Ukraine is seeking outside funding to modernize Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets that Poland plans to retire, Ambassador Vasily Bodnar said. He explained that the aircraft requested by Kiev cannot be used in their current condition. Warsaw and Kiev remain in talks, with Poland seeking Ukrainian UAV production technology while refusing to finance the upgrades.
Mike Ashley’s Frasers has lifted its stake in German retailer Hugo Boss to nearly 48%, the British company said, as it continues expanding into the luxury sector.
New New Shipping CEO Ke Jin said the Chinese logistics provider wants to work with Russian shipowners to jointly build specialized vessels, including bulk carriers and semi-submersibles, for Russia-China logistics. He highlighted Arctic operations, saying the company will call at Murmansk for the first time this year and at Arkhangelsk for a fourth consecutive year.
China’s New New Shipping seeks joint shipbuilding ventures with Russian firms
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🇵🇱 Polish village puts faith in Europe's tallest Virgin Mary statue
Europe's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary towers over farmlands around the Polish village of Konotopie. At 55 metres, the figure is the second tallest in the world behind the 98.15 metre Mother of All Asia effigy in the Philippines
🇵🇱 Polish village puts faith in Europe's tallest Virgin Mary statue
Europe's tallest statue of the Virgin Mary towers over farmlands around the Polish village of Konotopie. At 55 metres, the figure is the second tallest in the world behind the 98.15 metre Mother of All Asia effigy in the Philippines
A source in Western diplomatic circles told TASS that more European politicians are advocating dialogue with Russia and that the negotiating climate has changed. Europeans reportedly understand that, to become a significant player in world politics again, they must stop relying on American goodwill and independently establish channels of communication with Moscow.
Donald Trump called a CNN reporter a “fake reporter” after the journalist asked whether North Korea’s president had requested that the US president scale back military drills with South Korea.
A directive by U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce joint exercises with South Korea has brought one of his first term’s most contentious issues back into focus, while his transactional approach continues to test the alliance that has endured for more than 70 years.
US-South Korea relationsDonald Trumpjoint military drills
South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has renewed his drive to regain wartime operational control of the country’s forces from the US and urged faster progress on nuclear-powered submarines. His remarks followed Donald Trump’s order to substantially reduce joint exercises and his praise for ties with Kim Jong-un.
South KoreaUS-South Korea alliancejoint drillsmilitary independence
US President Donald Trump says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has responded to his outreach and described the exchange as “very positive”. Trump again criticised South Korea for refusing to join the war on Iran and said reducing joint drills would make the South safer. Seoul said the exercises began as planned and were intended to protect peaceful daily life, not attack the North or raise tensions.
Donald TrumpKim Jong UnNorth KoreaUS-South Korea drills
President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea does not just slight a longtime ally; it also raises broader concerns about US security.
Donald TrumpSouth KoreaNorth Koreamilitary exercises
US President Donald Trump said DPRK leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his outreach after Trump ordered a substantial reduction in joint military exercises with the ROK. Trump offered no details, while saying his ties with Kim were making the situation safer. Seoul said it hoped their relationship would support meaningful dialogue on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Donald TrumpNorth KoreaSouth Koreamilitary exercises
Propaganda uses selectively presented, omitted or distorted information to shape people’s beliefs, attitudes and behavior. The guide explains how it operates in democracies and authoritarian states, how media can amplify or challenge it, and how artificial intelligence is making propaganda faster and easier to produce and distribute.
Wladimir Klitschko has paid tribute to his former partner Hayden Panettiere, describing the actress and singer as a talented person who left the world too soon. He said their family was in “profound shock and grief”. Panettiere died in Greenville, South Carolina, aged 36; an autopsy found no trauma, while her cause of death remains unconfirmed.
Hayden PanettiereWladimir Klitschkotributeactor death
Russia’s Central Election Commission has removed the Yabloko party from the federal ballot for the ninth State Duma elections. The change followed the Supreme Court’s decision to cancel registration of Yabloko’s federal list becoming legally binding, leaving ten parties on the ballot.
Russia electionsYabloko partyState DumaCentral Election Commission
Lily Hooper, 18, disappeared after setting out for a hike in Nattai national park in New South Wales on 12 August. A multi-agency search entered its seventh day across dense bushland and rugged terrain, but police said they had found no sign of Hooper or her belongings. Her family said they were “absolutely devastated” and wanted her brought home safely.
