Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Pentagon: Da'esh Slight Comeback Causing Stir in Region VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- A Pentagon report that the Islamic State terror group is making a resurgence in both Syria and Iraq is causing bit of a stir in the region, where most governments would like to see a definitive end to its saga.
• A Leading Afghan Presidential Candidate Suspends Campaign VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- A leading Afghan presidential candidate suspended his campaign Thursday, casting increasing doubt that the elections will be held as scheduled on Sept. 28.

Defense Policy / Programs

• USS Porter en Route to Black Sea NNS 08 Aug 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) began its north-bound transit to the Black Sea August 8, to enhance regional maritime stability and a show of support for our NATO allies and partners in the region.
• US Defense Secretary Esper in Mongolia to up pressure on Russia, China Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has traveled to Mongolia, a Eastern Asian country that plays a key role in America's policy to counter the growing influence of Russia and China in the Indo-Pacific region.
• US Air Force Grounds More Than 100 C-130 Transports Over 'Atypical' Joint Cracks Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The US Air Force has barred more than 100 of its C-130 Hercules transport aircraft from flying after "atypical cracks" were found on one of the aircraft's central wing joints.
• Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate The White House 08 Aug 2019
• Mystery Mission: US Air Force's Secret X-37B Space Plane Marks 700 Days in Orbit Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The US Air Force's X-37B military space plane, otherwise known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), has been zipping around Earth for 700 days, and yet the Air Force remains mum about what the mysterious aircraft is up to.
• USAF X-37B Military Space Plane's Mystery Mission Circling Earth Hits 700 Days Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The robotic X-37B launched its fifth and latest mission, known as Orbital Test Vehicle 5 (OTV-5), hitting the 700-day mark, and is just a few weeks short of breaking the vehicle's spaceflight-duration record.
• NATO Secretary General concludes visit to Australia and New Zealand NATO 08 Aug 2019 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg paid his respects at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Thursday (8 August 2019), concluding an official visit to Australia and New Zealand.
• Australia Renews NATO Ties to Fight Cyber Crime, Boost Maritime Security VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Australia has signed a new partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that creates a framework for stronger cooperation amid rising global tensions.
• Explosion at Russian military site kills 2, injures 7 Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- An explosion at a military testing site has left two people dead and seven others injured in northern Russia.
• Radiation Spike Reported After Deadly Rocket-Engine Blast In Russia RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- Two people were killed and six injured in an explosion and fire at a military unit in Russia's northwestern Arkhangelsk region, the Defense Ministry said, while a rise in radiation levels was reported in a nearby city.
• Blast at Russian Military Base Kills 2, Injures Others VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Two people were killed Thursday when a missile engine exploded at a military base in northern Russia.
• Royal Navy Vessel Shadows Advanced Russian Warship in English Channel Again Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- While the UK has repeatedly expressed concern over Russian warships routinely passing through the English Channel, Russia's Defence Ministry has underscored that the vessels sail through the area in strict accordance with international norms and regulations.
• RAF Typhoons scramble from UK and Estonia to intercept Russian aircraft UK MOD 08 Aug 2019 -- The Typhoon fighter jets demonstrated the sizable scope of the Royal Air Force's (RAF) contribution to European security after scrambling from two locations in two separate incidents on the same day.
• Chinese Air Force flies new version of fighter bomber Global Times 08 Aug 2019 -- The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force is now flying a new type of warplane that is based on the JH-7 fighter bomber, which Chinese military experts said is likely to have enhanced flight performance and firepower compared to its predecessors.
• Chinese, Lao militaries to have joint medical rescue drill Global Times 08 Aug 2019 -- A medical contingent from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will visit Laos on a 14-day humanitarian medical rescue joint training and provide medical services for locals from Aug 13 to 26.
• China's New Export Tank to Be Upgraded With Active Protection System Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The VT-5, a made-for-export version of the People's Liberation Army's new ZTQ-15 light tank, will be equipped with an active protection system that can shoot down incoming projectiles, according to a China Central Television report last week.
• China Working on Bomber-Based Hypersonic Capability to 'Paralyse Enemy in Minutes' - Report Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- China is one of the handful of countries in the world with an active hypersonic weapons program, with the arms designed to circumvent all existing enemy air defence technologies and to reach their targets much faster than conventional ballistic missiles.
