quickly become a nightmare - as it did for these Brits after their numbers came up."
• We Lose One Crucial Feature of Consciousness While We Sleep, an 8-Year Study Reveals - "When we dream, something mysterious happens within our brains - we experience something similar to being awake, and yet also very different to being awake, and scientists are still trying to unpick exactly what's going on in that in-between state."
• How our brains cope with speaking more than one language - "How language mess with our brain. Speaking a second or even a third language can bring obvious advantages, but occasionally the words, grammar and even accents can get mixed up. This can reveal surprising things about how our brains work."
• Why Nikon & Canon have given up on DSLRs - "New tech makes mirrorless cameras unstoppable. The biggest news in the camera industry this month is that Nikon is reportedly halting development of new SLR cameras, marking the end of a 63-year run. From now on, it will focus exclusively on mirrorless Z mount models like the Z6, Z50 and recently-launched Z9 flagship."
• Nikon Z9 review: A versatile camera with solid 8K video recording - "All with no physical shutter."

July 19, 2022

• The World's 50 Best Restaurants | The best restaurants in the world - "Geranium, Copenhagen. The World's Best Restaurant 2022."
• Graphic shows all the changes in global temperature since 1850 - "Heat waves are becoming more intense because of the rise in global temperature, which has devastating effects on landscapes, ecosystems and even the human body. Climate experts explain why this matters and what can be done to stabilize the planet's temperature."
• Women more at risk from heatwaves than men, experts suggest - "Researchers try to explain findings that mortality rates in extreme heat are higher for females."
• Humanity faces ‘collective suicide’ over climate crisis, warns UN chief - "António Guterres tells governments ‘half of humanity is in danger zone’, as countries battle extreme heat."
• Tourists stuck in China resort city after Covid lockdown - "More than 2,000 tourists have been stranded in a Chinese coastal city after a surge in coronavirus cases."
• Towering waves in Hawaii crash into homes, barrel through wedding venue - "A strong winter storm in the South Pacific produced the swell which headed for the islands, bringing waves more than 20ft high."
• Why Don't Homes in Britain Have Air Conditioning? - "Temperatures topping 100 degrees are difficult to endure anywhere, but it’s particularly dangerous in Britain, where few homes are equipped with air conditioning."
• The ancient technique that turned this desert green - "Greener pastures: Can ancient eco-engineering help fix our degraded landscapes?"
• Louis Vuitton & Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh Digital Drop - "Nine mid-top and low-top editions of the Louis Vuitton and Nike 'Air Force 1' by Virgil Abloh will be available exclusively online on July 19th."
• Pagani puts electric plans on hold in favour of V12 flavour - "After four years of research into developing an electric car, Pagani have arrived at the conclusion that creating an EV is simply not worth it, nor would the final product be exciting enough."
• Record-setting ring weighs nearly a pound & contains 24,679 diamonds - "A ring has made its way into the Guinness World Records for the most diamonds set in one ring. The sparkler is encrusted with more than 24,000 diamonds and weighs nearly a pound. Each stone was hand-placed and took nearly 3 months to complete. The one-of-a-kind ring broke the previous record set two years ago."
• The best way to brush your teeth - "Brushing your teeth effectively lowers your chances of getting a host of chronic diseases, as well as keeping your teeth and gums healthy. But the majority of us are doing it wrong."
• Why Shakespeare's Richard III became a controversial villain - "The notorious monarch is one of the Bard's most iconic characters. But the truth about him is increasingly contested, as is the depiction of his disability, writes Tracey Sinclair."
• Judge broke promise to let Polanski go free in rape trial, sealed testimony says - "Los Angeles judge privately told lawyers he would imprison film director, ‘reneging’ on pledge, according to ex-prosecutor."
• Meet Anne-Sophie Pic, Star Chef Of Lausanne’s Beau Rivage Palace & The Only Female Chef With Three Michelin Stars In France - "Switzerland has always had strong patriarchal roots, but nowadays, life for women is finally changing for the better. After 600 years, the first female ever appointed to the role of night watch in Lausanne now calls out loudly on the hour. Just down the hill at the famous Beau-Rivage Palace, three women are at the helm: the general manager, the head of sales, and the chef."
• Apple Just Revealed An Amazing iPhone Upgrade In New Patent - "A new patent shows that Apple has been working on adding lasers to a future iPhone, and also to Apple Watch."
• 74-Acre Green Gables Estate In Silicon Valley Seeks $125 Million - "A total of seven houses make up the estate’s residential structures, including the English manor-inspired main house. Sitting atop the property’s central hill with views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the nearly 10,000-square-foot home has retained much of its turn-of-the-century elegance, with thatched roofs, muntin-paned French doors and furnishings selected by renowned New York designer Elsie de Wolfe."

July 18, 2022

• Can Planting a Trillion New Trees Save the World? - "To fight climate change, companies and nonprofits have been promoting worldwide planting campaigns. Getting to a trillion is easier said than done."
• France braces for record temperatures as wildfires rage across Europe - "Thousands evacuated as above 40C forecast for some French regions on Monday and more lives lost in soaring heat in Spain."
• The Astrology Of Princess Diana Will Blow Your Mind - "The Astrology Of Princess Diana Shows That Her Personality Was Both Irresistible & Incredibly Complex."
• The best destinations to visit in 2022 & the best airlines to get there - "This week in travel news, Time Out and TIME have both announced their annual lists of must-visit destinations, while AirlineRatings.com has named the world's best airlines for 2022."
• The downside of a plastic-free life - "Do single-use plastic bans work? The problems caused by plastic waste are rapidly increasing around the globe, but it still serves a useful purpose in food packaging. Can plastic still be a green option?"
• New documentary unearths troubling links between Victoria's Secret & Jeffrey Epstein - "he cultural phenomenon that was pre-2020 Victoria's Secret, with its televised lingerie catwalks and salacious TV ads, may be at times hard to fathom in a post-#MeToo world. What was once a multi-million-dollar fantasy of womanhood - exclusively svelte, athletic models in lace-trimmed thongs or diamante push-up bras, each framed by a pair of 12-foot-high angel wings - quickly became a parody so gauche it's hard to imagine it was ever taken seriously. But 'Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons,' a new Hulu documentary out today, explores exactly why and how it was."
• 10 scenic & remote museums & galleries that are worth the trip - "Some museums require more than a plane and a taxi ride to be reached, but repay you with memories lasting a lifetime. CNN Style has picked some of the best, all nestled off the beaten track, offering stunning natural beauty and artistic value."
• What happened when I stopped hurrying & discovered the joy of slowing down? - "'What is this life if, full of care, / We have no time to stand and stare?'"
• WAF Awards 2022: See the world's best new architecture - "In photos: The world's best new buildings."
• Why we keep dating people like our ex - "Exes share unique similarities to current partners, while our dating history can even be used to determine how attractive we are."
• Lily Safra, Star-Crossed Socialite & Philanthropist, Dies at 87 - "Lily Safra, a Brazilian-born socialite and philanthropist who led a star-filled, star-crossed life with enough jet-setting ups and tragedy-filled downs to fill a dozen Danielle Steel novels, including the bizarre death of her fourth husband, the banker Edmond J. Safra, died on July 9 at her home in Geneva. She was 87."
• The beloved 'snack of wealth' made on Delhi's streets - "Some vendors say moonlight and dew are the magic ingredients, but modern developments are moving this beloved sweet treat off the streets and into fine-dining restaurants."
• A new Shakespeare plot: garden of Bard’s daughter to be recreated - "Remedies used by healer Susanna Hall and her doctor husband will be planted at Stratford home."
• Putin signs law prohibiting crypto payments in Russia - "Russians will no longer be able to use cryptocurrencies and NFTs to pay for goods and services."
• BEYERDYNAMIC FREE BYRD EARBUDS REVIEW: SOARING SOUND & LONG BATTERY LIFE - "For a first effort, there’s a lot to like about Beyerdynamic’s $250 buds."

July 17, 2022

• top 20 Covid symptoms, in descending order - Top symptoms that could be Covid are a sore throat or a cough, according to data from 17,500 people who said they had tested positive for the virus this week.
• China's Economic Covid Slump - "The country’s continued lockdowns are having consequences on its ability to do business."
• The significance of Biden's fist bump with crown prince - "It was a striking photograph. The US president and the man he'd called a pariah, bumping fists in the gilded splendour of Jeddah's royal palace."
• Why it is so hot - in under 60 seconds - "A heatwave is sweeping across Europe with and is expected in Britain next week."
• Newsnight photographer claims to have picture of Prince Andrew that would rock the Monarchy if it was ever made public - " A photographer working for the BBC during Prince Andrew's car-crash Newsnight interview claims to have taken a shocking picture of the Royal that would shake the monarchy if it ever became public."
• How easy is it for the royals to escape their duties & go away on holiday? - "What happens when the royals go on holiday?"
• Ivana Trump Died of Blunt Force Injuries After Falling Down Stairs, Medical Examiner Determines - "The businesswoman's sudden and tragic death has been ruled an accident."
• Are You a Buffet Smuggler or a Stacker? 5 Types of Breakfast Buffet Behaviours - "How you approach the breakfast buffet at a hotel says a lot more about you than you think."
• The 15 Best Air Jordan Sneakers of All Time - "The GOATs. Period."
• 90% Of Louis Vuitton’s Latest LV Trainer Is Constructed From Recycled Materials - "94% of the shoe’s outsole is made out of recycled polyurethane."
• Victoria’s Secret & What’s Sexy Now. How Victoria's Secret Is Trying to Rebrand - "A rebranding and a new documentary have the lingerie company back in the cultural cross hairs."
• Webb telescope's first photos reveal unseen aspects of the universe - "Astronomers and space enthusiasts have waited for Webb's debut for decades. When US President Joe Biden released the first high-resolution image on Monday, and NASA unveiled the rest a day later, it felt like the entire planet came together to marvel at them. And the observatory's scintillating journey is just beginning."
• ‘Bees are really highly intelligent’: the insect IQ tests causing a buzz among scientists - "We all know these busy insects are good for crops and biodiversity, but proof is emerging that they are also clever, sentient and unique beings."
• Zenith’s Defy Extreme E ‘Island X Prix’ Special Edition - "Extreme E, the electric off-road motor racing series now in its second season, kicked off in Sardinia last week, with the final doubleheader races held July 9 and 10. And as Official Timekeeper and founding partner, Zenith concurrently unveiled its Defy Extreme 'E Island X Prix' Special Edition timepiece (20 pieces), which is based on the Defy Extreme Carbon."

