From Bangkok’s monk-blackmail scandal and Cloudflare’s DNS face-plant to Huawei’s comeback, Meta’s Manhattan-sized server farm, and drought-stricken Athens. Buckle up for a whistle-stop tour of power plays, policy shifts, and tech tremors—each trimmed to the bone so you can scan, snag, and stride into the day.
3D-Printed Toolmarks Map Gun Origins
Early study shows printer toolmarks can unmask so-called untraceable 3D-printed guns.
San Bernardino, 16 July 2025 – Kirk Garrison, Eric Law
🟢 Toolmark analysis linked prints to textured beds in every test.
📊 Bed matches 100 %; nozzle matches 75 % of samples.
💬 “We could differentiate those 100 % of the time,” said Prof Law.
Researchers aim to create a searchable database of printer signatures.
Will DIY gunmakers now scramble for smoother surfaces?
Ghost guns losing their anonymity. (Source: 404media.co/3d-printing-patterns-might-make-ghost-guns-more-traceable-than-we-thought/)
Athens Reservoirs Teeter Near Historic Lows
Satellite data show main lakes shrinking fast, threatening Athens’ water security.
Athens, 16 July 2025 – FloodHUB/BEYOND research team
🟢 Study urges immediate action as supply system under “very high pressure”.
📊 Lake Mornos surface only 65 % of normal; Evinos just 2.30 km².
💬 “The system appears under intense pressure,” researchers warned.
Prolonged drought and heat are depleting Attica’s four-reservoir network.
Will Athens cut consumption before taps run dry?
Drought squeezes Greek capital’s lifeline. (Source: euronews.com/green/2025/07/16/athens-reservoirs-approach-historic-lows-as-water-supplies-face-intense-pressure-study-sho)
Three-Parent IVF Halts Mito Diseases
Eight UK babies born healthy after pioneering mitochondrial donation treatment.
Newcastle, 16 July 2025 – Newcastle University, UK Regulators
🟢 Technique blocks mothers passing incurable mitochondrial disorders to children.
📊 Eight babies born; each carries ≈0.1 % donor DNA.
💬 “What a wonderful result,” said Prof Doug Turnbull.
Researchers now track long-term health and mutation levels.
Could global regulators follow Britain’s permissive lead?
Mitochondrial disease cycle broken. (Source: theguardian.com/science/2025/jul/16/eight-healthy-babies-born-after-ivf-using-dna-from-three-people)
Canada Slaps Steep Quotas On Steel Imports
Ottawa imposes tariffs and quota to counter trade diversion from Trump duties.
Ottawa, 16 July 2025 – PM Mark Carney
🟢 New policy adds 50 % tariff on imports beyond 2024 volumes.
📊 Government pledges C$1 billion to modernize domestic steel.
💬 “These measures are overdue but welcome,” said industry chief Catherine Cobden.
Move mirrors earlier retaliatory steps against U.S. metals levies.
Will allies answer or escalate the tariff spiral?
Canada fortifies its mills against shocks. (Source: reuters.com/world/china/canada-announces-new-tariff-measures-imported-steel-protect-domestic-industry-2025-07-16/)
China’s AliCPT Telescope Targets Primordial Waves
Completed instrument in Tibet seeks cosmic microwave traces of Big-Bang ripples.
Ali Prefecture, Tibet, 16 July 2025 – Institute of High Energy Physics
🟢 Project revives rare China-US science collaboration amid geopolitical strains.
📊 5,250 m altitude; 16 institutions; 8-year build.
💬 “AliCPT puts our search onto the international stage,” CCTV declared.
Next phase aims at detecting B-mode polarization signatures.
Will high-altitude silence reveal whispers from the universe’s birth?
Global quest for spacetime ripples expands. (Source: scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3318387/china-joins-us-hunt-ripples-spacetime-new-telescope-tibet)
CHINA’S ‘MASSISTANT’ STRIPS PHONES ON SEIZURE
New malware lets police harvest seized-phone data in minutes.
San Francisco, 16 Jul 2025 – Lookout; Xiamen Meiya Pico
🟢 Extracts Signal chats, photos and locations from seized devices.
📊 Meiya Pico controls 40 % of China’s forensics market.
💬 “It’s a big concern,” warned researcher Kristina Balaam.
Travellers may soon carry burner phones into China.
Will visitors tolerate warrantless digital searches?
Surveillance edge sharpens.
(Source: techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/chinese-authorities-are-using-a-new-tool-to-hack-seized-phones-and-extract-data)
WANG YI PRESSES SCO FOR FAIR MULTIPOLAR ORDER
Foreign ministers urged collective stand against hegemony.
Tianjin, 16 Jul 2025 – Wang Yi; SCO ministers
🟢 Calls bloc to reject hegemonism and uphold justice.
📊 Organisation now counts 10 Eurasian member states.
💬 “Certain countries place their selfish interests above common interests,” Wang said.
Meeting previews growing Sino-Russian alignment versus West.
