Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• US, Taliban Say They're Nearing Deal to End Afghanistan War VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- The United States and Taliban teams in Doha negotiating an initial deal to end the war in Afghanistan seem to have agreed on the main agenda items and are now finalizing the details of implementing them.
• US, UN Condemn IS-Claimed Attack on Afghan Media Workers VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- The United States and the United Nations have condemned an Islamic State-claimed deadly bombing against a minibus transporting media professionals in Afghanistan.
• Taliban-US Talks in Qatar Feature No Third-Party Attendees - Spokesman Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- No third-party representatives have attended the ongoing US-Taliban talks, except for representative of Qatar, which is hosting the negotiations, a spokesman for Taliban's political office in Doha said on Monday.
• Khalilzad Hails 'Excellent Progress" In Peace Talks With Taliban RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad says he will leave Qatar for India on August 5 following three days of talks with the Taliban to end the nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan.
• Afghan Opens Fire On Fellow Police, Kills Seven RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- At least seven police were killed when one of their colleagues opened fire on them in the southern Kandahar Province on August 4, officials say.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Central Command hosts Regional Cooperation 2019 exercise CENTCOM 05 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Central Command forces, and forces from Tajikistan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and observers from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, will conduct the multinational annual Regional Cooperation 2019 (RC 19) command-post exercise in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 5-16 Aug.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper's Meeting with New Zealand Minister of Defense Ronald Mark DoD 05 Aug 2019
• USS New York, USS Oak Hill conduct live-fire missile training NNS 05 Aug 2019 -- The amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) completed a live-fire exercise in which the ship fired missiles at a drone using the ship's self-defense Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) system Saturday, Aug. 3.
• Carderock Uses High-Fidelity Signature Simulation to Train Surface Combat Systems NNS 05 Aug 2019 -- In the world of simulations, getting a system to act as close to authentic as the real-world situations it represents is always the main goal. Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Carderock Division develops high-fidelity acoustic simulation and training systems, giving naval personnel the ability to practice combat scenarios virtually.
• The U.S. Navy Commissions USS Billings, Eighth Freedom-Variant Littoral Combat Ship NNS 05 Aug 2019 -- The U.S. Navy commissioned the USS Billings (LCS 15), the eighth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship, during a ceremony in Key West, Florida, Aug. 3.
• New Name, Same Mission: EURAFSWA Becomes EURAFCENT NNS 05 Aug 2019 -- Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (CNREURAFSWA) has been renamed as Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central (CNREURAFCENT).
• S.Korea, U.S. begin joint annual military exercises People's Daily 05 Aug 2019 -- The combined forces of South Korea and the United States "actually" began their joint annual military exercises on Monday amid the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s harsh criticism against it, according to local media reports.
• US, South Korea begin joint military drills despite North Korea's warning Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- The United States and South Korea have begun their annual joint military exercise despite North Korea's warning that doing so would jeopardize the denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
• Joint Statement on Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2019 US Dept. of State 05 Aug 2019 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Australia following the 29th Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN).
• Australia not going to host US missile: PM Morrison Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that missiles belonging to the United States will not be deployed in Australia.
• US to renew pact with Pacific islands to counter China: Pompeo Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says negotiations have begun with three island nations in the Pacific Ocean to renew an agreement that would help Washington counter China's growing influence in the region.
• US Starts Talks With Pacific Islands on Exclusive Military Access to Airspace, Waters Amid China Row Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- Before taking off for his Australia trip, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said that the Pentagon was looking to deploy intermediate-range conventional missiles at locations across Asia and the Pacific in the coming months, amid ongoing regional tensions between Washington and Beijing.
• Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, Federated States of Micronesia President David W. Panuelo, Republic of the Marshall Islands President Hilda C. Heine, and Republic of Palau Vice President and Minister of Justice Raynold B. Oilouch at a Press Availability US Dept. of State 05 Aug 2019 -- Remarks by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State
• NATO Secretary General begins visit to New Zealand NATO 05 Aug 2019 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg began a two-day visit to New Zealand on Monday (5 August 2019) with stops in Christchurch and Wellington.
