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• A 9-year-old box office flop has become the first film to cross 1 billion views on YouTube. • The film, Jaya Janaki Nayaka (Khoonkhar), was directed by a struggling filmmaker and starred actors who have moved to other industries. • The milestone was celebrated by Srinu on social media, who thanked viewers for making the film a "timeless celebration".

• London-based corporate intelligence firm Ascendancy Advisors Limited (AAL) has launched the China Commercial Intelligence Brief (CCIB). • The CCIB is a practitioner-level publication designed for investors, sponsors, and companies managing commercial exposure to China. • The service aims to provide critical intelligence and strategic guidance to help cross-border decision-makers navigate the complexities of the Chinese market.

• Ahmed Khan's 'Welcome to the Jungle' has crossed Rs 100 crore worldwide in its first 4 days. • The film, led by Akshay Kumar, has performed well despite sharing screens with Shahid Kapoor's 'Cocktail 2'. • 'Welcome to the Jungle' is the third instalment in the 'Welcome' franchise and has appealed to family audiences with its nostalgic value.

• The South Korean boy band BTS has contributed approximately $50 billion to the national economy during their first decade of activity. • This economic impact is significant enough to be comparable to the GDP share of a major South Korean airline. • The group was signed in 2013 by Big Hit Entertainment, a small label founded in 2005 by Bang Si-hyuk that nearly faced bankruptcy before the band's debut.

From 1 July, restaurants need to tell customers whether their fish and seafood was caught in Australia or overseasGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFrom 1 July, diners across the country will see a small but notable change on menus.The federal government has made it mandatory for hospitality venues to designate a seafood product’s country of origin: “A” for Australian, “I” for imported and “M” for mixed. Continue reading...

Government fears repeat of anti-migrant violence in 2008 that led to looting and resulted in deaths of 62 peopleSouth African authorities have deployed police units to towns and cities around the country before planned demonstrations against undocumented foreign nationals.Security personnel were seen patrolling the central business district in Johannesburg, the economic capital, where many shopkeepers decided not to open on Tuesday. Trucks and other assets belonging to the South African National Defence Force were also present, according to local media reports. Continue reading...

• A deadly heatwave is sweeping across Europe, triggering widespread wildfires, including a blaze in the pine forests of the tourist island of Vis. • Emergency crews, including dozens of firefighters and four aircraft, are currently working to contain the fires on Vis. • The heatwave is impacting several major nations, with France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Britain all experiencing similar extreme conditions.

• Recent technological developments across the ASEAN and Asia-Pacific regions highlight a shift toward practical applications and emerging digital economies. • Key highlights include the rise of the low-altitude economy in Malaysia and the deployment of niche mobile data networks designed for family safety. • The region is experiencing a tension between computing breakthroughs and the implementation of strict new consumer regulations.

• A severe heatwave across Europe has resulted in over 1,300 deaths as of June 30, 2026. • The extreme weather has triggered widespread wildfires across the Balkans and placed the Ukrainian power grid under significant strain. • These events highlight the escalating impact of climate extremes on public health and critical infrastructure in the region.

• Fourteen U.S. states have already implemented laws similar to the federal SAVE Act, requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, to register. • While the federal version of the SAVE Act faces potential stalls in Congress, proponents are shifting their strategy toward state-level legislation and citizen-initiated ballot measures. • These measures aim to tighten voter registration requirements, reflecting a broader push by MAGA-aligned legislators to mandate citizenship verification.

• France has joined Italy, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Spain, and the Netherlands in implementing a wave of bans and strict new laws targeting micro-mobility. • The measures specifically target the unregulated expansion of e-scooters to create safer and more predictable urban transport ecosystems. • Enforcement is being bolstered by the use of digital systems and real-time data sharing mechanisms between operators and authorities.

• Spain has joined Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, and the Netherlands in committing to enforce a new EU aviation mandate effective June 2026. • The mandate prohibits airlines from charging passengers additional fees for cabin baggage across major hubs, including Madrid, Rome, Paris, and Berlin. • This regulatory shift aims to eliminate the current uneven legal environment where baggage policies vary by country, creating confusion for passengers and travel agencies.

• SCBX has enhanced its frontier research capabilities after having its AI research papers accepted at four prestigious global conferences, including ICLR, ACL, and EACL. • The research focuses on deepening foundational capabilities in reasoning for large language models (LLMs), which are the core technologies behind systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. • This achievement signals SCBX's growing influence in the fields of Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning, and deep learning.

• Widespread flight disruptions hit Europe today, resulting in 160 cancellations and 3,298 delays across multiple countries, including Spain, the Netherlands, England, Greece, and Germany. • Major airlines such as Iberia, KLM, Aegean, and Ryanair were affected, with significant chaos reported at key hubs like London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Madrid-Barajas. • The disruptions impacted a vast network of airports, including Athens, Zurich, Frankfurt, Rome Fiumicino, and Prague Václav Havel, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

• A Salmonella outbreak linked to moringa leaf supplements has expanded to 119 reported cases across 36 U.S. states as of May 2026. • Health officials have issued warnings and multiple brands have recalled affected products to prevent further infections. • The situation is critical as it highlights contamination risks in herbal supplements, prompting consumers to identify and discard tainted products.

