world
United States authorities announced a new wave of sanctions targeting nine Cuban entities and top officials on August 20, 2026. The government of President Donald Trump escalated its economic pressure campaign against Cuba with a broad package of penalties. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the measures target institutions and individuals accused of sustaining … Read more
Pacific island authorities arrested Chinese and Indonesian boats for illegal fishing in August during a 28-million-square-kilometre maritime crackdown. The operation involved 11 island nations, aerial surveillance by Australian military aircraft, and patrols by United States Coast Guard and Pacific maritime police vessels. A sweeping two-week maritime surveillance operation across the Pacific Ocean resulted in the … Read more
The $20 billion Dangote refinery in Lagos has emerged as Europe’s largest external supplier of jet fuel, displacing American refiners amid severe global energy market disruptions. According to data from Caliber and S&P Global Commodity Insights, the facility delivered more than 400,000 tonnes of jet fuel to Europe in July, following a record 466,000 tonnes … Read more
Two former organizers of Hong Kong’s annual vigils remembering the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were convicted Friday of inciting subversion under a China-imposed national security law brought under a law that has reshaped the territory. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, who served as leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic … Read more
French authorities have arrested and placed in detention five suspects accused of carrying out high-value burglaries in Switzerland, including a targeted raid on a watchmaking institution near the French border, according to announcements from the parquet de Lyon. The group of five alleged robbers was intercepted by national law enforcement on the morning of August … Read more
Four railway workers clearing weeds on a track at Shin-Kanuma Station in Tochigi Prefecture were struck and killed by a limited express train on Thursday morning. The collision took place at approximately 10:45 a.m. on August 20, 2026, at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. A six-car Spacia … Read more
Ethiopia’s revival of plans to construct three additional hydropower projects on the Blue Nile—Karadobi, Mandaya, and Beko Abo—has reignited geopolitical tensions with Egypt, following the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in September 2025. The three proposed projects have a combined generating potential reported at about 5,700 megawatts, though their specifications remain subject … Read more
A Hong Kong court found two prominent pro-democracy activists guilty of incitement to subversion in a high-profile national security trial. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted by a three-judge panel after being accused of inciting other persons to organize, plan, commit, or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to … Read more
The U.S. Army is phasing out a specialized drone battalion based in Europe that was established last year to study and absorb combat lessons from the war in Ukraine. The decision arrives amid a broader military leadership reshuffle under acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve. The specialized unit, known as the Unmanned Assault … Read more
President Donald Trump threatened military action against Oman during a phone interview with WSJ, stating that the United States would bomb the country if it interferes with U.S. efforts regarding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. According to remarks reported by AP News, Trump used an expletive to emphasize that the U.S. would bomb the … Read more