• German Agency Accidentally Spills State Secrets About Luftwaffe Defence Order Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The operational status of the German air force has been the subject of severe criticism in recent weeks, with Luftwaffe chief Ingo Gerhartz recently admitting that the Luftwaffe was at a historical "low point."
• Bundeswehr Crisis: Germany Grounds All 'Tiger' Helicopters Amid String of Technical Mishaps Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Earlier this week, Hans-Peter Bartels, chief of the German parliament's defence committee, said that the country's navy is running out of combat vessels, while German air force chief of staff Ingo Gerhartz admitted that currently, "the Luftwaffe is at a low point".
• Indian Su-30MKI Fighter Jet Crashes in Country's Northeast Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Both pilots managed to eject from the plane, but sustained injuries and were taken to hospital, local media have reported.
• Iraq Purchasing Russian S-400 Systems Would Require Parliament Approval - Lawmaker Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- A potential purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems by Iraq would require an approval of the country's parliament, but Iraq does not need such a weapon at present, Iraqi Council of Representatives member Sarkawt Shamsulddin said.
• Experts: US-South Korea Pare Military Exercises as North Korea Remains Threat VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Dialing back annual joint summer U.S.-South Korea military drills runs counter to North Korea's continued missile launches and lack of denuclearization, said experts pointing to the computer simulation training unaccompanied by field combat exercises that is underway.
• Department Press Briefing – August 8, 2019 US Dept. of State 08 Aug 2019

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 8, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 8 August 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Aug 2019
• In wake of 'collapsed' agreement, new wave of violence threatens millions in Syria's Idlib UN News 08 Aug 2019 -- Following the collapse of the latest truce in Idlib at the start of this week, the Senior Humanitarian Adviser to the UN's Syria Envoy urged Member States on Thursday to increase their support for "critical humanitarian needs" in the country's last opposition-held enclave.
• US Promises Parts of Security Deal for NE Syria to Move 'Rapidly' VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- The United States is promising a new agreement with Turkey will help ease tensions and alleviate Ankara's concerns in northeastern Syria, even as Turkish officials accuse Washington of letting prior agreements stall.
• Syrian govt. forces liberate more areas in Hama province from terrorists' grip Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Syrian army soldiers, backed by fighters from allied popular defense groups, have liberated more areas in the country's west-central province of Hama from the clutches of foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists, tightening the noose around the extremists operating in the region.
• Militants Breach Ceasefire in Idlib Zone 46 Times in Past 24 Hours - Russian Military Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone continues to deteriorate as the illegal armed groups operating in the area violated the ceasefire regime 46 times in the past 24 hours, the head of the Russian centre for Syrian reconciliation said Thursday.
• Militants Fire 4 Rockets at Hmeimim Airbase, No Damage Sustained - Russian Military Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Syrian militants on Thursday fired four rockets from a multiple-launch rocket system in the direction of Russia's Hmeimim airbase, no damages or casualties were sustained as the rockets hit a nearby village, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
• Damascus Slams US-Turkey Safe Zone Deal as 'Blatant Attack' on Syria's Sovereignty - State Media Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, the Turkish Defence Ministry said in a statement that Ankara and Washington had agreed to create a centre to coordinate joint operations and the formation of a 'safe zone' in northern Syria.
• Turkey, US agree on establishment of safe zone in northern Syria Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- After heated negotiations, Turkey and the US agreed on the creation of Turkey's long-awaited demand, a safe zone at the Syrian northern border.
• Turkey says will not allow any delay in Syria 'safe zone' Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey will not allow any delay in the process of establishing a so-called safe zone in northern Syria, where US-backed Kurdish militants are based, much to Ankara's dismay.
• Syria slams US-Turkish safe zone deal as 'blatant aggression' against its sovereignty Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Damascus has rejected as "blatant aggression" a recent deal between the US and Turkey on the creation of a so-called safe zone in the northern part of Syria, where Washington-sponsored Kurdish militants have been active to Ankara's dismay.
• Turkish Airstrikes Against PKK Not Coordinated With Baghdad - Iraqi Lawmaker Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Turkey's operations in northern Iraq against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are not coordinated with Baghdad, Sarkawt Shamsulddin, a member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives said.
• Pakistan Says Not Seeking Military Option With India Over Kashmir VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Pakistan has suspended the only passenger rail service with India and banned the screening of Indian movies in the country's theaters, a day after downgrading relations with New Delhi for its "illegal" revocation of the constitutional autonomy of Kashmir.