• Putin warns Moscow will develop new nuclear missiles if Washington does so Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the United States to start new arms talks, a few days after the collapse of the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), warning that Moscow will be forced to begin developing short- and intermediate-range land-based nuclear missiles if Washington starts doing so.
• Russia Will Develop New Nuclear Missiles If You Do, Putin Tells U.S. RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia would respond in kind if the United States develops short- and intermediate-range, land-based nuclear missiles following the demise of a key Cold War-era arms control treaty.
• Russia Calls on US to Give Up on Plans to Deploy Short- and Mid-Range Missiles Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, the United States officially withdrew from the Cold War-era INF Treaty over Russia's alleged violations of the agreement.
• Explosions, Fire At Russian Ammunition Depot Prompts Mass Evacuation RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- A series of explosions has rocked an arms depot at a Russian military base in Siberia, injuring eight people and prompting a mass evacuation of residents and the suspension of operations by a nearby aluminum producer.
• One Dead, 8 Injured in Explosions at Russian Arms Depot VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Thousands of people have been evacuated from a Siberian town after an ammunition storage site on a military base caught fire, setting off a series of explosions and injuring at least eight people.
• How Russian Officials Are Spinning The Moscow Protests As A Foreign Plot RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- The warning, from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, resembled countless others before it. Addressed to U.S. citizens living in the Russian capital, the August 2 message warned of an unauthorized protest and a likely heavy police presence, suggesting that Americans avoid the area.
• Britain Joining U.S. In Maritime Security Mission In Gulf RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- Britain says it is joining the United States in an "international maritime security mission" to protect merchant vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping line that connects the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.
• UK joins international maritime security mission in the Gulf UK MOD 05 Aug 2019 -- The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to freedom of navigation and safe passage through the Gulf.
• £350m Typhoon engine support contract UK MOD 05 Aug 2019 -- The MOD has signed a contract worth almost £350 million to support the engines that power the UK's fleet of Typhoon fighter jets.
• China calls US officials' remarks in Australia 'unwarranted attacks' Global Times 05 Aug 2019 -- US officials' recent remarks in Australia are unwarranted attacks and slandering against China, which exposed the lingering hegemonic mentality of certain forces in the US, the Chinese Embassy in Australia said.
• North Korea fires 'unidentified projectiles' into sea: Report Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- North Korea has reportedly fired two "unidentified projectiles" seawards, while warning that it could take a "new road" if the South and the United States keep militarizing the Korean Peninsula.
• North Korea Launches Ballistic Missiles, Slams US-South Korea Military Drills VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- North Korea launched a fresh round of ballistic missiles into the sea early Tuesday and warned it could take a "new road" in response to U.S.-South Korean military exercises that began this week.
• DPRK confirms test of new rocket system People's Daily 05 Aug 2019 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea said on Saturday that it has tested its new rocket system again in launches conducted on Friday under leader Kim Jong-un's supervision.
• Germany once again rejects possibility of joining US-led mission in Strait of Hormuz Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Germany has once again rejected a US proposal to join an American naval mission tasked with protecting vessels that pass through the Strait of Hormuz from an alleged Iranian threat.
• German Air Force Fails to Meet NATO Pilots' Training Requirements, Amid Shortage of Planes Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- Washington previously criticised Angela Merkel's government for not meeting NATO's requirement to spend 2% of GDP on defence but Germany's military budget has since fallen even further behind target.
• 'Damavand', 'Dena' destroyers to join Iran's navy fleet IRNA 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral, Hossein Khanzadi said on Monday that new home made destroyers 'Damavand' and 'Dena' will become operational in the northern and southern districts of Iran's navy fleet this year.
• Damavand destroyer to be equipped with vertical-launch missiles ISNA 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Damavand destroyer will be equipped with vertical-launch missiles and join Iran's Navy this year, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said.
