The Subaru Telescope has made an exciting discovery: a small body beyond Pluto, with implications for the formation, evolution, and current structure of the outer solar system.

The object officially designated 2023 KQ~14,~ was found as part of the survey project FOSSIL (Formation of the Outer Solar System: An Icy Legacy), which takes advantage of the Subaru Telescope's wide field of view. The object was discovered through observations taken in March, May, and August 2023 using the Subaru Telescope.

Subaru Telescope Discovers "Fossil" of the Early Solar System | Obsevation Results | Subaru Telescope

The Subaru Telescope has revealed a fourth member of the sednoids, a group of small bodies with peculiar orbits around the outer edge of the Solar System that includes Se...

^{Subaru Telescope}

A majority of Dutch MPs are backing a proposal to give citizens the copyright to their body, facial features, and voice to prevent people from creating AI-generated deepfakes and putting them online.

Denmark has already announced it will extend copyright law to ensure people maintain the right to their own person and GroenLinks-PvdA, VVD, NSC and D66 MPS now want to follow suit.

They have also called for action against big tech companies that do not act against the dissemination of deepfakes on their platforms.

Obando said any case against big tech companies would be a “challenge” and may turn into a battle of “David against Goliath”. “An individual would have to take on an often anonymous perpetrator or a big tech platform,” he said.

Privacy watchdog Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) is calling on people who are the victims of sexually suggestive deepfakes to report them so it can impose fines and other measures.

Duursma and Obando both warned that the new legislation could compromise freedom of expression. However, parody and satire using deepfakes would still be allowed under the proposed rules.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/tech/news/startups-push-for-founder-friendly-eu-inc-legal-reform-to-go-all-in/

https://www.wired.com/story/dns-records-hidden-malicious-code/

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-government-reshuffle-966f2a08d1ad88d9a0947e62b9e14ee9

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/15/politics/rumeysa-ozturk-arrest-details-visa

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/07/cloudflare-blocking-access-to-internet-piracy-websites-in-the-uk.html

"With targeted FEPs and pioneering implementations like Flowz, the Fediverse can break free of proprietary client APIs and monolithic client/server implementations and empower a new wave of social web innovation."

@stevebate

stevebate.net/activitypub-clie…

This is such a valuable insight! There are 2 extremes in decentralised social app dev, one where an app is just a dumb terminal for a particular server, and then the inverse, pure P2P apps with no server. But there is a middle ground. Apps can be a focus of UX development, and access different servers as needed to provide functionality that's impractical (if not impossible) to do with pure P2P networks.

ActivityPub Client API: A Way Forward | Steve Bate

The ActivityPub Client-to-Server (C2S) protocol was envisioned as a cornerstone of the decentralized social web, along with the Server-to-Server (S2S) protocol.

^{Steve Bate}

Source.

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian emergency service workers extinguish a fire in three houses after Russian shelling on the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast, on July 16, 2025. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ukraine’s parliament dismisses prime minister and his cabinet. The move comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky tapped First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to replace Shmyhal after he had held the office for more than five years.

Zelensky unveils new cabinet nominees in major government reshuffle. “Today, I have already signed documents to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding Denys Shmyhal as the new defense minister,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Patriot missiles bound for Ukraine already being shipped, Trump says. “They’re already being shipped,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters when asked about Patriot missiles and other weaponry. “And in all cases, the United States gets paid back in full.”

Putin unfazed by Trump’s threats, plans to fight on in Ukraine, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin sees no reason to back down. Instead, the undisclosed sources say the Russian leader is confident that Russia’s military and economy can withstand additional Western pressure.

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France, Italy reportedly opt out of US-NATO arms deal for Ukraine. France declined to join the plan because of President Emmanuel Macron’s push for European nations to strengthen their own defense industries by purchasing domestically produced arms, Politico reported, citing French officials.

‘We are doubling the Ukraine Facility’ — EU proposes 100 billion euros for Ukraine aid fund in 2028–2034 budget. The proposed package doubles the current Ukraine Facility budget of 50 billion euros, which was approved in February 2024 and runs through 2027.

‘No one has been briefed’ — Europe blindsided by Trump’s Ukraine weapons deal. U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed weapons deal for Ukraine caught NATO allies off guard, with European diplomats saying they weren’t consulted ahead of the announcement, Reuters reported on July 16.

After rejecting ceasefire, Russia calls on West to ‘pressure’ Ukraine toward negotiations. “Many statements have been made, many words of disappointment have been spoken, but we want to hope that pressure is being exerted on the Ukrainian side,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Mass attack hits cities overnight as Ukrainians brace for 50 more days of Russian terror

Explosions rocked Ukrainian cities overnight on July 16 as Russia once again launched waves of drones and missiles across the country.

