Tech
Apple’s WWDC 2025 (Worldwide Developers Conference), held June 9-13, received mixed feedback from the tech industry. The “Liquid Glass” design across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 Tahoe was praised for its sleek, visionOS-inspired aesthetic, marking the biggest iOS redesign since 2013. However, the AI announcements, including Live Translation and ChatGPT integration, disappointed many. Analysts noted Apple’s Apple Intelligence updates lacked the innovation seen in Google’s and Microsoft’s AI rollouts, with delays in Siri’s AI overhaul until 2026 fueling perceptions of Apple lagging in the AI race.
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Meta invested $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI, valuing the AI data-labeling company at over $29 billion. Scale AI’s CEO, Alexandr Wang, joined Meta to head a new “Superintelligence” AI lab, with some Scale employees following. Scale AI remains independent, led by interim CEO Jason Droege, and continues serving clients like Microsoft and OpenAI, though Google may reduce its reliance. The deal strengthens Meta’s AI capabilities, particularly for models like Llama, amid fierce competition. It also provides liquidity for Scale’s shareholders and avoids major antitrust issues.
At VivaTech 2025 in Paris, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang sharply criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s prediction that AI could eliminate 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs within five years, potentially raising unemployment to 20%. Huang dismissed Amodei’s claims as fear-mongering, arguing AI will transform jobs, not destroy them, and create new opportunities. He also challenged Amodei’s push for limited AI development, advocating for open, transparent innovation. The clash highlights contrasting visions for AI’s societal impact, with Huang optimistic and Amodei cautious.
On June 12, 2025, a 3.5-hour Google Cloud Platform (GCP) outage exposed the risks of centralized cloud platforms. An invalid automated quota update at 12:15 PM ET disrupted BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Firebase, and App Engine, affecting third-party services like Spotify, Discord, Cloudflare, and Snapchat. Over 14,000 U.S. users reported issues, per Downdetector. Resolved by 3:49 PM ET, the incident highlighted how reliance on a single provider can cascade failures across interconnected services. Centralized clouds, while efficient, create single points of failure, raising concerns about systemic vulnerabilities and the need for decentralized or hybrid solutions.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) will invest $12.97 billion from 2025 to 2029 to expand Australia’s data center infrastructure, its largest tech commitment in the country. The investment will boost server capacity and generative AI workloads, supporting Australia’s digital economy and AI adoption. AWS also plans to purchase over 170 megawatts from three new solar farms in Victoria and Queensland, enhancing sustainability. The move aligns with global tech giants like Microsoft and Google scaling up AI infrastructure.
Global
On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 passengers and crew, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India, en route to London Gatwick. The plane struck a medical college hostel, killing 241 aboard and at least 28 on the ground, totaling over 270 deaths. One passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived, escaping via an emergency exit. The crash, the deadliest in India since 1996, prompted investigations into engine, flaps, and maintenance issues.
The Jiangsu Football City League, launched in 2025, has become a viral sensation in China, dubbed the “Su Super League.” Featuring 13 amateur teams representing Jiangsu Province’s cities, it promotes city pride and community participation. With slogans like “No match-fixing, only rivalries,” the league drew over 8,000 fans per match, outpacing China’s professional soccer leagues. Social media buzz, with #JiangsuCityLeague surpassing 1.82 billion Douyin views, fueled tourism, with cities like Changzhou hosting 60,000 visitors. Organized by Jiangsu’s sports administration, it blends soccer with local culture, boosting regional economies.
On June 14, 2025, Washington, D.C., hosted a grand military parade to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day. Featuring 6,700 soldiers, 150 vehicles, including Abrams tanks, and 50 aircraft, the $25-$45 million event drew 200,000 spectators. The parade was the largest since 1991. Despite celebrating Army heritage and pride, it faced bipartisan criticism for its cost and perceived politicization.
