The festival featured a diverse lineup of comedians, including Andrew Orolfo, Jenny Yang, Joe Wong, Ismael Loutfi, Derek Mio, Hari Kondabolu, Joel Kim Booster, Asif Ali, and Hasan Minhaj. The event took place at the Peacock Theater and Chick Hern Plaza in Los Angeles, offering attendees a choice between indoor comedy performances and outdoor stages with food vendors. Comedians tackled topics such as identity, culture, and social issues, often drawing from their own experiences as Asian Americans. The festival also included cooking demos, an eating contest, and karaoke sessions, with booths selling merchandise featuring Asian culture. Attendees praised the event's representation of Asian cultures, saying it was a welcome change to see such diversity at a large-scale festival in Los Angeles.
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/07/14/belly-laughs-fest-closes-out-weekend-event-with-tasty-food-and-big-laughs/The 2025 Beaker Street Science Photography Prize has selected finalists for its annual award. Ben Alldridge's work features a wild documentation of an Eastern Quoll's biofluorescence, while Sarah Lloyd captures micro-organisms critical to nutrient cycling in slime moulds. Alison McNeice's photosynthetic sea slug, PhotosyntheSlug, showcases kleptoplasty, a process where algae is taken up by the slug and used for photosynthesis. Jordan Cripps' image highlights the importance of dark sky conservation through his Milky Way over Waterworks Reserve photograph. Other finalists include Chelsea Bell's crystalline forest formation on Nothofagus gunnii leaves, Nicolas Horniblow's macrophotography of Tasmania's Pallenella ambigua sea spider, and Kelli Miller's microscopy revealing polymerised protein puddles in blood.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/glowing-critter-caught-on-camera-for-first-time-ever/article_c2b5eaad-0510-5395-b881-fd40f64c3a95.htmlTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with a delegation from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), led by lawyers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, who have been in contact with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The delegation is part of a government-backed peace initiative and will visit the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on July 16 and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on July 17 to deliver briefings on their "terror-free Türkiye" process.
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/dem-party-set-to-brief-mhp-chp-on-peace-initiative-211448Turkish President Recep Erdoğan has won five more years in office, sparking concerns among artists and cultural figures who have faced intimidation under his rule. A new museum, Odunpazari Modern Museum designed by Kengo Kuma, is set to open in Eskişehir in June, featuring the collection of architect Erol Tabanca. The Istanbul Modern museum, designed by Renzo Piano, is nearing completion and aims to make art more accessible to the city's 16 million inhabitants through its new location in a 19th-century military factory, known as Istanbul Feshane.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/07/10/turkish-power-plant-reborn-as-regional-cultural-hubA dramatic rescue operation was conducted by the Saeng Tham Rescue Foundation in Chiang Rai, Thailand, where a girl clutching a half-submerged log was plucked from the Kok River by volunteer first responders. The incident occurred behind Country Home village, near Chiang Rai beach, and local residents alerted emergency services after seeing the girl drifting past. Rescuers then ferried her to shore, where paramedics took her to Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital for treatment. The foundation posted the rescue on its Facebook page to raise awareness about their efforts and highlight the work of its volunteer personnel.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2025/07/14/drama-at-dawn-thai-volunteers-rescue-girl-clinging-to-log-in-flooded-chiang-rai-river/183919Indonesia's Sekolah Rakyat initiative aims to combat intergenerational poverty by providing quality education to poor and extremely poor families, with a focus on inclusive education. The program has already opened 63 locations across the country, including Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Papua, with over 6,000 students enrolled in 256 study groups. By the end of July 2025, an additional 37 locations will be operational. Coordinating Minister Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar emphasizes that Sekolah Rakyat encourages students' interests and potential, providing opportunities for science and entrepreneurship development through hands-on learning experiences.
https://en.antaranews.com/news/366309/sekolah-rakyat-students-to-get-laptops-for-learning-ministerThe Ipoh City Council (MBI) has conducted a site visit to address concerns over flash floods in Taman Kinding and Kampung Baru Changkat Kinding. The visit was attended by representatives from the Taman Kinding Akasia Residents' Association, MBI department heads, and Puncak Emas Infra Sdn., as they seek solutions to mitigate the issue affecting residents in these areas.
https://www.ipohecho.com.my/2025/07/14/authorities-take-action-on-flash-floods-in-taman-kinding/A ferry carrying 18 people, including ten local government workers, capsized in the Mentawai Islands while traveling from Sikakap to a nearby town, prompting a rescue operation involving two boats and dozens of rescuers. The incident is part of a recurring issue with boat safety in Indonesia, where accidents are common due to bad weather and lax safety standards, as seen in a recent ferry sinking near Bali that resulted in 18 deaths and 17 missing persons.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/614045-indonesian-boat-capsizes-8-rescued-11-still-missingThe Art Newspaper is hosting an exhibition "Edvard Munch: Lifeblood" in Oslo until September 21st, featuring artefacts from the artist's remarkable explorations of both the human body and the soul. The exhibition is a testament to Munch's work, with his voice emerging strongest through the selection of artefacts by curator Trine Otte Bak Nielsen.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/07/14/blood-skeletons-syphilis-edvard-munch-obsession-health