The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced former regime figure Wassim al-Assad to death after convicting him of crimes including premeditated murder and torture during Syria’s nearly 14-year war. He is a cousin of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad.
A growing body of research points to PM2.5 in wildfire smoke as a major source of harm. The particles can trigger oxidative stress and inflammation, enter the bloodstream and damage organs. Long-term exposure has been linked to stroke, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, dementia and cancer, while smoke also poses particular risks during pregnancy and can become more toxic over time.
An international education hub in Hainan has linked 30 Chinese and overseas universities, allowing students to take cross-university courses and access international education resources without leaving China. The Li’an pilot zone offers more than 60 majors and 337 shared courses, while Hainan Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences provides 11 undergraduate majors and requires 10 weeks of company-based practical training each semester.
Hainaninternational education hub brings together 30 Chinese, overseas universities
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🇺🇸 Locals push back on Trump border plans in Texas National Park
Locals and NGOs are fighting back against Trump administration plans to build an enhanced border patrol system in Texas’ Big Bend National Park, which sits at the United States’ southern frontier with Mexico.
🇺🇸 Locals push back on Trump border plans in Texas National Park
Locals and NGOs are fighting back against Trump administration plans to build an enhanced border patrol system in Texas’ Big Bend National Park, which sits at the United States’ southern frontier with Mexico.
Sophie Adenot is scheduled to venture outside the International Space Station on Tuesday, becoming the first French female astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. She will be accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon.
spacewalkInternational Space StationFrench astronaut
Yemen’s Houthi-led Ansar Allah movement said its forces attacked a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan with several drones. The group said the operation was allegedly carried out in response to an airspace violation over Yemen’s Saada and Hajjah governorates.
Thailand is eager to begin negotiations with Russia on a free trade agreement between Bangkok and the Eurasian Economic Union as soon as possible, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told TASS. He said the issue was discussed with counterparts during his visit to Russia and could help accelerate the process.
Chinese start-up Unitree has unveiled a humanoid robot named ‘Superman’. The company says it can jump as high as 2 metres and complete 100 metres faster than any human.
A China Corner exhibition opened in the Blue Zone of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s COP17 in Ulan Bator, showcasing China’s work on desertification control and degraded-land restoration. China’s delegation will join talks on financing, drought resilience and grassland protection, and propose an International Day of Grasslands.
The China Corner exhibition debuted at COP17 in Ulan Bator, presenting China’s experience in combating desertification through the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, grassland restoration, international cooperation, scientific methods and ecological industries. The exhibition says desertification and salinization have continued to decline in China.
Florida voters will choose party nominees on Tuesday for key state and federal races in November, in the first election using the state’s newly redrawn congressional districts. The governor’s Republican primary, the state’s rightward shift, Trump’s influence and disputes involving Islamophobia, antisemitism and Israel’s war on Gaza are central storylines.
Andrey Klepach has been removed as chief economist of Russia’s state development bank VEB after a publicised speech warning that the war in Ukraine was damaging the economy. He said Russia was falling behind rivals, facing mounting costs and could eventually encounter a social crisis.
The sanctions-monitoring NGO Urgewald says Greek shipping company Dynagas delivered €2.35 billion in Russian LNG to EU customers in the first seven months of 2026. It accounted for 35% of LNG shipped from Russia’s Yamal terminal to the EU—about 22% of all Russian LNG exports—after EU leaders agreed to exempt it from sanctions.
Japanese Ambassador to Moscow Akira Muto left Russia’s Foreign Ministry without comment after spending 25 minutes inside. He had been summoned over Tokyo’s protest against President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup in the Kuril Islands. Russian officials said the embassy had earlier hesitated over his attendance.
The China-Laos Railway has transported more than 90 million metric tons of cargo since operations began, including over 21 million tons in cross-border shipments. It has run more than 80,000 freight trains, with daily cargo averaging above 67,000 metric tons since the start of 2026.
Four U.S. states have taken Meta to court, alleging that the social-media giant deliberately made Facebook and Instagram addictive for children. The states are seeking damages and changes to the company's apps.
Long-term borrowing costs in the United States, Japan and Germany climbed to their highest levels in decades on Tuesday. Renewed inflation fears, alongside persistent concerns about fiscal pressures across major economies, dealt bond markets another setback.
