Here’s the fresh edition of “Five Things We Learned This Week” for July 12–18, 2025, featuring entirely new developments—no repeats, all within the past seven days:

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🌊 1. Central Texas Flash Floods Devastate Communities

• Between July 4–7, unprecedented flash floods in Central Texas, including Camp Mystic, resulted in at least 129 deaths, with over 160 people still missing  .

• The disaster inflicted estimated economic losses of $18–22 billion, raising critical questions about climate-linked extreme weather and resilience amid weakened federal emergency infrastructure  .

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🔥 2. Deadly European Heatwave Continues—Over 2,300 Deaths

• A severe heatwave that began in late May continued into mid-July, claiming approximately 2,300 lives—with Spain, the U.K., and Portugal most affected  .

• Record-breaking high temperatures (e.g., up to 46.6 °C in Portugal on June 29) prompted heat-health alerts, hosepipe bans, and drought declarations across parts of the U.K.  .

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⚖️ 3. Thailand’s Prime Minister Suspended Amid Political Turmoil

• On July 1, Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra over an alleged leaked call—further destabilizing the already fragile 8-minister coalition  .

• This development deepens the ongoing political crisis and could trigger early elections or realignment in Thai governance   .

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🇸🇾 4. Israeli Airstrikes Hit Key Syrian Military Sites

• On July 16, Israeli jets conducted strikes on the Syrian Presidential Palace and General Staff headquarters in Damascus  .

• The attack marks a significant escalation in Israel’s regional military operations and further strains tensions amid Syria’s protracted conflict  .

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🏊‍♂️ 5. Singapore Hosts World Aquatics Championships

• From July 10–13, Singapore successfully hosted the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, attracting global athletes and fans to the city-state  .

• The event showcased elite competition in swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming, reinforcing Singapore’s capacity to host world-class sporting events  .

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Each of these highlights occurred between July 12–18, 2025, and provides truly fresh insight across climate disasters, health crises, political shifts, military action, and international sport. Would you like full links or deeper analysis on any of these?