05 September 2019 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

NATO: Two Soldiers Killed in Kabul; Taliban Claims Suicide Blast VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- NATO-led military alliance says an American soldier and a Romanian soldier were killed "in action" Thursday in Kabul, Afghanistan, raising the number of U.S. military fatalities to 16 this year.
Afghan intelligence director quits amid rising civilian deaths Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- The head of Afghanistan's intelligence service has stepped down following a deadly operation by government forces that left four brothers dead in eastern Afghanistan.
Ghani Accepts Afghan Security Chief's Resignation, Vows 'Zero Tolerance For Civilian Casualties' RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- President Ashraf Ghani says he has "regretfully" accepted the resignation of the head of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency after four members of a family were killed in an operation in the country's east.
Taliban Claims Deadly Bomb Attack In Kabul; Two NATO Troops Killed RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- At least 12 people have been killed -- including a U.S. and a Romanian soldier -- and dozens more injured when a car bomb struck a checkpoint on September 5 in a neighborhood of Kabul that houses the embassies, government buildings, and local NATO headquarters.
Afghan Civil War to Rage On Despite US-Taliban 'Peace' Deal - Analysts Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Perpetual Conflict

Guardsmen Ready to Respond to Hurricane Dorian DoD News 05 Sep 2019 -- National Guardsmen all along the East Coast are on duty, ready to do what needs to be done in response to Hurricane Dorian, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said.

Defense Policy / Programs

US Defunds Projects From Bases in Turkey, Poland to Fund Border Wall - Pentagon Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- The United States has diverted $3.6 billion in military funds from construction projects at home and from bases abroad, the US Department of Defense revealed in a list of defunded projects.

Secretary of Defense Esper Media Engagement En Route to EUCOM DoD 05 Sep 2019 -- Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper
Secretary Names Navy's Newest Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship Cody NNS 05 Sep 2019 -- Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer has announced the newest Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ship will be named USNS Cody (T-EPF 14).
Cyber stars: JAF, US partnership foils attacks during EL19 CENTCOM 05 Sep 2019 -- It wasn't part of the plan, but the team faced down the bad guys when they came knocking. Twice. And twice they foiled them, protecting the participants of Exercise Eager Lion 19 from real-world threats.
USS Wasp Departs 7th Fleet NNS 05 Sep 2019 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) departed U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations as part of a scheduled homeport shift Sept. 4.
US Air Force's F-22, F-35 Jets Unlikely to Hit Readiness Targets Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Lt. Gen. Mark Kelly, the US Air Force's deputy chief of staff for operations, recently told eventgoers at the 2019 Defense News Conference that neither the F-22 Raptor nor the ever-troubled F-35A Lightning II will be meeting readiness requirements previously established by former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
US Sends B-52 Bombers to Europe for Ample Strike NATO Exercise - Pentagon Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- A US B-52 Stratofortress bomber has arrived in the United Kingdom for the NATO's Cobra Warrior exercise and other drills, the Department of Defence said in a press release.
Boom or Bust? US' New Nuclear Bomb Program Encounters Significant Delay Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Two massive update programs for bombs in the US nuclear arsenal will be delivered late. The weapons are just part of a huge arsenal overhaul that's reaching maturity just as the US steps back from key arms limitation treaties and weighs the use of nuclear weapons in future wars.
Cyber Ops to Gain Speed, Accuracy From AI DoD News 05 Sep 2019 -- Artificial intelligence will play a key role in assisting cyber operators to make speedier and more accurate decisions, Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, director, Defense Department's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center said while participating in a panel at the 10th Annual Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Washington yesterday.

Joint press statements by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon NATO 05 Sep 2019 -- President Dodon,
NATO Ships Visit New York NNS 05 Sep 2019 -- Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) ships visited New York Aug. 30-Sept. 3 after successfully conducting a series of training events at sea in the Virginia Capes operating area.

