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• SBS drama "Manager Kim," starring So Ji-sub, has achieved rapid success both in South Korea and globally. • The series surpassed the 20% viewership mark within four episodes, reaching national ratings of 21.6% and a peak instantaneous rating of 25.1%. • Internationally, the show ranked number one in 20 countries as of July 4, according to FlixPatrol data, maintaining top-two positions across major Asian markets including Japan and Vietnam.

• Chirag Paswan and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) are expanding their political footprint from Bihar into Uttar Pradesh. • The party is eyeing all 403 seats in the state, signaling an ambitious growth strategy to increase its influence beyond its traditional stronghold. • This expansion is significant as it may complicate seat-sharing dynamics and create friction within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

• AI-driven indexes achieved some of their best quarters on record during Q2, fueled by a massive rally in hardware and semiconductor stocks. • Key gains were seen in Taiwan and South Korea, with Samsung surging 436% and SK Hynix climbing nearly 230% as the "picks-and-shovels" trade intensified. • The surge is driven by sustained, high capital expenditure spending from major AI labs and hyperscalers, indicating no immediate slowdown in infrastructure investment.

• Bitcoin's market performance in 2026 has been primarily driven by macroeconomic factors and global inflation trends rather than crypto-specific technical charts. • Inflation across OECD nations remains stubbornly above central bank targets, preventing the rapid global monetary easing that investors had anticipated. • This persistent price growth forces a reassessment of financial strategies, as high inflation typically influences investor appetite for risk assets like cryptocurrency.

The PM said in May that ‘stories beat spreadsheets’, but what does the data tell us about his time in office?Keir Starmer is to step down as prime minister after just two years in office.Despite promising an end to Conservative sleaze and scandal, much political bandwidth towards the end of his time in No 10 was taken up by the fallout surrounding his appointment as US ambassador of Peter Mandelson, who had a close relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Continue reading...

• The European Producers Club met in France to elect its leadership board for the 2026-2027 term to strengthen the voice of independent production. • Re-elected board members include Carlotta Calori, Carlotta Cà Zorzi, Gudny Hummelvoll, Dariusz Jablonski, Marc Missonier, and Friedrich Radmann, joining existing members such as Ed Guiney and Anita Juka. • The organization is prioritizing strategic industry campaigns, most notably the "Europe needs Cinema, Cinema needs Europe" initiative.

How much fuel does Australia have left today, and when could we run out? Track how much petrol and diesel prices have risen near you in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country.Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government has released fuel reserves, cut fuel excise taxes and rolled out a national fuel security plan as Australia battles a fuel crisis.While we know there have been outages and price increases, it can be difficult to get a full picture of what is happening – this is partly due to the thousands of independent businesses and different governments involved. We have brought together the latest data on prices, outages and oil tanker deliveries. Continue reading...