Worth

• India approved only one Chinese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposal worth ₹1 crore and 13 proposals from Hong Kong totaling ₹610.42 crore during the last financial year. • These investments require prior government clearance under Press Note 3 of the DPIIT, a regulation implemented in April 2020 for countries sharing a land border with India. • The restrictive policy was established to prevent opportunistic takeovers and acquisitions of Indian firms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transport for London claims polluting diesel vehicles had been able to enter clean air zone without having to payTransport for London is pursuing a potential £1bn legal action against car manufacturers over vehicles that it argues should not have been allowed to drive freely in the capital’s clean-air zone.The high court heard that TfL was making allegations of “fraud and negligence” against manufacturers including Stellantis, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Nissan over their vehicles’ levels of diesel emissions. Continue reading...

• A proposed White House rule under the "America First" administration seeks to grant political appointees unprecedented control over the distribution of scientific funding. • This shift would replace the current merit-based peer-review system, where subject-matter experts—such as physicists and oncologists—vet proposals to ensure scientific rigor. • Experts warn that such political interference could stifle major breakthroughs, citing the discovery of the Higgs boson as a prime example of a project that required steady, non-political funding.

• Lam Research is scheduled to report its Q4 earnings on July 29, with analysts highlighting unique strengths compared to its semiconductor equipment rivals. • The company has maintained growth despite export controls, reporting a 23.76% year-over-year revenue increase, with Korea and Taiwan each contributing $1.34 billion. • China currently accounts for 34% of total revenue, and prediction markets suggest a 71% probability that this concentration will remain below that level in Q4.

Family and friends of residents eligible for dining and hotel packages as city spurned by visitorsMiddle East crisis – live updatesDubai is offering to pay family and friends of residents to visit in an effort to revive tourist numbers that have plummeted since the city was drawn into the US-Israel war on Iran.The Dubai Invite scheme, an initiative of the department of economy and tourism, allows residents of the United Arab Emirates to nominate friends and relatives to receive benefits worth more than 3,000 UAE dirham (about £610) for their visit. Continue reading...

• South Korea's nonfinancial corporate net worth has plummeted to a record low despite a recent surge in the KOSPI stock index. • The decline is driven by a paradoxical effect where the rising KOSPI has swelled firms' equity liabilities, offsetting the gains from the stock boom. • This trend highlights a critical vulnerability in corporate balance sheets, as increased market valuations are being countered by rising liabilities.

• The US Central Command conducted airstrikes for the ninth consecutive night, targeting Iranian missile sites, air defense systems, and military command centers. • Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed the interim ceasefire deal signed by Donald Trump as "worthless and invalid," while Iranian negotiators announced the suspension of their commitments. • The conflict escalates as Tehran rejects the current terms, signaling a breakdown in the immediate truce and increasing regional instability.