Russia will make missiles previously banned under INF : Putin Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will develop missiles previously banned under a Cold War-era nuclear pact with the US, known as Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), but Moscow will not deploy them unless Washington does so first.
Putin: Russia To Produce Previously Banned Missiles, Deploy Them Only If U.S. Does RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia will produce missiles banned until last month when a treaty forbidding them ended but would deploy them only if the United States did.
Military Mi-8 Helicopter Crashes in Saratov Region, Russia Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- According to the local emergency services, the incident occurred near the town of Sokolovy, which is located 15 km from Saratov.

Cabinet passes bill for NT$250 billion F-16 budget CNA 05 Sep 2019 -- Taiwan's Cabinet passed a draft bill Thursday that paves the way for the purchase of a new fleet of advanced F-16 fighter jets from the United States at a cost of NT$250 billion (US$8.08 billion) to boost its defense capabilities amid the rising threat from China.

Nuclear-armed states can't tell Turkey not to have nukes: Turkey Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says nuclear-armed states cannot forbid Ankara from acquiring nuclear weapons, amid a row with the US over Ankara's purchase of Russian military hardware.
Erdogan Says He Cannot Accept Other States' Claims That Turkey 'Can't' Have Nukes Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- The country is currently a signatory to two international treaties prohibiting it from developing and testing nuclear weapons. At the same time, two of Turkey's regional neighbours, Israel and Iran, are suspected of either possessing or developing such weapons, although no solid evidence proving this has ever been presented.

Poland Files Request for US Anti-Tank Missiles, Hercules Transport Planes Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Poland recently requested to buy American anti-tank missiles and military transport aircraft from the US.

Russia Offers Joint Development of Submarine With Air-Independent Propulsion to India Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Russia has offered to jointly design and develop submarines for the Indian Navy on the basis of an inter-governmental agreement.
India's Light Utility Helicopter Clears High Weather Tests in Himalayas Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- While the country's 1.5 million armed personnel have for years been waiting for a replacement of the military's aging light helicopters, India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) announced that its Light Utility Helicopter succeeded in high altitude capability tests on Thursday.
India Will Not Take Military Steps to Protect Its Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz - Prime Minister Modi Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- The comments by the Indian prime minister come amid an increasingly escalating situation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz following a series of oil tanker incidents there that the US and its allies have unfoundedly blamed on Iran.
India Set to Buy $3 Billion Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft From US Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- In a bid to boost its naval surveillance capabilities, the Indian Defence Ministry is expected to give its go ahead to purchase 10 Boeing maritime patrol aircraft worth $3 billion in the coming week.

RFA Mounts Bay conducts successful casualty evacuation and search and rescue mission UK MOD 05 Sep 2019 -- The Royal Navy Wildcat deployed with RFA Mounts Bay in the Caribbean has rescued a British citizen who had been trapped beneath rubble for several days on Great Abaco Island.

Iran's defense, security power impenetrable, invincible: IRGC cmdr. Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the country's military and security power is impenetrable and invincible, adding that the country's enemies are aware of this fact.

Ukraine Probes Motor Sich Defense Firm For 'Subversion' RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) is investigating defense firm Motor Sich for allegedly preparing a "subversive act" by supplying military hardware to Russia, the agency has told RFE/RL.

Defense Industry

Contracts For Sept. 5, 2019

Other Conflicts

5 September 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Sep 2019

Philippine President Duterte Reveals He Decided Not to Demand Answer on South China Sea From Xi Jinping Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Rodrigo Duterte travelled to China last week to meet President Xi Jinping and discuss the joint development of offshore oil and gas resources. However, the South China Sea dispute came up, including the 2016 arbitral ruling that concluded there was no legal basis for China's historical claims to certain areas of the waters.