July 16, 2022

• Global Peace Index Map - The Most & Least Peaceful Countries - "Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), the Global Peace Index (GPI) is the world's leading measure of global peacefulness."
• A hypothetical weather forecast for 2050 is coming true next week - "Two years ago, forecasters in the UK conducted an interesting thought experiment: What will our forecasts look like in 2050? The climate crisis is pushing weather to the extreme all over the world, and temperatures in the northern latitudes have been particularly sensitive to these changes. So meteorologists at the UK Met Office - the official weather forecast agency for the UK - dove in to the super long-range climate models in the summer of 2020 to see what kind of temperatures they'd be forecasting in about three decades."
• Elon Musk's famous family includes a model, several millionaire entrepreneurs & secret twins. Here are the members of the Musk family tree - "Elon Musk has had a wild life, but he's not the only member of his family to launch businesses, make millions, or achieve fame."
• How do the rich & famous protect their homes? - BBC News.
• 12 of the Most Compulsively Watchable True-Crime Documentaries on Netflix Now - VOGUE.
• Streaming: the best lost-in-the-wilderness films - "The Lost City, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s remote island romp, joins classics from The African Queen to Fitzcarraldo."
• 11 of the world's most dangerous hiking trails - "Hiking is often derided by adrenaline addicts as somehow lesser than more hardcore mountain experiences like climbing or skiing. But as these challenging trails show, putting one foot in front of the other isn't always the easy option."
• US & Russia agree to fly each other’s astronauts to the ISS as tensions thaw - "Nasa and Roscosmos made the announcement of integrated flights shortly after the Russian space program leader was replaced."
• Drivers warned over surprising £5,000 fine for wearing sunglasses - "Driving experts have said that even though sunglasses are often an important accessory for any driver, some styles can restrict vision while driving. Some lenses can be tinted too dark and restrict vision during daylight. Bulky frames can also cause blind spots."
• Monte-Carlo Diary: The menace of cruise ships - "Cruise ships are tolerated in Monaco because of the sizeable port fees they pay and also because their passengers help keep open a small number of not very good restaurants on the Rock."
• I've lived in Singapore for 20 years & there are 7 things tourists should never do when visiting the city-state - "The city-state is full of cultural norms and laws that might seem unusual in other countries."
• We benchmarked the base M2 MacBook Air’s storage & (surprise!) it’s slow - "If you want the faster SSD, you’ll have to pay for it."
• It’s Now Harder to Get a Bio-plastic $250 MoonSwatch Than a Breguet or Blancpain - "It’s more difficult to find the $250 MoonSwatch in stores than a $13,000 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, as demand for the budget-priced timepiece collaboration between Omega and Swatch continues to outstrip supply."
• The pollution caused by rocket launches - "Rocket launches are an integral part of our 21st-Century world. But how do we stop their polluting exhausts accelerating climate change?"
• Sotheby’s Sold a Jean ProuvÉ Table for $1.6 Million Last Month - But Didn’t Mention It Might Contain Asbestos - "An eagle-eyed antique dealer realized there was more to the 'Granipoli concrete' table than met the eye."
• VENTJE VW CAMPERVAN REVIEW: ‘WORK FROM HOME’ FROM ANYWHERE - "A home office in disguise."
• The Most Incredible Features Of Jeff Bezos' $500 Million Mega Yacht - "The 417 feet long (127 meters) ship is called the Y721 and it is reportedly made by Oceanco, a custom ship builder that produces some of the world's largest and most luxurious boats."
• The Best Royal Wedding Dresses in History - "At the end of every fairy tale, we’re almost always served the same image: a princess in a white gown, walking down the aisle. So is it any wonder that throughout history, real-life royal wedding dresses have utterly enraptured the minds of the public?" VOGUE.
• 73 Outfits Prove That Lady Gaga Is Fashion’s Ultimate Shapeshifter - "Vogue is taking a look back at some of the star’s best ensembles over the years—the best 73 of them, to be exact."
• You'll have to fight me to separate me from these Razer sunglasses this summer - "A surprisingly useful accessory for summertime dog walks."
• Curators Discover a Rare Chinese ‘Magic Mirror’ - One of Only Three Known in the West - in the Depths of the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Storage - "Magic mirrors, also known as transparent or light penetrating mirrors, were first created in China during the Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE), according to the museum. 'When light is projected on them, the mirrors appear transparent and reveal characters or a decorative design.'"
• 8 Grand Historic Homes You Can Book on Airbnb, From Castles to Manors - "As summer travel picks up in earnest, so does the desire to explore a world previously closed off to us during lockdown. To help inspire your next trip, here are eight of the most enthralling historic homes listed on Airbnb."

July 15, 2022

• The $100 Trillion Global Economy in One Chart - "Visualizing the $100 Trillion Global Economy in One Chart. Surpassing the $100 trillion mark is a new milestone for global economic output."
• Extreme heat around the world in videos, photos & graphics - "From wildfires to glacier collapses, a flurry of extreme heat events has led to deaths and disrupted lives since the start of July."
• The 10 Worst Airports in Europe for Delays Right Now - "London Heathrow may be in the news, but it’s far from the worst offender."
• You Won’t Live Longer by Diet or Exercise Alone, Study Says - "Sprawling new research showed that healthy eating and regular workouts do not, in isolation, stave off later health issues. They need to be done together."
• No amount of alcohol is healthy if you're under 40, global study says - "Global study finds surprising results for alcohol consumption. No amount of alcohol is healthy if you are younger than 40, mostly due to alcohol-related deaths by auto accidents, injury and homicide, according to a new global study."
• Text Your Friends. It Matters More Than You Think - "New research says most of us underestimate the power of the casual check-in."
• Here are the highlights from Twitter's lawsuit against Elon Musk - "It's not every day that a major corporate lawsuit features a poop emoji, but then again it's not every day that one of the world's most influential social media platforms sues the world's richest man to make him buy it."
• The dark side of being an influencer - "The dark side of being a content creator. Being a social media influencer is one of the top career picks for young people today. But the path is filled with pay gaps, burnout, unpredictability and more."
• Meryl Streep’s One Weird Trick - "Streep is always putting on the glasses to read the newspaper, or taking them off as she stops reading the newspaper."
• Ivana Trump, an ex-wife of former President Trump, dies at 73 - "Ivana Trump died after 'falling down staircase of NYC townhouse."
• Let Them Have Couture - "Balenciaga's latest experiment attempts to open up the mysterious world of Parisian haute couture."
• Inside a US$150 Million Bel-Air Mansion - "Honey Co-Founder George Raun Lists Bel-Air Mansion For $150 Million."
• Can you spot all the hidden circles in this optical illusion - "If you can spot the 16 circles here, you’re spot on."
• What does the Queen’s legal immunity mean? - "Exemptions have been written into law to protect the monarch as a private citizen - but are they necessary?"
• This 33-year-old mom makes $760,000 a year in passive income - "Lives on a sailboat: ‘I work just 10 hours a week’."
• Legendary Cartier Cheich Heads To Sotheby's Paris In September - "One of only four examples made and the only one presented as prize for the Cartier Challenge."
• Dress to impress: clothing rituals from across the world - in pictures - "From New York drag queens to voodoo rituals in Benin and Togo, a new exhibition looks at the influence of clothes on the way we live."
• 'Gangnam Style' at 10: How Psy's smash hit sent Korean culture global - "‘It was a little crazy’: Psy on 'Gangnam Style', 10 years on."
• Photos of '90s offices evoke a bygone era - "Wires, watercoolers and off-white walls: A portrait of '90s offices."
• Egypt's Red Sea resort that's making waves - "On the shore of the Red Sea, the forward-thinking town of El Gouna was founded with a mission: to do its part to protect the environment."
• The UFO sightings that swept the US - Seventy-five years on from the first mysterious sightings in the US, the flying saucer makes its return in Jordan Peele's new film Nope. Nicholas Barber looks back at one of the most haunting objects in popular culture.
• Aston Martin raises £650m as Saudi Arabia takes a stake - "British manufacturer has been unable to generate cash to invest in new models and electric technology."
• NOTHING PHONE 1 REVIEW: SOMETHING ELSE - "A good midrange phone underneath a whole lot of hype."
• APPLE’S NEW MACBOOK AIR M2 IS THE START OF A WHOLE NEW AIR-A - "New design, new display, new processor, new price."
• PatrÓn & Lalique Just Dropped a New Tequila Collab That Whiskey Drinkers Will Love - "Inside the beautiful decanter is a blend of 14 different tequilas aged between four and eight years."
• Here's the Porsche 992 GT3 RS on the Streets of California - "We shouldn’t have to wait much longer to meet the new naturally-aspirated icon."
• Every Car In Sylvester Stallone's Personal Collection - "With more than 90 acting credits, the Italian Stallion has worked for more than five decades now and amassed quite the car collection."

