RustyPaper Latest Russian overnight assault on Kyiv and Odesa regions kills at least 11 Russia launched a large aerial assault on Kyiv and Odesa regions overnight into Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and wounding more than a dozen, including three children. Ukraine's air force said Russia used ballistic, cruise and anti-radar missiles plus 218 drones and decoys, about a third jet-powered. It was the sixth consecutive day of Russian attacks on Kyiv. Strikes hit civilian infrastructure and residential buildings across several Kyiv districts and damaged infrastructure in Odesa, including the Orlivka international ferry crossing. 2 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/pBN9oz Japan's 10-year bond yield hits highest level since 1996 Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond yield spiked to 3% on Tuesday, its highest level since October 1996, amid growing concern over the country's fiscal health. The rise came a day after reports that fiscal 2027 budget requests from Japanese ministries were set to hit a new high of about 143 trillion yen. The uptrend also reflects market expectations that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates in September. 2 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/xCSGHO China's solar power capacity overtakes coal for the first time China's installed photovoltaic power capacity has surpassed its installed coal-fired power capacity for the first time, making solar the country's largest power source by installed capacity, the National Energy Administration announced Tuesday. 2 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/UQMQzM China's 2026 summer box office grows to $1.84 billion on diverse film slate China's 2026 summer box office closed Monday with total revenue of nearly 12.5 billion yuan ($1.84 billion), up slightly from the prior year and marking a second straight year of growth, though still short of the 2023 record. Admissions rose to about 340 million. 'Kung Fu Soccer,' directed by Stephen Chow, topped the season with 2.3 billion yuan, followed by 'Once Upon a Time in the Middle East,' 'All Wishes Come True,' and Hollywood's 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.' 2 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/FEFNt0 Microsoft Israel Chief Departs Amid Ethical Controversy The head of Microsoft Israel has departed the company amid an ethical controversy. Details of the specific controversy were not provided in the article text available. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/c85p1U Trump renews call for federal crime intervention in Chicago, citing weekend shootings Trump posted on Truth Social that Chicago violence is 'unchecked and at record levels,' citing 41 people shot and 3 killed over the weekend, and called on Illinois Governor Pritzker or the mayor to invite federal government intervention, saying the city 'will die' without it. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/H71LS7 Head-on collision in northern Afghanistan kills one, injures seven A head-on collision between two cars in Jawzjan province, northern Afghanistan, killed one driver and injured seven passengers, some critically, on Monday evening. Provincial police blamed reckless driving. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/QhEKjj Yunnan village children get cable-car 'cloud school bus' cutting school commute to 30 minutes As the new school year began, students in a remote village in southwest China's Yunnan Province started using a new 'cloud school bus' route combining cliffside elevators and cable cars, cutting their commute to school from more than three hours to about 30 minutes. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/t0S7OZ Five-year-old Liverpool boy sets 41-mile walking goal after foot surgery Kai, a five-year-old boy from Walton, Liverpool, born with arthrogryposis, is relearning to walk after major foot surgery on August 20. He has set himself a goal of walking 41 miles unaided once he recovers, following an earlier charity fundraising challenge. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/QoDgnE World's tallest dam, Shuangjiangkou, begins clean power generation in Sichuan The Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station, the world's tallest dam at 315 meters on the Dadu River in Sichuan Province, brought all three of its generating units into full operation as of August 31, 2026, beginning clean electricity generation. The dam is expected to produce about 7.7 billion kWh of clean power annually. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/GgL6Oy Indonesia expands coal-powered aluminum production as Iran war disrupts Middle East supply Indonesia is rapidly expanding aluminum production, relying on new off-grid coal plants to power smelters, as the Iran war disrupts about 9% of the world's aluminum supply normally produced in the Middle East. Middle East output is expected to drop 44% this year, pushing aluminum prices as high as $3,780 a metric ton in June before settling near $3,400. Indonesia wants to quadruple alumina output and multiply aluminum production more than tenfold by 2030, with Chinese companies funding about three-quarters of planned projects, drawing criticism from environmental groups over the reliance on largely untracked captive coal plants. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/SHRzTR Cambodia's King and Queen Mother arrive in Beijing Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk arrived in Beijing by plane on Tuesday. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/R9FvFV Kenya aviation workers end strike that paralyzed Nairobi's main airport Kenyan aviation workers called off a strike that paralyzed air traffic for two days at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The Kenya Aviation Workers Union said the go-slow strike, which began Sunday over pay, hiring practices and proposed management changes, ended after an agreement with the Kenya Airports Authority. The strike stranded many travelers with flight cancellations and delays. