1. A wealth of pieces from The Conversation today:

bears in South Korea https://theconversation.com/south-korea-is-bringing-back-bears-in-a-country-of-52-million-people-i-went-to-find-out-how-164301

the influence of science fiction on real-world military strategy https://theconversation.com/militaries-plunder-science-fiction-for-technology-ideas-but-turn-a-blind-eye-to-the-genres-social-commentary-164978

is a ‘sugar rush’ a real thing? https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-are-sugar-rushes-real-161494

and the return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan https://theconversation.com/the-taliban-what-could-its-return-to-power-mean-for-afghanistan-164531

2. The finalists for the 2021 ELTons awards have just been announced: it’s a wonderfully eclectic international mix this year! https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/eltons-innovation-awards-2021-finalists

3. A heartfelt letter from one Eritrean writer to another on the English PEN blog, Transmissions https://pentransmissions.com/2021/07/26/to-dearest-cherished-and-longed-amanuel/

4. And, finally, three bits of jazz with women in complete control: two pieces – the second a whole mellow concert – from Sunna Gunnlaugs, the Icelandic pianist https://youtu.be/QirwI8Wjnn0  & https://youtu.be/rfFxN4_MlYg and a third from the Cuban bandleader, Benny Moré https://youtu.be/eCEeR7SfLlw