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Defense Policy / Programs
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Current Operations

• Trump Expects Only 4,000 US Troops to Remain in Afghanistan in November Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- The US will reduce its military presence in Afghanistan to about 4,000 troops "very soon", US President Donald Trump said.
• US Troop Size in Afghanistan Will Reduce to 4,000 'Very Soon', Trump Says VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan will be reduced to "anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000" troops by November this year.
• 'US's Pompeo, Taliban deputy leader discuss intra-Afghan talks' Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reportedly held a video meeting with the Taliban militant group's Doha-based deputy leader Mullah Baradar Akhund to discuss a "peace" process between the Afghan government and the group.
• Afghanistan To Convene Loya Jirga On Release Of Taliban Prisoners RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- The Afghan government will convene a grand assembly of elders, known as the Loya Jirga, in Kabul on August 7 to decide the fate of hundreds of Taliban prisoners that Taliban leaders insist should be released before they join peace talks with the government.
• White House Extends Funding for National Guard Coronavirus Deployments VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has extended federal government funding for National Guard troops to assist individual states with their coronavirus responses.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Assistant Secretary of Defense (Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities) Virtual Engagement with the 2020 Space and Missile Defense Symposium DoD 04 Aug 2020 -- Victorino G. Mercado, Assistant Secretary of Defense (Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities)
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Phone Call with Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto DoD 04 Aug 2020
• Unheralded DOD Agency is Key to Building International Partners DoD News 04 Aug 2020 -- One crucial aspect of the National Defense Strategy is tending to and encouraging allies and partners, and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency is at the heart of that process, said Army Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper, the agency's outgoing director.
• Marine Corps releases solicitation for rocket system USMC News 04 Aug 2020 -- Marine Corps Systems Command is looking to field a next-generation, shoulder-fired rocket system that will increase lethality and safety for Marines.
• Andersen AFB KC-135 crew locates missing mariners on lone Pacific island US Air Force 04 Aug 2020 -- Guardsmen from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard and the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania ANG deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, were the first to locate three missing mariners during a search and rescue mission in the Federated States of Micronesia southwest of Guam, Aug. 2.
• U.S. Forces Participate in Canadian Operation NANOOK US Navy 04 Aug 2020 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) joins the U.S. Coast Guard and several allied navies in the maritime component of Operation NANOOK-TUUGAALIK 2020.
• Lebanese Armed Forces, U.S. Navy Conduct Resolute Union Virtually Amid COVID-19 Pandemic US Navy 04 Aug 2020 -- The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and U.S. Navy are conducting Resolute Union (RU) 20, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and maritime security operations bilateral military exercise being held from 27 July to 9 August. RU20 is the capstone in a series of bilateral exercises between the LAF and U.S. Navy aimed at maintaining proficiency between the two countries' armed forces, and increasing interoperability through cooperative training.
• Nuke Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Would Bolster Deterrence, Officials Say DoD News 04 Aug 2020 -- Developing and deploying a sea-launched nuclear cruise missile is essential to deter Russia, U.S. officials have said.
• Missile Agency Director Describes Threat, Countermeasures DoD News 04 Aug 2020 -- In recent years, threats from new missile systems against the homeland, deployed forces and friends and allies have arisen from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, the director of the Missile Defense Agency said.
• Russia warns US global deployment of missiles will meet response Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- Russia has warned the United States against its controversial plan to deploy land-based missiles in various countries around the world, saying the move would be met with an immediate response from Moscow.
• Wing Loong-10 drone makes typhoon detection debut Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- The Wing Loong-10, China's domestically developed large, high-altitude drone, successfully conducted its first typhoon detection test flight on Sunday, when Typhoon Sinlaku hit South China's Hainan Province. The test marked a breakthrough in China's typhoon detection and forecast system, reports said on Tuesday.
• PLA fighter jet breaks flight duration record in first 10-hour patrol mission to South China Sea Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- By having a Su-30 fighter jet complete a 10-hour armed patrol mission to the most remote islands and reefs of the South China Sea, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force recently broke its record on flight duration in a single sortie by a fighter jet.
