“Norway has seized a Russian ship in the Arctic to enforce a compensation claim by Ukrainian energy firm Naftogaz, linked to Russian asset seizures in Crimea. Norway seized the ship on Wednesday, after Moscow failed to pay Naftogaz $4.22bn plus interest and legal costs to compensate for assets it seized in Crimea after a tribunal ruling at The Hague in 2023. … The vessel, the Professor Molchanov, was taken off the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard after a 24-hour standoff with the Norwegian Coast Guard, according to Covington, the US law firm representing Naftogaz.” (09/003/26)
“British police have a stout task ahead: recovering 70,000 pints worth of stolen Guinness. Two trailer truckloads of the famously creamy dark beer valued at 115,000 pounds ($155,000) were stolen from a depot near Liverpool in northwest England, the Cheshire Constabulary said Thursday. ‘It is famously said that ‘Guinness is good for you,’ but that is only the case when it has been bought and paid for,’ Det. Sgt. Gary McClatchy said. ‘We will settle for nothing less than the full recovery of all the items stolen.’ The Guinness had been destined for pubs, but was snatched Monday night by two drivers who pulled up to an industrial park in Runcorn and hauled away the trailers containing about 800 barrels of stout. The value of the trailers was estimated at 50,000 pounds ($67,000).” (09/03/26)
“The U.S. Pentagon issued detailed guidance on Wednesday for a new, mandatory testosterone deficiency screening policy for active-duty and reserve service members age 30 and older, a follow-up to a July announcement from U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The guidance, which is effective immediately, establishes standardized screening and treatment pathways for men and women that the Pentagon says are aimed at improving military readiness by identifying and managing hormonal and energy-availability issues. Hegseth, who has promoted the use of testosterone, announced the mandate last month, raising questions among experts about whether there was a scientific basis for such a policy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to hold a meeting of experts to discuss medical use of testosterone in mid-September.” (09/02/26)
“Iran fired at Kuwait Thursday, continuing its retaliation for U.S. bombardments earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to unite Israel’s right wing before elections this October. … Sirens sounded in Kuwait early Thursday, where air defenses intercepted missile and drone attacks during a ‘blatant Iranian aggression,’ the country’s Ministry of Defense said on X. It came after U.S. allies Bahrain and Jordan said their air defense systems intercepted several Iranian air attacks Wednesday.” (09/03/26)
“A Republican-proposed constitutional amendment to limit the Supreme Court to nine justices failed in the House on Wednesday, coming up well short of the two-thirds majority support needed for adoption. The House voted 212 to 206 on a joint resolution to approve the amendment, which was proposed by GOP Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona. The amendment would require that ‘the Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine justices consisting of one chief justice and eight associate justices.’ … Amending the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate and then ratification by three-fourths of the states. It’s the latest vote this week that Republicans are using to target the positions of the Democratic Socialists of America as several candidates who embrace its positions are poised to become members of Congress next year. On Tuesday, the House adopted a resolution condemning socialism ‘in all its forms.'” (09/03/26)
“Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Thursday that there is a ‘chance’ at ‘peace’ with Ukraine, but said Kyiv’s warnings to airlines to avoid Russian airspace amounted to ‘state terrorism.’ ‘Ultimately…the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict – Russia and Ukraine,’ he said in translated remarks at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a city in Eastern Russia. ‘Is there a chance [at peace]? In my view, yes, there is.’ It comes after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday said Russia is becoming ‘increasingly reckless,’ citing missiles and drones crossing Europe’s eastern flank, and an alleged Russian hybrid attack at Germany’s Leipzig airport last month.” (09/03/26)
“President Xi Jinping’s journey from Central Asia to Egypt highlights Beijing’s efforts to strengthen alternative trade, energy and manufacturing networks across Eurasia and Africa, analysts said, as wars and tariffs expose a reliance on vulnerable supply routes and overseas markets. … According to a joint statement issued by China and Egypt on Thursday, the two sides will explore cooperation in renewable energy, data centres, semiconductors and space applications, as well as critical-mineral supply chains, agriculture and car manufacturing. The two countries also welcomed the renewal and potential expansion of their bilateral currency-swap agreement and called for greater use of the yuan and Egyptian pound in trade and investment settlements.” (09/03/26)
“Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, has joined a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s decision to significantly reduce the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, removing protections from nearly 3m acres. In July, the president approved the reduction of the sites by 90%, clearing the way to open the land to oil and gas companies. … The retailer announced on Wednesday it was joining a lawsuit to put a stop to what it described as illegal orders that ‘betray Tribal sovereignty’. … The Natural Resources Defense Council, which filed the federal lawsuit on Wednesday along with several other conservation groups, described Trump’s proclamations as ‘one of the largest rollbacks of public land protections in US history’.” (09/02/26)
“The United States Mint released 250,000 $1 coins Wednesday featuring President Trump’s likeness to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary. … The coin was greenlighted in March after controversy arose stemming from a federal law that previously prohibited living people from being depicted on U.S. currency. But a law Trump signed during his first term — called the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 — included new language regarding the semiquincentennial commemoration coins. The Trump administration also told Newsweek it does not need congressional approval for the coin — citing a history of coins with the likeness of the sitting president such as a 150th anniversary coin with former President Calvin Coolidge as one example in a legal filing.” (09/02/26)
“Prominent Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of collusion with foreign entities, a national security [sic] crime [sic] that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Wong, 29, rose to international prominence as a teenage democracy activist in Hong Kong, one of a group of youngsters whose protest efforts have now effectively been outlawed by a sweeping National Security [sic] Law that Beijing imposed on the Asian financial hub in 2020. … Wong is already in jail serving an existing sentence on an earlier national security [sic] charge of conspiracy to commit subversion after he was among a group of democratic activists who participated in an unofficial primary election in 2020. His current sentence is scheduled to end in January next year.” (09/02/26)