US reaches out to Houthis to end war as Saudi struggles Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- The United States says it has reached out to the Houthi Ansarullah movement to work out a way to the ongoing conflict in Yemen, where the Houthis have managed to push back against a deadly military aggression by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies for over four years.
US Talking with Iranian-Backed Houthi Rebels to End War in Yemen, Report Says VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- A top U.S. diplomat says the United States is holding talks with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to try end the fighting in Yemen, which has killed thousands of civilians.
War Plagues Yemen, Then Come the Locusts VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- A crippling war drags on in Yemen and nature has taken its place in the fight. Swarms of red desert locusts have been spotted flying through Sana'a skies, threatening what is left of Yemeni agricultural production, and adding to the country's already acute food insecurity.
Yemeni forces launch drone attacks on military sites in Saudi airbase Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Yemeni army troopers, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have hit military sites in Saudi Arabia's southwestern region of Asir, using a squadron of domestically-manufactured Qasef-2K (Striker-2K) combat drones.
Yemeni retaliatory attacks kill, injure 30 Saudi mercs near Jizan Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Yemeni armed force have conducted retaliatory missile and rocket attacks near Saudi Arabia's southwestern Jizan city, killing and injuring more than 30 Riyah-led mercenaries.
Saudi Arabia follows up latest developments in Aden, stresses any attempt to destabilize Yemen is a threat to its security and stability SPA 05 Sep 2019 -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia follows up the latest developments and events in Aden and Yemen's southern governorates, as it expresses its complete rejection of the recent escalation and the course of events their consequences, and the failure to respond to its previous call to cease the escalation and move towards dialogue.
Report Issued by the Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts in Yemen Lacks Objectivity and Impartiality, Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Reports SPA 05 Sep 2019 -- The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen was briefed on a report of the group of eminent international and regional experts in Yemen which was issued on 3rd, September, 2019, where Colonel Turki bin Saleh Al-Malki, Spokesman of the coalition, stated that the fallacies and accusations against the coalition in this report are only a continuation of the fallacies and accusations contained in the previous report in 2018.
Command of Joint Forces of Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Intercepting and Shooting Down a Drone Launched by Iranian-backed Houthi Terrorist Militia Towards the Kingdom SPA 05 Sep 2019 -- The Official Spokesman of the Joint Forces of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, stated that the coalition forces managed on Thursday noon to intercept and shoot down a drone launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia towards civilian facilities in Khamis Mushayt.
UAE Forces Arrive in Yemen's Aden to Support Southern Separatists Amid Tensions - Source Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Additional UAE military forces have arrived in Yemen's interim capital of Aden, where fighting between forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) is underway, to support the southern separatists, a source from the Aden provincial authorities told Sputnik on Thursday.

Terrorists use Western-designed drones to attack Russian base in Syria: Deputy FM Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- A Russian deputy foreign minister says expert estimates demonstrate that terrorists in Syria are employing Western-designed drones to launch attacks against Russian facilities in the Arab country.
Terrorists in Syria Use Western Designed Drones to Attack Russian Facilities - Moscow Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Expert estimates indicate that terrorists in Syria are using western-designed drones to attack Russian facilities, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said on Thursday.
Crop yields are up in Syria, but higher prices still cause major strain: new UN report UN News 05 Sep 2019 -- A new UN report on Thursday shows that while improved security and rainfall across Syria's farming areas have boosted the country's harvests, higher prices mean that many citizens are still struggling to feed their families.

Erdogan: We may unleash refugee influx if EU, US don't provide more support Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Turkey's president says his country may be forced to stop preventing refugee flow into Europe if the European Union and the United States do not act to provide Ankara with more support towards retaining them.
Erdogan: Turkey Will Be 'Forced to Open Gates' for Syrian Refugees to Europe Unless Receives Global Support Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Earlier this year, the Turkish president said that his country had spent $35 billion on hosting about 4 million Syrian refugees under a deal with the European Union, which he accused of failing to comply with the agreement.

Iraqi Hashd al-Sha'abi forms Air Force Directorate amid Israeli airstrikes Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Iraqi pro-government Popular Mobilization Units have announced the formation of their own Air Force Directorate after government probes revealed that the Israeli regime could be behind several attacks on the bases of the volunteer forces.

Myanmar Army Suspected in Torching of Rakhine Village Radio Free Asia 05 Sep 2019 -- A village with more than 50 households in Myanmar's strife-torn Rakhine state was torched by government soldiers on Wednesday and Thursday, the latest in at least six such burnings in recent weeks a local witness and a spokesman for the Arakan Army told RFA's Myanmar Service.

