The Wire - August 5, 2024

S2 Underground

//The Wire//2230Z August 5, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: MARKET VOLATILITY STRIKES GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKETS. BANGLADESH OVERTHROWS GOVERNMENT, PM FLEES COUNTRY. RIOTS CONTINUE IN U.K.//

-----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

Global: Multiple stock exchanges halted trading on several indexes as markets experienced severe volatility upon opening Monday morning. In the U.S. the NASDAQ dropped by 1,200+ points on opening (which is reportedly the largest drop ever recorded) before recovering somewhat by midday. Many brokerages (to include Fidelity, Charles Schwab/TD Ameritrade, E-Trade, Vanguard, and Robinhood) mysteriously reported cyber incidents and communications outages, which prevented customers from accessing their accounts at the crucial moments of the market opening. AC: Whether this was an intentional degradation or not is right now a matter of speculation. However, as a reminder, these institutions are known for suspiciously-timed outages. Robinhood in particular has a history of openly and deliberately halting trading internally, which they did back in 2021 during the GME scandal. As such, if there is hubris to be had within the financial sector, it will arise from the investors who are blind to the suspicious circumstances that everyone else sees clearly. At some point, but especially when it comes to the long-term reflections of the financial sector, common sense is a more valuable tool than the micro-analysis of a specific incident.

Middle East: As the world awaits the next major escalation, conflict continues as Hezbollah strikes Israeli units in the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and varying locations in the North. Hezbollah has specifically stated that this latest missile barrage is not the official response, but rather routine targeting. However, most governments around the world have either directly stated or insinuated that an Iranian attack will take place Monday night. AC: It’s not clear as to what intelligence indicates tonight being selected for the Iranian counterattack. Whatever intel it is, is clearly good enough to cause a heightened state of readiness for Western forces throughout the region.

United Kingdom: Mass unrest continues as governmental responses to demonstrations and riots alike has worsened the situation to exceptionally grave levels of severity. So far, riots have been reported in the following cities in England: Southport, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Rotherham, Leeds, Hull, Bolton, Liverpool, Birmingham, Stoke, Nottingham, Bristol, and London. Riots have also been reported in Northern Ireland, mostly confined to Belfast. Limited actions have also taken place (mostly low-level demonstrations) throughout the Republic of Ireland as well.

Riots throughout England have remained unpredictable, but more kinetic in some areas than others. In Rotherham, a hotel used to house illegal migrants was set on fire, causing those within to evacuate. In Southport (where the riots started due to the stabbing attack there), significant efforts are underway to target those voicing outrage over the attacks. As such, much of the police presence there is not dedicated to quelling unrest, but rather to arrest those posting about the events on social media. Similar censorship efforts are underway in Sunderland, where riots have remained intense. In Liverpool a library that allegedly replaced traditionally English classic works with Islamic texts was set alight, along with a food bank that primarily served migrant communities. Various Middle-Eastern and African businesses and storefronts have been vandalized throughout the nation as tit-for-tat factional violence becomes severe in most major cities.

South America: Unrest in Venezuela continues as the crackdown on dissent widens. As Maduro’s control of Venezuela becomes more solidified, resistance has begun to move out of the streets, and under the ground. Large pro-Maduro demons