July 14, 2022

• prime day deals today 2022 - Amazon.com.
• Royal-Approved Sunglasses Brands to Shop This Prime Day - "The styles beloved by Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are at a major discount on Amazon right now."
• Russian Towns Get Ukrainian ‘Twins’ in PR Drive, Political Deflection Tactic - "A few days after the announcement that St. Petersburg would officially be twinned with occupied Mariupol, St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov visited the devastated Ukrainian port city seized by Russia after three months of bloody fighting." The Moscow Times.
• Spectacular Supermoon sightings around the world - "Photos of the supermoon, thunder moon, buck moon on July 13, 2022."
• Global recession risk rising as economic outlook ‘darkens significantly’, IMF says - "Cost-of-living crisis ‘only getting worse’ says IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, predicting a tough 2022, and ‘even tougher 2023’."
• BA.5: The 'worst variant' is here - "Nearly two-and-a-half years since the coronavirus pandemic began, the most infectious and transmissible variant yet has arrived."
• How worried should I be about BA.5, on a scale of 1 to 10? We asked 4 leading COVID experts for their rating - "There's a new coronavirus variant traveling around this summer at a record clip. The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is reinfecting people at a record clip, causing alarm. If you're up to date on shots and know where to get treated, there's no need for off-the-charts panic."
• 2022’s Most Fashionable Travel Essential? An Apple AirTag (Now on Sale) for Your Luggage - "If your Instagram feed is populated with scenes from your coworker’s Italian coastal getaway or your cousin’s trip to Portuguese wine country, it’s probably also peppered in with a few tales of lost luggage. If Instagram is reality, it seems that lots of bags are getting lost. But the app is also telling us our summer packing list should start with a piece of tech: Apple’s AirTag. Good timing then that Apple AirTags on Amazon are now on sale for Prime Day."
• 100% pure rip-off? New Zealand voted second-worst place to move to - "Cost of living too high and pay too low, say survey respondents, though natural environment, climate and sporting life are appreciated."
• Spain to make some train journeys free of charge from September 1 up until the end of the year - "Public transport prices on state-owned service across Spain have already been slashed in half in response to rapidly rising energy and inflation rates. Now the government has announced further 100% discounts. As of September, passengers will be able to travel across various trains operated by public train network Renfe for absolutely nothing."
• Netflix turns to Microsoft to help build its new ad-supported service - "The streaming giant hopes a less expensive offering will boost subscription numbers, which have dropped for the first time in a decade."
• Bill Gates funnels $20 billion to foundation & plans to drop off list of wealthiest people - "Bill Gates is moving $20 billion of his wealth into the endowment of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is ramping up its spending in the face of global challenges including the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. 'I will move down and eventually off of the list of the world's richest people,' Gates wrote in a blog post Wednesday. 'I have an obligation to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact for improving lives. I hope others in positions of great wealth and privilege will step up in this moment too.'"
• How colours mess with your brain - "How your favourite colour affects how you think. Our world is awash with a rainbow of colours, but certain shades can have a surprising impact on our ability to concentrate, our mood and even the flavours we experience."
• Personality Test: Your Favorite Color Reveals These Personality Traits - "Color Personality Test: Which color do you love the most? Red or blue or green or yellow or black or white? Know what your favorite color says about you. Check out bonus colors: Pink, Purple, and Orange."
• THE WORLD'S GREATEST PLACES OF 2022 - "50 extraordinary destinations to explore." TIME Magazine.
• World's best airlines for 2022, ranked by AirlineRatings.com - "Qatar Airways' decision to remain operating through the pandemic meant that it became the world's largest international airline and posted a huge profit - the only major airline to do so. Hot on the heels of Qatar Airways is Air New Zealand, an airline that's topped AirlineRatings' list six times in recent years, and last year also came in at number two."
• 7 Amazing Facts About The Sea Of Stars In The Maldives - "If you want to try swimming amongst the stars, then you’ll love the phenomenon that is the “Sea Of Stars”, due to its glowing blue waves, on one of the islands in the Indian Ocean."
• See 7 supersonic passenger-jet concepts that will connect cities in as little as one hour - "Fly up to 9 times faster than the speed of sound. The Concorde was a supersonic commercial airliner, flying passengers at 1,350 miles per hour. High costs, safety concerns, and loud sonic booms forced the plane to retire in 2003. Several companies are trying to reintroduce supersonic air travel with new ultra-high-speed jet concepts."
• The 10 best-selling Scotch whiskies worldwide last year - "Not a single malt in sight..."
• EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SNEAKER COLLABORATIONS (& MORE) - "Considering how long sneaker culture has been around, sneaker collaborations are a relatively new phenomenon. When the Stüssy x Nike Huarache LE - the sneaker many credit as being the original sneaker collaboration - was released in 2000, it was a wild new approach, which saw retailer and brand join forces to create a special version of an existing sneaker."
• Spanish beach town to fine tourists €750 for urinating in the sea - "The city council in Vigo, Galicia, has passed legislation banning 'physiological evacuation on the beach or in the sea', slapping a fine of €750 on anyone caught short while in the shallows."
• How duck 'soldiers' became this 300-year-old winemaker's secret weapon - "Outside Cape Town on the banks of the Eerste river, Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate has repurposed a centuries-old practice by marshaling a battalion of ducks to keep its vineyard free of pests."
• Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty to sexual assault charges - "Oscar-winning US actor, 62, pleads not guilty to fives charges at Old Bailey in London."
• Tom Courtenay: ‘I told Daniel Craig I turned down Bond because of the gym work’ - "The celebrated actor answers your questions about the train scene in Doctor Zhivago, the joy of working on The Royle Family, and his love of the ukulele."
• Mark Fleischman: Ex-Studio 54 club owner dies by assisted suicide at Dignitas - "Mark Fleischman, who owned legendary New York nightclub Studio 54 in the 1980s, has died by assisted suicide in Switzerland, his former business partner has said."
• Monty Norman, composer of the James Bond theme, dies at 94 - "Monty Norman, a British composer who wrote the theme tune for the James Bond films, has died. He was 94. A statement posted Monday on Norman's official website said: 'It is with sadness we share the news that Monty Norman died on 11th July 2022 after a short illness.'"

July 13, 2022

• Vladimir Putin to Be Called 'Ruler' of Russia Under New Proposal - "A pro-Kremlin party is calling for Vladimir Putin to be referred to as Russia's 'ruler' rather than as the Russian 'president,' in order to move away from a job description derived from a foreign language."
• Dangerous heatwaves engulf parts of China, US & Europe - "At least 86 Chinese cities issue alerts, while temperatures soar in south-west and central US and Iberian peninsula."
• As Sixth Covid Wave Hits, Many New Yorkers Shrug It Off - "Once among the most vigilant, New Yorkers respond to a highly transmissible new wave of Covid cases with the most New York of attitudes."
• Twitter Sues Musk After He Tries Backing Out of $44 Billion Deal - "The question of whether Elon Musk must buy Twitter, as he agreed to do in April, is headed to a court in Delaware."
• What Are Spam Bots & Why They’re an Issue in Elon Musk’s Twitter Deal - "Bots can tweet at people, share tweets, follow and be followed by other people. And there are good bots and bad."
• It’s Time to Stop Living the American Scam - "Enough with the busywork already. We’ve been 'productive' enough - produced way too much, in fact. And there is too much that urgently needs to be done: a republic to salvage, a civilization to reimagine and its infrastructure to reinvent, innumerable species to save, a world to restore and millions who are impoverished, imprisoned, illiterate, sick or starving. All while we waste our time at work."
• Is Chocolate Good for You? - "Studies suggest that cocoa might benefit health, but it’s unclear how that may translate to a typical bar of chocolate. Many small, short-term human trials, have found that dark chocolate or standardized cocoa supplements or drinks can modestly lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol and the health of blood vessels in adults."
• France to cut nitrites in food after agency confirms cancer risk - "France said on Tuesday it intends to cut the use of nitrites in food after the national health agency confirmed they raise the risk of cancer, falling short of a full ban feared by processed meat makers who use it in products such as ham and sausages."
• Emmy nominations 2022: The full list by category - "'Succession' and 'Ted Lasso' dominate major categories in Emmy nominations."
• Mickey Rourke Slams Tom Cruise on ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’: “He’s Irrelevant” - "Mickey Rourke is not flying high over the popularity of Top Gun: Maverick. During an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the actor ripped into Top Gun star Tom Cruise, blasting his return to the film franchise and proclaiming he’s not impressed by Cruise’s filmography."
• The Power of Talking to Yourself - "'External self-talk,' as it’s clinically known, gets a bad rap. But it can be great for pushing through all sorts of obstacles."
• Apple Ends Consulting Agreement With Jony Ive, Its Former Design Leader - "Three years after promising to work 'long into the future' with the man behind its candy-colored computers, Apple and Mr. Ive are through."
• HRH Prince Charles & Sir Jony Ive on designing for a better world - "Founded and led by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Sir Jony Ive the Terra Carta Design Lab celebrates young designers developing high-impact, low-cost solutions to the climate crisis."
• Red Cross Ball will be on Casino Square - "Presided over by HSH Prince Albert, the 73rd Monaco Red Cross Ball takes place on Friday, July 18, on Casino Square for the second time since its creation."
• One-percenters take to the air - "Flying accounts for about two percent of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions, but some passengers’ impact is far greater than others. In a week when the great and good are flying into the World Economic Forum at Davos we have decided to take stock."
• Carbon Offset Emissions Calculator for Private Jet Flights - "Calculate how much carbon emissions your private jet flight is producing and buy carbon offsets from a choice of organizations to compensate for it."
• 7 Street Style Trends to Lift From the Fall 2022 Haute Couture Shows - VOGUE.
• From Gucci to Khaite, 10 Adidas Sneaker Collabs to Know & Shop - VOGUE.
• Why does ancient Egypt's distinctive art style make everything looking flat? - "Size, setting and narrative all play a role. Egyptian art is easily recognizable, but many cultures used similar approaches to represent people and objects."
• A Physique Coach Shared His Simplest 'Do Nothing' Advice for Burning Fat - "Paul Revelia breaks down the approach that he says will help you lose weight—and help you keep it off."
• Lock screen: The ultimate guide - "What's the Lock screen, how do you use it, and how do you change it to make it your own? Here's how to do all that, plus more!"
• How to Recover Deleted Photos from an iPhone - "It can be heartbreaking to discover a favorite picture on an iPhone or a photograph from a recent shoot has been unexpectedly deleted. The good news is that there are several ways to recover deleted photos, some quite simple and most can be done directly from the iPhone itself."

