Good afternoon. Here are the ten stories shaping Thursday, July 23, 2026, from the Red Sea to the launch pad.
1. Current Affairs: Houthis Claim Attacks on Two Saudi Oil Tankers in the Red Sea
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, accusing the vessels of breaking a naval blockade against the kingdom that the group announced earlier in the week. The claim raised fresh concern over the security of one of the world's most important shipping corridors, through which a significant share of global energy supplies transits. Oil prices rose on the reports as traders weighed the risk of a wider disruption. The Houthis have targeted commercial shipping in the region during previous periods of tension, prompting some carriers to reroute vessels around Africa at added cost. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the extent of any damage, and independent verification of the claims remained limited. The incident adds to a volatile stretch across the Middle East, where competing military and diplomatic pressures continue to unsettle energy markets and maritime traffic. Source: Euronews
2. AI: White House Official Accuses China's Moonshot of Copying an American Model
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, publicly accused Chinese laboratory Moonshot AI of using a technique known as distillation to copy an American model in building its Kimi K3 system, describing the effort as large-scale, covert industrial distillation. It marks the first time a senior United States official has directly accused a specific Chinese lab of replicating a specific American model. Kimi K3, released earlier this month, is a 2.8-trillion-parameter system that became the largest open-weight model publicly released to date. Distillation refers to training a new model on the outputs of an existing one, a practice that sits in a contested legal and ethical area. Moonshot has not publicly responded to the allegation, which could not be independently verified. The claim lands amid intensifying competition between American and Chinese developers over the economics and openness of advanced AI. Source: Build Fast with AI
3. Gaming: Microsoft Brings Xbox Backward Compatibility to the PC
Microsoft has launched Xbox backward compatibility on PC, allowing selected games built for its earlier consoles to run on Windows computers. Four titles developed for the original Xbox were made available immediately, and the company signaled that more of its legacy catalog would follow. The move extends a long-running preservation effort that has let players carry older purchases forward across console generations, now bridging to the PC for the first time in this form. For Microsoft, the step reinforces a broader strategy of treating Windows and Xbox as a connected ecosystem rather than separate platforms, giving players more ways to access the same library. Industry observers note that expanding backward compatibility can strengthen customer loyalty and keep classic titles commercially available. Additional details on which further games will make the jump, and on any performance enhancements, are expected as Microsoft widens the program. Source: This Week in Videogames
4. Faith & Religion: Latter-day Saint Church Adds Ten New Hymns to Its Growing Collection
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has added ten new songs to its expanding hymnbook, "Hymns: For Home and Church," bringing the collection to 82 selections available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. The batch includes familiar Christian hymns alongside newly submitted works, part of a multiyear project to modernize and broaden the church's shared music for worship at home and in congregations. The additions were set to become available Thursday in the church's Gospel Library app, giving members immediate digital access. The ongoing revision, first announced years earlier, has periodically released tranches of songs rather than a single completed volume, allowing worshippers worldwide to incorporate new material as it arrives. The release coincides with the approach of Pioneer Day in Utah on Friday, July 24, a holiday that carries particular significance for members of the faith. Source: Deseret News
5. Scam Alert: Criminals Use FaceTime Calls to Drain Bank Accounts
Security researchers are warning of a scam in which criminals use FaceTime video calls to trick victims into surrendering control of their money. In the scheme, fraudsters pose as bank fraud investigators or technical support agents and use the live video call to build trust, walking targets through steps that ultimately expose account credentials or authorize transfers. The face-to-face format can make the approach feel more legitimate than a text or ordinary phone call, which is precisely why it works. Researchers say the calls often begin with an urgent warning that an account has been compromised, followed by pressure to act immediately and in secret. The recommended defense is simple: hang up on any unsolicited call claiming to be your bank, and contact the institution directly using the number on the back of your card. Legitimate banks do not resolve fraud cases over a video call. Source: Malwarebytes