• Guterres appeals for 'maximum restraint' over Jammu and Kashmir, as tensions rise UN News 08 Aug 2019 -- The UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for 'maximum restraint' over the territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, which has been disputed by India and Pakistan, since the end of British rule in the late 1940s.
• India, Pakistan 'clash in Kashmir' at delicate moment Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Violent clashes have reportedly erupted between Indian and Pakistani troops along the border in Kashmir, a significant escalation at a time of already high tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.
• Pakistan's Attorney General Considering Taking Kashmir Matter to ICJ – Foreign Ministry Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The Pakistani attorney general is examining the possibility of challenging India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir state in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on Thursday.
• Pakistan Rules Out Using 'Military Option' in Kashmir to Counter Indian Decision Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Tensions between the two nuclear-armed foes have reached a boiling point following India's decision to strip the state of Jammu and Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, of its semi-autonomy.
• Pakistan 'not looking at military option' over Kashmir row Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Pakistan says it has not been looking at a military option over Kashmir after arch-rival India scrapped its decades-old special constitutional status for the Muslim-majority region this week.
• India's Modi Says Lifting Kashmir's Special Status Will Help End Terrorism RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- Stripping Indian-administered Kashmir of its special status will allow New Delhi to rid the region of "terrorism and separatism," the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, alleging that Pakistan used the past arrangement as a "weapon" against India.
• India's Modi Brands Abolished Article 370 as Pakistani 'Tool', Source of Graft and Terrorism Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- The Indian prime minister says that Article 370 was used to bar Kashmiri youth from enjoying the same benefits as their peers in other parts of the country, and that that provision only led to terrorism and corruption.
• India Urges Pakistan to Reconsider Decision to Downgrade Diplomatic Ties, Halt Trade Amid Kashmir Row Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Earlier, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced that it had expelled an Indian envoy and will not send its envoy to Delhi. Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria and Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia were summoned by Pakistani foreign ministry and informed about the decision to expel Indian envoy to Pakistan.
• Indian PM Vows to Spur Kashmir Development After Scrapping Special Status VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- As Indian Kashmir remained in an unprecedented lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised Kashmiris the beginning of a "new era" as a result of his government's decision to scrap the region's special status and bring it under New Delhi's control.
• Three Myanmar Military, Arakan Army Clashes Leave Casualties on Both Sides Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2019 -- Three clashes between government troops and the ethnic Arakan Army in three townships in Myanmar's war-stricken western region on Wednesday left several casualties and wounded soldiers on both sides, though the opponents dispute the exact numbers.
• Myanmar Nationalists Look to Stoke Anti-US Anger over Travel Bans against Military VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Former lieutenant colonel Hla Swe wore camouflage fatigues as he mounted a stage in front of protesters in Myanmar's main city of Yangon last week to begin an anti-U.S. diatribe.
• US, Ukraine Diplomats: West Underestimated Russian Threat in 2008 VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Eleven years after Russian tanks rolled through a mountain tunnel in the Greater Caucasus mountains to invade neighboring Georgia, State Department officials say the U.S. underestimated the geopolitical implications for all of Western Europe.
• Abbas tells US lawmakers he won't accept American 'dictates' Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmoud Abbas has slammed Israel for "insisting on destroying" agreements with Palestinians, saying he will not accept "dictates" from the US administration, which has been unilaterally pushing a controversial plan on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• China Raises Reward for Informants in Tibet Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2019 -- Chinese authorities in Tibet are offering large cash rewards to informants in a bid to stamp out online activities considered threatening to Beijing's control over the restive Himalayan region, with amounts paid out now tripled over amounts offered last year, sources say.

News Reports

• Trump Names Counterterrorism Chief as Acting Director of National Intelligence VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has wiped the slate clean at the nation's lead intelligence agency. Trump accepted the resignation Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon late Thursday, less than two weeks after announcing the agency's director, Dan Coats, would also be leaving.
• SSCI Vice Chair Mark R. Warner on Sue Gordon office of Senator Warner 08 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement on the departure of Sue Gordon, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, effective August 15
• US immigration agents arrest 680 workers at food plants Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- US immigration authorities have arrested nearly 700 mostly Latino workers at seven food processing plants across the southern state of Mississippi, the largest workplace raid in at least a decade.