• Flood relief missions demonstrate strong PLA logistic support capability PLA Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- Severe floods have occurred in southern China since July, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Chinese military has actively participated in the flood prevention and relief work in areas where they are stationed.
• North Korea likely developed miniature nuclear devices fitting into ballistic warheads: UN report Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- A confidential United Nations (UN) report purportedly says several countries believe that North Korea may have developed "miniaturized nuclear devices to fit into the warheads of its ballistic missiles."
• UN Report Claims DPRK 'Probably' Developed Miniature Nuclear Devices for Ballistic Missiles Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- A new report submitted on Monday by an independent, 15-member panel of experts on the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea claims that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is violating sanctions and is likely developing miniature nuclear devices that attach to ballistic missile warheads.
• GRANT OF PERMANENT COMMISSION TO WOMEN OFFICERS IN INDIAN ARMY: ARMY HQ ISSUES DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS India PIB 04 Aug 2020 -- Consequent to the receipt of formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to Women Officers in Indian Army, the Army HQ is in the process of convening a Special Number 5 Selection Board for screening women officers for grant of PC.
• Enemy seeking to institutionalize insecurity in region: Defense Minister IRNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami said on Tuesday that the enemy had a big plan for the region aiming to institutionalize insecurity in the region for decades and centuries.
• Enemies fail to institutionalize insecurity in region: Iran's Defense Minister ISNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami said on Tuesday that enemies have failed to institutionalize insecurity in the region.
• Iran Guards Launch Drone, Missile Attacks Against Kurdish Insurgents Radio Farda 04 Aug 2020 -- The Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) announced on Monday, August 3, that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) had launched a drone and missile attack on its bases in Iran-Iraq border areas.
• Japanese Government to Review New Missile Defence Proposal After Scrapping US Aegis Ashore Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- An expert council of Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party will submit a proposal to the government on Tuesday to consider the possibilities of how to halt ballistic missile attacks within enemy territory, Japan's NHK reports.
• Taiwan Navy launches first locally-built rapid mine-laying vessel CNA 04 Aug 2020 -- The Navy on Tuesday held a launch ceremony for Taiwan's first domestically-built rapid mine-laying ship as well as a keel-laying ceremony for the second of four minelayers that are part of the government's indigenous ship-building project.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | 8/4/2020 The White House 04 Aug 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 4, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 4 August 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Aug 2020
• Philippines Bars Military from Joint Naval Exercises in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- President Rodrigo Duterte has barred the Philippine military from joining naval exercises in international waters of the South China Sea, officials said Tuesday, indicating the Philippines wanted to avoid taking sides between China and the United States amid rising tensions in the region.
• Iran: Oil deal between US firm, SDF militias lacks legal validity Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- Iran has condemned an oil agreement signed between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militant group and an American company as "a violation of Syrian sovereignty," saying such a deal has "no legal validity."
• 'Heed the calls' for ceasefire in north-western Syria – UN UN News 04 Aug 2020 -- The United Nations expressed concern on Tuesday for the safety and protection of more than four million civilians in north-western Syria, which has been hit with aerial bombardments over the past few days.
• Israeli Raids Target Golan Heights, Eastern Syria Amid Border Tensions VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- Arab and Syrian government media report a series of Israeli airstrikes over the Golan Heights and near the Syrian border with Iraq. More than a dozen pro-Iranian Iraqi militiamen reportedly were killed at a base near the Syrian border town of Alboukamel. Russian planes also reportedly raided areas around the opposition held enclave of Idlib.
• Libyan tribes sue rebel commander at ICC over civilian massacre Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- Libyan tribes have filed a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the massacre of civilians by rebel militia led by military strongman Khalifa Haftar and Emirati fighter jets in southern Libya last year.
• Russian Mercenaries in Libya Leave Mines as Deadly Calling Cards, Observers Say VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- International observers are sounding the alarm about an alliance between Russian mercenaries and a Libyan militia, which they say imperils civilians and risks intensifying Libya's civil war.
• Statement from National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien Regarding Libya The White House 04 Aug 2020
• 20 Villagers Missing in Myanmar's Chin State From Conflict in Rakhine Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- Twenty civilians from Chin state have gone missing between 2018 and 2020, with five of them allegedly abducted by Arakan Army rebels amid a 20-month conflict with Myanmar forces in adjacent Rakhine state, Chin civil society groups said Tuesday.
