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Severe flooding triggered by days of heavy rain has killed at least 60 people in northern China, including 44 in Beijing, officials said. Among the dead, 31 were residents of an elderly care home in Miyun district, according to Xinhua.

The nearby Hebei province reported 16 deaths, with several others missing after landslides and rising waters overwhelmed villages near the Miyun Reservoir, which reached record levels.

Authorities say extreme weather, likely worsened by climate change, has also disrupted local industries and posed major challenges for emergency response, Xinhua reported.

Ukraine’s parliament has voted 331-0 to restore the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies, reversing a controversial move that sparked mass protests and international concern, Al Jazeera reported.

The bill, submitted by President Volodymyr Zelensky, rolls back changes that had allowed the prosecutor general to sideline the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

The reversal comes after intense pressure from citizens, opposition lawmakers, and European officials, who warned it could threaten Ukraine’s EU bid. Protesters outside parliament cheered as the bill passed, marking a significant win for democratic accountability, according to Al Jazeera.

The UN warns that 80,000 children are at high risk of cholera as outbreaks surge across West and Central Africa with the rainy season underway, Xinhua reported.

Active cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria pose cross-border risks, while Chad, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and others face ongoing epidemics. UNICEF is providing health and sanitation aid, supporting vaccinations, and promoting hygiene.

To help contain the spread, UNICEF urgently requires $20m for emergency response over the next three months, according to Xinhua.

President Donald Trump has warned that Canada’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state could jeopardize trade talks with the US “That will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them. Oh Canada!” he wrote on Truth Social, according to BBC.

The warning comes ahead of Trump’s 1 August deadline for countries to strike trade deals with the US or face higher tariffs. Canada’s move follows similar announcements from the UK and France, increasing diplomatic pressure around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinians have welcomed the recognition as a symbolic but meaningful step, though doubts remain over the two-state solution’s future, BBC reported.

Meanwhile in Gaza, a hospital reported 54 dead and 400 injured near a food crossing. Israel denies involvement. US envoy Steve Witkoff is in Israel and may visit Gaza aid sites.

President Donald Trump has imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, along with an unspecified penalty, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and weapons, according to BBC.

Experts warn the move could dent India’s economic growth. Icra cut its GDP forecast from 6.5 percent to 6.2 percent, while Nomura estimates a 0.2 percent hit. Markets reacted negatively to the news.

The tariffs come despite recent efforts by India to ease trade tensions. Analysts say the move could hurt India’s competitiveness and weaken its chances of attracting global manufacturing investment, BBC reported.

Cambodia has urged Thailand to return 20 of its soldiers captured after they reportedly crossed into Thai-held territory, hours after a ceasefire ended recent border clashes, Al Jazeera reported.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said negotiations are underway and called for their safe and immediate return. “We will do our best to continue negotiations with the Thai side to bring all our soldiers back home safely,” she stated.

Thailand confirmed 18 soldiers are in custody and will be returned after legal procedures are completed. Officials say the troops are being treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, according to Al Jazeera.

Microsoft is on track to surpass a $4trn market valuation for the first time, following a strong earnings report and soaring demand for its Azure cloud services. Shares rose 8.5 percent in premarket trading on Thursday, lifting its value to $4.14trn, Firstpost reported.

The company projected a record $30bn in capital spending and continues to benefit from its investment in OpenAI, which has boosted its AI-powered offerings.

Microsoft has rebounded nearly 50 percent since April, overcoming trade tensions and solidifying its lead in the AI and cloud space, according to Firstpost.

Myanmar’s military junta has ended emergency rule and announced elections for December, four years after seizing power in a coup, according to Firstpost.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 takeover, will head an 11-member commission to oversee the vote. Critics have dismissed the move as a sham, warning it’s aimed at extending Hlaing’s grip on power.

Ahead of the announcement, the junta introduced a harsh election law with punishments of up to death for disrupting the process.

The civil war continues, with the military reportedly controlling just 20 percent of the country, Firstpost reported.