Photo: State Emergency Service/Telegram

Learn more

Ukraine’s new ground drones are hitting the battlefield in ever-increasing numbers

Ukraine’s use of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) has accelerated in recent months, a development experts say could help ease pressure on infantry as Kyiv struggles with ongoing recruitment problems and losses.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Learn more

Azov is where you can learn to defend your homeland from Russia

Today, the International Battalion of the Azov Brigade is the best place for foreign citizens to gain firsthand experience and learn the rules of modern warfare.

Photo: Elizabeth Servatynska / Azov Media / Getty Images

Learn more

Human cost of Russia’s war

Russia drops 500-kg bomb on shopping center in Donetsk Oblast — killing 2, injuring 28. Russian forces dropped a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) aerial bomb on a shopping center in Donetsk Oblast, killing at least two people and injuring 27 others, regional officials reported July 16.

Latvian mayor injured in Russian strike while delivering aid in Ukraine. The mayor of the Latvian town of Ogre, Egils Helmanis was injured while delivering vehicles and other support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russian double-tap attack injures 5, including emergency workers, in Nikopol. Russian first-person-view (FPV) drones initially struck a cargo truck, causing a fire and injuring two civilians. Soon after, as emergency workers were working on site, another Russian drone targeted the scene, injuring three emergency workers, the State Emergency Service said.

Missing Russian Mi-8 helicopter found crashed in Far East, all 5 onboard dead. The aircraft, operated by the airline Vzlyot, disappeared on July 14 during a flight from the remote settlement of Okhotsk to the city of Magadan, according to the state news agency TASS.

US-founded extremist group claims killing of Ukrainian security service colonel in Kyiv. In a statement, the local affiliate — known as White Phoenix — praised its “comrades” for the July 10 killing of the colonel. Sources in the counter-terrorism field consider the group’s claim credible, the Guardian reported.

Latvian PM on Trump’s NATO deal and new Russia sanctions

International response

‘Unbearable’ — EU’s Kallas raises alarm over Russia’s escalating chemical warfare in Ukraine. “Again, it shows that Russia wants to cause as much pain and suffering as possible so that Ukraine would surrender,” top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said at a press conference during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. “It is really unbearable,” she added.”

US State Department fires Russia and Ukraine analysts in recent layoffs, NYT reports. It remains unclear how many analysts of the department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) were fired, and the arm retains employees who specialize in Russia and Ukraine, the NYT reported.

‘Call the Ayatollah’ — Senator Graham warns Putin as he backs Trump’s 50-day Russia ultimatum. “If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah,” Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on X.

EU slaps new sanctions on Russia over hybrid threats, disinformation. The new restrictive measures target actors involved in what the EU described as “Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference” (FIMI), a term encompassing activities such as cyberattacks, disinformation, and manipulation of infrastructure and public opinion.

German Quantum Systems takes 10% ownership in Ukrainian defense robotics firm Frontline. German-Ukrainian defense technology company Quantum Systems has acquired a 10% stake in Frontline, a Ukrainian defense robotics firm, Quantum Systems announced in a press release on July 16.

Russian authorities call for urgent tax increase to save national budget. Moscow needs to urgently raise more money as shrinking oil and gas revenues and a worsening economic outlook continue to strain the federal budget, a senior Russian lawmaker warned on July 16.

In other news

Home of deceased Ukrainian pilot ‘Juice’ searched over anti-corruption activist’s case, media reports. Lilia Averianova, the mother of late MiG-29 pilot Andrii “Juice” Pilshchykov, told Suspilne that investigators came to the Kharkiv apartment on July 11 and demanded entry, threatening to break down the door.

4 Ukrainians make Forbes’ ranking of wealthiest immigrants in US. Ukraine entered the top ten countries by the number of billionaire immigrants, with four Ukrainians securing spots on Forbes’ ranking of America’s wealthiest immigrants and their combined fortunes totaling $25.3 billion, Forbes Ukraine reported on July 15.

Ukraine parliament backs nearly $10 billion defense budget increase in first reading. Ukraine’s parliament approved a Hr 412.4 billion ($9.8 billion) increase in defense spending in the first reading, Ukraine’s Finance Ministry announced in a press release on July 16.

The Kyiv Independent delivers urgent, independent journalism from the ground, from breaking news to investigations into war crimes. Your support helps us keep telling the truth. Become a member today.

