The Carlos Thay Botanical Garden in Buenos Aires is the setting for an upcoming exhibit that seeks to discover the secrets of nature as well as encourage environmentally-conscious behavior.
July 1-2
- “Heroic” Lukashenko
- Birdwatching 2.0
- Yoga tension
- … and much more.
🎲 OUR WEEKLY NEWS QUIZ
What do you remember from the news this week?
1. In what country did Yevgeny Prighozin find refuge after his Wagner Group’s short-lived insurrection?
2. What did a protester do outside Stockholm’s Central Mosque that prompted international condemnation?
3. What happened to all South Korean citizens overnight on Wednesday, because of a new law?
4. What did a cleaner do that caused the loss of decades-worth of research? Unplug a computer / Turn off a fridge / Throw away petri dishes / Set mice loose
[Answers at the bottom of this newsletter]
#️⃣ TRENDING
Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, an Indian hepatologist, posted a vital tweet in which he seemingly “debunked” 20 popular beliefs, including that yoga does not help you lose weight. The publication sparked a very un-zen online debate, with many arguing that the physician was missing the point entirely.
🎭 5 CULTURE THINGS TO KNOW
• Kevin Spacey sexual assault trial begins: The trial of U.S. actor Kevin Spacey, accused of sexually assaulting four men between 2001 and 2013, has opened in London. The American Beauty and House of Cards star, 63, has pleaded not guilty.
• Gustav Klimt’s final painting sells for $108 million: Austrian artist Gustav Klimt’s final piece of artwork has sold for 85.3 million pounds ($108.4 million) at a Sotheby’s auction in London, becoming the most expensive painting ever sold in Europe. Found in his studio in 1918 following his sudden death at 55, Dame mit Fächer is said to have been painted during his artistic prime.
• Madonna, Lewis Capaldi take breaks from touring over health issues: Pop icon Madonna has postponed her upcoming “Celebration” tour after the pop singer was hospitalized with a “serious bacterial issue.” Her manager said a full recovery is expected. Meanwhile, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi has announced that he is taking a break “for the foreseeable future” from performing as he takes time to adapt to his Tourette syndrome.
• Buenos Aires Botanical Garden turned into an outdoor museum:The Carlos Thay Botanical Garden in Buenos Aires is the setting for an upcoming exhibit for all of July that seeks to discover the secrets of nature as well as encourage environmentally-conscious behavior. The Secret Garden exhibition will only be available to visit at nighttime to further the immersive experience.
• UK actor Julian Sands’ body found months after hiking disappearance: Five months after he disappeared during a hike in California, British actor Julian Sands has been confirmed dead. Sands was hiking in Mount Baldy in January when stormy winter conditions hit the area. His body was found by hikers after months of search proved unsuccessful.
🇧🇾 How Lukashenko save the day for Putin
Relations between Russia and Belarus have reached a new level: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is now stepping in to resolve internal Russian conflicts. Vladimir Solovyov relays for Russian daily Kommersant Lukashenko’s recounts of how he took charge of the operation to defend Moscow from Yevgeny Prigozhin, and looks to shift the region's balance of power.
Read the full story: "How I Saved Putin" — Lukashenko Emboldened, Pushes For Power Broker Role
🇹🇷 Turkey and Europe: It’s complicated
After 60 years waiting for EU membership, Turkey seems no closer to being brought into the fold. Bahadır Kaynak writes for Turkish daily Diken about how the Cypriot question and the countries' declining democracy are just a few of the points brought up in ongoing discussions.
Read the full story: Erdogan III & Europe: Is There Any Future For Turkey In The EU?
🇨🇳 🚇 The creepy men that film women on China’s subways
A woman in China who falsely accused a man of filming her on the subway has sparked an avalanche of vitriol against her. There are now fears that the case will stop the many real victims of secret filming from coming forward and fighting back, Ma Biyu reports in Chinese media The Initium.
Read the full story: The Creepy Men Who Film Women On China's Subways — And The Case That Sparked A Backlash
🐦 BRIGHT IDEA
Bird Buddy, a smart bird feeder, is using AI to make bird watching easier and more accessible. Cameras on the feeder are able to identify different bird species in real time, sending data and notifications to users via a companion app. Made of recyclable plastic, the Bird Buddy provides a modern edge to a centuries-old pastime.
🛹 SMILE OF THE WEEK
Watch 13-year-old Arisa Trew become the first female skateboarder to ever land a 720 (a trick consisting of two full rotations in the air) during a competition. The young Australian made skateboarding history in front of a crowd in Utah which included the iconic Tony Hawk, who invented the trick 35 years ago. According to her coach, the famous skateboarder even shared some tips with Arisa before her run.
⏩ LOOKING AHEAD
• NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is organizing a meeting between senior officials from Sweden, Finland and Turkey on July 6 in the hopes of working through Turkish grievances over Sweden joining the alliance. Ankara is accusing the Nordic country of being too lenient towards groups that Turkey considers to be “terrorists.”
• Iran is poised to officially become a member of the regional Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), joining China and Russia.
• Japanese officials have announced that the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit the Fukushima nuclear power plant next week. Japan plans to release treated radioactive water from the plant — which was destroyed during the 2011 nuclear disaster — into the sea.
News quiz answers:
1. Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prighozin found refuge in Belarus, as confirmed by the country’s president Aleksandr Lukashenko. Prigozhin fled Russia after leading an aborted insurrection by his Wagner mercenaries against President Vladimir Putin last weekend in Moscow.
2. On Thursday, a 37-year-old Iraqi refugeeburnt a Koran in front of Stockholm’s Central Mosque during Eid al-Adha celebrations. Several countries condemned Sweden for allowing the act to take place in the name of free speech.
3. South Koreans have become a year or two younger as a new law aligns the nation’s two traditional age-counting methods with international standards. The law cancels one system that calculated South Koreans’ age by counting time spent in the womb.
4. While trying to shut off an "annoying" alarm sound, a cleaner accidentally turned off a fridge and destroyed decades worth of solar panel development research at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. The damage is valued at $1 million.
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