Kyiv Court Releases MH17 'Person Of Interest,' Putin Says Prisoner Swap Deal Near Completion RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- A court in Kyiv has released Volodymyr Tsemakh, a "person of interest" to investigators in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) five years ago, as Russian President Vladimir Putin said a prisoner swap with Ukraine is nearing completion.
Observers Cry Foul Over Kyiv's Release of Key Witness in Flight MH17 Probe VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- Some Western observers are criticizing a Ukrainian court's decision Thursday to release Volodymyr Tsemakh, a "person of interest" in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) five years ago.

US Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Talks Leaving White House VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- Jason Greenblatt, U.S. President Donald Trump's top envoy for talks between Israel and the Palestinians, said Thursday he will soon leave the White House even though no date has been set for the release of a U.S. peace plan for the region.

Cameroon Sends Military to Troubled CAR VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- Cameroon is dispatching more than a thousand troops to help bring peace to its troubled neighbor, the Central African Republic. The troops are leaving as analysts say they are already stretched handling such internal crises as piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, the Boko Haram insurgency and the separatist crisis that has left at least 3,000 killed in three years.

Residents say Indian-administered Kashmir still far from normal Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Residents in Indian-administered Kashmir are resisting attempts by authorities to show some signs of normalcy returning to the Muslim-majority valley, a month after New Delhi government scrapped disputed Himalayan region's autonomy.

Security forces kill six militants in shootout in central Egypt: Ministry Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Egyptian security forces have killed six militants of a terror outfit in the African country, the interior ministry says.

News Reports

Russian and Italian Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets From American Aviation Company US Dept. of Justice 05 Sep 2019 -- A Russian national and an Italian national have been charged in the United States with conspiring and attempting to steal trade secrets from an American aviation company.

S.Korean PM calls for early resumption of DPRK-U.S. working-level talks People's Daily 05 Sep 2019 -- South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Thursday called for an early resumption of working-level talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States to settle lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea tells UN to cut international aid staff: Report Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- North Korea has reportedly asked the United Nations (UN) to reduce the number of the international staff it deploys in the country by the end of the year due to the failure of the world body's programs.
Hundreds of North Korean Workers Return Home From Vladivostok Airport Radio Free Asia 05 Sep 2019 -- A large number of North Korean workers are returning home from Vladivostok, Russia, where they had been deployed for the past three months to earn foreign currency for the North Korean regime while getting paid several times what they could doing the same jobs in their home country.
Vice-Chairman of C.C., WPK Meets Chinese FM KCNA 05 Sep 2019 -- Ri Su Yong, member of the Political Bureau and vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), met and had a talk with Wang Yi, state councilor and foreign minister of the People's Republic of China, who paid a courtesy call on him on Wednesday.

