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• India's Ministry of External Affairs dismissed recent local body elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a "complete farce" on Tuesday. • The Indian government claims the elections are a facade intended to mask Islamabad's brutal crackdown on citizens and widespread public protests. • Protests in PoK have escalated since last month, driven by rising living costs, political discrimination, and alleged atrocities against minority groups.

• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the recent local elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as a "complete farce" during a biweekly press briefing in New Delhi. • Jaiswal asserted that the electoral process is a facade, claiming the actual situation on the ground is characterized by widespread public protests. • The MEA highlighted the severity of the crisis by alleging that Pakistani forces are engaging in "wanton killings" of civilians in the region.

• Global AI funding reached over $2.6 trillion in 2026, driven by a massive capital expenditure race among hyperscalers and regional investments. • Moonshot AI raised $2 billion in May 2026, skyrocketing its valuation to over $20 billion, a five-fold increase from its late-2025 valuation of approximately $4.3 billion. • The company released the Kimi K3 open-weight model on July 17, featuring 2.8 trillion parameters and outperforming leading U.S. models.

• The 2026 summer transfer window is underway, featuring major completed moves for players including Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, and Karim Adeyemi. • Premier League clubs continue to dominate the spending charts, with several new signings already breaking existing club transfer records. • Sporting directors and recruitment teams are currently focused on securing blockbuster deals and protecting their star assets from rival bids.

Democrats say agreement – which clears way for Blanche’s confirmation – makes promises president can easily reverseA compromise between Todd Blanche and two Republican senators that potentially cleared the way for Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general is weak, Democrats and several experts said, as it makes promises Donald Trump can easily reverse.Blanche, the acting attorney general, posted two documents on Sunday evening showing he was withdrawing an 18 May order allowing for the creation of a $1.8bn weaponization fund and clarifying that broad tax immunity the justice department granted to Trump only applied retroactively to the president, his sons, and businesses. Continue reading...

• Several young stars from the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) are targeting moves to European clubs during the Summer 2026 transfer window. • Sebastian Berhalter has already completed a transfer, while Tyler Adams is among the players currently linked to potential moves. • These transfers follow a successful 2026 FIFA World Cup run where the USMNT broke records and reached the round of 16 on home soil.

• The KOSPI experienced a record-breaking surge on the 31st, marking its largest daily gain in history as the index climbed from the 5,500 level to reclaim 6,500. • The rally was primarily driven by a sharp increase in large-cap semiconductor stocks, fueled by robust earnings reports from the United States. • J.P. Morgan noted that the liquidation of leveraged ETFs is virtually complete, suggesting a stabilization of the market's downward pressure.