Latest news for 12 August 2026

RUSSIA

US Marine released.

President Trump has announced Moscow’s release of a US Marine detained for four years on claims he assaulted a police officer. Coming after a call with Putin, Trump says it was a humanitarian gesture related to Robert Gilman’s deteriorating health. (Guardian)

Comment: While this isn’t (as far as we know) a prisoner exchange, and Putin could just be avoiding the spectre of a US Marine dying on his watch, the Kremlin never gives freebies. Meanwhile, VP Vance has pushed Ukraine to halt attacks on non-sanctioned tankers refuelling at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium hub (on Russian turf but mostly exporting Kazakh energy) — a reminder of the US tension between ending Putin’s war and protecting US interests (Chevron and ExxonMobil have major CPC stakes).

DR CONGO

Ebola spreads.

Congolese authorities believe over 2,000 people have now died in the country’s Ebola outbreak, a grim milestone reached four times faster than the 2018-20 outbreak. Some health officials are worried the virus might be mutating. (Euronews)

CHINA

Spy cameras gonna spy.

British authorities have discovered that the China-built cameras installed on their naval drones sent data to an IP address in China. (Independent)

Comment: Modern defence kit is a global jigsaw, and London insists the data was just automated ‘heartbeat pings’ (network signals confirming a device is online), but it’s still wild the Royal Navy hadn’t already absorbed such an obvious supply chain risk in such a low-trust world.

HUNGARY

New president just dropped.

The parliament has elected former supreme court justice András Baka to the semi-ceremonial role of president, shortly after removing his Orbán-aligned predecessor. He’ll now oversee the drafting of a new constitution. (BBC)

Comment: Baka’s appointment is sort of a full circle moment considering Orbán was the one who ditched him as supreme court head back in 2011, after Baka repeatedly objected to Orbán’s efforts at seizing court control.

MEXICO

Holy guacamole.

Mexico has deployed 1,500 additional troops to the Pacific coastal state of Michoacán after the US announced a pause in avocado import inspections, citing security concerns. Mexico sells the US ~$4B in avocados a year. (AP)

Comment: Sheinbaum has repeatedly made security, prosperity, and US ties core to her brand — letting cartel insecurity again disrupt one of Mexico’s most lucrative US exports now undercuts all three.

THAILAND

No new guns.

Authorities have suspended new gun permits after a teen killed eight plus himself in a mass shooting that’s shocked the country. Thailand had already banned open-carry back in 2023. (The Nation)

LEBANON

Death penalty abolished.

Lebanon has become the first country in the Middle East to fully abolish the death penalty, after observing an unofficial halt since 2004. (Al Jazeera)Comment: All parliamentarians voted in favour of the measure, bar those aligned with Hezbollah’s political arm.