Europeans Urge Iran Not To Step Away From Nuclear Commitments RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- European powers are calling on Iran to refrain from any action that contravenes its commitments to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal, after Tehran warned it will lift all limits on its development of centrifuges to speed up uranium enrichment.
Moscow Weighing Boost To Iran's Oil Sector, Russian Minister Says RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak says Moscow is weighing efforts to boost support for embattled Iran's oil industry, which is currently the target of crippling U.S. sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran to negotiate new curbs on its nuclear and missile programs.
Zarif Tells Mogherini Iran to Continue JCPOA Talks Despite Further Reducing Obligations Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent on Thursday a letter to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini expressing readiness to continue the talks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the remaining signatories, despite proceeding to the third stage of rolling down its obligations under the deal.
Iranian compliance with the nuclear deal: UK statement, 5 September 2019 UK FCO 05 Sep 2019 -- Iran has announced its intention to further reduce its level of compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA).
Rouhani: Iran to develop centrifuges for faster uranium enrichment from Sept. 6 Global Times 05 Sep 2019 -- Iran on Wednesday said it would take another step away from a 2015 nuclear deal by starting to develop centrifuges to speed up its uranium enrichment but it also gave European powers two more months to try to save the multilateral pact.
Iran to declare its 3rd JCPOA step to EU chief within hours: Zarif IRNA 05 Sep 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that he will officially declare the implementation of third nuclear deal step to High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini within hours.
Pres. Rouhani stresses Iran's will to take 3rd JCPOA step on Friday IRNA 05 Sep 2019 -- President Hassan Rouhani has stressed Iran's determination to take the third step towards reducing Iran's obligations to the Joint Comprehensive of Plan of Action(JCPOA) on Friday.
Pres. Rouhani stresses Iran's will to take 3rd JCPOA step on Friday IRNA 05 Sep 2019 -- President Hassan Rouhani has announced Iran will start the implementation of the third step of its plan to reduce compliance with the JCPOA on Friday.
Tehran's stance based on saving JCPOA: Araghchi IRNA 05 Sep 2019 -- Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Iran agrees with the EU in saving JCPOA and the country is interested to join the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX).
Iran's third JCPOA step reversible like previous ones: Zarif Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the upcoming third phase of Iran's nuclear countermeasures has been so devised to be reversible, as is the case with its previous nuclear responses, if Europe meets its nuclear commitments towards Tehran.
Seven Of Seized British Tanker's 23 Crew Members Leave Iran RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- The owner of a British-flagged oil tanker that has been in Iranian custody since July says seven crew members of the Stena Impero have been released by Iran and "are now traveling to a safe location."
IRGC cmdr says enemy not aware of Iran's full extend of power IRNA 05 Sep 2019 -- The IRGC commander Major General Hussein Salami said today's Revolutionary Guards are ready more than ever to defend the revolution and Islamic Iran, and the enemies will see Iran's true power in battle field.
Sanctions not to affect Iran's space activities, official says IRNA 05 Sep 2019 -- The head of Iranian Space Agency Morteza Barari stressed the absolutely peaceful nature of Iran's space programs and said the US sanctions against the agency will in no way affect their progress and development.
Iran's foreign minister: US Treasury's OFAC nothing more than jail warden Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has taken to task the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as the main force behind imposition of Washington's sanctions against Tehran, saying that it only serves the role of a jail warden with regard to other countries.
Iran's Zarif: Regional security can't be bought from outside Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says regional security cannot be purchased from outside, expressing Tehran's readiness to work collectively with the countries in the region to ensure security.
Iran condemns Hook's comments, US reward for terror Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has strongly condemned the latest moves and comments by the US administration, especially its Iran representative Brian Hook, to increase pressure against the Iranian nation as part of an "economic terrorism campaign."

Fitch Downgrades Hong Kong to 'AA' from 'AA+'; Outlook Negative Fitch Ratings 05 Sep 2019 -- Fitch Ratings has downgraded Hong Kong's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to 'AA' from 'AA+'. The Outlook is Negative. A full list of rating actions can be found at the end of this commentary.
Joshua Wong Calls For Renewed Campaign For Fully Democratic Elections in Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 05 Sep 2019 -- Activist Joshua Wong has called on the international community to step up support for Hong Kong ahead of China's National Day celebrations on Oct. 1, saying that the most important battle now is to secure democratic elections for the city.
Hong Kong Protesters Keep Up Pressure, Despite Extradition Bill Withdrawal VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- Hong Kong's embattled chief executive Carrie Lam may hope the withdrawal of a hated extradition bill will help the semi-autonomous Chinese city move forward from three months of major protests.
Hong Kong leader urges dialog after bill's withdrawal Press TV 05 Sep 2019 -- Hong Kong's chief executive has renewed her call for protests to end, a day after she formally withdrew a proposed bill that had stirred controversy.
HK protests to continue, demand full democracy: activist CNA 05 Sep 2019 -- Visiting Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) said Thursday that the desire of Hong Kong people for a democratic election is unshaken even after the government withdrew the highly controversial extradition bill a day earlier.
MAC welcomes 'positive step' taken by HK government CNA 05 Sep 2019 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top policymaking body on China, on Thursday welcomed the decision by Hong Kong's government to withdraw an extradition bill that has caused nearly three months of protests in the territory.
HK chief's plan lifts spirits Global Times 05 Sep 2019 -- A comprehensive action plan put forward by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Wednesday to end unrest has injected much-needed optimism into Hong Kong society, which has been rattled by seemingly endless violence and disruption, and has aroused calls, even from some anti-government people, to begin a dialogue and end violence.
'Substantial progress' viable: MOFCOM Global Times 05 Sep 2019 -- China and the US will strive to achieve "substantial progress" in the upcoming 13th round of trade consultations in early October in Washington, Chinese officials said on Thursday, which analysts said transmitted a positive signal that both sides were willing to sit down and discuss common goals after being locked in an impasse.
China abides by consensuses with concrete action People's Daily 05 Sep 2019 -- The US continuous escalation of China-US trade frictions has violated the consensuses reached by the two heads of state in Argentina and Osaka and deviated from the right track of resolving differences through consultation.
'An Impossible Situation': Hong Kong's Lam Faces 'Tall Order' Meeting Protest Demands Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- On Wednesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the government would formally withdraw the extradition bill that was the catalyst for a series of mass demonstrations that have brought about police-protester clashes, arrests and injuries. However, an end to the unrest remains uncertain, as demonstrators have other grievances to address.