• Pakistan Includes Indian-Controlled Kashmir In Newly Unveiled National Map RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- Pakistan has unveiled a new political map of the country that includes Indian-controlled Kashmir, in a symbolic move that coincides with the one-year anniversary of India stripping the Muslim-majority region of its semi-autonomy.
• India imposes curfew in Kashmir ahead of anniversary of autonomy revocation Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- India has imposed a curfew in many parts of the Indian-controlled Kashmir ahead of the first anniversary of New Delhi's decision to abolish the disputed region's autonomous status.
• Pakistan's New Map Includes Earlier Uncontested Indian Territories, Sparking Fresh Conflict Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- India included Aksai Chin in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and certain territories bordering Nepal in its political map issued last November. At the time, Beijing termed the Indian decision as a "challenge to China's sovereignty", while Islamabad dismissed it as "incorrect, legally untenable and void".
• Indian Kashmir Curfew Imposed Ahead of Revocation Anniversary VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- Indian authorities have imposed a curfew in Indian-controlled Kashmir a day ahead of the first anniversary of revocation of the region's partial autonomy. Authorities took action to prevent violent protests against a move that analysts say has deepened alienation in India's only Muslim majority territory.
• Africa's COVID-19 Chaos Opens Door for Opportunistic Extremists VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- As a pandemic rages and weakens fragile societies, terrorists lie in wait to pounce on vulnerable people, especially on the African continent, says a top U.S. military commander. U.S. military officials say their work on the continent has continued unabated, but that extremists are actively seeking every opportunity to gain a foothold, from Senegal to Somalia.
• UN censures 'heinous attacks' in Lake Chad Basin UN News 04 Aug 2020 -- The Secretary-General strongly condemned "heinous attacks" against civilians in the Lake Chad Basin, a UN spokesperson said on Monday.
• Suicide Bombing Attack on Mogadishu Restaurants Kills At least Three VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- Media reports say a suicide bombing attack killed at least four people, including the bomber at a Mogadishu restaurant, which is popular with security forces and government workers.
• Containing Ethnic Conflict? Kazakhstan Probes Violence In Mixed Uzbek-Kazakh Village RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- There is a quiet farming village in southern Kazakhstan that has been home to several thousand ethnic Uzbeks and Kazakhs living side by side for centuries.

News Reports

• Portland Riots Read-out: August 4 DHS 04 Aug 2020
• MYTHS VS. FACTS: Cooperation and Receding Riot Activity in Portland, OREGON DHS 04 Aug 2020
• House, Senate Intelligence Committees Demand Answers on DHS 'Intelligence Reports' on Journalists Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- Several lawmakers in Congress are calling on former acting Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis Brian Murphy for answers following reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been actively compiling "intelligence reports" on journalists covering the federal deployment of cops to Portland, Oregon.
• US House panel investigates DHS office over crackdown Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- The US Congress has launched an investigation into the activities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over its involvement in the crackdown on anti-racism protesters across the country triggered by the police killing of George Floyd.
• Powerful Explosion Rocks Beirut, Killing at Least 70, Injuring Thousands VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun is calling on the Cabinet to declare a two-week state of emergency in Beirut after a massive explosion early Tuesday destroyed much of the city's port, killing at least 70 and injuring more than 3,500.
• Huge blast in Lebanese capital: Over 70 killed, nearly 4,000 injured Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- A massive explosion has ripped through the Lebanese capital of Beirut, leaving at least 73 people dead and thousands of others injured.
• More Than 50 Dead, Thousands Hurt In Huge Explosion That Rocked Beirut Radio Farda 04 Aug 2020 -- At least 50 people were killed and thousands injured in a massive explosion that rocked Beirut on August 4.
• Large blast in Beirut port area rocks Lebanon's capital, many people hurt SPA 04 Aug 2020 -- A large explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday, injuring many people as glass shattered and balconies collapsed from the impact, Reuters witnesses said.