More than 191m people in Europe face temperatures over 35C, with extreme heat warnings from Germany to Hungary‘A sad inevitability’: after decades of climate warnings, why is Europe so unprepared for rising heat?Poland, Czechia and Slovakia are braced for record temperatures of over 40C as a heatwave linked to hundreds of deaths in western Europe spreads east.More than 191 million people in Europe faced temperatures of at least 35C on Sunday, with extreme heat warnings in Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary. Continue reading...

Iran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait after US strikes, and threatened a ‘complete halt’ to talksUS and Iran trade strikes as both sides accuse the other of endangering ceasefireWelcome to our live coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.Earlier this morning, Iran has said it launched a joint missile and drone ⁠operation targeting ​eight US military ‌sites in ‌Kuwait and Bahrain. This comes after the US launched further strikes on multiple targets in Iran, a day after it struck Iran in retaliation for a drone attack on a cargo ship in the strait of Hormuz.Ishaq Dar, Pakistani foreign minister, has reportedly held talks with his Bahraini counterpart, Abdulatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, over the phone to discuss the evolving regional crisis. This comes after Bahrain said it had intercepted a number of missiles and drones from Iran.Several Iraqi political officials were arrested early Sunday on corruption charges, Iraq’s state-run Iraqi news agency reported. It said the arrests were based on statement made by former deputy minister of oil Adnan al-Jumaili, who was arrested last month, and “included members of parliament whose immunity had been lifted.”Israeli soldiers have shot and wounded a Palestinian in the Qalandiya refugee camp – north of occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli forces also detained two people and raided homes, according to Wafa news agency. Continue reading...

Denmark experiences highest temperature on record on Saturday in eastward spread of weather systemEurope heatwave – latest updatesGermany ⁠and Italy endured sweltering conditions on Saturday as a heatwave linked to dozens of deaths in western Europe spread eastwards, after temperatures broke records above 40C (104F).Denmark registered its highest temperature on record on Saturday, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute. “With 36.6C north of Odense, we have the warmest day ever since measurements began in 1874,” it said in a post on X. Continue reading...

Fireworks prohibition comes alongside state of emergency as wildfires prompt evacuations and red-flag warningsUtah governor Spencer Cox has announced a state of emergency and accompanying temporary prohibition on the use of personal fireworks until 5 July. The announcement comes as the state experiences an unprecedented wildfire season with blazes that have prompted evacuations in Eureka, a small town about 80 miles south of Salt Lake City.Under the governor’s executive order, the state forester is allowed to ban the use of fireworks anywhere in the state. The order temporarily suspends a 2024 law that disallowed the forester from banning fireworks in cities across the state. Continue reading...

• Major Asian stock indexes, including the Nikkei, Kospi, Hang Seng, Taiex, and Shanghai composite, experienced a massive sell-off on Friday. • The plunge was triggered by a rush to cash out on AI-related gains following significant losses on Wall Street. • This "bloodbath" wiped out billions in market value as traders reacted to volatility in the high-growth artificial intelligence sector.

• Startups across Africa and the Middle East raised a total of $336.7 million during Week 26. • The funding period was dominated by a single massive $260 million raise by Dream, which overshadowed other regional deals. • Despite the outlier, investors continued to target diverse sectors including fintech, electric mobility, climate tech, AI, and cybersecurity.

• The Supreme Court ruled that migrants must physically set foot on U.S. soil to be eligible to seek asylum. • Critics of the decision argue that this requirement may inadvertently create stronger incentives for individuals to attempt illegal border crossings. • This ruling clarifies the legal threshold for asylum eligibility, shifting the focus to physical presence within the country.

• Asian markets experienced a sharp decline on Friday, driven by a global technology sell-off fueled by concerns over AI valuations, rising chip costs, and quarter-end profit booking. • South Korea's KOSPI plummeted 8.2%, leading authorities to halt program trading for 20 minutes, while Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 5%. • Other regional losses included Hong Kong's Hang Seng falling 2.4%, China's CSI300 slipping 2.9%, and the Shanghai Composite losing over 2%.

• Cinema admissions and box office revenues across Europe declined in 2025, with revenues dropping 1.2% to €6.9 billion according to a report by UNIC. • Despite the general downturn, several countries saw box office increases, including Germany, the UK, Poland, Norway, and Saudi Arabia. • The data highlights a fragmented recovery for the film industry, where specific regional markets are outperforming the broader European trend.

• Amazon has invested €17 billion in low-carbon technologies across the EU and UK since 2021, focusing on carbon-free energy, transport electrification, and sustainable packaging. • An independent analysis by Frontier Economics reveals these investments have supported up to 144,000 jobs and generated approximately €11 billion in gross value added (GVA). • The initiative aims to accelerate Europe's transition to a low-carbon economy while enhancing the region's overall industrial competitiveness.

• JKC Sports and the Bridge Federation of India (BFI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to professionalize the sport of bridge across India. • Announced during the 5th Bonus Asia Cup in Goa, the partnership focuses on expanding the sport's ecosystem through grassroots programs, mentorship, and the integration of new technology. • This collaboration matters as it seeks to widen participation and elevate the competitive standards of bridge within the country.

• On June 25, the Indian stock market saw cautious gains, with the Sensex closing at 77,100.47 (up 109.25 points) and the Nifty 50 ending at 24,056.00 (up 34.35 points). • The market growth was primarily supported by a decline in crude oil prices, which returned to levels seen before the Iran conflict. • Additional positive momentum was driven by recent government policy measures designed to strengthen the rupee and attract more overseas investment inflows.