“The 2014 US film Transcendence follows a dying scientist who uploads his mind to a supercomputer and becomes a near‑omnipotent intelligence. A year later, Ex Machina told the story of a humanoid robot who outsmarts her human handlers and escapes into the wider world. Both of these films, like many others from the realm of science fiction, referred to what is known as ‘the singularity’, a moment in time when technology, particularly AI, surpasses human intelligence and becomes increasingly difficult to control. On Saturday, OpenAI boss Sam Altman declared that this moment has come.” (07/27/26)
“Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino is stepping down after the failure of her ‘woke’ [sic] rebrand last year, which was rolled back following intense backlash from loyal customers, the company announced Monday. David Deno, a restaurant exec who most recently served as CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse, will replace Masino on August 10, according to a Cracker Barrel press release. … diners revolted against the company’s attempts to modernize the Southern dining chain last August by axing its beloved mascot Uncle Herschel and revamping restaurants without its trademark tchotchkes. Following heated backlash from longtime customers and even President Trump himself, Cracker Barrel reversed the changes and leaned into its folksy charm – ultimately sending the stock up 100% so far this year.” (07/27/26)
“At least 30 people were killed when armed men attacked a village in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna state early on Monday, two residents said. Dogon Rana, secretary to the village head, said gunmen stormed the community shooting randomly and burning houses. Eight children were among the dead, while four other people sustained injuries. Violence by armed gangs and other criminal groups has become a major security challenge across parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria, where communities are frequently targeted in deadly raids. The northeast is battling a deadly insurgency by Islamist militants Boko Haram and splinter group ISWAP. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Kaduna state.” (07/27/26)
“A U.S.-Russian space crew landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Sunday after an eight-month stint on the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian crewmates Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev touched down in their Soyuz MS-28 that landed smoothly by parachute in a designated area southeast of Dzhezkazgan. Their 241-day stint on the orbiting outpost was the first space mission for Williams and Mikaev and the second for Kud‑Sverchkov.” (07/27/26)
“Brazil has recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires after Argentine President Javier Milei used a trip to the country to criticize its leaders and judiciary, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday. In his second visit to the country, Milei arrived in Brazil on Friday to throw his weight behind Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s presidential run. The eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday officially launched his bid to unseat Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been extending his lead ahead of October´s elections. … The two countries have a virtually non-existent diplomatic relationship. Milei has not sought an official meeting with Lula on either trip to Brazil, nor has the Brazilian leader shown any interest in hosting him.” (07/26/26)
“A federal judge last week drew a sharp line around President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, ruling the broadcaster can probe how Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, speech was understood by the public — but cannot relitigate the riot at the U.S. Capitol itself. … Trump filed a lawsuit against the BBC in December in a personal capacity for both defamation and for a violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act for $5 billion apiece, seeking $10 billion total.” (07/26/26)
“More than 600 U.S. service members have been wounded since the war with Iran began in February, Pentagon statistics indicate, following a quiet weekend update to a casualty database that had days earlier sharply revised the toll downward. The update follows reports last week that the Pentagon’s Defense Casualty Analysis System revised the death toll of U.S. service members killed in fighting with Iran downward from 18 to 14 and the number wounded from 482 to 420, along with other discrepancies between the database and publicly reported information, prompting Democrats to call on the Pentagon for a full accounting.” (07/27/26)
“Shein says it swung to a quarterly loss as its sales slowed after US President Donald Trump removed an import duty exemption on small packages. It also comes as uncertainty remains over the tit-for-tat US-China tariffs wars, which is currently paused. The fast-fashion giant, which has its headquarters in Singapore but was founded in China, said it lost $99m (£74.1m) in the first three months of the year, compared with a net income of $395m a year earlier. … The so-called de minimis exemption had allowed goods valued at $800 or less to enter the US without paying any tariffs. US consumers relied on the exemption to buy cheap goods from online commerce sites like Shein and Temu.” (07/27/26)
“Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has launched a new political party, formalising his split with former ally Ousmane Sonko and setting up a struggle for control of the reform movement that swept them to power in 2024. The creation of Kiiraay-The Republican Patriots on Saturday formalised the collapse of the alliance between Faye and Sonko after months of tensions over the direction of the government and Senegal’s mounting economic challenges. The new party grew out of the Diomaye President coalition, which backed Faye’s successful 2024 presidential campaign. Speaking before supporters in Dakar, Faye portrayed Kiiraay as a movement centred on institutions rather than personalities.” (07/26/26)
“SpaceX launched it’s 13th Super Heavy-Starship rocket Friday, with the giant booster chalking up an on-target but ‘hard’ splashdown off the Texas Gulf Coast while the Starship upper stage carried out a successful sub-orbital hop to the Indian Ocean. … It was the second test flight of a third-generation Super Heavy-Starship, building on lessons learned during the initial flight of a ‘V3’ rocket in May when the booster missed its landing target and the Starship suffered an early engine shutdown on the way to space. This time around, the booster appeared to perform as planned throughout its ascent …. But as the booster dropped toward the Gulf, only 10 of 13 engines restarted and at the moment of splashdown, only five appeared to be running. … the Starship deployed 20 third-generation Starlink internet satellites in a real-world test of the rocket’s Pez-like payload dispenser, releasing the satellites one at a time from a slot near the nose of the vehicle.” (07/25/26)