The comeback of a Canadian auto billionaire highlights the limits of Donald Trump’s tariff strategy. Separately, higher gas prices have pushed inflation to 3%.
Canadian officials are making a last-ditch attempt to win relief from proposed 50 percent US tariffs as trade talks enter their final hours. The duties would target about $20.2bn in exports, including electronics, machinery, furniture, dairy and wine. Prime Minister Mark Carney described negotiations with Donald Trump’s administration as “delicate” and “intense”.
An American tourist was killed by a lightning strike while hiking Mount Etna in Sicily, Italian firefighters said. The incident followed a period of intense activity at Europe’s largest volcano.
Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said Ukrainian forces targeted Belgorod Region primarily with drones, carrying out up to 350 attacks a day last week. He said 62 civilians were injured and 15 were killed.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is contesting her siblings’ planned sale of the Buss family trust’s remaining 17.8% stake to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. Her lawyer argues that co-trustee approval is required and that the sale must preserve Buss’s minimum 15% ownership so she can remain controlling owner. The $12.5bn transaction still requires NBA approval.
Russian Battlegroup South spokesman Vadim Astafyev said air defenses shot down 89 fixed-wing UAVs and 132 enemy heavy rotor copters over the past 24 hours. Unmanned-systems units also destroyed 35 ground robotic systems and other Ukrainian drone-related equipment in sectors near Kramatorsk, Konstantinovka and Slavyansk.
Russian stocks rose at the opening of the main session on the Moscow Exchange. The MOEX and RTS indices gained 0.96% to 2,113.3 and 782.99 points, while the yuan-ruble rate fell to 12.583 rubles. By 10:16 a.m., both indices were up 1.03%.
Chinese researchers have developed a direct, precise method for detecting trace rare-earth impurities in high-purity rare-earth materials, overcoming longstanding matrix interference. Using ICP-MS/MS without matrix separation, the technique improves sensitivity, accuracy and testing speed and is already used by producers and testing institutions for quality control.
After authorities successfully sealed a breach in the Jialu River on Saturday evening, rescue teams have continued working around the clock to drain flooded areas and restore urban traffic as quickly as possible.
A Volgograd court fined local resident Tatyana Smetanko 10,000 rubles for participating in what authorities classified as a mass public event. Smetanko and four others had recorded an appeal near a gas station to Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin, citing gasoline shortages and an unfair distribution of fuel. Authorities detained all participants; lawyer Alexey Sevastyanov received five days in jail for allegedly resisting police.
Zambia’s electoral commission says President Hakainde Hichilema has secured a second five-year term with 60% of the vote. His closest challenger, Brian Mundubile, won 38% and had alleged irregularities. Observers described polling day as largely peaceful but raised concerns about restrictions on the opposition, media freedom and a brief suspension of counting.
Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema has won re-election with 60 percent of the vote. The count was briefly halted after attacks on election officials. Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer, and the metal is vital to the global energy transition and keenly contested by China and the US.
Zambia's election commission declared President Hakainde Hichilema the winner of a second five-year term after he secured 61.4% of the vote. The opposition alleged intimidation, arrests, violence and irregularities, while authorities arrested 11 people, including prominent opposition figures, during an election-night raid.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has won reelection to serve a second five-year term, according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, which announced the result early Tuesday.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema won a second term on Tuesday after campaigning on economic recovery, including a major debt restructuring deal. He faces pressure to create more jobs and opportunities, while critics say his government has failed to ease poverty and has grown less tolerant of dissent.
Zambia’s electoral commission says President Hakainde Hichilema has won a second term with roughly 60 percent of valid votes, against 38 percent for Brian Mundubile. The election was marred by fraud allegations; counting was suspended after reports of violence against polling staff and stolen ballot papers.
Israeli settlers have besieged Palestinian families in Qusra, south of Nablus, cutting off supplies and emergency services. Three families, including 15 people and two children, remain trapped in their homes after Israeli forces ordered them to evacuate and turned 16 local homes into military barracks. A similar siege followed in Beit Imrin, where Israeli forces arrested residents and blocked ambulance crews. Critics say soldiers are increasingly removing Palestinian families rather than the settlers.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred from jail to a hospital, according to local media reports.
Thailand plans to expand cybersecurity cooperation with Russia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said. Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob is expected to visit Russia soon for talks. Sihasak stressed that AI and digital technology must be used safely and warned that online scams and fraud are causing serious losses.