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New Stanford research into likely advertising effects suggests a split wouldn’t be good for users.

Advertisers win, users lose in an Instagram spinoff

Meta could be forced to sell Instagram if a court rules it’s an illegal monopoly. New Stanford research into likely advertising effects suggests a split wouldn’t be good for users.

^{news.stanford.edu}

È incredibile e pazzesco quanto in questi giorni sto migliorando infinitamente il mio Pignio, anziché marcire spiritualmente (…per quanto continuando a farlo fisicamente perché, se pur posso programmare in giro, è chiaramente più comodo e produttivo farlo a casina). Soprattutto, penso di aver risolto diversi problemi in un colpo solo stavolta, quindi miao!!! Poi oh, […]

octospacc.altervista.org/2025/…

pignastico aggiornamento sulla via della persistente miglioranza! (aggiornamenti Pignio) - fritto misto di octospacc

È incredibile e pazzesco quanto in questi giorni sto migliorando infinitamente il mio Pignio, anziché marcire spiritualmente (...per quanto continuando a farl

^{minioctt (fritto misto di octospacc)}

https://news.umich.edu/astronomers-witness-the-dawn-of-a-new-solar-system-for-the-first-time/

Oxford University Press (OUP) will no longer publish a controversial academic journal sponsored by China’s Ministry of Justice after years of concerns that several papers in the publication did not meet ethical standards about DNA collection.

A statement published on the website of Forensic Sciences Research (FSR) states that OUP will stop publishing the quarterly journal after this year.

FSR is a journal that comes from China’s Academy of Forensic Science, an agency that sits under the Ministry of Justice. The academy describes FSR as “the only English quarterly journal in the field of forensic science in China that focuses on forensic medicine”. It has been published by OUP since 2023.

Several papers published in FSR have attracted criticism because they study genetic data from Uyghurs and other heavily surveilled ethnic minorities in China. Critics say subjects in the studies may not have freely consented to their DNA samples being used in the research and that the studies could help to enhance the mass surveillance of those populations.

One study, published in 2020, analysed blood samples from 264 Uyghurs in Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region in north-west China. The paper states that the people giving the samples consented to the research and that their data was anonymised.

The lead author on the study is affiliated with China’s state security apparatus via the Xinjiang Police College, which provided a research grant.

[...]

Yves Moreau, a professor of engineering at the University of Leuven in Belgium who focuses on DNA analysis, first raised concerns about OUP’s relationship with FSR and about several studies. He said he was grateful for OUP’s decision but that the brief public statement on the matter “fails to address the important issues at stake”.

[...]

In recent years there has been increasing scrutiny about the ethical standards of genetic research papers from China. Last year, a genetics journal from a leading scientific publisher retracted 18 papers from China due to concerns about human rights.

The concerns centre on whether or not vulnerable populations in China can freely refuse to participate, especially when researchers come from organisations, such as the police, affiliated with state security. There are also concerns that this kind of forensic DNA sampling could produce research that enhances the mass surveillance of those populations.

Moreau said: “Forensic genetics is an area where specific caution is needed because this is the research that powers police DNA identification and databases. While DNA identification is a valuable technique to help solve crimes, it can raise privacy and ethical issues.” He added that the mass surveillance of minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet made China a particularly challenging country to enforce international norms about ethical research and human rights.

[...]

Oxford University Press to stop publishing China-sponsored science journal

Move follows concerns about papers in Forensic Sciences Research not meeting ethical standards on DNA collection

^{Amy Hawkins (The Guardian)}

London is an expansive city with countless neighborhoods, each offering a unique lifestyle and atmosphere. Whether you're a young professional, a student, or relocating with family, choosing the right area to rent a flat is a crucial decision. Two increasingly popular districts among renters are Gunnersbury and Wembley Park. Both offer distinct advantages and appeal to different tastes and needs. This article aims to guide you through a detailed comparison of these areas so you can confidently decide which one aligns better with your lifestyle and priorities.

A Closer Look at Gunnersbury

Gunnersbury, located in West London, offers a charming blend of urban accessibility and suburban tranquility. The neighborhood is characterized by tree-lined streets, Victorian architecture, and an overall relaxed vibe that many Londoners find appealing. It's especially popular among professionals and families looking for a quieter, more residential environment. Despite its peaceful demeanor, Gunnersbury provides excellent connectivity to central London, making it a convenient yet calm place to call home.

