The first-ever Birkin bag designed by French luxury brand Hermes for celebrity Jane Birkin sold for 8.58 million euros at a Sotheby's auction in Paris on Thursday, smashing previous price records for a handbag. The modern design classic, owned by a Paris-based handbag collector, sparked a telephone bidding war up to seven million euros, with the final sale price set at 8.58 million with commission and fees, the Sotheby's website showed.

The final buyer, who eclipsed eight other rivals, was a "private collector from Japan", the auction house added, without giving further details. The previous record price for a handbag at auction was set by a diamond-encrusted crocodile skin Hermes Kelly 28, which fetched $513,000 in 2021 at Christie's in Hong Kong.

The bag is now the second-most expensive fashion item ever sold at auction, Sotheby's said. The record was established by a pair of ruby red slippers worn by actor Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz in 1939, which sold for $32.5 million in 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

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American actor Glynn Turman, whose career spans over 50 years in cinema and on television, received the 2,816th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Turman may be best known for his role in the hit TV series A Different World, the award-winning and prolific actor, director, producer, writer, and composer boasts a diverse and extensive body of work that spans all media and genres and more than half a century.

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The four members of SpaceX’s Crew 11 Mission spoke at a press conference Thursday from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. (NASA) The Crew-11 mission, targeted to launch in late July/early August, will carry NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to the orbiting laboratory.

The crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A.

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Two Siamese twins were successfully delivered at the Bilin General Hospital.
Siamese twins, two females, were successfully born in the Bilin General Hospital in Mon state, according to the hospital.
The twins were born at 9:42 pm on 9 July through a caesarean section headed by township medical officer Dr Myo Min and nurses.
“It is a great honour for the surgical team to have delivered this baby in a small, rural hospital with only one medical doctor. Naw Chaw Gei, the mother who lived in Paingdawal village, Bilin Township, delivered conjoined twins in her fifth pregnancy,” the hospital said.
Just as conjoined twins were successfully delivered at Bilin Hospital, there have been instances of successful births and separations of conjoined twins, including the famous conjoined twins Aye Aye Nyein and Ei Ei Nyein in Myanmar.
“We are happy to announce that both mother and the two babies are in good health”, the hospital posted on their social media page. — Htet Oo Maung/ZN/eD

GNLM

State Administration Council Chairman and Defence Services Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing yesterday afternoon comforted Tatmadaw members receiving medical treatment for injuries which were sustained in serving defence and security duties of the State, at the Tatmadaw hospital in Meiktila.
In a meeting with those Tatmadaw member patients, the Senior General warmly asked about their injuries sustained in serving the defence and security duties of the State and fulfilled their requirements.
The Senior General presented cash awards and gifts to the Tatmadaw members receiving medical treatment.
At the meeting, the Senior General heard reports by the hospital commandant on the healthcare services given to Tatmadaw members and residents, functioning of special treatment, transplanting and surgical treatments, mobile healthcare services, and general staff, adjutant and quartermaster measures and welfare efforts.
In his guidance, the Senior General stressed the need to provide medical protection and healthcare services to Tatmadaw members and their families, as well as people. While serving the mobile healthcare activities, they need to talk about public health measures and the dangers of drinking alcohol.
The Senior General asked about the requirements of the hospital and gave guidance on upgrading the hospital administrative building and medical wards.
On Meiktila Lake’s bund on the Yangon-Mandalay Highway, the Senior General heard reports on damage to the bund in the Mandalay earthquake and the repairing process by officials. The Senior General inspected the maintenance of the Meiktila Lake and gave guidance to officials to systematically maintain the bund and pavement of the lake and arrange facilities for the people to take physical exercise on the bund.
On arrival at Meiktila District Stadium of the Meiktila District Department of Sports and Physical Education, the Senior General gave guidance that, as it is a district-level stadium, the government will allow repair of the stadium to be standardized. A plan will be allowed to upgrade the stadium built with the stands for the convenience of spectators, in conformity with the district-level facilities. — MNA/TTA

GNLM

The 2025 Naadam Festival's horse races began on July 10 with the 17-kilometer. Prior to the race, the withers height of the yearlings was measured using smart devices, in line with the new standard approved by the Mongolian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry and professional associations.

This year, the standard height for yearlings was set at 137 cm, with measurements conducted using automated equipment to minimize human intervention. The race was held over a distance of 17 kilometers, providing a test of both speed and stamina.

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The first batch of fuel in more than four months allowed into Gaza provides only a dent in the needs of the fuel-starved, from hospitals to water systems, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.

The 75,000 liters of fuel Israeli authorities allowed a UN team to bring into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday was not enough to even meet one day's fuel requirements, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of liters, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Fuel is still running out in the strip, and services will shut down if far greater volumes do not enter immediately," OCHA said. "One partner, for instance, reported this week that in a matter of days, fuel shortages could cut off supplies of clean drinking water to about 44,000 children supported by its team in Gaza. This would further increase the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery."

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The Argentine Naval Prefecture is investigating a dead whale that washed ashore on the banks of the Rio de la Plata near Buenos Aires. The species has yet to be identified. For health and safety reasons, the whale's carcass is removed from the coast. The cause of death remains unknown. 

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UK Defence Minister John Healey and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu visited the multinational European arms manufacturer MBDA which specializes in missiles. They toured MBDA's missile factory that produces the UK-France joint product, the 'Storm Shadow', a long-range air-launched cruise missile. The visit took place as French President Emmanuel Macron carries out a three-day state visit to the UK.

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In a growing move toward sustainability and cost-efficiency, 50 factories in the Batman Organized Industrial Zone in eastern Turkey, have adopted solar energy systems. Triggered by rising energy costs and a push for environmentally friendly solutions, these facilities have embraced solar power, a clean, low-maintenance, and long-lasting energy source.

Out of approximately 200 factories in the zone, 50 have already completed the transition to solar energy, significantly reducing their electricity expenses. These systems were established using either private capital, government investment incentive certificates, or financial support from the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution.

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