July 12, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war live news: dozens killed in Chasiv Yar strike; 80% of Donetsk residents have fled, governor says - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 139 of the invasion - "The death toll from a Russian missile attack on Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine rises to 34; Kyiv warns Russia will step up fight in Donbas."
• The Uber whistleblower: I’m exposing a system that sold people a lie - "Mark MacGann says he has decided to speak out about firm to ‘right some fundamental wrongs’."
• Elon Musk's bumpy road to possibly owning Twitter: A timeline - "A board seat accepted and then rejected. A stunning $44 billion takeover offer with uncertain financing. And a surprise early morning tweet putting the deal on hold, temporarily. Even by the standards of Twitter, a company that has known plenty of chaos and dysfunction in its history, the weeks-long effort by billionaire Elon Musk to buy the company has proven to be uniquely tumultuous - and there's no clear end in sight."
• Rotterdam Won’t Dismantle Bridge to Allow Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht Through - "The Dutch city faced an uproar as it considered dismantling a section of a 95-year-old bridge. Now the boat’s builder has decided not to apply for a permit."
• Hong Kong to electronically tag Covid patients as it adopts China’s health code system - "Those in home isolation will be forced to wear a bracelet tracking their movements as territory introduces China-style QR code system."
• Nearly $2tn of damage inflicted on other countries by US emissions - "Research puts US ahead of China, Russia, India and Brazil in terms of global damage as climate expert says numbers ‘very stark’."
• Quiet flows the Po: the life & slow death of Italy’s longest river - "The legendary waterway is drying up. Travelling its length, Tobias Jones uncovers its fascinating history."
• India to surpass China as most populous country in 2023, UN report says - India is set to surpass China as the world's most populous country in 2023, with each counting more than 1.4 billion residents this year, a United Nations report said on Monday, warning that high fertility would challenge economic growth. The world's population, estimated to reach 8 billion by November 15 this year, could grow to 8.5 billion in 2030, and 10.4 billion in 2100, as the pace of mortality slows, said the report released on World Population Day.
• James Webb telescope takes super sharp view of early cosmos - "The first full-colour picture from the new James Webb Space Telescope has been released - and it doesn't disappoint. The image is said to be the deepest, most detailed infrared view of the Universe to date, containing the light from galaxies that has taken many billions of years to reach us."
• The power of eccentric rituals - "Superstitious learning: Can 'lucky' rituals bring success? We love to mimic to the routines and rituals of the rich and famous - but they may be no more insightful than random behaviours."
• Time Out lists the world's best cities for 2022 - "Edinburgh, Scotland came in at No. 1, thanks to its stunning views and creative, welcoming atmosphere."
• Comparing the Cost of Living Around the World - "This graphic compares the cost of living and purchasing power of 578 cities worldwide, using New York City as a benchmark for comparison."
• 3 ways to avoid checking your bag at the gate - "If you’re flying soon and want to minimize your risk of having to check a bag, here are three things you can do."
• Heathrow implements summer 2022 capacity cap - "Our assessment is that the maximum number of daily departing passengers that airlines, airline ground handlers and the airport can collectively serve over the summer is no more than 100,000."
• Bernie Ecclestone to be charged with fraud over more than £400m of undeclared assets - "Now 91 years-old, Ecclestone amassed an estimated fortune of 2.5 billion pounds over his 40 years at the helm of the world’s most prestigious motorsport until it was taken over by US group Liberty Media in 2017. Ecclestone left his emeritus position within F1 in 2020."
• Tahiti started the overwater trend in the 1960s. Then this country perfected it - "The most incredible overwater villas in the Maldives."
• Bluetooth audio’s biggest upgrade in years is coming soon to headphones - "First announced in 2020, the LE Audio spec has now been completed."
• How an increasingly popular supplement landed a man in the hospital - "A British man's overdose on vitamin D is a cautionary tale for people who are considering adding supplements to their lives."
• Judi Dench recalls director telling her she had 'wrong face' for film - "Even Dame Judi Dench encountered some doubters on her journey to the big screen."
• French FÉcamp 'precious blood' relics recovered after abbey theft - "The Catholic Church was shocked last month when an ornate golden artefact said to contain drops of Jesus's blood was stolen shortly before an annual celebration in northern France."
• How does wildlife find garden ponds? - "If you build a pond, wildlife will find it. But how?"
• Piet Mondrian & the six lines that made a masterpiece - "A 1922 painting by Piet Mondrian challenged art history, defining a new era, writes Deborah Nicholls-Lee, as two exhibitions celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth."
• The world's oldest sourdough? - "The search for the oldest sourdough starter spans continents and countries, science labs and libraries, and involves everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to Jesus Christ."
• ‘Fire is the perfect villain’ - how the Notre Dame blaze became an explosive film - "Name of the Rose director Jean-Jacques Annaud has turned the Paris fire into a thrilling drama. He talks about the desperate race to rescue the crown of thorns - as molten lead fell like satanic rain."
• FIND A GRAVE - "World’s largest gravesite collection." Over 210 million memorials created by the community since 1995. Website that allows the public to search and add to an online database of cemetery records. It is owned by Ancestry.com.
• Dior v Valentino: row breaks out after Rome show allegedly blocks boutique - "Dior reportedly demands €100,000 compensation from Valentino after Spanish Steps show ‘hampered’ access to store."
• Treasure or Trash? Huge Unclaimed Baggage Event Makes NYC Debut Sunday - "For the first time ever, the nation's only retailer for lost luggage will host a one-of-a-kind silent auction in New York City this weekend - and it is all for a good cause."

July 11, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war live news: dozens remain trapped after Russian strike; Zelenskiy says Donetsk attack purposely targeted civilians - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 138 of the invasion - "At least 15 people dead after Russian missile attack on eastern Ukrainian town; residents in two southern regions urged to evacuate as Ukraine prepares to launch counteroffensive."
• Uber broke laws, duped police & secretly lobbied governments, leak reveals - "More than 124,000 confidential documents leaked to the Guardian. Files expose attempts to lobby Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz and George Osborne. Emmanuel Macron secretly aided Uber lobbying in France, texts reveal. Company used ‘kill switch’ during raids to stop police seeing data. Former Uber CEO told executives ‘violence guarantees success’."
• What are the Uber files? A guide to cab-hailing firm’s ruthless expansion tactics - "Trove of documents leaked to the Guardian cast light on firm’s operations at height of its global rise."
• Macau shuts all casinos in bid to contain worsening Covid outbreak - "More than 30 closed for a week - with extension thought likely - and dozens of city zones locked down in gambling hub."
• Adding salt to food at table can cut years off your life, study finds - "Research involving 500,000 Britons reveals link to earlier death for those who always season their meals."
• What's next for Twitter now that Elon Musk wants out? - "New York Times reporter Lauren Hirsch said there has been an interesting confluence of events since news of Musk's offer first broke. The stock market 'basically dropped off the cliff,' including shares of Tesla, which Musk was presumably relying on to fund much of the deal."
• Why Bluetooth is still headache-inducing two decades later - "Bluetooth is said to borrow its name from a ninth century Scandinavian king, Harald 'Blue tooth' Gormsson, who was known for his blueish-gray dead tooth and also for uniting Denmark and Norway in 958 AD. Early programmers adopted 'Bluetooth' as a code name for their wireless tech that connects local devices, and it eventually stuck."
• Why Campbell Soup hated, then embraced, Andy Warhol's soup can paintings - "Sixty years ago today, the pop artist Andy Warhol unveiled a wall of 32 Campbell Soup can paintings at a Los Angeles gallery, one for each flavor of soup then in production."
• How Better Call Saul bettered Breaking Bad - "The greatest prequel ever made? When Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan signed up to make a spin-off series, he wasn't sure it would work. So how did it actually improve on its predecessor? Stephen Kelly finds out."
• The digital nomad visas luring workers overseas - "More than 25 countries have now launched visa programmes for digital nomads, enabling these travellers to work legally, longer and more freely."
• 52 Places for a Changed World - "The 2022 list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution." The New York Times.
• 14 most extravagant celebrity private jets - from Kim K to Elon Musk - "Billionaires are no strangers to the high life - especially in the case of private jets. Although owning at least one is a staple asset for many of the world’s wealthiest, not all jets are created equal, and some are inevitably more impressive than others - and of course come with different price tags. So, which billionaires own the most extravagant rides?"
• 11 Types Of Whiskey Explained - "When deciding if you should drink whiskey or whisky, it comes down to who makes your favorite selection. The location defines how you will spell the liquor. Scotch from Scotland does not use the 'e,' nor does Canada, Japan, or India. Ireland and America both include the 'e' in their whiskey."
• A Flight Attendant's Tips on Surviving Travel Now - "‘A One-Hour Layover Is Not Enough Anymore’. In two decades of flying, things have never been as stressful as they are now, a cabin insider says. Here, her tips from 30,000 feet for avoiding airline chaos this summer."
• The empire the Aztecs couldn't conquer - "The P'urhépechas were the only indigenous group in Mexico the Aztecs failed to conquer - but despite that feat, they were nearly lost to history."
• The Cayman Islands’ Only Five-Star Hotel Is Back After A Massive Renovation - "While the Cayman Islands closed for international tourists during much of the pandemic, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman took the opportunity to spend those two years renovating across its sprawling 144 acres."

July 10, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war live news: Zelenskiy dismisses ambassadors; six killed in strike on Donetsk apartment block - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 137 of the invasion - "Canada grants sanctions exemption to let Russian turbine part for Nord Stream 1 pipeline return to Germany; Zelenskiy sacks host of ambassadors."
• Cask of scotch whisky bought for record £16m in private sale - "Collector in Asia buys 88 bottles of single malt produced at Ardbeg distillery on island of Islay in 1975."
• US dollars will go further on European vacations right now - "The euro is plummeting. For American tourists, that means European vacations are more affordable in dollars than they've been in two decades. So while airfare and other travel costs are rising, the strong dollar might help offset those increases for lucky Europe-bound Americans."
• How Many Children Does Elon Musk Have? - "Name-change documents filed in Texas show that the outspoken entrepreneur recently fathered twins with Shivon Zilis, a director at one of his companies."
• ‘It’s been a hell of a ride’: John McEnroe on learning to lose & being the rock star of tennis - "As a film about his life is released, the former bad boy of tennis reflects on how he went from villain to hero."
• ‘The Golden Age of Thrifting Is Over’ - "A glut of fast fashion has made its way into local thrift stores, making it hard for women who have been purchasing secondhand for decades to find quality garments they can wear."
• When the Czarinas Ruled the Front Row - "A group of Russian women were once the hottest things at couture, embraced not just by fashion, but by the watching world. Where are they now?"
• When the Results of a DNA Test Change the Family Tree - "Tens of millions of Americans have taken DNA tests, and stories of them linking up with unknown family, often separated by closed adoptions, have been a feature of news reports for years. Some, like my friend, learn of 'misattributed parenting,' or what is known as an NPE, for Non-Paternity Event."
• Met Exhibition Brings Back the Color to Ancient Sculptures - "Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color reminds us, once again, that our view of the ancient world is whitewashed."
• How To Park A $50 Million Superyacht Like A Boss - "A video posted to Instagram is giving people a look at what it's like to park a $50 million dollar superyacht in Monaco. Parking a $50 million superyacht should be a doddle. Especially with all that fancy technology. But human skill is still needed, a video out of Monaco recently showed. All your questions about parking a superyacht, answered."
• The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now - "New films, and classics, just keep coming, but you don’t have to drill down to find the finest selections to stream. We’ll do the heavy lifting. You press play."
• Hollywood bids farewell to three greats united by mafia films & friendship - "Tony Sirico, Ray Liotta and James Caan helped to define the modern mob movie."
• The sustainable cities made from mud - "The ancient material that cools homes. Mud buildings are remarkably good at keeping us cool in summer and warm in winter, and withstanding extreme weather. In the search for more sustainable buildings, architects are returning to this overlooked, age-old construction material."
• The Magnificent Ambersons at 80: Orson Welles’ powerful but cursed drama - "The multi-hyphenate’s follow-up to Citizen Kane was a nightmare production and a box office disappointment but remains a fascinating film about America."
• The waterlily that changed architecture - "An amazing true story of elegant structures, aquatic plants and the Crystal Palace."