Russian businesses paid 383.69 billion rubles in non-repayable contributions to the federal budget during the first eight months of 2026, nearly 1.5 times last year’s total. Vedomosti reported that major Russian businessmen’s “voluntary donations” became the largest source, replacing exit taxes from departing foreign firms. The payments surged after March, while Russia’s war-driven budget deficit reached 6.455 trillion rubles through July, or 2.8% of GDP.
Russia economyfederal budgetvoluntary donationsUkraine war
Israel’s war and siege on Gaza are making breast cancer diagnosis and treatment increasingly inaccessible. Shortages of medicine, equipment and specialist services, along with frequent breakdowns of the mammography machine at Yafa Medical Hospital, are leaving more women to arrive with advanced cancer, while thousands await travel outside Gaza for care.
Ukraine reportedly launched more than 600 drones at Moscow and surrounding areas, while Russian-controlled regions including occupied Crimea also reported heavy attacks. Russia warned the UK of “consequences” after reports that British-made drones were used against targets on the Russian mainland. The UK said it remained committed to equipping Ukraine to defend itself.
Moscow’s mayor said around 620 Ukrainian drones headed toward the Moscow region from the evening of August 17, with 180 shot down. The attack damaged homes and other buildings, caused power outages, and injured people in the Moscow and Ryazan regions. A Wildberries logistics complex in Noginsk suffered minor damage from drone debris. Russia’s Defense Ministry said 791 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight.
Ukrainian dronesMoscow regionWildberriesRyazan region
An AI-powered flying life ring was demonstrated at Xianghu Lake in Hangzhou on Aug. 6. Developed by Hangzhou police, it can autonomously fly to people in the water, provide buoyancy and return to shore; drones and an unmanned rescue boat were also shown as tools to speed up water-emergency response.
Zhu Rongji’s farewell ceremony was held mainly at Beijing’s Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery, while major Chinese government sites lowered their flags. Although authorities praised the former premier as a “loyal” party member, they remain wary that public nostalgia for the reform era he represented could become an oblique criticism of today’s leadership. The article contrasts that era with Xi Jinping’s more centralized, state-led approach.
China held a low-key funeral for former Premier Zhu Rongji, with flags lowered and heightened security in Beijing. While state media praised his loyalty and economic reform legacy, online nostalgia for his era was censored amid official concern that mourning could become veiled criticism of Xi Jinping’s rule.
China lowered national flags at government headquarters on Tuesday to mourn former Premier Zhu Rongji, who died last week aged 97. The no-nonsense reformer prompted public memories of a bygone era alongside reflection on his complicated legacy.
China’s National Climate Center says a historic “Super El Niño” is developing in the equatorial Pacific and is likely to peak around November or December, potentially surpassing records set in 1982 and 2015. The warming has already contributed to extreme rain and typhoons in China, while 2027 could bring heightened flooding and heatwave risks.
Daniil Getmantsev, head of Ukraine’s parliamentary tax committee, warned that the country is nearing a financial gap and could still fail even if Western agencies deliver all pledged funds. He attributed the crisis to an economic slowdown and “ill-balanced decisions” in defense, while parliament is expected to vote on funding-related commitments later this week.
The Philippines does not expect military activities with its treaty ally, the United States, to decrease despite the redeployment of some U.S. defence assets to the Middle East, a Philippine official said on Monday.
US President Donald Trump sent Rodney Mims Cook Jr. to head the US delegation at this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in an effort to improve dialogue with the Kremlin, the Financial Times reported. Officially attending as chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, Cook’s visit was seen as symbolically important for reviving diplomacy and breaking the deadlock over Ukraine.
Moscow has warned Britain of “consequences” after reports that Ukraine used drones made by two UK companies to strike targets on mainland Russia. Russia’s embassy accused London of deliberately escalating the crisis, while the UK Ministry of Defence said Britain remained committed to supplying equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin’s “illegal invasion”.
Two weeks after an explosive-laden drone was found near Ukrainian cargo planes at Leipzig airport, Germany is opening a drone research center at the German Aerospace Center in Cochstedt. The facility will develop and test security technologies, including defenses against AI-controlled drones. An historic aquarium in Berlin is also set to reopen.
US President Donald Trump pointed to India’s election system as a model for the United States, drawing the world’s largest democracy into a contentious American debate over voter access and election security.
