South Africa hosted leaders from the Southern African regional bloc amid xenophobic violence and anti-migrant protests. The continent’s wealthiest country has long attracted migrants, but unemployment exceeds 30% and inequalities remain deeply entrenched. Pretoria has called for a continent-wide conference on migration.
South Africaanti-migrant protestsxenophobic violencemigration
Home Depot’s fiscal second-quarter sales improved as customers spent more during the summer and focused on smaller projects. The retailer kept its previous outlook.
Greek police suspect a mechanical fault may have caused a privately chartered Bell 206 helicopter to crash while approaching its landing site on Sifnos. British honeymooners Marie Ebert and Alexander Cromie, along with pilot Giorgos Raikos, died. Investigators are examining reports of a strange noise and CCTV footage showing the aircraft spiralling down.
Russia has begun implementing agreements to build a small nuclear power plant in Myanmar, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said during a meeting with Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing. Mishustin said the project would boost cooperation in related fields, including basic and applied research, and become a new symbol of Russian-Myanmar friendship.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vasily Bodnar, said Warsaw and Kiev are still discussing the supply of missiles for US-made Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine’s army. He said a decision was unlikely to be announced publicly, while Poland’s Defense Ministry would provide further details.
Three days after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores island, thousands remain displaced. The disaster has killed at least 68 people, injured 213 and damaged more than 4,500 homes, leaving children gripped by fear.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will spend two days in South Korea from Wednesday, intensifying engagement with Seoul as President Donald Trump raises doubts about Washington’s reliability in the region.
Wang YiSouth KoreaChina-South Korea relationsUS-Korea ties
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.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel should fully take over the Gaza Strip, impose military rule and establish Jewish communities there. He criticized Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, arguing that Israel’s security cannot be guaranteed without settlements in the enclave, and urged the government to promote Palestinians’ voluntary migration from Gaza.
Israeli Air Force aircraft struck a military airfield in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, Syria TV reported, citing a source. The attacks caused material damage, with no information on civilian casualties. Earlier reports said unidentified aircraft hit Abu al-Duhur airfield several times, targeting its runway and storage facilities.
Syrian state media, citing a military source, says Israeli forces carried out eight strikes on the runway of the Abu al-Duhur military base in eastern Idlib early Tuesday. The attack caused damage but no casualties, and Israel’s military has not immediately commented.
A coalition of states is set to argue in California federal court that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram in ways that harmed young users’ mental health. The trial could reshape some of the world’s most popular apps.
Meta faces regulatory and legal challenges in the US, Europe and elsewhere over claims that Facebook and Instagram were designed to encourage addictive use and harm young people. A trial brought by 29 US states begins in California on Tuesday, with prosecutors seeking damages and platform changes to protect minors.
Russian forces carried out a missile strike on Pechenihy in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on August 18, regional head Oleh Syniehubov reported. Ten people were killed and 17 injured; homes, businesses, a post office, and vehicles were damaged. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would definitely respond.
India’s Cockroach Janata Party is urging supporters to audit underfunded government schools. In West Bengal, Abdul Hafeez alleged that local BJP workers assaulted him and his father after he visited his former school; his father died two days later. The group says it will continue seeking accountability and education reforms.
India politicspublic schoolsNarendra Modiprotest movement
Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto spent 25 minutes at the Russian Foreign Ministry after being summoned and left without comment. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin lodged a strong protest over Japanese statements concerning Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup Island, while Moscow said its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are indisputable.
Japan’s ambassador to Russia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry over statements by Japanese leaders concerning Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup Island. Moscow reaffirmed that its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are inviolable and warned that it reserves the right to take countermeasures.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry called any Japanese challenge to Moscow’s sovereignty over the southern Kuril Islands unacceptable and illegitimate. The ministry conveyed the message to Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto after summoning him, insisting that Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction are indisputable and warning against direct or indirect challenges.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow told Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto that its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands were beyond doubt. The ministry said the territories became part of Russia after World War II under relevant Allied agreements and the UN Charter, while Russia lodged a strong protest over anti-Russian statements by Japan’s leadership.
Japanese Ambassador to Moscow Akira Muto arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry after being summoned over Tokyo’s protest against President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup in the Kuril Islands. Russia said Muto came on August 18 after Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly addressed his earlier absence. The two countries remain divided over ownership of the South Kuril Islands and have not signed a post-World War II peace treaty.
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 expanded AFC Champions League Elite draw in Kuala Lumpur placed defending champions Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli against 2024 winners Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ahli will also meet Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. The league phase grows from 24 to 32 teams and starts on September 14.