• Iran's Military Eyes Upgrades Including Drone With VTOL Capability, Ship With Vertical Launch System Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- Facing decades of sanctions following the Revolution of 1979, Iran's arms industry has developed a broad range of domestic analogues to advanced foreign weapons designs.
• Iran Navy chief announces classified deal with Russian navy; dismisses UK, US moves to destabilize Persian Gulf Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- The commander of Iran's Navy says Iranian and Russian armed forces have signed a "classified" deal to expand cooperation through a series of projects, one of which will be joint military drills in the Persian Gulf before the end of the year.
• Japan to Create Military Space Unit to Catch Up With Rivals - Reports Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- The Japanese government intends to create a military space unit of the country's Self-Defence Forces in 2020 in connection with the increased use of space for defense purposes by other countries, including the United States, Russia and China, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported on Monday.
• Taiwan, US Discuss New Location for F-16 Joint Training Program Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- The Taiwanese air force may soon be sending its F-16 pilots to train at a new Air Force base in the US, according to reports.
• U.S. Ambassador: Ukraine Asks To Buy More Javelin Missiles RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- A senior U.S. official says Ukraine has requested to purchase more Javelin anti-tank missiles from the United States, a move that is likely to anger Moscow amid a four-year conflict that pits Russia-backed separatists against Ukraine's forces.
• Comic Or Commander In Chief? Reform Of Ukrainian Defense Industry Giant Tests Zelenskiy's Will RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- When a Ukrainian media outlet reported in February that people close to then-President Petro Poroshenko were involved in skimming money from the military, it blew the tires off his slowing campaign machine just weeks before his reelection bid.
• Media Availability by Secretary Esper En Route to Tokyo DoD 05 Aug 2019 -- Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper

Defense Industry

• Contracts for Aug. 5, 2019
• China's C919 to enter intensive test flight phase in H2 Global Times 05 Aug 2019 -- China's C919 passenger airplane will enter into a new phase of intensive test flights in the second half of this year, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC).

Other Conflicts

• 5 August 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Aug 2019
• Yemen forces launch drone attacks on two airports, airbase in Saudi Arabia Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Yemeni forces have carried out drone attacks on two airports and an airbase in Saudi Arabia in retaliation against the kingdom's deadly aggression on their impoverished country.
• Maliki Reviews Crimes, Violations Committed by the Houthi Militias, in Yemen SPA 05 Aug 2019 -- The official spokesman for the Coalition Forces (Coalition to Support Legitimacy, in Yemen) Col. Turki Al-Maliki condemned and disapproved, in the strongest terms, the vicious crime and massacre committed by the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militias, as they targeted unarmed and innocent civilians, in Al-Thabit market.
• Yemeni Army controls the mountain ranges of Al-Mabuatha in Hajjah SPA 05 Aug 2019 -- The Yemeni National Army forces backed by the Arab Coalition for the support of legitimacy in Yemen on Monday liberated strategic positions, east of Haradh district in Hajjah province.
• Yemeni Drones Target Two Saudi Airports, Airbase Using New Type of Drone - Reports Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- Yemen's Houthi militants have launched multiple drone and missile attacks against targets in southern Saudi Arabia in recent months, prompting the Saudi military and its coalition allies to regularly deploy air defences to intercept the explosive-laden projectiles.
• Casualties reported as militants attack Russian air base in Syria's Latakia Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- "On August 5 at around 2:30 p.m. Moscow time (1130 GMT), airspace control equipment at the Hmeimim airbase detected the launch of three rockets in the direction of the Russian air base coming from the north," the ministry said in a statement released on Monday.
• Terrorists Launch Artillery Barrage Against Russian Base in Syria's Khmeimim - Defence Ministry Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- The airbase, home to the majority of Russian forces stationed in Syria, has come under repeated attack over the years, with terrorists attempting to shell it using multiple launch rocket systems and coordinated assaults using drones.
• Syrian troops to start military op in Idlib after militants fail to honor truce Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- The Syrian military says government forces are going to launch an offensive against foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the country's northwestern province of Idlib, after Takfiris positioned in the de-escalation zone failed to honor a ceasefire and continued to target civilian neighborhoods.
