Human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson connects high-profile defamation and #MeToo cases involving Amber Heard, Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, and Brittany Higgins in the new documentary film Silenced. The film, which opened the Sydney Film Festival, examines how defamation laws are weaponised globally to silence survivors of sexual abuse. From a New South Wales Women’s Shelter to Global … Read more
Following a two-year closure for extensive upgrades, the Brett Whiteley Studio reopened on 25 July 2026 in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Managed by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the museum space features a new wave-shaped roof extension and launches with the exhibition Coming Home, celebrating the late artist’s enduring legacy. The former home and … Read more
Two summer meteor showers, the Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids, reach their overlapping peaks overnight from Thursday to Friday. Skywatchers face heavy visibility challenges as the display coincides with a nearly full moon, though dark-sky locations and favorable viewing strategies can still reveal shooting stars and bright fireballs. Overlapping Comet Debris and the July … Read more
The Commonwealth Games debut of 25-year-old super-heavyweight boxer Aziz Abdul ended in disqualification during the third and final round of his opening bout against England’s Damar Thomas at the Scottish Exhibition Centre in Glasgow, according to Theguardian. Abdul, a Ugandan fighter who goes by the nickname Ringo, was penalised three times for fouls and thrown … Read more
Following a maximum intensity magnitude 7 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, 2026, rescue operations continue amid severe heat and infrastructure damage. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s disaster response team reports 13 deaths, 5 people in a state of cardiorespiratory arrest, and multiple injuries, including a devastating explosion at the packed Ion Mall Kumamoto. Casualties … Read more
China has quietly secured a near-total grip on the global supply chain for critical elements like neodymium and dysprosium. We talk constantly about cash, gold, and oil as the traditional instruments of geopolitical leverage. But in the modern digital age, the real leverage belongs to obscure elements with unpronounceable names. Sciencepost reports that materials like … Read more
Summer skies are offering an unusually rare astronomical lineup this season. While shooting stars regularly draw stargazers outdoors during the warmer months, the upcoming peak of the Perseids in August 2026 coincides with conditions that have not aligned in this exact way before, offering watchers a remarkably clear view of the cosmos. The Perseid Meteor … Read more
Toxic Ostreopsis microalgae blooms are returning to the Basque Country coastline, forcing preventive beach closures in Biarritz, Guéthary, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Propelled by warming ocean temperatures above 20°C, the tropical algae generate aerosolized toxins that can cause respiratory irritation, metallic taste, and flu-like symptoms within hours of exposure. When summer temperatures climb, the shallow coastal waters … Read more
Apple has officially launched Apple Upgrade, a new product leasing program provided by the buy now, pay later service Theverge. Available in the United States, the program allows eligible customers to lease iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches through the Apple Store online, in the Apple Store app, and at physical Apple Store locations. The … Read more
Global smartphone chipset shipments dropped 15 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2026, driven by an acute memory chip shortage and surging component costs. According to market data from Counterpoint Research, the crisis has squeezed entry-level manufacturing, altered brand market shares, and pushed memory prices past system-on-a-chip costs. The global smartphone hardware ecosystem is … Read more