Can SCO translate rhetoric into concrete cooperation?
Multipolar push gains volume.
(Source: scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318428/chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi-urges-sco-work-more-equal-and-orderly-world)
CLOUDFLARE MISSTEP KNOCKS 1.1.1.1 OFFLINE WORLDWIDE
DNS outage stemmed from misconfiguration, not attack.
San Francisco, 16 Jul 2025 – Cloudflare Inc.
🟢 Misroute yanked resolver prefixes, crippling global traffic.
📊 Service restored 66 minutes after 21:48 UTC error.
💬 “Root cause was an internal configuration error,” Cloudflare admitted.
Company vows staged rollouts to prevent repeats.
Will users re-think reliance on single DNS providers?
Misconfig beats malicious myths.
(Source: bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cloudflare-says-1111-outage-not-caused-by-attack-or-bgp-hijack)
CO-OP HACK EXPOSES EVERY MEMBER’S CONTACT DETAILS
Attack stole data, disrupted stores and funerals.
Manchester, 16 Jul 2025 – Shirine Khoury-Haq; Co-operative Group
🟢 Breach forced manual operations and empty shelves.
📊 6.5 million members’ names and addresses compromised.
💬 “I’m incredibly sorry,” Khoury-Haq told the BBC.
Arrests highlight rising retail cyber-crime trend.
Is cyber-insurance now essential retail overhead?
Data debt hits high-street coffers.
(Source: theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/16/co-op-boss-admits-all-6-5m-members-had-data-stolen-in-cyber-attack)
GM, REDWOOD REPOWER DATA CENTERS WITH USED EV BATTERIES
Second-life packs feed renewable microgrids for AI workloads.
Sparks, Nevada, 16 Jul 2025 – GM; Redwood Materials
🟢 Deployed 12 MW battery microgrid supporting 2,000-GPU cluster.
📊 Redwood targets 20 GWh storage capacity by 2028.
💬 “This could outgrow our core recycling business,” said JB Straubel.
Partnership hedges against volatile EV-sales forecasts.
Will second-life batteries dominate grid-storage markets?
Circular energy finds profitable circuit.
(Source: techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/gm-teams-up-with-redwood-materials-to-power-data-centers-with-ev-batteries)
HUAWEI RECLAIMS CHINA SMARTPHONE CROWN AFTER FOUR YEARS
Brand power lifts Huawei despite shrinking national handset demand.
Guangdong, 16 Jul 2025 – Huawei; IDC
🟢 Market share hits 18.1 %, putting Huawei back on top.
📊 China shipped 69 m phones in Q2, down 4 %.
💬 “Strong brand appeal and shipment control,” IDC said.
THE COMEBACK REVIVES COMPETITION AMONG DOMESTIC RIVALS.
Will subsidies fade faster than Huawei’s momentum?
Resurgence masks underlying market slump.
(Source: scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3318415/huawei-returns-top-chinas-mobile-phone-charts-first-time-4-years-idc)
INDIA BACKS QPIAI’S QUANTUM AMBITION
Government funding propels startup toward utility-scale quantum computers.
Bengaluru, 16 Jul 2025 – QpiAI; National Quantum Mission
🟢 Series A raises $32 m, led by $750 m mission fund.
📊 Valuation climbs to $162 m for 25-qubit “Indus” machine.
💬 “AI plays a bigger role there,” founder Nagendra Nagaraja said.
INDIA SIGNALS GLOBAL QUANTUM PLAY.
Can QpiAI hit 64 qubits by November?
Quantum race gains fresh horsepower.
(Source: techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/india-eyes-global-quantum-computer-push-and-qpiai-is-its-chosen-vehicle/)
MALAYSIA’S COURTS STILL LACKING LEADERSHIP
Rulers defer naming chief justice, prolonging legal uncertainty.
Kuala Lumpur, 16 Jul 2025 – Conference of Rulers; Anwar Ibrahim
🟢 Five top judicial posts remain vacant after three-day meeting.
📊 Zero appointments announced, despite Malaysian Bar protests.
💬 “The issue regarding appointments was discussed,” the palace said.
DELAY FEEDS TRUST DEFICIT.
Will a vacuum erode case backlogs further?
Justice delayed strains confidence.
(Source: scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3318488/no-rush-judge-malaysias-rulers-leave-out-naming-new-justices)
PEW POLL SHOWS CHINA’S IMAGE IMPROVING
Survey finds US favourability drops as Trump trade stance bites.
Washington, 16 Jul 2025 – Pew Research Center
🟢 53 % of Australians now prioritise China ties over US.
📊 24-nation poll sampled 30,000 people January–April 2025.
💬 “China may look different in some people’s eyes,” Dr Silver said.
SUPERPOWER PERCEPTIONS FLUCTUATE QUICKLY.
Could economic pragmatism trump security worries next?
Brand America loses shine abroad.