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/LuM5Wc Oil prices rise and Asian markets mixed as Iran war violence resumes Oil prices climbed further and Asian shares were mixed on Tuesday as recurring violence in the Iran war heightened uncertainty. Brent crude gained 0.8% to $91.23 a barrel after the U.S. struck rocket launchers on an Iranian island and Iran responded with missiles at U.S. sites in Jordan, all intercepted. Shein shares fell as much as 10% on their Hong Kong trading debut. Wall Street closed out August on a downbeat note Monday, with the S&P 500 falling 0.3%. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/LBp7xQ USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group to make port call near Pattaya, Thailand The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is set to dock near Pattaya, Thailand this week as it returns from a Middle East deployment tied to the U.S. war against Iran. More than 5,000 American service members are aboard, many expected to visit Pattaya during the port call. The destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. will dock separately. Pattaya's mayor said the visit could boost the local economy. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/AoZTl0 Cornwall and Devon businesses call for temporary VAT cut to be made permanent Hospitality and tourism businesses in Cornwall and Devon are calling for the government's temporary VAT reduction on children's meals and family attraction tickets, which ran from late June to September 1, to be made permanent and broadened. The Treasury says the scheme boosted footfall and local economies over the summer. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/YYGy8k Hull council calls for tougher enforcement against illegal e-bikes Hull City Council transport lead Mark Ieronimo has written to the transport secretary calling for clearer rules and tougher enforcement against illegally modified e-bikes and e-scooters, citing residents' safety concerns. The government says illegal e-bikes have no place on roads and that police can now seize them without a prior warning. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/522WgG UK dairy farmers seek higher milk prices after record heat and driest July since 1836 UK dairy farmers are calling for higher milk prices and more government support after this summer's heatwaves and the driest July in England and Wales since 1836 forced them to dip into winter feed stocks early. Shropshire farmer Tim Downes said rates paid to farmers would need to rise about 7.5 pence per liter to make a meaningful difference. National milk production is down about 7% year-on-year even as demand for dairy products rises. Defra has announced a 65 million pound drought support package. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/UZSsu5 Naomi Osaka pays fashion tribute to Allen Iverson in US Open first-round win Naomi Osaka wore a fashion tribute to former NBA MVP Allen Iverson -- cornrows under a headband -- during her US Open first-round win over Anastasia Zakharova Monday night, prompting a reply from Iverson himself on Instagram. The look was part of her apparel sponsor's basketball-themed US Open campaign after the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA championship. Osaka called Iverson a fashion trailblazer she looks up to. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/bNfOfw California lawmakers to vote on compromise wildfire-victim protection bill after Newsom's liability plan fails California lawmakers are set to vote Tuesday on a compromise wildfire-survivor bill after rejecting Gov. Newsom's more sweeping proposal to limit electric utilities' financial liability for fires sparked by their equipment. Newsom's original plan drew heavy criticism from fire survivors, who protested outside the governor's mansion, and from insurers. The compromise creates a faster victim-payout program, bans hedge funds from profiting off wildfire claims, and bars bonuses for utility executives whose equipment sparks a major fire. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/AJJ6zR Canada's Liberals sweep three special elections amid Trump trade tensions Canada's Liberals swept all three special elections held Monday, flipping the Conservative-held Chicoutimi-Le Fjord seat in Quebec and holding Beaches-East York in Toronto and North Vancouver-Capilano in British Columbia. Liberal officials framed the results as public backing for PM Mark Carney's stance against Trump amid an escalating trade war -- talks collapsed Aug. 21, Trump imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods, and Trump has repeatedly floated annexing Canada. The sweep brings the Liberals to 173 of 343 House of Commons seats. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/M0O0UY Researchers document one of the world's few confirmed great white shark nurseries off the Hamptons Researchers off Long Island's Hamptons beaches are catching, tagging and releasing sharks to study one of the world's few confirmed great white shark nurseries, where juvenile whites spend their vulnerable first years. Scientists say warming coastal waters are drawing more tropical shark species north and that better tracking technology, not a real population surge, explains rising sightings. Newborn great whites are about 4 feet long and 80 pounds and receive no maternal care, making the shallow, food-rich Long Island coast an ideal early habitat. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/ixFOFZ Utah judge to rule whether Charlie Kirk murder case proceeds to trial A Utah judge is set to rule Tuesday on whether there is enough evidence to send Tyler Robinson to trial for the aggravated murder of Charlie Kirk, which would make him eligible for the death penalty. The ruling closes an unusually long preliminary hearing in which prosecutors presented DNA evidence and an engraved bullet cartridge they say show political motivation, while defense attorneys argued the shooting did not endanger bystanders and challenged the DNA evidence. Kirk's widow and parents are expected in the Provo, Utah courtroom. