FT reports the Trump administration is preparing a package of grants for Europe and other regions to support initiatives aligned with MAGA, as part of a major reprioritization of U.S. foreign-aid priorities. A copy of a State Department notice to lawmakers shows proposed funding includes $2m for "countering censorship," aimed at addressing impacts from EU rules such as the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act; other listed projects resemble traditional U.S. aid programs.

July 18, 2026 — At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, NetEase Youdao unveiled OpenPods, an AI earphone supporting real-time simultaneous interpretation in over a dozen languages, recording-to-transcript, automated structured summaries and mind-map generation. The device has entered mass production and is scheduled for an August commercial launch. Youdao said OpenPods will be marketed overseas.

CNN reported the U.S. military said two U.S. service members were killed in operations in Jordan yesterday and one is missing. In the first phase of U.S. operations against Iran, 13 service members had died; a later pilot fatality raised that to 14. The latest losses bring the total to 16, possibly 17. The report says the casualties are likely to further weaken already-low U.S. public support for the war and are politically sensitive for President Trump.