The Kremlin is attempting to hide video evidence of Ukrainian air attacks, according to the report. Dozens are dead after 60,000 Moroccans cross Spanish border. New York State’s once-in-a-millennium storm and artificial intelligence companies destroying millions of books are some of the top headlines.
Border Crossing Turns Deadly
Some 60,000 Moroccans crossed a breached border from their country to Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in Africa, on Thursday and Friday. The group’s elation was short lived: At least 50 people died trying to reach Ceuta by swimming around a border fence.
Spanish authorities made it clear that the new arrivals were not wanted in the autonomous city, ordering them to turn back or face expulsion. It remains unclear what initially triggered the influx, but social media was soon awash with posts from Moroccans who had travelled north across the border.
Storm Hits New York State
In the northeastern United States, parts of eastern New York State received over 12” of rain in just 36 hours across 28 to 30 July. Three mid-state counties – Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene – were especially hard hit, reporting almost 16” on localized areas.
The historical storm unleashed rainfall totals that were more than two months of rain in a short period of time, triggering severe flooding throughout the region. Meteorologists said the storm stood out not only for its remarkable rainfall totals but for how quickly that rain fell.
“Part of Albany, New York surpassed its 1-in-1000 year threshold by almost 2”! And almost doubled the highest 24-hour rainfall of 5.60”,” WFLA-TV chief meteorologist Jeff Berardelli said.
Artificial Intelligence Companies Destroying Books
Booksellers across the globe are up in arms about the destruction of rare books in the name of training artificial-intelligence large-language models. One antiquarian bookseller, Pieter de Vries in Haarlem, initially thought a request for 3,000 books was spam or a phishing attempt.
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Rare book dealers and collectors contend that the destruction is a matter of economics rather than necessity, noting that non-destructive scanning systems capable of preserving rare and fragile volumes have been available for years. The process requires books to be disassembled, their spines cut off, their pages digitized, and the physical volumes then pulped.
In comparison to similar situations, the destruction of books for artificial intelligence training is not unprecedented, as it reflects the tension between technological advancement and cultural preservation. This incident highlights the need for a balanced approach to innovation, one that considers the potential consequences of progress on cultural heritage.
The Kremlin’s efforts to hide video evidence of Ukrainian air attacks have been met with skepticism, as officials said the move is an attempt to control the narrative.
The Kremlin is making it clear to Russian citizens that it does not want footage of the aftermath of Ukrainian airstrikes making its way into the public domain or into the hands of the Ukrainians. While there is no federal law that prohibits the taking of videos, most regional governments have banned their citizens from documenting the destruction on video.
In June, the Ministry of Internal Affairs had announced that three people had been detained for having recorded footage of an attack on a military installation in Volgograd. The detainees were made to record a video of an apology for their actions as well as an explanation for their undertaking.
One recent high-school graduate said in his video, when asked if he now knew the consequences of his actions: “Yes. I don’t need to film anything anymore, no objects. I won’t do that anymore.” Another detainee apologized and warned others “not to film, photograph, or share it on social media.”
They were warned not to share any information.