July 17, 2025 • By Syllad | The Rising Meghalaya

The Miles Bronson Residential School in Borjhar hosted the Indian Public Schools' Conference Literary Festival from July 14 to 16. The festival brought together students from top schools across India for a celebration of literary and cultural expression. Events included debates, performances, quizzes, creative writing, and poetry recitation. The closing ceremony featured award presentations to top-performing participants and teams, with winning schools including Mayo College Girls' School, Daly College, and The Assam Valley School. The festival aimed to nurture young minds through literature and the arts, promoting socially conscious individuals rooted in cultural heritage.

July 17, 2025 • By Luc Olinga

Calvin French-Owen, a former employee of OpenAI, has written a blog post revealing the inner workings of the company. He describes a chaotic, bottom-up meritocracy where speed and individual initiative are valued over structure and planning. The company uses Slack as its primary communication tool, with critical decisions and technical documentation happening in fast-moving chat threads. French-Owen notes that OpenAI's growth has been explosive, with the company more than tripling in size during his year-long tenure. Despite the challenges that come with this growth, the company has managed to launch groundbreaking tools like ChatGPT and Codex. The company's culture is shrouded in secrecy, with engineers not permitted to discuss their projects in detail outside the company. French-Owen also reveals that OpenAI is influenced by social media, with viral trends and public sentiment acting as a signal for what to build next. Overall, the post paints a picture of a company that thrives on ambiguity, speed, and secrecy, where brilliant ideas can emerge from anywhere, but can also get buried in a sea of Slack threads.

July 17, 2025 • By Tourisme Montreal + Skift Meetings

Here is a concise summary of the news article: The meeting planning industry is facing challenges due to rising costs, shrinking budgets, and concerns about international travel. Montréal, ranked as the top international association meetings destination in North America, is stepping up to help planners navigate these challenges. The city offers a range of support services, including access to a certified convention services manager and turnkey partners to streamline cross-border events. Montréal's international airport provides direct flights to nearly 150 locations worldwide, and the city is a convenient destination for many international attendees. The city also offers unique cultural and experiential value, with its French culture, rich heritage, and wide selection of exceptional event spaces. Additionally, Montréal is a hub of creativity and commercial ingenuity, with cutting-edge venues and a favorable exchange rate that can result in cost savings of almost 40% for U.S. organizers. Business Events Montréal is also participating in an AI-powered project to measure the social impact of business events, aiming to inspire transformation across the industry.

July 17, 2025 • By Gene Veith

The concept of eugenics, which aims to improve the human gene pool by breeding for desirable traits and sterilizing "inferior" humans, was once widely accepted from the late 19th century to World War II. Surprisingly, many liberal ministers and theologians were enthusiastic proponents of eugenics, seeing it as a way to improve society and build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. They were influenced by Darwinism and the idea of "survival of the fittest," which led them to support racist and classist policies. Notable figures such as Horace Bushnell and Josiah Strong advocated for eugenics, with Strong even referring to a "final solution" for "inferior" peoples. The US passed compulsory sterilization laws, and Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was part of this movement. Today, scholars are re-examining the complicity of progressive theologians in eugenics, and some are drawing parallels between the support for eugenics and current attitudes towards abortion.

July 17, 2025 • By Reda Wigle

Here is a concise summary of the news article: On July 18th, 2025, Mercury will station retrograde at 15°34 of Leo, joining Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto in a retrograde parade. This alignment is expected to make people feel like things are stalled, but astrologer Jill Brown says it's an opportunity to slow down and take stock of life. The retrogrades are helping people shed old habits and ways of being, making it a time for dramatic transformation. Brown advises people to slow down, be present with themselves, and take small steps forward. The retrograde parade will affect each zodiac sign differently, with some signs being called to reassess decisions, cultivate introspection, or focus on personal growth. Ultimately, the retrogrades serve the greater purpose of true change, and Brown encourages people to embrace their greatness and take courage to course correct.

