Disaster Response in China: A rainfall-triggered landslide in Chongqing’s Pengshui County has killed at least 8 people, with 34 still missing; 10 were rescued and more than 1,100 residents evacuated as rescue teams search amid ongoing rain risk. Philippines-China Media Row: Manila escalated its protest over a China Daily AI video that depicts Filipinos as monkeys, with officials condemning the racist dehumanisation and urging removal/apology. US-ASEAN Diplomacy: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Manila (July 19-23) for ASEAN-related foreign ministers’ meetings, aiming to deepen US-ASEAN ties and push a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” AI Arms Race: China’s Moonshot AI released Kimi K3, billed as a top open-source model in coding, intensifying competition with US AI leaders ahead of major AI talks in Shanghai. India Media & Marcom Regulation: India’s Bar Council of India rolled out mandatory social media/digital ethics rules for lawyers and students, targeting courtroom reels and confidentiality breaches. Space & Tech for Asia: India’s first privately developed orbital rocket, Skyroot’s Vikram-1, successfully launched, marking a milestone for the country’s private space sector. Sports Spotlight: India’s Rohit Sharma form talk is being played down ahead of the Lord’s ODI decider, while Harsh Dubey replaces injured Washington Sundar in the squad.