July 9, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian soldiers arrive in UK for training; battle to retake Kherson - live News - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 136 of the invasion - "Luhansk governor says Russian forces shelling indiscriminately, Kyiv criticises Moscow at G20 summit, US sends Ukraine more artillery systems."
• What happened in the Russia-Ukraine war this week? Catch up with the must-read news and analysis - "Putin declared victory in Luhansk, Ukrainian troops reclaimed Snake Island, and Zelenskiy lays out a $750bn recovery plan."
• Russia's McDonald's replacement runs low on fries - "A shortage of the correct variety of potatoes means diners will have to find a different side dish to accompany their burgers and nuggets."
• Hummus supplies to dip as weather & Ukraine war cause chickpea shortage - "Drop in chickpea crop could have serious impact on countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan."
• Musk tells Twitter he wants out of deal to buy it. Twitter says it will force him to close the sale - "A lawyer representing Musk claimed in a letter to Twitter's top lawyer that he is ending the deal because Twitter (TWTR) is 'in material breach of multiple provisions' of the original agreement, which was signed in April, according to a regulatory filing Friday evening."
• Boris Johnson Delivers His Resignation Speech - "Spitting Image. YouTube, 1:14."
• Dead solar panels are about to become a lot more valuable - "In the coming years, recyclers will hopefully be able to mine billions of dollars worth of materials from discarded solar panels, according to a new analysis published this week. That should ease bottlenecks in the supply chain for solar panels while also making the panels themselves more sustainable."
• Queen's dinner rule: Item she bans grandchildren from having at table - 'she won't allow!' - "One of the things she won’t allow at the table with her grandchildren and indeed her great-grandchildren is mobile phones at mealtimes."
• Louis Vuitton reclaims top spot in Vogue Business Index 2022 - "Louis Vuitton unseats fellow LVMH brand Dior as number one on the Vogue Business Index ranking, as Chanel returns to the top five for the first time since Winter 2020."
• Why You Should Invest in Chanel Bags - "Turns out, they may aid you in navigating the uncertain economic climate. Investments aren't just typically what you think of. There are many alternative investments such as vintage cars, fine art, wine, and luxury goods."
• Hottest moments from the Paris couture shows - "Paris Haute Couture Week: Clothes for the 1%, thrills for everyone else. For the super rich, couture fashion is a chance to indulge, to splurge, to flex. For the rest of the world, it's an opportunity to watch the spectacle, escape into another world and ogle at the excess of it all."
• 17 Times Celebrities Married Normal People - "'I got lucky,' Matt Damon once said of his bride, Luciana Barroso. 'I fell in love with a civilian.'"
• Emily Ratajkowski's Style Evolution - "Click through the gallery to see Emily Ratajkowski’s sleek style evolution."
• What it's like to land on the world's shortest commercial runway - "Flying into Saba isn't for the faint hearted. The vertiginous slopes and sea cliffs of this five-square-mile island in the Caribbean don't leave much space to land a plane. But Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, clinging to Saba's only bit of flat land, is proof that it can be done. With a strip of asphalt just 1,300 feet long (about 400 meters), only 900 feet of which are 'usable,' the runway is not much longer than an aircraft carrier."
• They were on a luxury cruise, then the coughing began - the ship that became a global Covid pariah - "When passengers boarded the MS Zaandam in March 2020, they were preparing for the holiday of a lifetime. Within days they would be confined to their rooms on a liner that no country would let dock. How long would their ordeal last?"
• Upside-down bikinis: the trend made popular by Love Island & the Kardashians - "Searches for the style rose 203% within the last month, says shopping app Lyst."
• Apple's New Lockdown Mode for iPhone Fights Hacking, Spyware - "Apple will be offering a new "Lockdown Mode" for its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. It's designed to fight advanced hacking and targeted spyware like the NSO Group's Pegasus."
• Apple AirTags: 5 Uncommon Places to Put Them - "Put your AirTags to use and save yourself some hassle by knowing where these things are at all times."
• Max Verstappen: ‘I don’t mind who I beat as long as I come out on top’ - "Relaxed and philosophical Red Bull driver on his competitive spirit, learning to understand losing and the satisfaction of victory."
• George Clooney’s Infamous Nippled Bat Suit Just Went Up for Auction - "The infamous suit actor George Clooney wore in the 1997 film Batman & Robin was just listed through Heritage Auctions with an opening ask of $40,000."
• Scientists reveal the secrets of Ancient Roman wine-making - "Ancient Romans seem to have used local grapes and out-sourced tar pitches while making wine, a new study reveals."

July 8, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war live news: Putin dares west to defeat Russia on battlefield; Ukraine ‘will not be broken’, Zelenskiy says - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 135 of the invasion - "Vladimir Putin warns Russia has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and dares the west to try to defeat it on battlefield."
• Putin says war could continue until "last Ukrainian is left standing" - "'Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. Well, what can I say? Let them try,' Putin said during a meeting with the heads of the State Duma party factions that aired on state media television Russia-24."
• UN warns of ‘looming hunger catastrophe’ due to Russian blockade - "The UN World Food Programme director has warned that ‘50 million people in 45 countries are now just one step from famine’."
• Updated Covid Shots Are Coming. Will They Be Too Late? - "The government has greenlit new vaccines to defend against the latest Omicron variants. But the shots won’t arrive until the fall, and cases are rising now."
• Zero Covid holds danger for China's Xi - "After the initial outbreak in Wuhan, the country has been kept inside a giant Covid protection bubble, shielding the population from the high death rates experienced elsewhere, but it has come at a cost - and growing political risk."
• How a dirty flip-flop could cause catastrophe in Australia - "Australian officials are becoming increasingly concerned about what they'll bring home and are considering advising travelers to leave their flip-flops - known as thongs in Australia - in Bali. Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is rapidly spreading through cattle in Indonesia, and on Tuesday the first cases were confirmed in Bali, a popular tourist destination with direct flights to seven Australian cities."
• Microplastics detected in meat, milk & blood of farm animals - "Particles found in supermarket products and on Dutch farms, but human health impacts unknown."
• The secret stretch of coastal France that's nicer than Nice - "Think of the south of France and postcard images of the lavender fields of Provence and tony spots with yachts - Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez - likely spring to mind. But look at a map of France and trace a finger down from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea and you'll land in the region of Occitanie, where the department of Aude and the coastal city of Narbonne and surrounds offer up a very different, more relaxed view of the country's south."
• 14 Must-Have Experiences In France After You’ve Seen Paris - "Can one even come to France without visiting Paris? The ideal trip to France includes spending time in the City of Light and experiencing these unforgettable things to do and then heading out to explore the other marvels that France has to offer. These 14 magnificent must-have experiences in France offer a glimpse into French culture, history, and her natural beauty. Each experience listed below can be done as a stand-alone exploration of France or used as a jumping-off point for further travel in the area."
• Sacha Baron Cohen defeats Roy Moore’s $95m lawsuit over ‘pedophile detector’ - "Republican former Senate candidate had sued British comedian over appearance on TV show judges ruled was ‘clearly comedy’."
• 26 Maximalist Decor Ideas That Just Work - "Don't mistake being a maximalist with having a cluttered space. Maximalist rooms are artfully decorated with a 'more is more' philosophy, whether this involves displaying an expansive collection, mixing and matching a variety of colors and patterns, or filling a wall with artwork. As designer Chad Graci says, 'Maximalism wants bold, bold, BOLD. Pattern, color, scale, and drama are all working together to be noticed and that, in a way, makes this style work.'"
• AirPods Pro recall: How to check if yours are eligible for replacement - "If your AirPods Pro see noise cancellation not working, loss of bass, crackling and static, or an increase in background sounds, they may be covered under the AirPods recall."
• Researchers: Improving Eyesight May Help Prevent Dementia - "New Dementia Prevention Method May Be Behavioral, Not Prescribed. As experimental drugs prove ineffective against increasing dementia cases in the U.S., researchers argue that improving eyesight can have an effect."
• How to Prevent Memory Loss - "A Neurologist’s Tips to Protect Your Memory. A new book by a renowned brain expert says there are a few simple things we can do to prevent memory decline as we age."
• The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind - "A comprehensive guide to understanding how memory works, how memory forms, the mind-body connection, and more! In the busy, information-filled world in which we live, it’s often easy to forget things and hard to keep track of how details get stored in our brain. The Complete Guide to Memory serves to provide a one-stop resource that covers the essentials on memory." Amazon.com.
• How bad teeth shape your health - "The far-reaching consequences of bad teeth. The state of your teeth and gums has a wide-ranging impact on your health, from your risk of Alzheimer's, to diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
• 'Leisure, pleasure & good taste': How nautical fashion captivated the world - "Nautical-inspired fashion has a long, varied history which has stood the test of time, and has endured as a trend loved by luxury and high street designers for decades."
• The Godfather star James Caan dies aged 82 - "Actor who played Sonny Corleone in the groundbreaking 1972 epic engineered a comeback after his career went off the rails in the early 1980s."
• James Caan: a life in pictures - "American actor James Caan has died at the age of 82. We look back at a career which included classics such as El Dorado, The Godfather, Misery and Elf."
• Sandra Bullock’s top 20 films - ranked! - "With the imminent release of Bullet Train, we count down the queen of transit movies best white-knuckle rides, along with the romcoms, thrillers and comedies that have made her a star for almost 30 years."
• ‘You can’t be the player’s friend’: inside the secret world of tennis umpires - "New technology was supposed to make umpiring easy. It hasn’t worked out that way."
• Scotland’s Newest Golf Resort Is Your Home For The Golf Trip Of A Lifetime - "There is no shortage of great courses to play across all of Scotland, but relatively few have lodging, and oddly, what is rarer than a new course is a new resort. There are far more choices for exceptional golf than exceptional lodging when visiting the Birthplace of Golf, and that is why Dundonald Links is such a game changer for golf travelers."
• HYDROW WAVE REVIEW: I CAN’T BELIEVE I LOVE ROWING NOW - "The new $1,495 rower is meant to save space and money."
• World's Blackest Paint Meets A Porsche 911 & The Results Are Wild - "A Japan-based company recently decided its black Porsche 911 Turbo was not black enough, and so the company had its Porsche resprayed in the blackest black currently available for purchase."

