Russia says Ukrainian drone attack kills 7 at Black Sea resort beach

Russia said on Monday that seven people, including three children, had been killed and 40 injured at its Black Sea holiday resort of Gelendzhik in what it said was a deliberate Ukrainian drone attack on civilians.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine, which like Russia, ‌says it does not deliberately target civilians in the full-scale war which Moscow launched in 2022.

Social media videos, verified by Reuters, showed what appears to be a drone slamming into a busy beach area near the town of


Can a tech titan ace a test to fix India’s crisis-hit education system?

This Week in Asia Politics

Nandan Nilekani’s efforts to reform the nation’s education sector face employability and AI challenges amid anger over exam scandals

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People celebrate the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Mumbai on July 26 during a protest over the alleged question paper leaks. Photo: AFP

India ’s tech titan Nandan Nilekani faces an uphill battle overhauling the country’s education system amid exam scandals, student protests and rising youth unemployment.
Nilekani, co-founder of technology behemoth Infosys, was appointed head of a national task force for exam reforms

KMT accuses Taiwan’s government of failing to uphold South China Sea claims

Opposition figure calls on DPP administration to protest to Manila over Philippine attempt to chart a boundary around Scarborough Shoal

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Scarborough Shoal is claimed by a number of parties. Photo: Handout

Opposition parties in Taiwan have accused the government of failing to defend the island’s long-standing claims in the South China Sea , following its muted response to Philippine attempts to delimit a disputed shoal.

“The government speaks loudly when confronting mainland China, but falls silent when Japan or the Philippines challenges


North Korea advises citizens to eat dog meat to beat the summer heat

North Korea’s state media has recommended dog meat soup as protection against summer heat, reviving Pyongyang’s long-running effort to promote the controversial dish as record high temperatures grip both sides of the Korean peninsula.

Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party newspaper, published health advice on Sunday offering tips for coping with the heatwave and first aid guidance for heat-related illnesses.

In an interview with a senior doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital, the newspaper warned that “cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hyperthyroidism can worsen

Pyongyang organised a dog-meat cooking contest in 2020. Photo: Kyodo

Why global migration data should recognise subgroups like the Teochew

David Tran, a Teochew-Vietnamese refugee who settled in California, created the world-famous Sriracha sauce, turning a regional flavour profile into a global household staple. Photo: Griffin Hammond

Charles Chear is a clinical associate professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Social Work.

In countries like France and Norway, the government census strictly avoids asking about race and ethnicity. Governed by a desire for national unity, these states operate on a firm premise: categorising citizens by skin colour risks creating divisions and reinforcing prejudice.

Across the Atlantic and in the Commonwealth, you find a different philosophy. The United States, United Kingdom


Chinese woman, 20, survives 18th floor ‘impulsive’ jump after argument with boyfriend

Xiaoyi's story unfolds as she recovers in the hospital after a harrowing leap from her 18th-floor flat, triggered by a heated argument with her boyfriend. Photo: Sina

A 20-year-old woman in eastern China miraculously survived after jumping from the balcony of her 18th-floor flat following a heated argument with her boyfriend.

The woman, known by the alias Xiaoyi, had been quarrelling with her boyfriend for hours in their rented flat in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, before she impulsively jumped from the balcony at 4am on July 12.

Miraculously, she survived the fall, thanks to a


‘Folded like an umbrella’: Trump attacks ally prosecutor over Reflecting Pool case

US President Donald Trump sharply criticised ⁠US Attorney Jeanine Pirro ⁠on Monday for dropping ⁠a case of alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, saying she had “choked” under pressure from a judge and “folded like an umbrella”.

“Instead of going after the people that did it, the judge went ‌after her and went after her department, and I guess she choked. I don’t know what the hell happened,” Trump told reporters.

Pirro’s office said in


Malaysia’s Anthony Loke quits as Negeri Sembilan DAP chief after state poll loss

The DAP secretary general said it was the right time for new leadership to take over the state unit

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DAP secretary general Anthony Loke. Photo: Xinhua

Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary general Anthony Loke has announced his resignation as the party’s Negeri Sembilan chairman following its performance in the recent Malaysian state election .

Loke announced his decision after a DAP central executive committee (CEC) meeting on Monday night, saying it was the right time for new leadership to


Why are Hong Kong delivery drivers unhappy about proposed payouts for injuries?

Hong Kong delivery rider Raj Bhattarai* felt the pain – both physically and financially – after a vehicle rear-ended his motorcycle on the job about a year ago.

Bhattarai, who is in his forties, spent a month on sick leave with a back injury and waited 10 months before he received compensation for the accident. The payout was a paltry HK$3,000 (US$382).

“It is not enough at all,” said the father of one young child and


South Korea tightens grip on high-risk ETFs as investor losses mount

This Week in Asia Economics

Regulators are eyeing curbs such as reducing the leverage ratio of single-stock ETFs and raising the minimum investment requirement

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A financial data screen in the dealing room of Hana Bank shows the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index having lost 3.08 per cent from the previous session to an intraday low of 6,392.44 in early trading in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday. Photo: EPA/Yonhap
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