Russia says 13 killed in Ukraine drone attack on oil-refining city 900km from Moscow

World Russia & Central Asia

Nizhnekamsk, a major processing and petrochemical centre, was targeted. Nasa satellite images showed heat anomalies that may indicate fire

Smoke rises in the distance on Monday after what authorities said was a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk. Photo: Social media via Reuters

At least 13 people were killed, including a child, and 39 injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on industrial and ‌civilian targets in the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk, authorities said on Monday, one of the heaviest

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AI zombie video on Singapore’s National Day sparks talk – is this the future of film?

When Singaporeans tuned in to watch the annual National Day Parade on Sunday, an AI-generated short film depicting a zombie apocalypse version of the event has generated buzz in the city state.

The four-minute-long Bersama Majulah , a spin-off from the human-written, artificial intelligence-generated Spore Fall video series, shows a spore pathogenic outbreak spreading across the fictional city of Lionara, which bears resemblance to Singapore ’s skyline
Bersama Majulah shows a spore pathogenic outbreak spreading across the fictional city of Lionara, which bears resemblance to Singapore’s skyline. Photo: Edenstone

China hits US, Mexican pecans with preliminary anti-dumping curbs

Beijing has issued a preliminary ruling that the United States and Mexico are dumping pecans into the Chinese market and harming domestic producers, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

“Over the injury investigation period, the volume of dumped imports rose by a cumulative 104.56 per cent and their share of the domestic market increased by 9.69 percentage points,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

“The import price of the dumped products fell by a cumulative 9.15 per cent and


7 in 10 Gen Z Hongkongers retouch photos of themselves before posting: survey

Nearly 70 per cent of Gen Z in Hong Kong have retouched photos of themselves before posting on social media, while about half rate their well-being below the international standard, according to a survey exploring self-criticism among the city’s youth.

The survey, released on Monday, polled 983 residents aged 11 to 30 to examine the relationship between young people’s photo-editing habits, self-confidence, self-compassion and emotional well-being.

“We found that the


AgiBot overtakes Unitree as top global humanoid robot vendor in first half amid IPO push

An Agibot humanoid robot is pictured at the company’s facility in Shanghai, on August 4, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

China’s AgiBot has surpassed its domestic rival Unitree Robotics to become the world’s largest humanoid robot vendor in the first half of 2026, according to new research, as both industry heavyweights prepare for public listings amid a physical AI boom.

Shanghai-based Agibot captured 44 per cent of the global market after shipping roughly 8,400 humanoid robots from January to June, San Francisco-based research firm Smart

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Beijing official hails China and Cuba as ‘good brothers’ in show of solidarity

Havana was again plunged into darkness when the power grid collapsed last week. Photo: EPA

The head of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department, Liu Haixing, hailed China and Cuba as “good brothers” during a meeting with Cuban officials in Havana, in a show of solidarity as Washington ramps up pressure on the island.

According to an official Chinese readout, Liu on Sunday held talks with Emilio Lozada Garcia, the Communist Party of Cuba’s international relations chief, describing China and Cuba as “good friends, good


Why Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise

Taiwan is conducting its first-ever mobile network throttling exercise this week to test how the public responds to wartime communications disruptions, a new civil defence measure that has sparked criticism over the government’s preparedness.

The exercise, held in central Taiwan on Monday and planned for northern Taiwan on Thursday, will simulate severe mobile network congestion by reducing 4G and 5G bandwidth for 30 minutes.

About 17 million people, or 73 per cent of the island’s population, are expected to be affected,


As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

Philippine marines conduct a military operation as part of the Rim of the Pacific exercises held at Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo, Hawaii, in June. Photo: Reuters
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Malaysia’s RX-Z faithful fight stigma of illegal street racing after deadly biker festival

A string of deadly motorcycle accidents around Malaysia ’s biggest Yamaha RX-Z gathering has intensified calls for the annual event to be scrapped, but enthusiasts say the backlash unfairly conflates a vast owners’ community with illegal street racers.

More than 200,000 devotees of the discontinued motorcycle converged on Terengganu, on Malaysia’s east coast, earlier this month for RXZ Members 8.0, reflecting how the modest two-stroke bike has become a vivid badge of identity for a culture with particularly deep

Participants at the RXZ Members 8.0 gathering earlier this month in Terengganu, Malaysia. Photo: Facebook/RXZ Members - Official

Hong Kong trophy-home demand runs deep, as Stanley luxury sale tops US$19m

A view of One Stanley on the south side of Hong Kong Island. Photo: Elson Li

A buyer with the same name as the founding chairwoman of a global immigration consultancy has bought a detached house in a luxury residential development in southern Hong Kong for over US$19 million, adding to a string of big-ticket deals as demand for trophy homes remains resilient despite a broader slowdown.

Yi Bing signed an agreement for the purchase of House 11 at One Stanley on Wong Ma Kok Road on July 27, according to