July 7, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war live news: Lavrov to attend G20 meeting; Snake Island and Odesa hit by rockets - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 134 of the invasion - "Russian attacks intensify in Donetsk; civilians continue to flee from Sloviansk as Moscow’s forces press towards the eastern Ukrainian city."
• Mikhail Khodorkovsky: What comes after Vladimir Putin is one of my biggest concerns - "Once Russia’s richest man, the oligarch-turned-dissident talks to Samuel Lovett about the current state of war in Ukraine, stopping Vladimir Putin’s war machine, and succession in the Kremlin."
• Breaking: Boris Johnson to resign as Conservative leader - "Boris Johnson is to stand down as Conservative Party leader after losing the support of his ministers and MPs, the BBC understands."
• Beijing imposes mainland China's first Covid vaccine mandate in face of Omicron subvariant - "From July 11, people will need to show proof of vaccination to enter a wide range of public places in the Chinese capital, including cinemas, libraries, museums, gyms, stadiums and training centers, a city health official told a news briefing Wednesday."
• Holidaymakers warned of rising coronavirus cases at European destinations - "Increases reported in countries including Greece, Spain, France and Germany as Omicron variant BA.5 spreads."
• Nice makes masks compulsory on public transport again - "It came as no surprise on Wednesday morning when the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, announced that masks will be needed again on public transport from next Monday, July 11."
• Global dismay as supreme court ruling leaves Biden’s climate policy in tatters - "Biden’s election was billed as heralding a ‘climate presidency’ but congressional and judicial roadblocks mean he has little to show."
• Europe wants a high-speed rail network to replace airplanes - "Breakfast in Paris, lunch in Frankfurt and dinner in Vienna - all without the hassle and frustration of flying."
• Europe's island that swaps nationalities - "Pheasant Island, located between France and Spain, bizarrely changes countries twice a year. But why?"
• This Rare Scotch Whisky Was Just Named Best in the World - "Founded in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition bills itself as the "the oldest and largest competition of its kind," and over the weekend, the annual event revealed the winner its 2022 'Best in Show:' a limited-run bottle from a small Scotch distillery, Benromach 40 Year Old Single Malt."
• The Foods That Keep You Hydrated - "Water doesn’t have to come in eight 8-ounce glasses daily. Fresh fruits and vegetables, and various beverages, are viable sources of hydration."
• The Sleep Debt Collector Is Here - "Recent studies in humans and mice have shown that late nights and early mornings may cause long lasting damage to your brain."
• Find out EXACTLY What Diet & Training is Best For You! - V Shred.
• How much does a Tour de France bike cost? - "It's no secret that pro riders get the very best available, but exactly what would that cost to replicate?"
• Crocs, but make it (high) fashion: Would you buy these designer clogs from MCM? - "The German luxury fashion house announced a collaboration with the brand behind the well-known foam clogs, which will see them redesigned with a 'maximalist' twist."
• The art of choosing sunglasses - The Spectator.
• A Guide to James Bond’s Sunglasses & Eyeglasses - "Sunglasses have forever had the power to make almost any man look cool. While sunglasses had not become a staple of James Bond style until the second half of the Pierce Brosnan era, they are now an indispensable part of the character’s look as well as an easy opportunity for product placement. Bond has worn many different styles of sunglasses over the years, both following trends and returning to the classics."
• Throwback: Kate Upton's 'Body Paint' Swimsuit Photos - "Here are some of Kate Upton's top 'Body Paint' photos with the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue."
• Apple is building a Lockdown Mode to fend off cyberattacks on high-profile users - "The feature is designed for a 'very small number of users who face grave, targeted threats to their digital security.'"
• The inside story at Meta as it moves beyond Facebook - "Land of the Giants explores the social media juggernaut in a moment of transformation."
• Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman & Dua Lipa Walk the Runway at Balenciaga Couture 2022 - VOGUE.
• Kim Kardashian walks Balenciaga show at Paris Couture Fashion Week 2022 - "Held at the original Balenciaga couture salon on Wednesday, Kardashian walked the show in a full-length black gown with sweetheart neckline, built-in gloves and boots - a signature silhouette of the label. It was a family affair on the front-row, too, with her daughter North West and mother Kris Jenner also present."
• ‘A truce with the trees’: what the centuries-old instruments of the Kronos Quartet can tell us - "The all-renewable materials used in these pieces reflect a time of magnificent culture - a global gathering from before the climate crisis."
• The octopus’ brain & the human brain share the same “jumping genes” - "A new study has identified an important molecular analogy that could explain the remarkable intelligence of these invertebrates"
• bespoke rolls-royce phantom series II revives the opulence of the belle epoque - "First launched in 2017, the eighth-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom is a testament to timeless design. Series II introduces a new expression of the car but only with the lightest of design touches, embellishments and adaptions led by Felix Kilbertus, Rolls-Royce Head of Exterior Design."
• Driving The Original Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost - "'Seasoned citizen that I am, I understand a half-century can disappear in the blink of an eye. The two Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts I experienced this past week had survived remarkably intact to the century mark, yet both are driven thousands, even tens of thousands of miles each year, crossing continents as readily as running down to the Busy Bee diner for eggs and bacon. These two Henry Royce masterpieces, which I experienced at the Rolls-Royce Owners Club national meet, helped establish the high standard that contemporary Goodwood Rolls-Royces must match.'"
• Breitling, Westime Create Exclusive Navitimer Beverly Hills Limited Edition Watch - "Swiss watch brand, Breitling, and luxury watch retailer, Westime, have partnered to create a boutique exclusive timepiece: the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 Beverly Hills Limited Edition, available at three Breitling boutiques in Southern California, operated by Westime."

July 6, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war live news: Donetsk governor urges evacuations amid Russian offensive - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 133 of the invasion - "Russian forces hit targets across Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province; governor of urges 350,000 civilians to evacuate."
• Swiss give cool reply to Ukraine’s call to seize Russian assets - "Switzerland has given a cool response to calls from Ukraine’s prime minister to use frozen assets of ultra-wealthy Russians to help fund his country’s $750 billion reconstruction project."
• CDC puts Nordic favorite & 2 other places on 'high' risk list for Covid-19 - "Representing three continents, the three destinations added to the list on Tuesday are: Guatemala, Morocco and Sweden."
• Canada to throw out 13.6m AstraZeneca Covid vaccine doses amid lack of demand - "Government pledged to donate millions of doses to other countries but they were ‘not accepted’ despite fresh rise in coronavirus cases around the world. Following concerns in the first half of 2021 about rare but potentially fatal blood clots caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine, Canada focused on using its ample supplies of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna."
• Snow at one of world’s highest observatories melting earlier than ever before - "Peak at Sonnblick in Austrian Alps has melted more than a month before previous record time."
• Arabs believe economy is weak under democracy - "Arabs are losing faith in democracy to deliver economic stability across the Middle East and North Africa, according to a major new survey."
• Uncovering the giant waterlily: A botanical wonder of the world - "A plant giant has been named new to science at Kew after spending 177 years hidden under the surface of our collections."
• David Hockney: ‘My era was the freest time. I now realise it’s over’ - "The artist pops in from Normandy to talk us through a show of his great paintings, discuss his old hometown Bradford becoming City of Culture - and reveal why Harry Styles was tricky to paint."
• How Being on the Water Affects Your Eye Health, According to Experts & the Best Polarized Sunglasses for Protection - "Not all sunglasses are created equally, nor can all sunglasses handle the bright, glare-y conditions that come with bodies of water. The sun's rays are one thing, but whether you're an avid angler, paddler, or just heading out for a casual beach day, you're gonna want to make sure you have a pair of polarized sunglasses handy."
• Is Makeup Messing Up My Sunscreen? - "There’s good news and bad news when it comes to sun protection and cosmetics."
• The “Best Ferrari Ever Built” Is Heading to Auction - "1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider at RM Sotheby's Auction. The Ferrari 410 Sport Spider was driven by Formula 1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio. The 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider will go for auction in Monterey, California this August."
• Is Drinky Bird The Ultimate Perpetual Clock? - "'Lisa, in this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics!' - Homer Simpson."
• Richard Mille Sets A New Record For The World's Thinnest Watch With The RM UP-01 Ferrari - "Mere months after Bulgari claimed the title, there's a new record-holder in town."
• Britain's vanishing rare fruit - "The UK's heritage apple renaissance. An alarming 81% of traditional apple orchards have vanished from Britain, but activists are planting British heritage varieties in community plots in all shapes and sizes."
• Travelers drink tea out of antique bowls worth $25,000 - "Japanese tea house lets visitors drink from $25,000 antique bowls."
• The best streaming boxes & sticks you can buy - "From dongles to set top boxes, there’s an option for every budget."
• 2022 Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae: An Exclamation Mark To Close An Era - "The all-new 2022 Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae is the end - the last of the naturally aspirated V12 supercars. After the production run of 350 coupes and 250 roadsters (likely all spoken for at far above the asking price), the Italian factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese will stop production. Forever. While there have been more than a dozen unique variants of the Aventador since its introduction in 2011, the Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae is best described as having all the standard features of the Aventad."