'I'd Rather Be Dead in a Ditch' - Boris Johnson Rules Out Brexit Delay Sputnik 05 Sep 2019 -- On Wednesday night, the House of Commons rejected Boris Johnson's snap election proposal, giving the green light to a so-called Benn Bill that stipulates Britain will exit the EU as planned on 31 October only provided there is a comprehensive deal with Brussels.
Will Boris Johnson's Election Gamble Pay Off? VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- No one has ever seen the like before in modern times. Britain's storied Parliament has made plenty of history over the centuries – from the rhetorical clashes between the great Victorian rivals William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli to William Wilberforce's campaign to prohibit British ships trafficking in slaves to the Americas.
British PM Johnson Maintains Push for Early General Election, Despite Defeats VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson continued to push Thursday for an early general election, despite several defeats in parliament and the sudden resignation of his brother from his post as a junior minister and from parliament.
British PM Johnson Suffers Historic Brexit Defeats as Election Looms VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a series of damaging defeats Wednesday over the government's policy on leaving the European Union.
Remarks by Vice President Pence and Prime Minister Johnson of the United Kingdom Before Bilateral Meeting | London, United Kingdom The White House 05 Sep 2019
UK lawmakers reject PM's motion for early election on Oct. 15 People's Daily 05 Sep 2019 -- British lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a motion tabled by Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for a general election on Oct. 15, dealing another blow to the prime minister, who vowed to take his country out of the European Union on Oct. 31 with or without a deal.

South Africans and Others Take Stock Amid Violence VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- South Africa has begun assessing the toll of the week's anti-immigrant violence, which, according to authorities, has claimed 10 lives, injured scores more, incited fear, hobbled business activity, and strained relations with other African countries.
Botswana Issues Travel Warning Over South Africa Unrest VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- The Botswana government has issued a travel warning to its citizens over the growing unrest in South Africa. The attacks, targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, are likely to affect Botswana, which is dependent on its neighbor for food imports and petroleum products.

Philippine Leader Rejects China's Call for Total Ban on Online Gambling Radio Free Asia 05 Sep 2019 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not ban online casinos despite China's request for a total ban by Manila, saying that shutting down online gaming would severely hurt his country's economy.

U.S. Slaps Travel Ban On Jailed Romanian Ex-Political Leader Dragnea RFE/RL 05 Sep 2019 -- The United States has imposed a travel ban on Liviu Dragnea, the jailed former leader of Romania's ruling Social Democrats, and his immediate family members, saying they have been involvement in "significant corruption."
Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of Romania's Liviu Nicolae Dragnea US Dept. of State 05 Sep 2019 -- Secretary Michael R. Pompeo is publicly designating the former Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Nicolae Dragnea, due to his involvement in significant corruption.

Cameroon Villagers Say Chinese Miners Are Ruining Local Environment VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- Villagers near Meiganga, a town in northern Cameroon, are protesting against Chinese gold miners for allegedly ruining their land. The villagers say they are poorer than before the Chinese arrived, with their farms and forests now destroyed.

Flood-Ravaged Nigerian Communities Unprepared for More Rains VOA 05 Sep 2019 -- Nigeria will experience torrential downpours and massive flooding this month, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency warns.

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