Gibraltar’s top court will rule today (AP) on a last-minute application by the United States to seize an Iranian tanker that has been held in the British territory since early July and was due to be released.
 
British authorities seized the tanker over suspected violations of EU sanctions, a move that was followed two weeks later (BBC) by the Iranian seizure of a British-flagged tanker. Gibraltar’s government said earlier this week it hoped to de-escalate the situation, and it released the vessel’s crew on Thursday. The U.S. bid to seize the tanker comes after two days of meetings in London (Guardian) between U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton and top officials in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

Hundreds of paramilitary forces conducted exercises today (Reuters) in the city of Shenzhen, near the Hong Kong border. The U.S. State Department said it is deeply concerned about the move and urged the Hong Kong government to respect freedom of speech amid pro-democracy protests.
 
In Foreign Affairs, Michael C. Davis and Victoria Tin-Bor Hui write that Beijing doesn’t need to send troops to stop the protests in Hong Kong.
 
Thailand: A Thai court acquitted twenty-four protest leaders (AP) from the 2010 “Red Shirt” movement of terrorism charges. The protest group supported former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

Following one of the deadliest climbing seasons on Mount Everest in recent years, officials proposed new requirements (NYT) for prospective climbers, including scaling another major peak first and paying at least $35,000 to climb with an experienced guide. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the measures before next year’s climbing season.
 
India: Authorities issued a flood alert (Guardian) for the southern state of Kerala, as the monsoon death toll for this year surpassed 240 people. The state experienced its worst flooding in almost a century last monsoon season, during which 450 people were killed.

A spokesperson for Yemeni separatists who took control of the southern port city of Aden said that the group will not relinquish control (Reuters) and called on the government to transfer authority from allied militants in the area to the separatists. The Saudi-backed government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi relocated to Aden after Hadi was ousted in 2015.

Huawei technicians helped federal officials in Uganda and Zambia intercept the private communications of their political opponents, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. In Uganda, they reportedly gained access to the WhatsApp conversations of opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi, commonly known as Bobi Wine.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at the controversy over Huawei.
 
Nigeria: President Muhammadu Buhari called on the central bank to stop providing foreign currency to food importers (FT) as part of his efforts to boost domestic agriculture. Many economists criticized the move, saying it would raise food prices and threaten the bank’s independence.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that a post-Brexit trade deal will not pass Congress if it jeopardizes the Good Friday Agreement (FT), which provided for an open border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government said it hopes it can secure a new trade agreement but that a no-deal Brexit could lead to checkpoints at the Irish border.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at the Northern Ireland peace process.

President Mauricio Macri raised the country’s minimum wage and froze fuel prices after his primary election defeat (WSJ) on Sunday led to a drop in Argentine markets. Macri said he and his main challenger, Alberto Fernandez, agreed during a recent phone call to work together to ensure market stability.
 
Canada: The federal ethics commissioner found that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated an ethics law (NYT) in a case involving bribes to Libyan officials by a Canadian engineering firm.

The Food and Drug Administration announced a new three-drug treatment (NYT) for a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. The move could pave the way for the World Health Organization to recommend the treatment for use worldwide. 

Germany’s economy contracted in the second quarter (NYT), according to new government data, while China’s industrial sector experienced lower growth than projected. The Dow Jones average posted its largest drop of 2019, and long-term bond yields dropped below (WSJ) short-term yields, appearing to underscore repercussions from the U.S.-China trade war.