On June 14, 2025, London hosted the King’s Birthday Parade, known as Trooping the Colour, a historic military ceremony marking King Charles III’s official birthday. Over 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians from the Household Division participated, parading from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade. The Coldstream Guards trooped a new Colour, celebrating 375 years of service. King Charles, Queen Camilla, and royals watched from the balcony, with a 41-gun salute in Green Park.
Blatten, a once-idyllic Swiss village in the Lötschental Valley, renowned for its breathtaking alpine beauty and serene charm, was destroyed on May 28, 2025. The picturesque hamlet, nestled beneath the stunning Birch Glacier, was buried when the glacier collapsed, unleashing 10 million cubic meters of ice, mud, and rock in a landslide. Evacuated on May 19 after signs of glacier instability, likely due to climate change-driven permafrost melt, the 300 residents escaped, but a 64-year-old man remains missing. The disaster, which blocked the Lonza River and caused flooding, erased a cherished Alpine gem.
Economy & Finance
Navan, formerly TripActions, is eyeing an IPO with an $8 billion valuation in late 2025, driven by its AI-powered platform revolutionizing corporate travel and expense management. Its success stems from integrating OpenAI’s tech, streamlining bookings, and automating expenses via tools like the Ava assistant. Acquisitions like Tripeur expanded its global reach, while fintech innovations, including corporate cards, fueled 100% annual growth. Navan’s rise reflects broader trends: businesses embracing AI for efficiency, a rebounding corporate travel sector post-pandemic, and a thriving IPO market for tech-driven firms.
Hangzhou, Zhejiang’s capital, is emerging as China’s tech hub, driven by the “Six Little Dragons”—start-ups DeepSeek, Game Science, Unitree Robotics, Deep Robotics, BrainCo, and Manycore Tech. These firms excel in AI, robotics, gaming, and neurotechnology, with DeepSeek’s cost-efficient AI model and Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong gaining global acclaim. Hangzhou’s success stems from Zhejiang University’s talent pool, government subsidies, and a business-friendly environment. The city’s digital economy contributed $88 billion in 2024, nearly a third of its GDP. The “Six Little Dragons” phenomenon inspires other Chinese cities to foster innovation.
Science
Spacecraft the Solar Orbiter just captured the first images of the sun’s south pole, revealing its magnetic poles have flipped, a normal event in the sun’s 11-year solar cycle. The sun is 93 million miles away in space. At the beginning and end of its weather cycle, flares and sunspots calm down. But solar activity rises before it falls, and when it climaxes, the sun roils with giant eruptions. While a normal magnet has clear north and south poles, both of the sun’s poles occupy the bottom now. This happens only for a short period during “solar maximum” before a single polarity eventually takes over, and the entire magnetic field reorders itself in the reversed configuration.
Nature & Environment
A May 2025 Guardian article reported a study finding that nearly 40% of the world’s glaciers are already doomed to melt due to past fossil fuel emissions, even if global warming stopped today. If current climate policies persist, leading to a 2.7°C temperature rise, 75% of glaciers could vanish, raising sea levels by 23cm and threatening billions with water shortages and mass migration. Limiting warming to 1.5°C could save half the ice, but rising emissions make this goal elusive. Every 0.1°C avoided saves 2.7 trillion tonnes of ice.
In May 2025, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report predicting record-high global temperatures for 2025–2029, with an 86% chance that at least one year will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and a 70% chance the five-year average will surpass this threshold. Fueled by greenhouse gases and diminishing air pollution, these temperatures risk intensifying heatwaves, droughts, and floods. Arctic warming is expected to triple the global average, while precipitation shifts will bring wetter conditions to the Sahel in Africa and drier ones to the Amazon. Urgent climate action is needed to mitigate impacts.
