Locals in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Rawalakot have alleged indiscriminate firing by Pakistani security forces as a large number of protesters were preparing to march towards Muzaffarabad. One eyewitness said, "There are dead bodies lying everywhere." Protesters are calling for a complete boycott of the upcoming legislative assembly elections, describing the electoral process as a "sham".

France deployed its jumbo military aircraft, A400M, to help fight wildfires as they burned over 242,000 acres in France leading to evacuation of more than 330,000 people. France's armed forces installed a high-capacity water-drop kit on the A400M, capable of holding 20 metric tonnes of water. French President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting on Monday to discuss the wildfires.

US President Donald Trump addressed opposition by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to a possible deal between US and Turkiye regarding F-35 fighter jets. "Nobody tells me what we should be selling," Trump said, calling Turkiye a "tremendous ally". Netanyahu had warned against providing Turkiye with F-35s, saying that it was "infected by Muslim Brotherhood" and would upset the power balance.

Border trade between India and China through Nathu La Pass will resume on August 1, ending a suspension that has been in place since 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Border trade through the pass resumed in 2006 after remaining shut for decades following the 1962 India-China war. The reopening ceremony is expected to be attended by officials from both sides.

Belarusian dentist Karyna Shuliak, sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein's long-term girlfriend, will inherit $100 million of his fortune and a 33-carat diamond ring, NYT reported. She had moved to New York in 2010 and was supported by Epstein, who also arranged a same-sex marriage to get her US citizenship. The 37-year-old is reportedly the last person Epstein called before he died.

An Indian woman's video showing a thoughtful notice from her South Korean neighbours has gone viral online. She said residents were informed about month-long construction work and asked to give consent to possible dust and drilling noise. What impressed her most was that a pen was attached to the notice for easy signing. Social media users praised the gesture.

Over 100 Rohingya asylum seekers were detained in Malaysia on Monday after they gathered outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The refugees said they were evicted from their homes by local residents in Penang. PM Anwar Ibrahim said the gathering had raised concerns and that anyone without valid documents or permits would be detained by immigration authorities.

German anatomist and 'Body Worlds' creator Gunther von Hagens, who invented plastination (a technique to preserve body parts), has passed away at the age of 81, his family announced. Also known as 'Dr Death', he performed UK's first public autopsy in over 170 years in 2002 on camera. He courted controversy over his public displays of preserved human remains.

Police have arrested one gunman and are in search of another involved in the mass shooting at a major food festival in US' Seattle, which killed three people. The two suspects were believed to be shooting at each other, police said, adding that there was no ongoing threat to the public. Four more people were wounded, including a two-year-old child.

Eight-month-pregnant Maria Potosi was found dead near Melendez River in Cali, Colombia, four days after she disappeared. Authorities said she suffered multiple stab wounds and her unborn baby was missing from her womb. Police are investigating the case as possible feminicide and offered 200 million Colombian peso reward for information leading to identification and capture of those responsible.