• Syria Resumes Military Operation Against Terrorists in Idlib - Armed Forces Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- The Syrian army resumes military operation against terrorist groups in the country's Idlib province due to their failure to respect the ceasefire and the Russian-Turkish Sochi memorandum of 2018, the Syrian Armed Forces said in a statement on Monday.
• Astana members say no military solution for Syrian crisis IRNA 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran, Russia and Turkey said in a Joint Statement that the humanitarian crisis in Syria has no military solution.
• Militant Shelling in Idlib De-Escalation Zone Injures 4 Syrian Servicemen - Russian MoD Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- At least four Syrian servicemen were injured after militants attacked Idlib de-escalation zone, the Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria said on Sunday.
• Turkey calls on US to end support for Kurdish militants in northern Syria Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Turkey has strongly called on the United States to stop supporting a Kurdish militant group in northern Syria as Ankara and Washington held their latest round of talks on the issue aimed at preventing a fresh Turkish cross-border invasion into the Arab country.
• Kurdish Leader: Turkish Offensive Will Help Re-Emergence of IS in Syria VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- As tensions between Turkey and Syrian Kurds increase, the United States seeks to play a mediating role in order to keep the focus on combating the remnants of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, a senior Syrian-Kurdish official said.
• Iraqi Hashd al-Sha'abi forces cleanse areas in southern Nineveh of Daesh Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Members of the pro-government Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), known in Arabic as Hashd al-Sha'abi, have managed to cleanse more than a dozen villages in the southern part of the country's province of Nineveh during the third phase of a major offensive to hunt down remnants of the Daesh terrorist group.
• Haftar's airstrike in southern Libya kills 43, injures dozens Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Dozens of people have been killed in a drone strike carried out by forces loyal to Libyan renegade general Khalifa Haftar in the southwestern part of the African country, local officials say.
• Air Strike on Libyan Town of Murzuq Kills More Than 30 People - Reports Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, Libya's Mitiga airport, the only functioning airport in Tripoli, suspended air traffic after it was subject to an artillery bombardment.
• India strips Kashmir of autonomous status; Pakistan warns of 'all options' Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- The Indian government has scrapped the special autonomy status for the disputed region of Kashmir as part of attempts to fully integrate the Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country.
• U.S. Concerned By Events In Kashmir, UN Calls For Restraint RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- The United States says it is closely following events in Kashmir after India revoked the special status of the Indian-administered part of the Himalayan region.
• Indian Government Moves To Revoke Disputed Kashmir's Special Status RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- India's government has moved to revoke the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir after sending thousands of troops into the restive Himalayan region and cutting phone and Internet services in the region.
• Indian Military Put on High Alert After Revocation of Kashmir Special Status Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- The Indian Army and Air Force have been put on high alert in the state of Jammu and Kashmir following the government's move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to the state.
• India Sends 8,000 More Troops to Kashmir After State's Special Status Revoked - Reports Sputnik 05 Aug 2019 -- The Indian government on Monday sent at least 8,000 additional paramilitary troops to Jammu and Kashmir after the president revoked a constitutional article granting a special status to the contested state, NDTV broadcaster reported, citing sources.
• India Scraps Kashmir's Decades-Old Special Status Amid Massive Security Clampdown VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- In a far-reaching move, India's Hindu nationalist government has scrapped the special autonomous status given to Kashmir for decades, sparking fears of a backlash in its only Muslim-majority region.
• Pakistan Ready to Ensure Protection of Its People in Kashmir - Armed Forces Sputnik 06 Aug 2019 -- Pakistan has all necessary security provisions in place and is ready to ensure the protection of its people in Kashmir, Pakistani Armed Forces spokesman Asif Ghafoor said on Monday amid growing diplomatic escalation around the disputed region.
• UN Fact Finders Target Companies Selling Weapons to Myanmar Military Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2019 -- More than a dozen foreign companies, including state-owned companies in China, have been supplying weapons and other equipment used by the Myanmar military against ethnic minorities, a U.N. fact-finding mission said on Monday, as it called for an arms sales embargo against Naypyidaw.