The Russian Defense Ministry says Ukrainian forces have lost 674 aircraft and 284 helicopters since the start of what Moscow calls its special military operation. It also reported that Russian Aerospace Forces previously shot down a Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29 fighter and listed additional equipment losses.
At least 18 logistics centers and warehouse complexes linked to Ukraine’s armed forces have been destroyed since August 1, according to TASS calculations based on Ukrainian authorities’ data. The sites reportedly include facilities used to supply the military, warehouses in Odesa ports where Western weapons were stored, and complexes in Brovary that were completely destroyed.
A Russian strike on central Pechenihy in Kharkiv Oblast killed at least 10 people and injured 17 on the morning of Aug. 18, Ukrainian officials said. Together with overnight and early-morning attacks elsewhere, Russian forces killed at least 19 people and injured 53 across six oblasts. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike hit a crowded area near shops, a post office and homes deliberately.
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.
Three NATO reconnaissance aircraft were detected near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region from the Polish and Lithuanian sides over two hours, according to a source in EU air traffic services. They included a Bombardier ARTEMIS II, a Boeing E-3A Sentry and a US Gulfstream EA-37B Compass Call II electronic warfare aircraft.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva praised the discovery of oil off the Amazon coast despite environmentalist opposition to drilling there. He called the find a “passport to the country’s future” and said it would strengthen Brazil’s national sovereignty.
Russia is prepared to adapt traditional Chinese medicine for treating and rehabilitating patients, healthcare watchdog head Alla Samoilova said. Authorities are working on licensing and aligning training approaches, while considering sending Russian specialists to China and inviting Chinese experts to Russia.
Russiatraditional Chinese medicinehealthcare regulation
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says allegations involving Sydney Swans players are “deeply concerning” and that the league and club will consider the players’ broader conduct as more information emerges. Victorian police are investigating a reported assault at Melbourne’s Pullman Hotel; no arrests or charges have been made.
A Syrian man died in police custody after his family alleged that officers severely beat him despite his wife warning them that he had haemophilia. The death has renewed concerns about abuse in detention, while Syria’s Interior Ministry says seven officers have been detained.
Svetlana Lipina, deputy chair of the Public Council at Russia’s Natural Resources Ministry, says Arctic development through 2035-2040 could follow three paths. She identifies “managed discovery,” backed by coordinated investment and institutional cooperation, as the most favorable, while warning that weak rules, poor coordination and inadequate infrastructure could produce market shocks or fragmented development.
Military expert Alexander Stepanov said Iran has destroyed 45 of the 338 US-made MQ-9 Reaper drones produced since 2007. He argued that the costly strike and reconnaissance UAVs are vulnerable in combat, including to Iran’s air defenses, and may be ineffective against a better-equipped adversary, raising doubts about the practicality of producing them.
French astronaut Sophie Adenot is due to become the first French woman to complete a spacewalk on Tuesday, carrying out repairs outside the International Space Station. The demanding task is expected to last around 6 hours and 30 minutes.
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
Western Australia police are seeking public help to locate 10-year-old Lyndel Ningella, who was last seen leaving a home in Butler at about 5.45pm on 15 August. Police are worried about her safety and believe she may have travelled to areas including Kwinana, Leda, Parmelia or Wellard. An earlier alert saying she had been found was later corrected.
Somali national forces repelled an assault on the key city of Baidoa by troops loyal to an ousted regional leader and Islamist insurgents on Monday. The government said the attackers used vehicles loaded with explosives and that nearly 30 militants were killed in the response.
Mike Ashley went from being a squash coach to a retail billionaire. His Frasers Group has built a $2.7 billion property portfolio and has now acquired one of London’s best-known department stores.
Mike AshleyFrasers GroupretailLondon department store
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed until the United States fulfills conditions of an interim agreement signed with Iran in June. State media published his remarks on Tuesday.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed until Washington meets the Iran-US memorandum’s conditions. Tehran demands an end to the blockade, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, removal of the oil embargo, and a halt to threats and military operations on all fronts.
IranStrait of HormuzUnited Statesmilitary operations
The French government has approved a €12 million special budget for towns hit by recent wildfires in the south. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also unveiled measures including tax breaks for affected companies. Some residents jeered him during a visit to Le Porge, where 183 homes were destroyed by fire.
How the LA Lakers Sale Is Helping With Mark Walter’s Troubles
FlashTranslated by Minutes
🏎️ Jaguar crowned Formula E Teams' champions as electric racing evolves
Jaguar TCS Racing clinched the Formula E Team Championship at the 2025/26 season finale in London, as the all-electric sport prepares to usher in a new era with its next-generation GEN4 cars next season.