July 5, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war live news: Russian forces targeting Donetsk cities next, Luhansk governor warns - live news - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 132 of the invasion - "Vladimir Putin hails Russian victory in the battle for Luhansk; Ukraine lays out a $750bn ‘recovery plan’ for its postwar future."
• Russia releases photo of cosmonauts holding Luhansk flag on ISS - "Trio were praised in February for wearing yellow uniforms in apparent show of support for Ukraine."
• Spain & Portugal suffering driest climate for 1,200 years, research shows - "Effects of human-caused global heating are blocking vital winter rains, with severe implications for farming and tourism."
• New Zealand faces new Covid wave as experts say moving on from pandemic is ‘wishful thinking’ - "Signs that Omicron surge is becoming ‘more intense’, with cases rising steadily and more people in hospital than at any time since April."
• Paris' Eiffel Tower is reportedly badly in need of repairs - "The Eiffel Tower is riddled with rust and in need of full repairs, but instead it is being given a cosmetic 60 million euro paint job ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, according to confidential reports cited by French magazine Marianne. The wrought-iron 324-meter (1,063 ft) high tower, built by Gustave Eiffel in the late 19th century, is among the most visited tourist sites in the world, welcoming about six million visitors each year."
• A Refreshing Look at Egypt's Ancient Pyramids - "A downpour, a dust storm and an encounter with a lively dig team offered a photographer a new perspective on the country's celebrated tombs."
• What Becomes a Star Most? For Tom Cruise, It's Control - "Cruise has all of the qualities you want in a movie star and none of the qualities you expect of a human being. As a screen presence, he is singular; as a person, he is inscrutable."
• Chinese F1 star says safety device saved his life during horrific crash - "Formula One driver Zhou Guanyu has credited his car's halo protection device for saving his life after he was involved in a horrific high-speed crash during the first lap of Sunday's British Grand Prix."
• Could you land a plane in an emergency? - "It's a nightmare scenario: the pilot of your flight is incapacitated and someone has to get in their seat and land the plane. Could you do it?"
• Why container ships probably won't get bigger - "The biggest container ships ever built ply the world's oceans. Can they get any bigger?"
• Frenzy at 50: The most violent film Hitchcock ever made - "1972's Frenzy was a serial-killer thriller more graphic and shocking than anything Hitchcock had directed before. Was it the movie he had always wanted to make, asks Mark Allison."
• The crab dish with a shameful history - "The taste of Tobago in just one dish. While most of Tobago's food specialties – such as shark and bake, doubles and callaloo - originated in Trinidad, crab and dumpling is quintessential Tobago."
• The Mai Tai is one of the most famous tiki drinks in the world. But what's in it? - "One of the world's most popular cocktails also happens to be one of the most misunderstood. With a spirited history that dates back to the early 20th century, the Mai Tai is not the sugary, overly-sweet cocktail it so often is interpreted as. Instead, it's a well-balanced boozy sip straight from the tiki era."
• 11 Stunning Homes Built Into Nature - "From Albert Frey's house built into a mountain to John Lautner’s iconic Sheats-Goldstein residence in L.A., these structures take the term ‘back to nature’ to another level. If there is one architect who arguably pioneered the concept of building cool houses into natural landscapes, it’s Frank Lloyd Wright. The serene Fallingwater home in Mill Run, Pennsylvania, made a serious case for living in nature, and since the house was erected in 1935, plenty of architects have taken a page from Wright’s book."
• Sustainable Scotch Whisky is the Future - "Bruichladdich is creating a new kind of whisky production; one that's sustainable and embodies a devotion to the planet and its people. Just a glance at the bottle housing Bruichladdich’s The Classic Laddie should clue you in to the fact that this is a brand completely disinterested in holding on to tradition for tradition’s sake. Without ever compromising on the quality of their whiskies, the team at Bruichladdich are wholeheartedly devoted to sustainability, terroir (meaning authenticity, place and provenance), transparency, and the barley and people of Islay, the island their distillery calls home. They’re determined to pave the path to a new kind of whisky production; one that’s progressive, sustainable and embodies a devotion to the planet and its people."
• London Gets a Glimpse Inside the Tiffany Archive - "More than 400 pieces from the jeweler, including the treasured Tiffany Diamond, are on view in a free exhibition."
• Dust off your vinyls with a classic turntable that features Bluetooth - New York Post.
• Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a Leica camera with a massive 1-inch sensor - "With this new Leica partnership, Xiaomi has picked up where Huawei left off."
• Widow of James Bond's body double wins £800,000 High Court inheritance battle with her stepson - "Mr Paul, who died aged 64 in 2019 following a fall while on holiday in Spain, had only left his wife of 23 years around £1,000 worth of household items."

July 4, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war latest: leaders gather to work out ‘Marshall plan’ to rebuild Ukraine; Zelenskiy vows to retake Lysychansk - live news - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 131 of the invasion - "Ukrainian forces retreat from Lysychansk as Zelenskiy vows to regain the key eastern city with the help of long-range western weapons."
• Turkey detains Russian-flagged grain ship from Ukraine - "A cargo ship carrying grain from a Russian-occupied region of Ukraine has been detained by Turkish customs authorities, according to Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey."
• France’s new wave of coronavirus infections expected to peak end-July - "A new wave in France of COVID-19 infections fuelled by emerging variants of the disease should peak towards end-July, the French government’s top scientific adviser Jean-François Delfraissy said."
• Why more air travel chaos is on its way - "Now is the summer of our discontent, Shakespeare didn't exactly write in 'Richard III,' but for airline travelers in the US and Europe that's exactly what this summer is shaping up to be."
• 647 people drown each day. Here's how to avoid being one of them - "There are an estimated 236,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, according to the UN's World Health Organization. That comes out to an average of 647 people per day."
• These 7 Movies Always Make Me Feel (Sort Of) Patriotic - "'The Fourth of July is upon us once again, and while this holiday is traditionally reserved for BBQs and beach days, I'm frankly still wiped from Pride. (As it turns out, going out every night for two weeks straight will take a toll once you pass the age of 19.) With that in mind, I'm planning a massive movie marathon for this weekend, and I know I'm not the only one; below, find a list of seven patriotism-adjacent movies that mostly refrain from veering into gross, jingoistic territory.'"
• 8 of the best TV shows to watch this July - "From a Resident Evil series to new sitcom Uncoupled, with Neil Patrick Harris as a suddenly-single gay man in his 40s, Amy Charles lists this month's best shows to watch and stream."
• 10 Unforgettable Moments From Bob Dylan’s Career - "Bob Dylan is undeniably one of the most influential musicians to ever live. From Robert Zimmerman, a teenage rebel, to the winner of the Nobel Prize, Dylan can be whatever he chooses to be—and come out the other end as an icon. With his enduring legacy continuing to inspire countless generations, his life is chock full of memorable moments. We’re here to walk you through some of the freewheelin’ troubadour’s most iconic songs and performances across his decades-long career."
• Official Guide to the Hamptons - "It’s officially peak season in the Hamptons, the East-end enclave where fashionable New Yorkers flock to escape the sizzling city and have some fun in the sun. And there’s certainly a lot to be had: the Hamptons is known for everything from beaches to art museums to hedges that grow higher than summertime temperatures. Geographically speaking, it spans from Southampton to Long Island's tip, Montauk—aka the end of the world, per Instagram." VOGUE.
• Stuffed into a shoebox, seized by the FBI: the amazing fates of Hollywood’s greatest dresses - "Kim Kardashian caused outrage recently by wearing a gorgeous souffle silk that once adorned Marilyn Monroe. But what happened to other magnificent outfits - and why did no one realise their eye-popping value?"
• Behind the Scenes of Pitti Uomo 102 - "We've been attending the semi-annual menswear gathering for a decade. Here we follow Jim and Max through Florence."
• The History Behind the Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1 by Virgil Abloh - "The Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1 first previewed in Summer of 2021 on the Maison’s Spring/Summer 2022 runway. In total, Abloh designed 47 bespoke pairs of LV sneakers for the collection. Fusing the trainer’s classic codes with the insignia and materials of Louis Vuitton, Abloh’s Nike Louis Vuitton sneakers seamlessly connect the rich histories of both iconic brands. Every pair of LV sneakers was made by Louis Vuitton in Fiesso d’Artico, marking the first time in the AF1’s 40-year history that the model was crafted outside of a Nike factory."
• Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum & this 12-year-old boy's dog house - "Famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed iconic buildings like the Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania and the Guggenheim Museum in New York - and he also designed a dog house for a 12-year-old boy who sent him a letter."
• Daphne du Maurier: Novelist who traced past to a French debtors' jail - "Dame Daphne du Maurier, the English novelist who died in 1989, was fascinated by her French heritage."
• My Jet Broker Blows Whistle On Scandalous Brokerage Practices Within Private Jet Market - "My Jet Broker is blowing the whistle on the many tricks and tactics that brokers and private brokerage companies use to increase the added-on broker fee without clients being aware."
• Best Mini Projectors for iPhones - "Remember when 'home projector' meant a gigantic reel-to-reel machine that made loud flickering sounds, smelled funny, and cost a small fortune? No, probably not, but trust us on that one. We’ve come a long way. A good projector today can fit into your pocket, and can also easily connect to that supercomputer called an iPhone, which also fits in your pocket. Two pockets, two great devices, total entertainment."
• MAGSAFE CAMERA LENS CONCEPT TURNS YOUR IPHONE 13 INTO A PROFESSIONAL MIRRORLESS CAMERA - "Probably the most incredible interpretation of the iPhone’s MagSafe feature."

July 3, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war: Lysychansk could fall, Zelenskiy adviser admits; three killed in blasts in Russian city near Ukraine - live news - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 130 of the invasion - "Blasts in Russian city near Ukrainian border; Ukraine rejects Russian claim Lysychansk surrounded; UK condemns exploitation of war prisoners."
• Australia surpasses 10,000 Covid deaths as authorities warn of another wave of infections - "Federal health minister Mark Butler says new BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants increase the risk of reinfection."
• Saunas, sleeping pods, gyms: Amazing airplane cabin innovations - "Airplane cabin innovations from saunas to sleeping pods."
• Elvis Presley’s Childhood Home Is Up for Auction - "Presley lived in the blue-planked home from 1943 to 1944. It was originally located at 1241 Kelly Street in East Tupelo, Mississippi, up until five years ago. In 2017, the house was carefully taken apart and preserved for later reassembly. Presley’s former home is being auctioned by a Chicago-based high-end memorabilia firm called Rockhurst Auctions. The minimum bid for the Presley home is set at $25,000. The estimated value of the house is between $50,000 to $75,000."
• 40 Ultra-Rare Supercars Are Heading to Auction This Weekend, From Ferrari to Porsche & More - "Collecting Cars will hold the aptly named Supercar Sunday sale on July 3."
• The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now - The New York Times.
• Is your smartphone ruining your memory? A special report on the rise of ‘digital amnesia’ - "‘I can’t remember anything’ is a common complaint these days. But is it because we rely so heavily on our smartphones? And do the endless alerts and distractions stop us forming new memories?"
• Memory games: how to boost your brain power - "When it comes to recall, it’s very much a case of ‘use it, don’t lose it’. Here’s how you can improve yours, at any age ..."
• 20 Summer Bedding Ideas to Help You Sleep Soundly on the Hottest Nights - VOGUE.
• The 13 Best Sneakers For Standing All Day, According To Podiatrist Guidelines - "You may not think twice about your shoe selection each morning outside of how well they match your outfit. Yet, if you're spending an extended amount of time on your feet each day, you'll likely wish you gave it a little more thought. Selecting a supportive, high-quality sneaker for a long day can make or break your comfort levels and preserve your back, knees, and hips, which are subject to suffer from inadequate shoe cushioning."
• Why Zhang Daqian is outselling Van Gogh - "Zhang Daqian may not be a household name in the West, but in China - and the global art market at large - he is on par with the likes of Warhol and Monet."
• The Oldest Photograph of the Acropolis - "French photographer and draughtsman Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey took the first picture of the Acropolis in 1842."
• Early human ancestors one million years older than earlier thought - "Fossils from South African cave are 3.4 to 3.6m years old and walked the Earth at same time as east African relatives."
• At a Luxury Shirtmaker in India, Obsessing Over the Tiniest of Details - "Master tailors at 100Hands spend up to 35 hours on each shirt, joining a tradition long dominated by European centers like Savile Row."
• Copenhagen’s Noma, the World’s Most Critically Acclaimed Restaurant, Lost Money Last Year - "René Redzepi’s game-changing restaurant didn't turn a profit for the first time since it closed its old location."
• Adele stands by decision to cancel Las Vegas residency: It wasn’t ‘good enough’ - "Adele has no regrets when it comes to canceling her Las Vegas residency in January, saying the show simply was not up to her standards."