• Countries Worldwide Offer Helping Hand to Lebanon After Port Blast Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- Countries across the world are offering their assistance to Lebanon after the massive blast rocked Beirut on Tuesday evening.
• Beirut Blast 'Seriously' Injures UN Peacekeeping Crew, Damages Vessel Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon announced late on Tuesday that one of its ships and several of its naval peacekeepers had been injured in the explosion at the port of Beirut.
• Israel Has Offered Humanitarian, Medical Aid to Lebanon After Beirut Blast, Defence Minister Says Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- A powerful explosion hit the port of Beirut earlier today resulting in dozens of people killed and thousands injured. It began as a short bang, five minutes later white and black smoke emerged and then a powerful blast followed, launching a heavy stream of red smoke into the air.
• Lebanon: UN 'actively assisting' in response to huge explosions at Beirut port UN News 04 Aug 2020 -- The United Nations has said that it is "actively assisting" in the response to the horrific explosions that ripped through the port area of Beirut on Tuesday, reportedly leaving dozens dead and thousands wounded, among them some UN naval peacekeepers.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on August 4, 2020 PRC MofA 04 Aug 2020
• On the Chinese Communist Party's Extra-Territorial Authoritarianism US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2020
• Chinese Executive: Forced Sale of TikTok May Be Inevitable Amid US Scrutiny VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese company that owns popular video-sharing app TikTok is exploring all possibilities to ensure that its subsidiary can continue operating in the United States, according to a memo sent out Monday by Chief Executive Officer Zhang Yiming.
• US' 'mafia-style tactic' on TikTok strips last layer of decency Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- US President Donald Trump's latest move to force China-based ByteDance to sell its video-sharing app TikTok to a US company and pay the US government a share of the transaction has been derided by many in China - experts and ordinary citizens alike - as "naked robbery" using mafia-style tactics that strips the last layer of decency from the US, which claims to be free market that upholds the rule of law.
• Talk of Banning TikTok Sparks Calls For A More Open Internet in China Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- Ongoing negotiations between Microsoft and Beijing-based software company ByteDance over the possible acquisition of the Chinese-owned video platform TikTok have highlighted security and privacy concerns among Chinese internet users, while sparking a rare public call to open up the Great Firewall.
• China advised to target US journalists in HK Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- China could impose visa restrictions on American journalists in Hong Kong as a countermeasure against US suppression, which was aimed at forcing Chinese journalists in the US out of the country by not extending their visas, analysts said.
• China to be compelled to respond if US refuses to renew Chinese media visas: FM Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- China urged the US to stop the political suppression of Chinese media and journalists and said it will be compelled to make a legitimate response if the US goes its own way as none of the Chinese journalists in the US have received visa extensions after they applied.
• China to retaliate potential US expulsion of journalists Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- China says it will retaliate the United States' potential expulsion of Chinese journalists, following a move by Washington to decline to renew their visas.
• China's Virus Testing Pledge Sparks DNA Fears in Hong Kong Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- Concerns are growing in Hong Kong that a mass coronavirus testing program could result in the DNA of Hongkongers being sent to mainland China, potentially for law enforcement and surveillance purposes.
• France risks becoming a fugitive haven by halting extradition treaty with HK: experts Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- France risked becoming a fugitive haven for desperados after it announced on Monday a halt to the 2017 extradition treaty with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), experts said.
• Decision to postpone HK LegCo elections tough but fair: Carrie Lam Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- The decision to postpone the Legislative Council election was not an easy one to make, but considering the risk brought by the COVID-19 outbreak, there is no other way out, said Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam, who expressed the hope that society will not advocate conspiracy theories over the matter.
• China suspends HK-NZ fugitive deal People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- China has decided to suspend the agreement on surrendering fugitive offenders and the agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and New Zealand, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced on Monday.
• China urges U.S. to withdraw Xinjiang-related sanctions People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- China on Monday urged the United States to immediately withdraw its wrong decision of imposing sanctions on the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and two relevant officials, vowing to "resolutely fight back" if the U.S. side is bent on behaving like this.
• Xinjiang Authorities Relocate Camp Detainees to Restricted-Access 'Residential Area' Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- Authorities in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have established a special, restricted-access "residential area" to relocate Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities released from internment camps, according to local officials.