The Allure of Wembley Park

On the other side of the city, Wembley Park stands as a beacon of modern redevelopment. Known worldwide for Wembley Stadium, this North West London neighborhood has transformed into a vibrant urban hub. It's bursting with contemporary architecture, shopping destinations, and entertainment options. With a strong community feel and a youthful energy, Wembley Park attracts a diverse crowd, including students, young professionals, and international residents. Its appeal lies in its dynamic atmosphere and cutting-edge residential developments. For those who thrive in dynamic settings, flats to rent Wembley park offer the perfect blend of excitement and convenience.

Location and Connectivity

When it comes to location, both Gunnersbury and Wembley Park are well-connected. Gunnersbury is serviced by both the District Line and London Overground, making travel into the city swift and hassle-free. Wembley Park, on the other hand, benefits from the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines, providing rapid access to key areas like Canary Wharf and Baker Street. If proximity to Central London is a top priority, both neighborhoods offer commendable options, though Wembley Park might have a slight edge in terms of direct transit routes.

Lifestyle and Atmosphere

Lifestyle is often the defining factor in choosing where to live. Gunnersbury is laid-back, with its appeal rooted in parks, quiet cafes, and a strong community spirit. If you're looking for a peaceful escape from the city's hustle, this might be your ideal spot. Conversely, Wembley Park is energetic and ever-evolving. Its lifestyle revolves around concerts, shopping sprees, and food festivals.

Rental Costs and Housing Options

Rental costs can vary significantly depending on the type of property and its location within each neighborhood. Gunnersbury tends to have more traditional housing, including period flats and terraced homes, often commanding slightly higher rents due to their charm and heritage. Wembley Park, with its newer developments and high-rise apartments, offers a range of pricing and more modern amenities. If contemporary living spaces with built-in facilities appeal to you, Wembley Park could be more enticing. On the flip side, flats in Gunnersbury might attract those with a preference for character and historical appeal.

Amenities and Local Attractions

Gunnersbury is known for its green spaces like Gunnersbury Park, and its proximity to Chiswick gives residents access to upscale dining, boutique shopping, and riverside walks. Wembley Park, meanwhile, is almost a mini-city in itself. The London Designer Outlet, Boxpark, and a rotating lineup of events at the stadium and SSE Arena keep the area buzzing year-round. The variety of attractions ensures residents are never short on things to do.

Community and Demographics

Gunnersbury's community leans toward families and established professionals. Its schools, safety, and serene environment make it ideal for long-term living. Wembley Park draws a younger, more transient crowd, including students and first-time renters. The ongoing developments and influx of amenities have created a more diverse and international demographic. Depending on your stage in life, one community may feel more like home than the other.

Flexibility and Furnishing Options

One significant consideration when renting is whether the flat comes furnished. Both areas offer furnished and unfurnished options, but Wembley Park developments tend to include fully-furnished apartments as standard. This makes moving in much easier, especially for newcomers to London.

Value for Money

In evaluating value, it’s essential to weigh not just the rent but also what you’re getting in return. Wembley Park offers modern amenities, communal spaces, and integrated tech features. Gunnersbury counters with charm, location, and a peaceful ambiance. Ultimately, it depends on what you value more: modern convenience or classic comfort. Both provide solid investment in lifestyle, but the decision hinges on your personal priorities.

Future Prospects

Wembley Park continues to see significant investment and expansion, suggesting property values and desirability may rise over time. Gunnersbury, while more established, remains a steady favorite and is less susceptible to rapid change. If you're thinking long-term, this could influence your decision. Wembley Park might offer more growth potential, while Gunnersbury provides stability and timeless appeal.

Convenience of Fully Furnished Living

In a fast-paced city like London, moving into a fully furnished apartment can be a game changer. These ready-to-live-in options reduce stress and save time. For renters seeking such ease and simplicity, platforms offering fully furnished apartments to rent London make the process seamless and convenient, especially for those settling in vibrant neighborhoods like Wembley Park.

Conclusion

Choosing between Gunnersbury and Wembley Park isn’t a matter of better or worse—it’s about alignment with your lifestyle, priorities, and future plans. Gunnersbury offers serene, traditional London living, while Wembley Park delivers a contemporary, high-energy experience. By considering factors like connectivity, atmosphere, housing type, and community, you can determine which area best suits your needs. Whichever you choose, both neighborhoods present compelling reasons to call them home in one of the world's most dynamic cities.

Co-Living: beautifully designed urban living spaces by Vonder

Vonder is a technology-focused lifestyle platform for extended stay. We revolutionise the real estate sector by offering our members a one-stop living solution for all their needs: a place to live, a community to thrive in and a variety of value-adde…

^{www.vondereurope.com}