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[Core Summary] Martha Lillard, the last polio patient in the United States to rely on an iron lung for survival, passed away recently in Oklahoma at the age of 78. Her life spanned the era from the devastating polio epidemics to the near-total eradication of the disease through vaccination. Her death marks the end of an era in medical history. [Event Details] According to the Associated Press, Martha Lillard died peacefully at a medical facility in Oklahoma. She contracted polio as a child, which left her fully paralyzed, and she had depended on an iron lung to breathe since her youth. The iron lung is a negative-pressure ventilator that mechanically assists breathing, and it was one of the most critical life-saving devices during the mid-20th century polio epidemics. ...

[Core Summary] A small passenger plane crashed in the Bahamas on Independence Day (July 10), killing all 10 people on board. The Prime Minister called the crash “a national tragedy” and pledged a full investigation. It is one of the deadliest aviation incidents in the country in recent years. [Event Details] According to BBC reporting, the small commercial aircraft crashed within the Bahamas archipelago, with no survivors among the 10 people aboard. The Prime Minister issued a statement expressing deep condolences to the victims’ families and described the incident as “a tragedy” for the nation. ...

Core Summary Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on Friday, alleging the AI company stole its trade secrets. In the filing, Apple described OpenAI’s nascent hardware business as “rotten to its core” and claimed the theft scheme was “at every level.” This lawsuit marks a direct confrontation between two tech giants and could reshape the competitive landscape of the entire AI industry. Event Details According to reports from The Washington Post and CNBC, Apple accuses OpenAI of improperly acquiring core technical information related to hardware development. The lawsuit details how OpenAI employees systematically accessed Apple’s trade secrets and applied that knowledge to develop their own hardware products. ...

Core Summary Meta released an AI feature this week that allowed users to alter Instagram content, but quickly withdrew it after facing intense user backlash within just days. This incident highlights the ethical boundaries of AI technology in social media applications and users’ deep concerns about privacy and content authenticity. Event Details According to BBC reports, the AI feature Meta released this week allowed users to edit and modify images on Instagram. However, the feature immediately sparked widespread user backlash upon launch. Many users worried that this technology could be used to create misinformation, manipulate others’ photos, or exacerbate the “perfect image” anxiety already prevalent on social media. ...

Core Summary The United States has demanded that Iran issue a public statement declaring the Strait of Hormuz remains open and pledge not to attack ships. Vice President JD Vance is among senior US officials expected to participate in negotiations resuming Saturday in Oman. This diplomatic move aims to ease tensions in the global energy shipping corridor and ensure international maritime safety. Event Details According to reports from the Associated Press and BBC, US officials made clear they expect Iran to release a public statement declaring the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping and committing that Tehran will not continue attacking vessels. This demand is one of the core issues in US-Iran negotiations. ...

According to Reuters, China has suspended helium exports as US-Iran tensions flare again, raising global supply chain concerns. Helium is a critical material for semiconductor manufacturing and medical equipment.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was buried in Mashhad’s Imam Reza Shrine after six days of national mourning, marking a critical transition period for Iranian politics.

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix completed its secondary listing on Nasdaq, raising $26.5 billion in the largest-ever foreign company IPO in the US. Shares surged 17% on the first day.

[Summary] At least 11 people have died and 19 are missing in a wildfire in Almeria, southern Spain, with 6 injured. Some victims are believed to be British nationals. Around 150 firefighters are battling the blaze, with over 1,000 residents evacuated. The tragedy comes amid a sustained heatwave across Southern Europe, with France and Portugal also facing severe fire conditions. [Event Details] According to the BBC, the fire broke out near Los Gallardos in the province of Almeria, Andalusia. Victims’ bodies were found in and around the small village of Bedar. Andalusia’s health and emergencies minister Antonio Sanz described the fire as complex and rapid. Four victims found trapped in a car were driving a right-hand drive vehicle, suggesting they were British nationals. ...

[Summary] North Carolina has passed a new bill formally recognizing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) federal preemption over prediction market regulation, paving the way for compliant operation of prediction market platforms in the state. [Event Details] According to The Block, North Carolina becomes the latest state to explicitly acknowledge CFTC’s federal regulatory authority over prediction markets. This means prediction market platforms operating in the state will primarily be subject to federal rather than state-level gambling regulations. This legislative development is seen as an important step for the crypto prediction market industry’s push for legitimacy in the US, especially as multiple states have taken restrictive stances toward prediction markets. ...