• Fierce Fighting Drives Thousands of Myanmar Civilians From Homes in Rakhine's Minbya Township Radio Free Asia 05 Aug 2019 -- A fierce clash between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) has prompted thousands of civilians to flee their homes in 10 villages during exchanges of gunfire in war-stricken Rakhine state, leaving some trapped in the conflict zone, a regional lawmaker, military spokesman, and humanitarian workers said Monday.
• UN warns foreign firms against doing business with Myanmar army Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- The United Nations' investigators have urged foreign businesses and governments to sever ties with dozens of companies owned or controlled by Myanmar's military, which has carried out a campaign of ethnic cleansing, murder and rape of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, noting that such firms could be complicit in international crimes.
• Myanmar companies bankroll 'brutal operations' of military, independent UN experts claim in new report UN News 05 Aug 2019 -- Money earned by the Myanmar military from international and domestic business deals, "substantially enhances its ability to carry out gross violations of human rights with impunity" according to a report released on Monday by an independent United Nations group looking into military-business ties in the South East Asian country.
• Ukraine's Zelenskiy Names New Commander In Donbas Conflict Zone RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appointed Lieutenant-General Volodymyr Kravchenko to lead the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in eastern Ukraine where Kyiv has been fighting Moscow-backed separatists since 2014.

News Reports

• Sudanese Cautiously Cheer Power-Sharing Deal VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Sudan's Transitional Military Council and opposition coalition finalized a power-sharing agreement Sunday that aims to stabilize the country for the first time since the military ousted Omar al-Bashir in April after months of mass demonstrations.
• Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate The White House 05 Aug 2019
• FM Zarif says pre-JCPOA consensus impossible for US IRNA 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that Iran can develop its nuclear program far beyond the level it was agreed before the historic nuclear deal, but the other side can never reach the global consensus they had before clinching the deal.
• Zarif says Iran will thwart US maximum pressure IRNA 05 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that Iran relying on its national capabilities, Economy of Resistance and cooperation with others will thwart the US maximum pressures.
• Iranian spox says Zarif's role paramount to media IRNA 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran's government spokesman on Monday described the role of the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif as paramount to media in presenting Iran's real image.
• Iran says U.S. responsible for tension in region People's Daily 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday that the United States is responsible for tension in the Gulf region.
• AEOI: Iran to scale back nuclear commitments in 3rd phase 'in a month' Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran says it will take the third step in scaling back its commitments under a 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers "in a matter of a month" if European signatories to the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), continue to renege on their obligations.
• Chinese bank operating tankers to ship Iran oil: Report Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- A report in the financial times says oil tankers operated by China's Kunlun bank have been helping Iran's crude exports in defiance of US sanctions against Tehran.
• US sanctions against Iran's health sector crime against humanity: Health minister Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Minister of Health Saeed Namaki says sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran's health sector amount to crime against humanity.
• Iran's Zarif Says U.S. Sanctions On Him Highlight Washington's Diplomatic 'Failure' RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says sanctions imposed on him by the United States show Washington's "failure" to find a diplomatic solution to ease tensions in the Persian Gulf.
• Treasury Designates China as a Currency Manipulator US Treasury 05 Aug 2019 -- "The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 requires the Secretary of the Treasury to analyze the exchange rate policies of other countries. Under Section 3004 of the Act, the Secretary must "consider whether countries manipulate the rate of exchange between their currency and the United States dollar for purposes of preventing effective balance of payments adjustments or gaining unfair competitive advantage in international trade." Secretary Mnuchin, under the auspices of President Trump, has today determined that China is a Currency Manipulator."
• HK leader warns HK on verge of 'dangerous situation' Global Times 05 Aug 2019 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Monday she would not be stepping down and warned that the city of Hong Kong, which is now "full of bullying and maltreatment," is on the verge of a "very dangerous situation."
