Wang Yi to visit India for rare border talks starting Monday

Reuters,

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to India from Monday to Wednesday for discussions focused on the disputed Himalayan frontier. It will be only the second high-level visit since the deadly 2020 Galwan clash strained ties. The agenda is expected to cover de-escalation mechanisms along the LAC, restoring hotlines, and restarting broader diplomatic channels. New Delhi says normal relations depend on border peace; Beijing argues the dispute should not define the relationship. The trip could set expectations for future leader-level meetings and test whether both sides can revive confidence-building steps without jeopardizing domestic political narratives.

Australia, Philippines launch biggest joint drills near South China Sea

AP,

Australia and the Philippines kicked off their largest-ever “Alon” exercises, deploying more than 3,600 troops for amphibious landings, live-fire drills and air-sea maneuvers close to contested waters. Observers from the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand and Indonesia are attending, underscoring a widening network backing Manila amid repeated run-ins with China’s coast guard and militia. The drills aim to boost interoperability, coastal defense and rapid response to gray-zone coercion. They come as Manila deepens defense pacts with allies and upgrades bases along its western seaboard, while Beijing warns that foreign militarization raises miscalculation risks.

UN: One in five children in Gaza City are malnourished

The Guardian,

The UN relief agency reports an acute nutritional crisis in Gaza City: 21.5% of children there are now malnourished, with nearly 13,000 newly treated for acute malnutrition in July alone. The update arrives amid intensifying Israeli operations and continuing strikes in northern Gaza, further constraining access to food, clean water and medical care. International criticism has grown, with leaders warning of legal and moral consequences if aid access does not improve. The spike in child wasting signals long-term developmental harm and foreshadows higher mortality without sustained humanitarian corridors and protection of medical facilities.

UN says at least 1,760 Palestinians killed while seeking aid since late May

Channel News Asia,

The UN human rights office for the Palestinian territories says at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed since May 27 while seeking food or aid—994 near aid hubs and 766 along convoy routes. The office attributes most deaths to Israeli fire, adding that the tally has climbed sharply this month. The figures highlight the extreme risks civilians face when approaching distribution points and underscore warnings from aid agencies that convoy deconfliction remains inadequate. Israel has previously said it targets armed groups and works to facilitate assistance. The UN urged urgent steps to protect civilians and guarantee safe aid delivery.

Russia launches 85 attack drones overnight as Alaska summit ends without ceasefire

France 24,

Hours after U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended talks in Anchorage without a Ukraine ceasefire, Kyiv reported a mass overnight attack: 85 drones and a ballistic missile launched at targets across Ukraine. The barrage underlined the gap between summit rhetoric and battlefield dynamics. While both leaders called the meeting “constructive,” no concrete steps were announced. Ukraine’s leadership is now preparing consultations in Washington, seeking firmer security guarantees and air-defense support as Moscow continues long-range strikes on infrastructure and cities. European capitals reiterated backing for Kyiv pending any negotiated outcome.

Trump backs off Washington, DC police takeover after judge-brokered compromise

Al Jazeera,

The White House pulled back from an unprecedented bid to assume control of the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department after a federal judge brokered a compromise to keep Chief Pamela Smith in place. The administration had cited crime and immigration enforcement conflicts in its push, deploying National Guard personnel and proposing a federally appointed police chief. The standoff—criticized by civil-liberties groups and local officials as an overreach—ended with terms that still require MPD cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The episode could serve as a test case for broader federal interventions in U.S. cities under the banner of public safety.

Investors warn of ‘policy whiplash’ as Trump’s interventions pick winners and losers

Financial Times,

Market participants say President Trump’s personalized, interventionist approach—tariff exemptions for some firms, export-license relief for select chipmakers, and public rebukes of others—is reshaping risk in U.S. equities. Examples include favorable treatment for certain AI-chip makers contrasted with tougher signals toward others, prompting tweet-driven price swings and boardroom lobbying. Investors compare the unpredictability to China’s regulatory surprises, arguing that U.S. policy volatility now demands a new playbook for hedging and sector exposure. The politicization of export controls and AI chip licensing adds a geopolitical layer to tech valuations ahead of any trade or sanctions adjustments.

Beijing slams Taiwan’s new residency rules for mainland spouses as ‘political attack’

South China Morning Post,

Taiwan unveiled draft changes tightening residency paths for mainland Chinese spouses, citing security and alleged influence operations. Beijing denounced the move as an “attack” on cross-strait exchanges, while Taipei framed it as safeguarding social stability and countering infiltration risks. Rights advocates warned the proposal could prolong family separations and complicate naturalization for long-term residents. The rules land amid heightened PLA activity around the island and parallel efforts by Taipei to harden counter-interference laws—policies likely to feature in upcoming legislative scrutiny and cross-strait messaging battles.