• UN Human Rights Chief 'Deeply Worried' New US Sanctions Will Hurt Venezuelans VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- The U.N. human rights chief says she is "deeply worried" the new U.S. sanctions on Venezuela's regime are too broad and will make things worse for the suffering population.
• UN rights chief bemoans unilateral sanctions on Venezuela, fearing 'far-reaching implications' UN News 08 Aug 2019 -- A new set of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela this week prompted the concern of the United Nations' top rights official on Thursday, who said in a statement that she feared they would have a "potentially severe impact" on the human rights of the South American nation's "long-suffering" people.
• Venezuelan government cancels talks with opposition to protest US asset freeze Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Venezuela has canceled its participation in a round of talks with the United States-backed opposition in protest at a move by Washington to freeze all Venezuelan government assets in America.
• China raps Bolton's Venezuela comments, urges US to stop bullying others Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- China has lashed out at the US for warning Beijing over its support for Venezuela, urging Washington to stop its bullying actions across the world.
• Russia, Venezuela Sign Protocol Facilitating Rosneft's Activities at Venezuelan Gas Fields Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Russia and Venezuela have signed a protocol on facilitating Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft's activities at two gas fields on the Latin American country's shelf.
• Russian Citizen Detained Planning Alleged Sabotage At Ukraine Military Site RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- Ukraine's SBU security service says it has detained a Russian man on suspicion of preparing an act of sabotage at a "strategically important military site."
• Police Raid Offices Of Members Of Navalny Foundation RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- A Russian human rights group says police have raided the offices of three employees of an NGO led by Russian anti-corruption activist and Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny.
• As Police Crack Down on Moscow Protesters, Activists Work to ID Them VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- It was just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 2018 inauguration that the footage appeared online: a coterie of men clad in unmarked military garb chasing down and beating anti-Kremlin protesters as riot police passively looked on.
• Jon Huntsman, US Ambassador to Russia, Resigns VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will resign from his post effective Oct. 3 – capping a tumultuous two-year tenure in Moscow defined by sinking bilateral relations, despite efforts to stem the damage.
• DPRK Premier Inspects Several Units in Tanchon and Komdok Areas KCNA 08 Aug 2019 -- Kim Jae Ryong, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, member of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and premier of the Cabinet, inspected factories, enterprises and mines in Tanchon and Komdok areas.
• DPRK Premier Inspects Samjiyon County KCNA 08 Aug 2019 -- Kim Jae Ryong, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, member of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and premier of the Cabinet, inspected Samjiyon County.
• Iran's defense chief says US coalition to cause regional insecurity IRNA 08 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Defense Minister said on Thursday that the security of the Persian Gulf could be merely maintained by the regional states in the region, adding that the alliance the US is seeking to form will only cause insecurity.
• Iran cannot be bullied, dialog sole solution to problems: First VP Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Iran's first vice president strictly discourages use of bullying as a method by whoever, who chooses to deal with the Islamic Republic, reiterating the country's stance that dialog is the only way out of all standing tensions.
• War on Iran will expose Israel to full-scale threat: IRGC chief Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States is not interested in waging war on Iran since it knows that any such confrontation would expose the Israeli regime to "full-scale threat."
• Trump Criticizes Macron For Sending 'Mixed Signals' To Iran RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of sending "mixed signals" to Iran over possible talks with Washington.
• Trump Bashes Macron for Sending Iran 'Mixed Signals' Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Tensions between the US and Iran have remained strained since Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and subsequent oil tanker seizures.
• China Demands US Diplomats Stop Meddling in Hong Kong's Affairs VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- China has demanded that U.S. diplomats based in Hong Kong stop meddling in matters involving the city after a diplomat reportedly met with pro-democracy activists.
• Support for police prevails in Hong Kong Global Times 08 Aug 2019 -- Campaigns that support the Hong Kong police are gaining momentum across this protest-hit city, as chaos triggered by violent protesters is brewing.
• Hong Kong's most urgent task is to stop violence, end chaos, restore order People's Daily 08 Aug 2019 -- The most pressing and overriding task of Hong Kong is to stop violence, end the chaos and restore order, a central government official said here Wednesday.
• China urges US to stop sending wrong signals to Hong Kong separatists Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- China has filed stern representations with the United States, urging US officials to stop sending wrong signals to "violent separatists" in the international financial hub.
