In South Korea, the owner of a restaurant awarded two Michelin stars faces up to one year in prison for using ants as a garnish on desserts. Prosecutors have also demanded that the restaurant be fined 20 million won ($13,500) for violating food safety regulations.
U.S. President Donald Trump is considering supporting FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s candidacy for the position of UN Secretary-General following the end of António Guterres’s term.
OpenAI reported an unusual incident in the field of artificial intelligence: While testing the capabilities of its cutting-edge models, an autonomous AI agent managed to bypass the restrictions of its isolated environment and perform actions that resulted in unauthorized access to part of the Hugging Face platform’s infrastructure.
According to Pentagon estimates, U.S. spending on the military campaign against Iran has reached $37.5 billion. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset made this statement during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, urging Congress to urgently approve additional funding for the Department of Defense.
The French Parliament has given final approval to a law banning children under the age of 15 from using social media. Once the law takes effect, France will become the first country in the European Union to adopt such strict restrictions for minors.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s black leather jacket was sold at a Sotheby’s charity auction in New York for $960,000. The price was nearly 16 times the auction house’s preliminary estimate of $40,000–$60,000.
Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group expects to improve its financial results in the second half of the year following an uptick in sales in recent months. Despite a decline in profits for the first half of the year, the company reported a recovery in demand for its brands.
Wireless software updates (Over-the-Air, OTA), which have become an integral part of modern vehicles, open up new opportunities for automakers but also require stricter measures to protect against cyber threats. According to experts, as these technologies become more widespread, there is a growing need to strengthen security controls for transportation systems and their digital infrastructure.
Introducing a minimum wealth tax on the ultra-wealthy in the UK could generate about 10 billion pounds for the budget each year, according to a study by economists at the Paris School of Economics and King’s College London. The authors of the initiative have called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to consider this measure as he prepares a ten-year program of tax reforms.
The German sportswear manufacturer Adidas emerged as the biggest commercial winner of the World Cup, significantly increasing sales of its soccer merchandise.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom accepted Keir Starmer’s resignation as prime minister. The audience took place on July 20 at Buckingham Palace, according to the royal press office.
For the first time in history, the winner of the 2026 World Cup will receive not only the trophy and gold medals, but also special championship rings. FIFA has decided to introduce a tradition into soccer that has long been a part of American professional sports.
Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber set a new record among original props from the “Star Wars” franchise. At a Heritage Auctions event in the U.S., the weapon used by Mark Hamill in the film *Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back* sold for $3.75 million. The sale served as yet another confirmation of the growing interest among investors and collectors in iconic movie memorabilia.
The LEGO Group is expanding its LEGO Art line with the launch of the largest building set in its history inspired by a work of art. In partnership with the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, the company has released a set dedicated to Gustav Klimt’s famous painting “The Kiss” (1907–1908).
Regular attendance at theaters, museums, concerts, and other cultural events is statistically associated with a slower rate of biological aging. This is the conclusion reached by researchers in Japan who analyzed data from a long-term health study of older adults in the United Kingdom. The results were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Celebrations marking the Argentine national team’s advancement to the World Cup final could result in disciplinary action against the country’s soccer federation. After defeating England, the players unfurled a banner on the field with a political message supporting Buenos Aires’ territorial claims to the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, which may violate FIFA rules.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced the start of production of a commemorative one-dollar coin featuring President Donald Trump. The coin is being issued to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence and is scheduled for release in the fall of 2026.
A three-meter-tall golden statue has appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., mocking U.S. President Donald Trump and his role in the conflict with Iran. The installation, titled “Trophy of an Iran War Veteran,” is the latest action by the anonymous art collective Secret Handshake, which has previously staged high-profile political performances in the U.S. capital.
The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed “Gus” was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York for $50.1 million, setting a new world record for the highest price ever paid for a fossil at auction.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the country’s antitrust regulator, has approved eBay’s acquisition of the secondhand clothing platform Depop, removing a key regulatory hurdle to the completion of the deal.
