1. World News: Two passenger trains collided head-on in Italy, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens more.
The crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. on a single track running through an olive grove between the towns of Corato and Ruvo di Puglia, according to Luca Cari, a spokesman for the Vigili del Fuoco, a part of the Interior Ministry that handles fire and rescue services. (The New York Times)2. Here At Home: President Obama called for unity at a memorial for the families of the police officers killed in Dallas.
"I'm here to insist that we're not as divided as we seem. And I know that because I know America. I know how far we've come against impossible odds," he said, adding, "We do not want the unity of grief, nor do we want the unity of fear. We want the unity of hope, affection, and high purpose." (Read More)AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
3. In-The-Know: An international tribunal ruled that China's claims to disputed waters in the South China Sea are invalid.
The disputed waters are claimed by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and other countries. But China has been the most aggressive in staking out its claim — marking a "nine-dash line" around the bulk of the islands and waters and building up artificial islands within the disputed region. (NPR)4. Geek Out: NASA captured video of the moon passing the face of the Earth last week.
NASA’s Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), situated aboard the DSCOVR satellite, took these unique images over a period of about four hours. According to NASA, these images are rare because they show the far side of the moon, which cannot be seen from the Earth's surface. (Read More)5. Tech Talk: A new update for Pokémon Go ensures the app can only access basic profile information from your Google account.
Basically, Niantic said, it all came down to a wording issue: While the app's account-creation process asked you to grant it full permission to your Google account, it was never actually able to do that. (Read More)6. Icebreaker: Emirates has been named the best airline in the world in this year’s World Airline Awards.
With Emirates' focus on international travel (and with only 10 U.S. airports currently served), many Americans might not be familiar with the Dubai-based airline. However, savvy travelers the world over already know about the company’s legendary first class. (Read More)AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
7. Cha-Ching: Forbes ranked Taylor Swift as the world's top-earning celebrity for 2016. She made $170 million.
The singer's successful 1989 world tour helped bring in some serious bank. Endorsements with Diet Coke, Apple, and Keds also contributed to her sizable earnings. You didn't think she fell off that treadmill for free, did you? (Read More)8. A-List: Erykah Badu will donate concert proceeds to process backlogged rape kits.
Badu has pledged to donate $5 from each ticket sold at an August concert to the African-American 490 Challenge, an organization dedicated to testing the 11,000 rape kits discovered in a Detroit police storage facility in 2009. "Justice for these forgotten sexual assault victims has been given a phenomenal assist,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. (Read More)