July 17, 2025 • By Justin Chang

The Japanese thriller film "Cloud" directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa tells the story of Ryosuke Yoshii, a thirtysomething online reseller who makes a living by buying and selling goods at outrageously marked-up prices. Yoshii's business takes off, but he becomes increasingly isolated and contemptuous of others, leading to a series of ominous warnings and eventually, a violent revenge plot. The film explores the themes of e-commerce, online culture, and the blurring of lines between the digital and physical worlds. Kurosawa's direction is praised for its cold, pitiless, and sustained excitement, and the film's action sequences are likened to a video game. The movie ultimately poses a chilling conclusion that the internet has exposed an empathy deficit in society, rather than creating one. "Cloud" is considered the summer's best action movie and a cautionary tale of e-commerce.

July 17, 2025 • By journo.tommay@gmail.com (Tom May) , Tom May

The Bank of England has launched a public consultation on the next series of banknotes, asking people to choose between six themes: notable historical figures, nature, architecture, arts and culture, noteworthy milestones, or innovation. The consultation is part of a redesign effort that the author believes is unnecessary and expensive, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis. The Bank claims the redesign is needed to incorporate anti-counterfeiting technology, but the author points out that the US dollar bill has not been redesigned since 1963 and has not been significantly counterfeited. The author argues that the redesign will be costly and may cause difficulties for elderly people and those with visual impairments who rely on familiar designs to identify notes. The consultation is seen as a managed democracy, where the public is given a limited choice between pre-approved themes, but not allowed to opt for keeping the current design. The author concludes that the current notes are secure, recognizable, and functional, and that redesigning them is a luxury that cannot be afforded during a time of economic crisis.

July 17, 2025 • By PR Wire

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July 17, 2025 • By Georgia Mulraine

Jim Legxacy's music is described as "generational" due to his narrative ability, blending humor and heart. His mixtape "black british music" combines various genres, exploring identity and celebrating Black British music's impact on culture. The project also touches on his personal struggles with grief, showcasing the storytelling power of art.

July 17, 2025 • By Sagar Malviya

Kumar Chander will succeed Vineet Agrawal as CEO of Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting on February 1, 2026. Agrawal is retiring after 40 years, during which he transformed the company into a global FMCG conglomerate through strategic acquisitions and brand expansion.

July 17, 2025 • By Lindsay Kornick

CNN host Dana Bash refused to read a disparaging reference to her network while quoting a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump. The post criticized the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, calling it "worse than CNN & MSDNC put together." Bash skipped the phrase, saying "I'm not even going to read that." The incident occurred as the US Senate was set to vote on Trump's $9 billion rescission package, which includes cutting funding for NPR and PBS. Trump has repeatedly attacked CNN, threatening to pull federal funding for NPR and PBS and signing an executive order to slash taxpayer funds for the organizations. Bash has pushed back against Trump's comments in the past, defending her network against his accusations.

July 17, 2025

Indonesia's Culture Minister Fadli Zon has designated October 17 as National Culture Day, coinciding with President Prabowo Subianto's birthday. The decision has been met with criticism from senior politicians and academics, who question the date's cultural and historical significance. They argue that the choice of date appears to be an attempt to curry favor with the president, and that the decision was made without public consultation or transparency. The date October 17 is significant as it marks the day in 1951 when Indonesia's founding president Soekarno established the national emblem "Garuda Pancasila" and the national motto. However, critics argue that this date does not have direct cultural significance, and that other dates, such as July 5 or 7, would be more meaningful. The controversy has sparked concerns over the politicization of national symbols and figures, and the potential for the government to use cultural events to promote its own interests.

July 17, 2025 • By thebrainbehind

The article discusses how our perceptions of reality are shaped by external factors such as education, media, and societal norms. It argues that our beliefs and values are often not our own, but rather a product of repetition, ritual, and reward. The article encourages readers to question their assumptions and consider the possibility that everything they believe may be a lie. It suggests that true freedom and power come from waking up to the fact that our reality is constructed and that we have the ability to challenge and change it. The article invites readers to ask themselves what they believe and who gave them those beliefs, and to consider the possibility of living without the need for certainty.