Hi Global Recap readers,
If you’re deep in the AI world, you probably know China’s been putting out some seriously impressive video-generation models lately.
And now, Chinese state media outlet Xinhua News has released a video mocking the US for crossing the $40 trillion debt mark. 👇
🇨🇳 CHINA
State Media Mocks US
Worth noting: China may want to go easy on the debt jokes.
Once you include its rather unique Local Government Financing Vehicle borrowings and other “off-budget activity,” the IMF puts China’s broader government debt pile at ~135% of GDP.
That’s higher than the US at ~126%.
🇪🇸 SPAIN
Beach Drop-Off
A speedboat dumped 62 people at Cala del Barco in Cartagena on Wednesday, right in front of beachgoers. Tourists scrambled to pack up as people jumped into the water and the boat sped back out to sea.
Spain’s Guardia Civil later found all 62 (45 men, 2 women, and 15 boys). Authorities believe they’re Algerian.
They were then handed over to National Police as immigration procedures got underway.
Murcia officials now want to know how such a large boat managed to reach the shore without being stopped.
🇷🇴 ROMANIA
More NATO Drone Incidents
Romania scrambled fighters twice on Thursday after separate drone incidents.
One drone crossed Romanian airspace near Galați, then crashed in an uninhabited area.
Hours later, authorities found an explosive maritime drone near a major Black Sea gas project. A Romanian F-16 destroyed it after officials said it threatened workers and critical infrastructure.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the maritime drone.
🇷🇺 RUSSIA
Guards At The Pumps
Russia’s fuel shortage has reached Moscow, where gas shortages are again sending drivers from station to station and leaving long lines at the pumps.
There are even reports of Rosgvardia, Russia’s militarized National Guard, showing up at some stations.
A crowdsourced fuel tracker said just 28.1% of reported stations had gasoline or diesel available on August 16, down from 41% a week earlier.
📌 Context. Ukrainian drone strikes have repeatedly knocked Russian refineries offline, while heavy summer demand has made the shortage worse. To remedy the shortage, Russia has banned fuel exports, relaxed quality rules, and even started importing petroleum products.
🇭🇰 HONG KONG
Tiananmen Vigil Guilty
Two former leaders of Hong Kong’s once-massive Tiananmen vigils were convicted Friday of inciting subversion under China’s national security law. Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and their now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance were found guilty over the group’s longtime call to “end one-party dictatorship.”
Judges said that slogan amounted to calling for Communist Party rule to be overthrown, and that the alliance encouraged supporters to pursue that goal illegally.
Lee and Chow pleaded not guilty and could face up to 10 years in prison. They’ll be sentenced later.
📌 Context. For 30 years, the alliance organized Hong Kong’s massive June 4 candlelight vigils marking China’s 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. Authorities banned the vigil in 2020, and the group dissolved the following year.
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