“Two Hong Kong activists who organised annual vigils to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown have been found guilty of inciting others to subvert state power under the city’s controversial national security [sic] law. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison after being convicted under the China-introduced law. Sentencing is expected at a later date. A third defendant, Albert Ho, 74, pleaded guilty in January. Lee and Chow ‘incited other persons to organise, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting the state power’, according to a summary on Friday. Chow told the court in May the law itself was on trial.” (08/21/26)
“Bitcoin rose above $77,000 in European morning hours on Friday as it advanced for a fifth straight day. The largest cryptocurrency is up about 8% in 24 hours and 22% over the week. Short sellers took another beating, as roughly $1.2 billion of short positions were liquidated over 24 hours out of $1.4 billion in total, across 156,211 traders, CoinGlass data show. … Bitcoin’s market value now stands at $1.5 trillion, still some 40% below the record above $126,000 set last October.” (08/21/26)
“A border crossing with Moldova in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region was damaged by Russian drones overnight, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said in a statement on Friday morning. Traffic through the Tabaky checkpoint has been suspended and diverted to other crossings, the border service said on Telegram. Moldovan authorities in Chișinău have been informed, the statement added. The announcement comes a day after a Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed an explosive-laden maritime drone close to Europe’s largest offshore gas project, hours after another drone entered the NATO member’s airspace and crashed near the Ukrainian border. … Some European officials described the incidents as Moscow testing NATO’s response, which raised questions about how prepared the alliance is against potential threats from Russia.” (08/21/26)
“Activists and opponents of Tunisian President Kais Saied took to the streets of Tunis on Thursday, calling for his departure and the restoration of democracy in the latest protest against his governance amid growing political and economic discontent. Hundreds of protesters said they reject ‘one-man rule’ and ‘a slide towards dictatorship,’ and urged the release of jailed opposition figures, activists and journalists. A similar demonstration took place last month, coinciding with the anniversary of measures by Saied on July 25, 2021, when he dismissed the government and later dissolved the elected parliament and began governing by decree.” (08/20/26)
“China has bought millions of barrels of Saudi crude offered via a rare tender and under long-term contracts, although overall purchases still remain well below pre-war levels. State-run refiners PetroChina Co. and Sinochem Group, along with Unipec — the trading arm of Sinopec Group — and private processor Rongsheng Petrochemical Co., bought a combined 10 million barrels of Arab Medium and Heavy grades in a tender, said traders familiar with the matter. The oil is for prompt loading. … Aramco offered spot supplies of sulfur-rich crude from locations outside of the Strait of Hormuz for loading as soon as this month. The grades are produced within the Persian Gulf, suggesting the kingdom may be finding ways to move more barrels through the waterway.” (08/20/26)
“Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to destroy a marine drone spotted a few hundred metres from the Black Sea gas project Neptun Deep, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Thursday. The incident underscores the growing threat to critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea from drones and mines linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, with Neptun Deep expected to make Romania the European Union’s largest gas producer when it comes onstream in 2027. NATO-member Romania shares a 614-km (382-mile) land border with Ukraine and has seen Russian drones breaching its airspace over the last four years and mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade and energy routes. Thursday’s incident follows similar action earlier this month when army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in the exclusive economic zone near the offshore Neptun Deep project.” (08/20/26)
“Federal agents seized electronic devices from former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell at the San Francisco airport on Saturday and then raided his home in Washington, DC, the next day as part of an ongoing probe connected to sexual assault allegations, sources familiar with the investigation told CNN. Swalwell and his lawyer did not immediately respond to messages from CNN. Swalwell resigned from Congress in April after reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle detailed allegations of sexual misconduct. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department opened criminal investigations into Swalwell in the wake of the reporting. The raids this weekend are part of a federal investigation connected to the claims of sexual assault, the sources told CNN.” (08/20/26)
“A court on the Indonesian resort island of Bali sentenced a Swiss tourist on Thursday to one year in prison for insulting a sacred Balinese Hindu observance. Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was found guilty of violating Indonesia’s new criminal code by posting social media messages about the Day of Silence, when people are required to stay home and are urged to remain silent and meditate. The Denpasar District Court determined that he posted the messages even after staff at the villa where he was staying informed him of the restrictions. ‘What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage,’ said presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima. ‘The defendant must be held accountable for his actions.'” (08/20/26)
“NASA and Katalyst Space have announced that the mission to boost the altitude of a Swift Observatory space telescope has failed. The announcement came down on Wednesday after an attempt to use the LINK spacecraft ran into altitude control issues, NASA and Katalyst Space said in a press release. The spacecraft was meant to raise NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher altitude. LINK is still set to attempt rendezvous and proximity operations with the Swift Observatory. … If the mission was successful, LINK would have allowed the Swift Observatory to extend its mission, the press release says. NASA expects Swift to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere this year.” (08/20/26)
“Global wheat importers are bracing for tighter supplies as attacks on Black Sea grain infrastructure disrupt shipments, heightening food security risks for top buyers such as Egypt and Indonesia, while driving up prices. Benchmark Chicago futures have climbed more than 17% since the start of July, fuelled largely by a shortfall in Black Sea supplies, with physical prices making strong gains in rival exporters Argentina, Australia and the United States. … For now, stronger harvests across parts of the Middle East and North Africa have cushioned the immediate impact, with the Egyptian government procuring record volumes of local wheat and better rains boosting crop prospects in Morocco and Tunisia.” (08/20/26)