🏎️ Jaguar crowned Formula E Teams' champions as electric racing evolves
Jaguar TCS Racing clinched the Formula E Team Championship at the 2025/26 season finale in London, as the all-electric sport prepares to usher in a new era with its next-generation GEN4 cars next season.
Russian newspapers report that the United States is concentrating forces near Iran while sharply reducing annual military exercises with South Korea, citing cost and a possible effort to resume dialogue with North Korea. Washington has also reentered talks on the second phase of a Gaza settlement, but disputes remain over Hamas disarmament and the sequencing of an Israeli troop withdrawal.
US global military presenceUS-South Korea drillsIranGaza negotiations
Donald Trump said Kim Jong Un had responded to his recent diplomatic outreach, suggesting the United States and North Korea may be moving back toward direct communication. South Korea is calling for a stronger alliance with Washington as joint US-South Korean military exercises are reduced.
South KoreaUnited StatesNorth KoreaUS-South Korea alliance
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
As the 60-day ceasefire deadline expires, US President Donald Trump is lashing out at Oman, an American ally seeking to mediate negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Trump used an expletive to threaten bombing Oman if it “gets in the way,” marking his latest such threat against the country.
Middle East negotiator and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, days after Netanyahu rejected a US-backed roadmap for advancing a Gaza ceasefire deal. Kushner had also met Hamas’s leader in Egypt as Washington pushes Israel to approve the plan.
A Pakistani court has ordered former prime minister Imran Khan’s transfer from prison to a hospital amid claims that he is in poor health. The 73-year-old former cricket star and his wife were sentenced to 17 years in jail last year in several graft cases.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered former prime minister Imran Khan moved from Adiala prison to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital within two days, with hospitalisation lasting at least until September 16. It also ordered a medical board and allowed family visits and calls with his sons abroad, after concerns over his fluctuating blood pressure and anxiety.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to be transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical checks within two days. His family and party have repeatedly voiced concern over his deteriorating health in prison. Khan says the corruption charges behind his imprisonment were politically motivated.
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.
Ukraine launched more than 600 drones at the Moscow region early in the morning in one of its biggest air assaults on the Russian capital. At least three people, including a 10-year-old girl, were injured. A Russian attack on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region killed 10 people.
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.
Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said Belgrade has no intention of supporting Ukraine militarily and that Serbia’s official leadership is not supplying weapons through formal channels. He said arms could still reach Kiev through difficult-to-track gray-market routes, while President Aleksandar Vucic has taken control of arms production and information-sharing cooperation is in place.
Russia’s GDP grew 1.3% year over year in the second quarter after contracting 0.2% in the first, beating forecasts from the central bank and Economic Development Ministry. The rebound was driven largely by temporary factors, including more working days and higher military and government spending. High interest rates, falling oil output, weak civilian industries, sanctions, and the widening budget gap point to slower growth. VEB.RF chief economist Andrei Klepach was dismissed after publicly discussing the economy’s problems.
Russia economyGDP growthmilitary spendingAndrei Klepach
Ukraine’s parliament returned from its summer recess on Aug. 18 as President Volodymyr Zelensky weighs permanent appointments for the defense and foreign ministries. Protesters again gathered outside parliament demanding the reinstatement of ousted Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, while acting defense chief Yevhen Khmara remains a leading focus of the decision.
Founded in Germany in 2017, Hyrox combines eight one-kilometer runs with eight functional stations in a standardized competition. The format has expanded to more than 85 cities in around 30 countries, with participation growing from about 90,000 athletes in 2022-23 to over 650,000 by 2025.
Russian and Kyrgyz troops completed a joint tactical exercise at a training center in Kyrgyzstan, practicing reconnaissance, artillery and helicopter strikes, and operations to stop simulated illegal armed groups from advancing. The drills ran from August 10 to 17, followed by a closing ceremony.
FIFA says Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour left the organisation on August 17, weeks after condemning Gianni Infantino’s proposal to sell a stake in the commercial rights of the World Cup and other tournaments. Lamour said staff had been “deceived” and called the plan “the project of one person”.
FIFA has confirmed that Frenchman Kevin Lamour has left the organisation. He reportedly published scathing criticism last month of Gianni Infantino’s now-shelved plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private equity. Infantino remains president despite opposition from UEFA, other confederations and a growing number of member countries.