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/QzEgi3 MAGA Inc. sits on $403 million war chest as Republicans await Trump's midterm spending With just over two months to go before the midterm elections, Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC is still sitting on the bulk of its $403 million war chest despite growing frustration from Republicans in competitive races, particularly Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who has been vastly outraised by Democrat James Talarico. MAGA Inc.'s only major spending so far has been a get-out-the-vote push in a South Carolina primary. The group says spending is coming soon and has begun a battleground-state rally tour, starting with a Michigan event headlined by Vice President JD Vance. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/HaFUxs Democratic candidates counter 'masculinity' attacks in 2026 Senate primaries Democratic Senate candidates in Michigan and Texas are countering Republican attacks that question their masculinity, part of a broader midterm-campaign dynamic since Trump popularized tough-guy political messaging. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers traded 'beta energy' jabs over their high school football records. In Texas, Republicans including Sen. Ted Cruz and a pro-Paxton PAC have mocked James Talarico's masculinity, which Talarico deflects by recasting manhood around service and responsibility. Political scientists say the attacks signal broader cultural alignment beyond the individual candidates. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/20Sqbk Following George Clooney receives Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award George Clooney received the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement on the festival's opening day, nearly 30 years after his first Venice appearance with 'Out of Sight.' The honor caps a long history at the festival including 'Good Night, and Good Luck' (his first best-director Oscar nomination), 'Michael Clayton,' and last year's 'Jay Kelly,' in which he played a movie star traveling to Italy to receive a lifetime achievement award. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/PJCez0 English Heritage digitally reconstructs the face of a Norman Conquest-era man English Heritage digitally reconstructed the face of a man who lived through the Norman Conquest, using osteological analysis, ancient DNA and isotope testing on a skeleton found at St Peter's Church in Barton-upon-Humber 50 years ago. Researchers determined the man, buried around 1079, was of Scandinavian background, stocky and muscular, and likely moved to Barton as an adult. The reconstruction is now on permanent display at the church. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/TG93ke Six million Afghans forced back from Pakistan and Iran struggle to rebuild lives under Taliban rule Nearly six million Afghans have been forced back from Pakistan and Iran in under three years as both countries crack down on undocumented -- and in Pakistan's case, some registered -- Afghan migrants, per UNHCR. Many returnees, like 35-year-old Nazia, have never set foot in Afghanistan before. Pakistan has granted 16,000 vulnerable Afghans a temporary exemption from deportation, but up to 250,000 more may remain at risk. The UN estimates 21.9 million Afghans, nearly half the population, need assistance this year, with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi acknowledging the country needs help while touting ties with China and India. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/1p0nc9 Scotland's First Minister John Swinney unveils reform-focused programme for government Scotland's First Minister John Swinney is set to unveil his programme for government to the Scottish Parliament, centered on public service reform alongside economic growth, eradicating child poverty, net zero, and tackling violence against women and girls. Proposals include a price cap on some food and drink items in large supermarkets, which 23 industry organizations have jointly urged him to scrap. Swinney has appointed a new cabinet minister to lead public service reform and says the government has balanced its budget every year in office. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/mGA2nX One in six prison leavers in London released into homelessness, analysis finds One in six prison leavers in London are released into homelessness, according to analysis by social justice group Nacro, as the Probation Service struggles with a chronic workload crisis. The Ministry of Justice says it is investing in probation services and aims to halve prison-leaver homelessness by 2029. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/wu2BGl UK, Ireland and Netherlands announce 2026-27 storm name list The Met Office, Met Eireann and the Dutch KNMI announced the 21-name list for the 2026-27 storm season, taking effect September 1 and running through August 31, 2027. Austen, Boelo and Chloe will be the first three names used; Shaun, after Shaun the Sheep, made the list following a public vote. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/6e880a Belfast marks International Overdose Awareness Day with families of the lost Families gathered at Belfast City Hall, lit purple for International Overdose Awareness Day, to remember loved ones lost to drug overdoses, including Jenna McCune, who died in 2021 at 35. A total of 251 people died from drug-related causes in Northern Ireland in 2024. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/hhDC2W Sri Lanka police seize 463 kg of crystal meth at Colombo Port Sri Lankan police seized about 463 kilograms of suspected crystal methamphetamine, worth an estimated 24.4 million U.S. dollars, from two containers at Colombo Port on Monday, and arrested a Colombo businessman and two Pakistani nationals in connection with the case. 1 sources: https://rustypaper.com/s/IjNmO0 /articles /trending /business /politics /sports /tech /ai /science /obscure /geo/us /geo/middle_east /search?q= /sources /topics?tags=