(Source: abc.net.au/news/2025-07-16/pew-research-shows-global-view-of-china-improves-as-us-worsens/105536860)
SCALE AI SLASHES STAFF AFTER RAPID EXPANSION
Data-labeler trims workforce weeks after Meta’s big buy-in.
San Francisco, 16 Jul 2025 – Scale AI; Meta
🟢 14 % workforce cut, including 200 employees and 500 contractors.
📊 Meta bought 49 % stake for $14.3 bn last month.
💬 “We ramped up our GenAI capacity too quickly,” CEO Jason Droege wrote.
REFOCUS AIMS AT CORE DATA BUSINESS.
Will clients return after the leaner reorg?
Efficiency push follows overextension.
(Source: theverge.com/news/708377/scale-ai-layoffs-14-percent)
THAI EXTORTION PLOT SNARES MONKS NATIONWIDE
Police arrest woman who filmed monks for years, then demanded cash.
Bangkok, 16 July 2025 – Royal Thai Police
🟢 Extorted at least nine monks across multiple temples.
📊 ฿385 m paid; 80 000 files seized.
💬 “Investigators found over 80 000 files,” police said.
Case renews scrutiny of monastery finances.
What reforms will the sangha accept?
Clergy scandal piles pressure on regulators. (Source: bbc.com/news/world-asia-68899999)
FCC EYES BAN ON CHINESE CABLE GEAR
New rules would block Chinese equipment on US-landed submarine cables.
Washington, 16 July 2025 – FCC; Commissioner Brendan Carr
🟢 Draft order bars ‘covered’ Chinese gear from all US cable landings.
📊 Vote set 7 Aug; only three commissioners remain.
💬 “Chinese tech poses unacceptable risk,” Carr warned.
Move extends broader telecom-security crackdown.
Will allies mirror Washington’s undersea stance?
Security beats cost in cable race. (Source: engadget.com/the-fcc-plans-to-ban-chinese-technology-in-undersea-cables)
DRONES BATTER KURDISTAN OIL FIELDS AGAIN
Three sites hit; exports paused amid regional tensions.
Erbil, 16 July 2025 – Kurdistan Regional Government
🟢 Explosive drones damaged three producing fields overnight.
📊 Five fields struck this week; zero casualties reported.
💬 “Only material damage, no injuries,” officials stated.
Attacks threaten fragile Baghdad-Erbil revenue pact.
Can security forces intercept the next drones?
Energy corridor grows vulnerable. (Source: reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-oil-fields-iraqi-kurdistan-hit-drone-strikes-2025-07-16)
TOGO SLOWS WEB TO QUELL JUNE UNREST
Network tests reveal intentional throttling during anti-government rallies.
Lomé, 16 July 2025 – Internet Society; NetBlocks
🟢 Authorities throttled social platforms, hampering protest coordination.
📊 1 072 anomalies; median DNS 144 ms.
💬 “These are particularly sophisticated restrictions,” researchers warned.
Digital curbs join region-wide shutdown trend.
Will courts challenge Togo’s covert throttling?
Connectivity becomes new protest battleground. (Source: globalvoices.org/2025/07/16/togo-restricts-internet-during-june-protests)
US SENDS FIVE CONVICTS TO ESWATINI
Rare deportation flight applies ‘third-country’ removal rule to Africa.
Washington, 16 July 2025 – Department of Homeland Security
🟢 Program resumed with test flight returning five violent offenders.
📊 Five deportees; eight similar removals this month.
💬 “These individuals committed uniquely barbaric crimes,” DHS said.
Flight signals tougher stance on transit-country entrants.
Could Central Americans face wider African transfers?
Policy tests legal, diplomatic limits. (Source: theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/16/trump-deports-migrants-eswatini)
WETRANSFER BACKS DOWN ON AI DATA CLAUSE AFTER FURY
File-sharing platform removes AI term following creative-industry backlash.
Amsterdam, 16 July 2025 – WeTransfer; Writers’ Guild GB
🟢 Removes AI-training rights from new terms within 24 hours.
📊 Service reaches 80 million users across 190 countries.
💬 “Members’ work should never train AI,” said the Writers’ Guild.
Clause rewrite seeks to rebuild trust with creatives.
Can legal clarity keep artists uploading?
Transparency beats technical jargon.
(Source: theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/16/wetransfer-user-content-ai-artificial-intelligence)
META’S MANHATTAN-SIZED DATA CENTER SIGNALS AI AMBITION
Zuckerberg unveils multi-gigawatt complexes to fuel Meta’s superintelligence drive.
Menlo Park, 16 July 2025 – Meta; Mark Zuckerberg; Superintelligence Labs
🟢 Plans $100 bn-plus AI spend, dwarfing rivals.
📊 Hyperion can scale to 5 GW, Prometheus online 2026.
💬 “We have the capital to do this,” said Zuckerberg.
Meta bets bigger infrastructure wins AI arms race.
Will regulators slow Meta’s infrastructural land-grab?
Scale defines the coming AI frontier.
(Source: theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/16/zuckerberg-meta-data-center-ai-manhattan)
— Ohmbudsman