FIFA Director of Operations Kevin Lamour has been dismissed. He had strongly criticised Gianni Infantino and the FIFA president’s plan to establish a commercial company.
Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai said on Tuesday that its pipeline of planned and potential overseas robotaxi deployments had grown to more than 4,000 vehicles.
China’s Pony.ai expands overseas robotaxi pipeline to more than 4,000 vehicles
FlashTranslated by Minutes
🇨🇳 China’s ‘spicy strips' go global
At a gleaming new factory in China's central hinterland, masked workers sift through mounds of latiao, a spicy, sweet and curiously chewy snack that has found legions of fans overseas.
🇨🇳 China’s ‘spicy strips' go global
At a gleaming new factory in China's central hinterland, masked workers sift through mounds of latiao, a spicy, sweet and curiously chewy snack that has found legions of fans overseas.
Baidu missed Wall Street estimates for second-quarter revenue as a decline in its core advertising business offset growth in AI-linked cloud services. Its U.S.-listed shares fell 3.5% in premarket trading.
Russia and Nepal are seeking to broaden bilateral ties and discussing new cooperation mechanisms, Ambassador Alexey Surovtsev said. The two countries plan to resume foreign-ministry consultations this fall and pursue cooperation between state bodies and businesses. High-level visits could be revisited as practical trade and economic ties expand.
A ninth-grade student opened fire at a high school in Zamboanga, killing a fellow student before taking his own life. Two others were wounded, and the attack was apparently livestreamed.
A high school student opened fire at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga, killing a fellow student and wounding two others before taking his own life. The shooting was reportedly livestreamed with a body camera, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of students.
Officials said a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on Tuesday killed two students, one of them the gunman. The situation was under control, marking the country’s second such incident in less than two months.
Two people were killed in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines, officials said. The situation was under control, marking the country’s second such incident in nearly two months.
A student was shot dead by a fellow student at a Catholic junior high school in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, a local official said. The alleged shooter, who brought a .45-calibre pistol into a classroom and missed a teacher, later took his own life. Authorities said the situation was under control.
A gunman opened fire at a high school in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga, killing at least two people, a local official said. The mayor said both casualties were students and included the gunman. Police were securing the campus; witnesses identified it as Ateneo de Zamboanga High School and said the suspect was a Grade 7 student.
A shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga Grade School in Zamboanga City, southern Philippines, killed two students on Tuesday, local media reported. Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said one of the victims was the gunman. The Department of Education said it was coordinating with the school to support those affected.
Canada’s inflation rate accelerated to 3% as the Middle East conflict pushed gasoline prices higher, while core measures of price growth remained subdued.
Drone footage captures cattle across parched farmland as Britain experiences one of its driest summers on record. Officials say more than two-thirds of England is currently in drought.
Ukraine says a Russian missile strike on Pechenihy in Kharkiv oblast killed 10 people and wounded 18. Russia reported about 620 drones heading toward the Moscow area and said 791 Ukrainian drones were repelled across Russia and occupied Crimea. A Wildberries warehouse near Kolomna was also damaged. Russia’s embassy in London accused the UK of deliberately escalating the conflict over reports that British-supplied drones were used in attacks on Russian territory.
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
Natalya Ivanova, 68, died from burns after setting herself and her Moscow apartment on fire on August 5, when bailiffs came to evict her. She had sold the two-room home for 9.5 million rubles in 2022 and given the money to scammers; a court later sided with the new owner.
A Damascus court sentenced Wassim al-Assad to death on Tuesday after convicting him of multiple murders, including killings accompanied by torture and brutality. He is a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s overthrown longtime ruler.
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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged China and Ecuador to better align their development strategies and implement Belt and Road cooperation plans during talks with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in Beijing. He called for projects in energy, minerals, infrastructure and finance, alongside cooperation in digital economy, green development, new energy and artificial intelligence. Noboa said Ecuador was ready to deepen political trust and mutually beneficial ties with China.
Xi urges China, Ecuador to align development strategies
FlashTranslated by Minutes
🇲🇲 Severe monsoon floods displace thousands in Myanmar
Severe monsoon flooding has swamped villages and paddy fields across central Myanmar, forcing people out of their homes, including many already displaced by war.
🇲🇲 Severe monsoon floods displace thousands in Myanmar
Severe monsoon flooding has swamped villages and paddy fields across central Myanmar, forcing people out of their homes, including many already displaced by war.
Facing recent heatwaves and daytime crowds overwhelming its historic tourist sites, Rome is testing nighttime tourism this summer. Museums, parks, archaeological sites, monuments, villas and historic residences are included in the initiative, marking a major shift in the city’s tourism rhythm.