• Strikes jeopardize life in Hong Kong Global Times 05 Aug 2019 -- Life in Hong Kong was severely jeopardized by the "three strikes" campaign which started on Monday, after protests raged across the city over the weekend in a violent manner.
• Experts warn of broader, lasting economic damage as HK stocks plunge amid unrest Global Times 05 Aug 2019 -- Hong Kong's equity markets plummeted on Monday as civil unrest raged in the region and showed signs of escalation. One stock expert warned that Hong Kong's economy will be "trapped in a vicious circle" if the situation worsens.
• Central government strongly condemns flag-insulting acts by radicals in Hong Kong People's Daily 05 Aug 2019 -- A central government spokesperson on Sunday strongly condemned the egregious acts of flinging the Chinese national flag into the sea committed by some radical protesters in Hong Kong.
• Hong Kong leader warns protesters trying to 'destroy' city Press TV 05 Aug 2019 -- The chief executive of Hong Kong has warned that pro-democracy protesters are trying to "destroy" the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city as the financial hub is rocked by two months of rallies and clashes.
• Hong Kong Protest Blocks Traffic, Commerce as Police Respond VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Hong Kong's government struggled to quell a massive protest that morphed from a general strike into a fast moving, sometimes violent, multi-pronged fight against the government stretching from the city center to districts near mainland China.
• China ready to embark on a path of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation with the world People's Daily 05 Aug 2019 -- As an ancient Chinese litterateur wrote, "Time stops for no one, and the seasons keep changing." Over half of 2019 has passed in the blink of an eye, and the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has kept cleaving waves and forging ahead under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.
• General Strike Underway in Hong Kong, Leader Refuses to Resign VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- A general strike has paralyzed Hong Kong Monday, preventing people from getting to work and forcing cancellation of more than 200 flights.
• 3 Reasons China Cut Permits for Tourists Going to Taiwan VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- China's decision last week to stop issuing permits for independent tourists to Taiwan applies new economic pressure to their already strained relations, and analysts see three underlying reasons behind Beijing's move.
• Uganda Starts Largest-Ever Ebola Vaccine Trial VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Uganda has started its largest Ebola vaccine trial to date, health authorities announced Monday, in an apparent effort to prevent the disease from spreading.
• Johnson Shrugs Off Brexiters' Pleas for Electoral Pact VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Hard-line Brexiters are echoing U.S. President Donald Trump and urging Britain's new Conservative prime minister, Boris Johnson, to forge an electoral pact with Nigel Farage, the flamboyant Euroskeptic and friend of the American leader.
• UK Brexit minister says deal with Brussels possible if EU leaders allow fresh negotiations People's Daily 05 Aug 2019 -- A plea was made Sunday to Europe's top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to urge European Union leaders to re-open negotiations with Britain to avert a no-deal outcome.
• Filing Details Services for Ukrainian President in Runup to Election VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Washington-based lobbying firm Signal Group Consulting has filed documentation of services it provided to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington between April 3, 2019, and May 21, 2019, contradicting his claim that his campaign never employed foreign lobbyists.
• Kosovo Parliament To Disband This Month, Paving The Way For Early Vote RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- Kosovo's parliament is to hold an extraordinary session on August 22 to disband, allowing the country's president to announce early general elections.
• Bosnian Leaders Reach Deal On Cabinet Formation 10 Months After Vote RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- The leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina's three main parties have reached a deal to form a central government, ending a 10-month impasse since the Balkan country's elections in October 2018.
• Georgian Parliament Speaker Presents Amendments To Electoral Code RFE/RL 05 Aug 2019 -- The speaker of the Georgian parliament, Archil Talakvadze, has presented amendments to the constitution and the Electoral Code put forward by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
• Climate Change to Cause Chaos in Africa, Warn Scientists VOA 05 Aug 2019 -- Climate change will hit many African countries more severely than previously thought, according to a new report. Researchers warn that rapid population growth means more and more people will be affected by extreme weather events across the continent in the coming years.