July 2, 2022

• Russia-Ukraine war: explosions rock city of Mykolaiv - latest updates - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 129 of the invasion - "Ukraine nuclear plant surveillance systems restored; at least 14 Russian arms companies ‘have not been sanctioned’; warning on war’s environmental cost."
• What happened in the Russia-Ukraine war this week? Catch up with the must-read news & analysis - "The grim search for survivors of the Kremenchuk shopping centre airstrike; Ukraine repels Russian forces from Snake Island; war returns to Kyiv."
• Inside Trump's rage on January 6 - "Accounts of Trump angrily demanding to go to Capitol on January 6 circulated in Secret Service over past year."
• ‘Condemning everyone alive’: outrage at US supreme court climate ruling - "Limiting the Environmental Protection Agency at a time when fossil fuel emissions need to be curbed is ‘devastating’."
• India bans single-use plastic to combat pollution - "India on Friday imposed a ban on single-use plastics on items ranging from straws to cigarette packets to combat worsening pollution in a country whose streets are strewn with waste."
• Pearl Harbor water poisoning: US military families say they continue to fall ill - "When second world war-era storage tanks leaked into Hawaiians’ water supply in December thousands got sick."
• Coronavirus & summer travel: how to stay safe on holiday - "With infection rates rising again in the UK, should you test before you fly - and do you need a mask?"
• This was the worst first half for the market in 50 years & it’s all because of one thing - inflation - "A multitude of factors conspired to generate the stock market’s worst first-half since 1970, all centering on inflation. Besides the damage to the big stock market averages, there has been carnage everywhere. Some hope lies ahead: When the S&P 500 plunged 21% in the first half of 1970, it promptly reversed those losses to gain 26.5% in the second half."
• Crypto Meltdown Claims Rolex & Patek Philippe as Victims - "Prices for the most popular secondhand luxury watches have peaked. It’s the latest sign that the bling boom might not last."
• Missing Cryptoqueen: Is Dr Ruja Ignatova the biggest Bitcoin holder? - "The scammer disappeared in 2017 as her cryptocurrency OneCoin was at its height - attracting billions from investors. Fraud and money-laundering charges in the US have led to her becoming one of the FBI's 10 most wanted fugitives."
• Are Some Processed Meats Worse for You Than Others? - "Most health experts agree that 'processed meats are more harmful than nonprocessed meats.'"
• Borsch soup in Ukraine added to Unesco endangered heritage list - "The UN's cultural agency has added the cooking of borsch - a soup usually made with beetroot and potatoes - in Ukraine to its list of endangered intangible cultural heritage."
• ‘We want it to come alive’: architect’s plan to transform Notre Dame area - "Bas Smets’ project, featuring trees and a cooling system, aims to create a more pedestrian-friendly space around Paris landmark."
• ‘Better than we dared imagine’: Sydney Opera House unveils its ‘miracle’ new concert hall - "After two years of renovations, a room once blighted by poor acoustics and outdated machinery can now accommodate musicians previously turned away, with a push of a button."
• Victoria Beckham Recalls Being Forced to Weigh Herself on TV - "Victoria Beckham opened up about being forced to weigh herself in front of a live TV studio audience in the 1990s. 'Can you imagine doing that nowadays?'"
• Jerry Hall reportedly ‘heartbroken’ after end of marriage to Rupert Murdoch - "Hall was waiting in UK for Murdoch to join her when he sent email saying marriage was over, say reports."
• This man & his dog spent seven years walking around the world - "Very few people attempt to walk around the entire world, and even fewer actually manage to complete the journey. On May 21, 2022 Tom Turcich, from New Jersey, became the 10th person on record to achieve this remarkable feat, while his four-legged companion Savannah was the first dog to do so."
• $450 million Hong Kong Palace Museum opens with trove of Forbidden City treasures - "Beijing's Palace Museum, located in the heart of the Forbidden City, contains the world's largest collection of Chinese art, spanning nearly 5,000 years of history. Now, more than 900 of those treasures are on display at the new Hong Kong Palace Museum - a 'gift' from the central government to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the city's handover from British to Chinese rule."
• Venice reveals details of its €10 tourist entry fee - "The countdown has begun. From January 16, 2023, visitors to Venice - that jewel in Italy's tourism crown - will have to pay for the privilege."
• Ducati's first electric motorcycle is designed for MotoE racing - "The V21L has 150 horsepower and a top speed of 171 MPH."
• How to survive the inevitable CD revival - "For better or worse, the compact disc could be making a comeback."

July 1, 2022

• Tour de France 2022: stage-by-stage guide to this year’s race - "This year’s Grand Départ is in Copenhagen, with two further stages in Denmark before the race works its way through eastern and southern France."
• The first time I’ve enjoyed cycling in a city: my Tour de Copenhagen - "With the Tour de France heading to Denmark for the first time, I tasted the cycling and culinary pleasures of the capital - and tried out Stage 1 of the route."
• Russia-Ukraine war: missile strikes kill 17 in Odesa; Zelenskiy hails ‘significant’ Snake Island victory - live news - The Guardian.
• Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 128 of the invasion - "Russian forces withdraw from Snake Island in Black Sea; ten dead after Russian missile strikes multi-story apartment building in Odesa."
• Snake Island: Why Russia couldn't hold on to strategic Black Sea outcrop - "This tiny, rocky outcrop in the north-west of the Black Sea was seized by Russia on the first day of its invasion of Ukraine, and it has played an outsized role in the war ever since."
• North Korea blames Covid-19 outbreak on 'unusual items' near South Korea border - "North Korea on Friday claimed its Covid-19 outbreak began when two residents touched 'unusual things' near the South Korean border, according to state media."
• What five more years of zero-Covid China could look like - "Those dismayed by China's zero-Covid policy were likely also shocked that Beijing's Communist Party chief Cai Qi reportedly said this week the city might keep the policy in place 'for the next five years.'"
• This country is charging $200 a day just to visit - "Bhutan sets reopening date - and increases daily tourist tax."
• The Smart Traveler’s Survival Playbook For Summer Flight Cancellations - "Flying Fourth of July weekend or later this summer? Pack your patience and this game plan."
• Steve Jobs Knew iPhone Would Be Iconic. More Than 2 Billion Phones Later, He Was Right - "We all knew it was coming. Reporters, analysts, industry insiders and fans had been speculating about Apple making a phone for nearly a year by the time Steve Jobs walked onto the Macworld Expo stage on a cold January morning in San Francisco in 2007. What we didn't know was how much the iPhone would revolutionize the very way people live and work."
• Casting of Rodin's 'Thinker' fetches $11.1 million at Paris auction - "A casting of Auguste Rodin's 'The Thinker' sculpture, one of the most iconic works of art in the world, sold for 10.7 million euros ($11.14 million) at a Paris auction on Thursday. The auction house, Christie's, had estimated the casting, one of roughly 40 authentic outstanding ones, would fetch between 9 and 14 million euros. The record for a Rodin 'Thinker' was set at a Sotheby's auction in New York in 2013, when one sold for $15.3 million."
• 11 of the best films to watch this July - "Taika Waititi's Thor is back, Jordan Peele is directing a new film with Daniel Kaluuya and Where the Crawdads Sing is adapted for the big screen - here are this July's unmissable releases."
• AI made these stunning images. Here's why experts are worried - "A million bears walking on the streets of Hong Kong. A strawberry frog. A cat made out of spaghetti and meatballs. These are just a few of the text descriptions that people have fed to cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems in recent weeks, which these systems - notably OpenAI's DALL-E 2 and Google Research's Imagen - can use to produce incredibly detailed, realistic-looking images."
• The workout that beats HIIT for better heart health, according to a new study - If you're looking for a cardiovascular activity that will get your heart pumping and improve daily life, running or interval training may immediately come to mind. To maximize your workout, however, you may want to give Nordic walking a try, new research suggests. Patients with coronary heart disease who did Nordic walking for 12 weeks had a greater increase in the ability to perform everyday activities than those who did interval training, a study said.
• Is this the end of shampoo? New ways to clean your hair - "Oily roots? Dry ends? A new breed of ‘no shampoo shampoos’ purport to clean your hair without the chemicals. But do any of them actually work?"
• Pandas evolved their most perplexing feature at least 6 million years ago - "Giant pandas are notoriously fussy eaters. They only munch on bamboo and each day spend 15 hours eating up to 99 pounds (45 kilograms) of the stuff. But their ancestors, like most bears, ate a much wider diet that included meat, and it was thought that modern pandas' exclusive diet evolved relatively recently. However, a new study finds that pandas' particular passion for bamboo may have originated at least 6 million years ago - possibly due to the plant's wide, year-round availability."
• Bison attacks woman at Yellowstone National Park - "A visitor to Yellowstone National Park in the US state of Wyoming has become the second person in just three days to be attacked by a wild bison."
• The Norwegian library with unreadable books - "Some of the world's most celebrated authors have written manuscripts that won't be published for a century - why? Richard Fisher visits the Future Library in Oslo to find out."
• Machu Picchu: Inca site ‘has gone by wrong name for over 100 years’ - "Peruvian historian and US archaeologist say the pre-Columbian town was called Huayna Picchu by the Inca people."
• Salmonella halts production at world’s biggest chocolate factory - "Contamination found at plant in Belgium run by Swiss group Barry Callebaut."
• Sneaker News - since 2006. "Sneaker News is a sneaker media outlet that provides daily coverage of the most coveted sneaker releases and the newest sneakers on the market. In addition to providing regular updates on the very latest, Sneaker News provides useful resources to assist consumers worldwide in making purchases. Sneaker News is considered to be the most trusted and authoritative voice in the world of sneakers. In addition to attracting over 20 million monthly readers, Sneaker News boasts the largest sneaker community on social media, with over 12 million members across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and email."