Australia’s controversial NDIS bill will be substantially amended after Labor and the Coalition reached a deal to secure its passage. The government will introduce 63 amendments, including a pathway for people with high support needs to seek more funding, but David Pocock and disability advocates say a broad power to cut funding remains an indiscriminate threat to hundreds of thousands of participants.
Russia’s Central Election Commission has removed the anti-war Yabloko party from the State Duma ballot. Its former No. 2 line will be omitted, leaving United Russia at No. 1 followed directly by LDPR at No. 3. The Supreme Court rejected Yabloko’s appeal on August 17.
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
New research documents a major early milestone in the Milky Way’s long and complicated evolution: about 11.8 billion years ago, the large spiral galaxy that contains our Sun and hundreds of billions of stars consumed a smaller galaxy.
Ghana has urged Moscow to end what it calls the illegal recruitment of its citizens for the war in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said 62 Ghanaians had been killed and 15 remained missing; he and Sergey Lavrov agreed to work toward resolving the issue.
Zambia's government says police arrested 11 people, including six opposition figures, in a raid targeting alleged militia activity, accusing them of possessing weapons and ammunition for an armed insurrection. The opposition rejects the claims and says armed personnel raided candidate Brian Mundubile's home. A pause in vote counting over violence and alleged ballot theft has fueled wider concerns about intimidation and electoral interference.
A decades-old unsolved tragedy that left a lasting mark on the music industry has reached a Nevada courtroom. The murder trial of former gang leader Duane Davis is underway in Las Vegas, where prosecutors describe the killing of rapper Tupac Shakur as a deadly act of revenge.
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.
Snipers from Russia’s 201st Guards Military Base in Tajikistan held a live-fire exercise at the Lyaur mountain range. After drones detected simulated enemy forces, sniper pairs established observation and firing positions and engaged targets from 300 to 1,000 meters with several rifle types. The drill reflected experience from Russia’s special military operations in Ukraine and the challenges of mountainous terrain.
The pound edged lower on Tuesday after figures indicated that Britain’s labour market was slowing, with the June unemployment rate exceeding expectations and job vacancies declining in July.
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.
Land mines and unexploded bombs left by conflicts of the last century continue to plague parts of Southeast Asia, killing and maiming people each year. Funding is being drawn away by active conflicts, weakening demining efforts in the region.
Heavy monsoon rain has caused widespread flooding across the Philippines’ main island, forcing schools and government offices to close for a second consecutive day on Tuesday.
The body of former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji was cremated Tuesday at Beijing’s Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery. Xi Jinping and other senior Party and state leaders attended the farewell, observed a moment of silence, bowed three times and offered condolences to Zhu’s family. Zhu died of illness in Beijing on Aug. 12, aged 98.
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.
A short video found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate may offer the first look at Apple’s rumored camera-equipped AirPods. The clip shows Visual Intelligence identifying a book title and Siri suggesting it be saved. Reports say the cameras would provide low-resolution visual input for Apple’s AI features, though details remain sparse.
Russia’s non-resource, non-energy exports grew 6.7% year on year in the first half of 2026, according to government figures citing Industry and Trade Ministry data. Industrial product exports rose 5.25% in nominal terms. Manufacturing wages increased nearly 12% in the first five months, while officials said looser monetary policy could revive industrial activity.
French Open champion Alexander Zverev beat Terrance Atmane in two tie-break sets to reach the Cincinnati Open fourth round. Serena and Venus Williams lost 6-2, 1-6, 10-8 to Payton Stearns and Marta Kostyuk in their first doubles match together in four years.
Cincinnati Open: Williams sisters lose in doubles as Zverev advances
FlashTranslated by Minutes
A former street gang leader orchestrated the 1996 drive-by shooting of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in retribution for the beating of his nephew, a prosecutor told jurors during opening statements in a murder trial tied to a long-unsolved crime that became a seminal moment in rap history.
A former street gang leader orchestrated the 1996 drive-by shooting of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas in retribution for the beating of his nephew, a prosecutor told jurors during opening statements in a murder trial tied to a long-unsolved crime that became a seminal moment in rap history.
Everland theme park in South Korea has begun the final public vote to name a giant panda cub born in June. Five names remain, with voting open until Aug. 30; the winner will be announced in September when the cub reaches 100 days old.
The Minutes Reader extension turns the original page into a focused reading view and translates articles and video subtitles on demand. It is in limited beta.
