Global Express | August 18, 2026 Ukraine hits Moscow with 620 drones as Russia downs 180

1. Ukraine launches one of its biggest drone attacks yet on Moscow

Ukraine struck the Russian capital of Moscow with a mass drone attack for the second night in a row. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a swarm of at least 620 drones targeted the Moscow region, and Russian air defences downed at least 180 of them overnight. The onslaught forced Moscow to temporarily restrict flights at its airports.

At the same time, Russia continued its retaliatory strikes on Ukraine, with a missile attack on the village of Pechenihy in the Kharkiv region killing 10 people and wounding eight. Kyiv said Russia's personnel losses have approached 1.5 million since the war began. Analysts say the intensity of strikes against each other's home territories is rising sharply.

2. Russia warns Britain of "consequences" for supplying drones to Ukraine

Russia has warned Britain of "consequences" after reports that British-made drones were used to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. According to the Sunday Times, Ukrainian forces deployed drones manufactured by UK companies for the first time in long-range strikes. Russia's embassy in London said "London's actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer."

Moscow accused the UK of "deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis," warning that the deeper its involvement, the higher the price it will pay. Britain's Ministry of Defence responded that the UK stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine against Russian aggression. In June, Britain pledged to supply 150,000 drones to Ukraine by the end of 2026 in a package worth about £752 million.

3. Vessel struck by unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz

A vessel was struck by an "unknown projectile" while transiting outbound in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, causing damage to its engine room and a crew casualty, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said. The incident comes as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil, and its shipping security has been a major concern since the US-Iran conflict erupted. Analysts say the latest attack has deepened market fears over disruptions to Middle East crude supplies, sending oil prices higher.

4. Trump stuck in stalemate as 60-day Iran negotiation window closes

The 60-day window set by the memorandum of understanding the United States and Iran signed in June has closed without a wider peace deal, leaving the 24-week war with no end in sight. President Donald Trump warned Monday that the US would bomb Oman if the country "gets in the way" of American efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump acknowledged that Iran is "not going to make the kind of deal that I feel is necessary," while reiterating that "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." His son-in-law Jared Kushner said Iran is "not showing any interest" in a deal that makes sense for Washington. US Central Command said its naval blockade has redirected 64 vessels, disabled three and boarded two.

5. US 30-year Treasury yield hits highest level since 2007

US 30-year Treasury yields rose to their highest level since 2007 on Tuesday as stalled talks to end the US-Iran war and worries of an imminent escalation sent oil prices above $90 a barrel, fanning fears of inflation and jolting markets.

Analysts say the prolonged war combined with elevated oil prices is forcing investors to demand higher risk premiums, pushing up long-term borrowing costs. The move is being read as a warning about the sustainability of US finances and the global inflation outlook, weighing on both stocks and bonds.

6. Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion guarantee for OpenAI's Ohio data center

Nvidia has agreed to guarantee as much as $105 billion in lease payments to help OpenAI secure a sprawling data center in Ohio being developed by SoftBank-backed SB Energy, Reuters reported. OpenAI has signed a 20-year lease for the facility.

It is one of the chipmaker's largest infrastructure financing deals to date. The project is expected to create 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 permanent operating positions, underscoring the enormous appetite for computing power and energy among AI giants. Analysts say Nvidia is increasingly extending into data centers and energy to secure an edge in the next wave of AI computing.

7. Aid shortages and fears of starvation as Indonesia reels from earthquake

At least 68 people have been killed and about 5,000 displaced after a magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia's Flores island on Saturday. Health facilities have been toppled, power networks cut, and aftershocks continue to rattle the region, leaving thousands of survivors facing aid shortages and fears of starvation.

In the hard-hit village of Dampek, hundreds of victims are being treated by a single doctor, who issued an urgent appeal for help. Landslides have severed access roads and cut off several villages for nearly two days. It is Indonesia's deadliest earthquake since 2022, and rescue efforts are still underway.

8. Heavy rain kills 11 in Japan's Chiba Prefecture

Heavy rain in Japan's Chiba Prefecture has killed 11 people and left two others missing, the prefectural government said on Tuesday. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Chiba has seen persistent torrential rainfall since the evening of August 13, triggering floods and landslides.

The city of Chiba recorded 347 millimetres of rain in 12 hours through 1 a.m. on August 14, its highest on record, with the half-day total approaching three times the average for the entire month of August. Search-and-rescue operations are continuing.

9. China's Unitree unveils "Superman" robot ahead of Shanghai debut

China's Unitree unveiled a new high-speed robot it dubbed "Superman" on Monday, days before becoming the first general-purpose robotics company to list on mainland China's stock market. Unitree will start trading in Shanghai on Wednesday after raising 6.1 billion yuan (about $905 million) in its IPO.

The "Superman" robot reportedly has legs 0.85 metres long, can jump 2 metres from a standing start — beating the human record of 1.8 metres — and can run at 12.66 metres per second. Unitree is the world's biggest humanoid-robot maker by sales, and its listing is seen as a major signal of China's accelerating commercialisation of embodied AI.

10. China dispatches earthquake relief supplies to Colombia

China dispatched emergency humanitarian supplies to Colombia early on August 18, sending aid from Beijing Capital International Airport. The shipment includes generators, water purification vehicles, disinfection machines, solar lighting equipment, tents and blankets — about 80 tonnes in total.

The supplies are being flown to the Colombian capital of Bogotá on an Air China Cargo charter and are expected to arrive by midday on August 18. A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, causing heavy casualties and damage. China has also decided to provide emergency cash assistance to support Colombia's relief and reconstruction efforts.