Most Asian shares fell as rising oil prices and inflation concerns weighed on investor sentiment, offsetting support from strong corporate earnings. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 led the declines, dropping 2.5%.
Student activist Devendra Nath Mahto has ended a 16-day hunger strike in Jharkhand after the state government agreed to scrap a controversial recruitment exam. Protesters say demonstrations will continue until India’s Central Bureau of Investigation probes alleged malpractice in other recruitment exams.
Victorian premier Ben Carroll has committed to introducing legislation before the state election to broaden corruption rules and expand IBAC’s jurisdiction. The changes would give the watchdog follow-the-dollar powers over public spending by private contractors and cover conduct that currently falls short of a criminal offence. Former IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich welcomed the proposal.
Video released by the Palestinian Red Crescent shows Israeli settler children attacking and blocking an ambulance carrying a patient in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
Children visiting a zoo near Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp saw a lion barely react to them from behind its cage bars, while chimpanzees sat listlessly in their enclosure.
China’s 2026 box office has exceeded 26 billion yuan, with more than 650 million moviegoers and 95.23 million screenings. The summer season has contributed over 10.2 billion yuan, while daily revenue stayed above 100 million yuan for 38 straight days. Domestic releases including Once Upon A Time in the Middle East, Dear You and All Wishes Come True have drawn strong interest alongside imported films.
Chinese cinemasummer box officefilm marketdomestic films
India’s Education Ministry has ordered the National Testing Agency to audit its exam procedures after three national entrance tests were canceled over factual, translation and spelling errors. The agency has dismissed more staff and begun reforms as opposition leaders and student groups renew calls for its dissolution. A seafarers’ union also said Indian sailors were allegedly pressured to sail through the Strait of Hormuz despite the dangers of the ongoing conflict.
IndiaNational Testing Agencyeducation reformStrait of Hormuz
Ukraine’s General Staff says Russian forces have suffered about 1,469,970 troop casualties in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022, including 1,210 over the past day. It also reported extensive Russian equipment losses. Ukraine has not disclosed its own casualties, citing operational secrecy, while Western estimates put Russian losses substantially higher than Ukraine’s.
Russia-Ukraine warRussian casualtiesUkraine General Staff
Russia’s Battlegroup West says its units shot down 113 Ukrainian heavy combat hexacopters over 24 hours. Spokesman Ivan Bigma also reported the destruction of 59 UAV control posts, along with other drones, HIMARS projectiles, Starlink communication stations, robotic systems and field ammunition depots.
Shanghai Port has supplied 36,000 metric tons of green methanol since China’s first bunkering operation in April 2024, ranking first among major global ports. Over the weekend, the bunkering vessel Haigang Zhiyuan delivered 8,016 tons of domestically produced green methanol to the dual-fuel container ship CMA CGM Osium, setting a world record for a single operation.
Shanghai Port leads world in green-methanol bunkering
FlashTranslated by Minutes
Indian marble waste dump becomes unlikely tourist attraction.
The dump in Kishangarh -- a major marble-processing hub -- is coated in a white slurry, the byproduct of marble and granite block cutting and polishing, which has given the area its snow-covered appearance and blue pools of water
Indian marble waste dump becomes unlikely tourist attraction.
The dump in Kishangarh -- a major marble-processing hub -- is coated in a white slurry, the byproduct of marble and granite block cutting and polishing, which has given the area its snow-covered appearance and blue pools of water
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the 60-day deadline for negotiations on a lasting settlement, set under the June Iran-US memorandum of understanding, was voided by Washington’s “violations”. After meeting Benjamin Netanyahu, US envoy Jared Kushner said he hoped Hamas would begin disarmament within “30 days”.
Preliminary shipping data showed that vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz rose slightly on Monday from the weekend but remained in the single digits, as U.S.-Iran peace talks reached a stalemate.
The murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis has opened nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in a drive-by attack. Prosecutors say Davis planned the killing as gang revenge after his nephew was beaten, while the defense calls the account fiction and the investigation biased, sloppy and incomplete.
Tupac Shakur died after a drive-by shooting in 1996. Former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis is on trial in Las Vegas on one murder count involving a deadly weapon and has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors and defence lawyers have presented their opening arguments.
Garry Dale, a former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer, answered prosecution questions Monday about accompanying Tupac Shakur in an ambulance to the hospital after the rapper was shot on September 7, 1996.