6. Tech Tip: Lock Down Your Phone Number With a Carrier PIN
One of the most damaging attacks on personal accounts is the SIM swap, in which a criminal convinces your mobile carrier to move your phone number to a device they control, then uses it to intercept security codes and reset passwords. The strongest defense is to add a separate PIN or passcode to your wireless account, sometimes called a port-out or transfer PIN, which the carrier must verify before making any changes to your line. Every major United States carrier offers this option in account security settings or by phone. Once set, no one can transfer your number without the code, even if they know your other personal details. While you are there, avoid relying on text messages for two-factor authentication where a stronger option exists, and use an authenticator app instead. A few minutes of setup closes one of the most common paths to account takeover. Source: FTC Consumer Advice
7. Science: Fluoride-Free Gel Shows Promise for Rebuilding Tooth Enamel
Researchers have developed a fluoride-free gel designed to help rebuild damaged tooth enamel, the hard outer layer that protects teeth and that the body cannot naturally regenerate once it is lost. Unlike fluoride treatments, which strengthen existing enamel and slow decay, the experimental gel is intended to encourage the formation of new mineral structure that mimics the tooth's natural composition. If validated in further testing, the approach could offer an alternative for repairing early damage before it progresses to cavities requiring drilling and fillings. Enamel loss is a widespread dental problem tied to diet, acid exposure, and aging, and effective regeneration has long been a goal of dental research. The findings remain at an early stage, and scientists caution that additional study and clinical trials would be needed before any product could reach patients. Still, the work adds to a growing effort to restore, rather than merely protect, natural tooth structure. Source: ScienceDaily
8. Space: Webb Telescope Reveals a Hidden Giant Planet in a Well-Studied System
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected a previously hidden giant planet within the Beta Pictoris system, one of the most closely studied young planetary systems in the sky. The planet, designated Beta Pictoris d, had been concealed by a bright disk of cosmic dust that surrounds the star, and Webb identified it through faint traces in its atmosphere rather than direct imaging alone. Beta Pictoris, located roughly 60 light-years from Earth, has served for decades as a natural laboratory for understanding how planets form around young stars. The discovery of an additional world there refines scientists' picture of the system's architecture and demonstrates Webb's ability to pull faint planetary signals out of glare that had obscured them from earlier instruments. Researchers say such detections help constrain models of planet formation, showing how many worlds can coexist within a single dusty, still-evolving system. Source: SciTechDaily
9. Business & Finance: Stocks Slide as Alphabet and Tesla Spending Rattles Investors
United States stocks fell sharply Thursday after quarterly results from Alphabet and Tesla renewed concern about the cost of the artificial intelligence buildout. The Nasdaq Composite dropped about 2.3 percent, the S&P 500 lost roughly 1.4 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed more than 500 points. Alphabet shares declined despite an 82 percent jump in cloud revenue to 24.8 billion dollars, as the company raised its 2026 capital spending forecast to between 195 billion and 205 billion dollars, well above its prior range. Tesla fell about 14 percent after missing profit estimates, with operating expenses climbing faster than revenue and capital spending surging from a year earlier. The reaction reflected a market increasingly demanding evidence that heavy AI investment will translate into returns. Rising oil prices, driven by fresh tension in the Red Sea, added to the pressure on sentiment. Source: CNBC
10. Consumer Tech: Samsung Pairs Its Foldables With New Watches and Smart Eyewear
Beyond the foldable phones that headlined its Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung used the presentation to introduce new Galaxy Watch models and a pair of intelligent eyewear built on Google's Android XR platform, signaling a broader push into wearable and mixed-reality devices. The smart glasses represent Samsung's most visible move yet into a category that major technology companies are racing to define, positioning lightweight eyewear as a hands-free way to access assistants, notifications, and camera features. The Android XR foundation ties the hardware to Google's software ecosystem, echoing the deep integration Samsung already maintains across phones and watches. The launches round out a device lineup aimed at keeping users within a single connected family of products, from the wrist to the face to the pocket. Pricing and availability for the eyewear are expected to follow, as Samsung positions the range ahead of the competitive holiday shopping season. Source: The Mobile Indian
Written by Lonnon Jensen. Read more about the author.