• Hong Kong Police Release Student Leader, Who Goes Straight to Hospital Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2019 -- The head of a Hong Kong college student body has been released without charge, two days after being arrested on suspicion of carrying "offensive weapons" after he bought a pack of laser pointers.
• Hong Kong Police Deploy Anti-Riot Armored Trucks Fitted With 'Sonic Cannons' Sputnik 08 Aug 2019 -- Two of the Hong Kong Police Force's Unimog U5000 armored trucks, equipped with "sonic cannons," were seen amidst clouds of tear gas towards the tail end of Monday night's fierce clashes between police and anti-extradition legislation protesters in a popular Hong Kong shopping district.
• Taiwan faces tougher mainland measures Global Times 08 Aug 2019 -- After the suspension of individual tourists and retreat from film festival, experts warned of possible following measures in economic cooperation by the Chinese mainland if the cross-Straits relations continue to worsen, which will inflict a heavy loss on the Taiwan economy.
• Ex-PM Sharif's daughter arrested in Pakistan's graft probe Press TV 08 Aug 2019 -- Pakistan's anti-corruption authorities have detained opposition leader and daughter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
• Pakistani Opposition Leader Maryam Nawaz Detained RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- Pakistani opposition leader Maryam Nawaz was arrested on August 8 by the country's anti-corruption National Accountability Bureau (NAB), officials and a spokeswoman for her party said.
• Steps taken to end Saudi 'guardianship' system for women, 'encouraging' start UN News 08 Aug 2019 -- Allowing Saudi women to apply for passports and travel without their guardians' permission is "an encouraging move" towards the "complete abolition of the 'guardianship' system," independent United Nations rights experts said on Thursday, but more action is needed to fully dismantle these restrictions.
• Ebola Fears Slow Crossings at Rwanda-DRC Border VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Witnesses say fears of the Ebola virus have brought border traffic between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to a virtual standstill. Long lines and lengthy delays at the border crossings have left many traders frustrated, but officials say health checks are necessary to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
• 19 Dead in Resurgence of Mexican Drug Cartel Intimidation Killings VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- Mexican authorities found 19 bodies Thursday in western Mexico, apparent casualties of a drug turf war. The killings contrast with years of gangs hiding their hits, recalling instead past drug wars, when criminal groups dumped piles of bodies on the streets as overt warnings to authorities and rival drug gangs.
• World food security increasingly at risk due to 'unprecedented' climate change impact, new UN report warns UN News 08 Aug 2019 -- More than 500 million people today live in areas affected by erosion linked to climate change, the UN warned on Thursday, before urging all countries to commit to sustainable land use to help limit greenhouse gas emissions before it is too late.
• Land Use Key to Reducing - or Accelerating - Climate Change, Says UN VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- The way we use land could be the key to adapting to climate change – or the final nail in the planet's coffin, according to a landmark climate assessment from the United Nations on Thursday.
• Lebanese Businessman Tied by Treasury Department to Hezbollah is Sentenced to Prison for Money Laundering Scheme Involving the Evasion of U.S. Sanctions US Dept. of Justice 08 Aug 2019 -- The operator of a network of businesses in Lebanon and Africa whom the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated as a financier of Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terrorist group, was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to forfeit $50 million by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton of the District of Columbia.
• After Night Of Bloodshed, Kyrgyz Police Regroup And Arrest Atambaev RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- After almost 24 hours of bloodshed, death, and tense confrontations with state security forces, former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev simply walked out of his house and into a police van to end the violent standoff.
• Analysis: Both Sides Lose In The Battle Outside Bishkek RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- The battle of words that waged for months between current Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov and his predecessor, Almazbek Atambaev, turned into an armed battle at Atambaev's residence outside the capital, Bishkek, during the evening of August 7.
• Thailand's Fugitive Ex-Prime Minister Gets Serbian Citizenship RFE/RL 08 Aug 2019 -- Serbia has granted citizenship to Thailand's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who fled the Southeastern Asian country nearly two years ago to avoid prosecution.
• Zimbabwean Bank Alleges Loan Defaults by 26 Public Figures VOA 08 Aug 2019 -- The Zimbabwean president's son, a former first lady and 24 prominent politicians are accused of abusing their positions to acquire loans without collateral from a leading bank in the southern African country.