Entertainment & Culture
On June 10, 2025, a 131cm mint-green Labubu figure sold for $150,275 at Beijing’s Yongle International Auction, the first auction dedicated to these quirky toys, setting a record for the “blind box” collectible. Created by Kasing Lung and sold by Pop Mart, Labubu’s global craze exploded after endorsements from celebrities like Blackpink’s Lisa and Rihanna. Labubu’s mischievous, Nordic-inspired design has sparked frenzied demand, long queues, and even fights at stores, transforming it into a cultural and fashion phenomenon worldwide.
David Beckham and Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles III’s Birthday Honours list for their contributions to sport, charity, and drama. Beckham, 50, a former England football captain, was recognized for his 115 caps, charity work with UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), and role in securing the 2012 Olympics. Oldman, 67, an Oscar winner for portraying Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, was honored for his extensive acting career, including roles in Harry Potter and The Dark Knight. Both expressed pride in their honors, with Beckham’s knighthood making his wife, Victoria, Lady Beckham.
Sports
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné, securing the general classification (GC) with a 59-second lead over Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who finished second. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) took third, 2:38 behind. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) claimed the final Stage 8, a 133.3km mountain stage to Plateau du Mont-Cenis, with a solo breakaway, outpacing Vingegaard and Pogačar, who finished second and third on the stage. Pogačar’s three stage wins and GC dominance signal a strong form for the upcoming Tour de France.
Pete Dyson, Bicycle Mayor of Bath, broke the London-to-Edinburgh cycling record on June 12, 2025, completing the 388-mile (624km) ride in 16 hours, 56 minutes, and 51 seconds, beating Michael Broadwith’s mark by over 45 minutes. Remarkably, Dyson stopped at a pub in Ponteland to buy two J2Os and a Pepsi, refilling his bottle mid-ride. The provisional Road Record Association time, set on a “stellar” day, marks the first sub-17-hour ride for this route. First set in 1903 by F. Wright with a time of 31 hours and 48 minutes, the record for this famous ride connecting two capital cities has seen only 12 successful resets due to its grueling nature.
On June 8, 2025, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz defended his French Open title, defeating world No. 1 Italian Jannik Sinner 4–6, 6–7(4), 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(10–2) in a historic 5-hour, 29-minute final, the longest in French Open history. Down two sets and facing three championship points, Alcaraz staged a remarkable comeback, becoming the third man in the Open Era to win a major after being championship points down. The match, a clash of the top two players born in the 2000s, showcased their rivalry, with Alcaraz maintaining his 5–0 Grand Slam final record.
On June 7, 2025, Coco Gauff, aged 21, won her first French Open title, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 in a dramatic final. The first American to win at Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2015, Gauff rallied from a set down, leveraging her speed and composure against Sabalenka’s power. Despite windy conditions and 70 unforced errors from Sabalenka, Gauff’s defensive prowess and mental resilience secured her second Grand Slam title after the 2023 U.S. Open.
The UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Nations League final in Munich on June 8 showcased a unique clash between football’s past and its future. 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, faced off against Spain’s 17-year-old teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in what many are calling a symbolic generational shift. Portugal defeated defending champions Spain 5–3 on penalties after a 2–2 draw. Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Oyarzabal scored for Spain, while Nuno Mendes and Cristiano Ronaldo, netted for Portugal.
This Day in History
On June 15, 1752, Benjamin Franklin conducted his iconic kite experiment, flying a kite during a thunderstorm to prove lightning was electricity. He attached a metal key to the kite string, observing an electric spark when lightning struck, confirming the electrical nature of lightning. This groundbreaking experiment demonstrated that atmospheric electricity could be harnessed and studied, laying the foundation for advancements in electromagnetism. Franklin’s findings led to the invention of the lightning rod, which protects buildings from lightning strikes. His work influenced future electrical research, shaping modern physics and establishing electricity as a key scientific field.
Funny
Previous Issues
June 7, 2025, Every Dog Has Its Day
June 1, 2025, When AI Swung a Racket and Nadal Hung Up His
May 24, 2025, Shining Stars of the Last Generation
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From Labubu’s Viral Craze To Glaciers’ Spiral Of Doom
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Last modified on 2025-06-15