The murder trial of Tupac Shakur has opened, with prosecutors portraying former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis as the organiser of a revenge-driven drive-by shooting. A police witness said Shakur refused to identify his attackers after being shot and told an officer, “We’ll take care of it.” Davis denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty.
A health promotion center founded by China’s 21st medical team to Guyana has opened at Guyana’s Ministry of Health. Led by public health expert Zhu Qianrang, it will offer testing, screening, health education and fitness services while addressing chronic non-communicable diseases and expanding bilateral health cooperation.
GuyanaChinese medical teampublic healthmedical cooperation
Doctors in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, removed a 3.1kg bladder stone from a 55-year-old man during surgery. Measuring about 17cm, the stone is believed by the medical team to be the largest bladder stone documented and surgically removed. The patient is continuing treatment for other conditions.
U.S. restrictions on Chinese companies over alleged forced labor are facing growing scrutiny. Customs officials removed Hoshine Silicon (Jia Xing) from a Xinjiang-related Withhold Release Order after the company submitted extensive supply-chain evidence and challenged the measure in the U.S. Court of International Trade, which led to the restriction being lifted for Hoshine.
Russian officials say more than 620 drones targeted the Moscow region overnight, with at least 197 shot down by air defences. At least three people, including a 10-year-old girl, were injured, while a Wildberries warehouse was damaged. Ukraine also reported overnight Russian drone attacks.
Russian officials said 620 drones targeted the Moscow region overnight, striking buildings and wounding several people. Moscow’s mayor said air-defence units intercepted more than 180 drones over the capital region.
Russia faced one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks of 2026 last night, according to TASS calculations based on Russian Defense Ministry data. Russia said 791 Ukrainian UAVs were intercepted and destroyed over 16 regions, Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov said air defense and electronic warfare systems brought down more than 150 drones over the region. Falling debris injured three people, including a 10-year-old girl, damaged homes and public and commercial buildings, and started a fire at a Wildberries warehouse that was later contained.
TASS calculations based on data from Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin indicate that 620 UAVs flew toward Moscow and the Moscow Region from Monday evening until 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, with 180 destroyed in the capital region. Sobyanin said emergency services were working where debris fell.
Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a large-scale overnight drone attack targeting Moscow and the surrounding region. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said at least 63 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Moscow Oblast. A fire was seen on the roof of a residential building in Pavlovsky Posad, though the damage was unclear.
Air defenses destroyed 10 drones flying toward Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said. Emergency crews are working where debris fell. TASS calculations based on Sobyanin’s statements put the total number of drones downed while approaching the city since the start of the day at 23.
Official data showed that Britain’s labour market cooled in the second quarter, with private-sector earnings growth slowing and vacancies falling to their lowest level in more than five years.
A vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile,” damaging its engine room and causing one crew casualty, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said. Oman’s coastguard is assisting the remaining crew, while authorities investigate who or what was responsible.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations office says a vessel was struck by an unidentified projectile while traveling outbound through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The impact damaged the engine room and caused one crew casualty, while the remaining crew received assistance from the Omani Coast Guard.
Mainland Chinese air-conditioning brands see an opportunity as Europeans become more receptive to the idea of using air conditioning during a hot summer.
China’s new “Ice Silk Road” runs from Ningbo through Russia’s Northern Sea Route and the Arctic to Felixstowe in England. A test voyage took about 20 days, potentially halving travel time compared with the Suez route, but seasonal ice, environmental concerns and geopolitics mean analysts view it as a supplement rather than a full replacement for established routes.
The Eastern Star link 05/06 satellites were launched into orbit in early August aboard a Jielong-3 rocket from Shandong’s Haiyang Oriental Spaceport. Developed by Wuhan University and two Chinese commercial space companies, they can process hyperspectral data in orbit, potentially cutting response times from days to minutes and improving data use.
China commercial spaceAI satellitesin-orbit computing
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit South Korea on August 19-20, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. It will be his first official trip to the country in five years.
Labor and the Coalition have agreed on a bill restricting gambling advertising and betting inducements, which is expected to pass this week. Two Coalition MPs crossed the floor against some amendments, saying the measures were too weak and placed too much trust in gambling companies. The Greens called the deal “cowardly and careless”.
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TASSOriginal★★★☆☆2026-08-18 08:45