• Software upgrades for Beidou to continue People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- Designers of China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System will keep upgrading software on Beidou satellites to improve their capabilities and maintain technological advantages, according to a key figure in this program.
• New Book Offers Insider's Glimpse Into Life in North Korea VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- A new book offers an on-the-ground account of the rewards and roadblocks faced by an American scholar as he engaged one of the world's most closed-off states.
• Torrential Rain Hits DPRK KCNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Torrential rain caused by the seasonal rainy front is now witnessed in the DPRK every day.
• Mystery Surrounds Iran's Detention Of Leader Of U.S.-Based Exile Group RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- Iranian opposition activist Jamshid Sharmahd, a California-based member of an obscure exile opposition group that seeks to overthrow Tehran's Islamic regime, was traveling to India via Dubai in late July on a business trip for his software company, his son has told RFE/RL.
• Khamenei Doesn't Trust The Democrats Radio Farda 04 Aug 2020 -- The Democratic Party's recently released policy platform was greeted warmly by certain newspapers in Iran. Media outlets associated with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the party's rejection of "regime change" as U.S. policy. They also welcomed its proposal for a return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal from which President Donald Trump withdrew in May 2018. If former Vice President Joe Biden wins in November, the Rouhani camp believes the new American administration will not only revive the nuclear deal, but also lift sanctions. This could save the Islamic Republic of Iran from economic devastation, internal rebellion, and further regional setbacks. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose hatred of America has always been bipartisan, begs to differ.
• Inducing gov't inefficiency enemies' main axis in psychological war: Iran President ISNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Emphasizing the need for cohesion, coordination and cooperation between all officials and bodies of the system to effectively counter psychological warfare operations, sanctions and distortion of enemies, Iran's President said, "The great Iranian nation has always supported the officials of the system and the country. Iran's great achievements are indebted to people's support and national vigilance, stability and endurance against the conspiracies and pressure of the enemies".
• Rouhani: Enemy running psywar to portray Iran govt. as inefficient Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani says the enemies, having failed in their economic pressure campaign against Iran, have now resorted to a psychological war aimed at portraying the Iranian government as inefficient and distorting the realities about domestic capabilities.
• IRGC chief: Iran to avenge Gen. Soleimani's blood, continue his path Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- The chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has renewed the pledge to avenge the blood of top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and continue his path until the liberation of all Muslim territories from enemies.
• Iranian petrochemical output capacity to rise up by 4m tons despite sanctions IRNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Managing Director of National Petrochemical Company of Iran says that the country will witness four million tons of increase in petrochemical output capacity with inauguration of three important projects on Thursday.
• Meat Becomes Unaffordable To More Iranian Families As Prices Rise Radio Farda 04 Aug 2020 -- A new survey shows that 8.2% of Iranian households cannot afford to eat red meat as they fall below the poverty line.
• Iran Hardliners Claim China Is Serving Islam By Suppressing Uyghur Muslims Radio Farda 04 Aug 2020 -- Iranian conservatives have been justifying the Chinese government's suppression of Uyghur Muslims in China and keeping silent in the face of systematic violence against Chines Muslims in Xinjiang Province.
• Across Sudan, heavy rains and flash floods destroy houses, wash away crops – UN relief wing UN News 04 Aug 2020 -- Hundreds of houses have been destroyed and vital infrastructure damaged due to riverine and flashfloods after heavy rains across large parts of Sudan, the United Nations relief wing has reported.
• Iraq president welcomes PM Kadhimi's call for early elections Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- President Barham Salih welcomes a call by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for Iraq to hold early elections next year as a means of meeting a key demand of the protesters seeking economic reforms.
• Lukashenka Accuses Opponents Of Attempting Return To 'Chaos' RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has attacked his reformist political opponents ahead of the country's August 9 presidential election, accusing them of being well-paid "foreign agents" who are attempting to return Belarus to the "chaos" of the 1990s.
• Belarus Begins Early Voting In Contentious Presidential Election RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- Early voting has begun in Belarus in a contentious presidential election set for August 9 that pits authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka against an opposition united around a political novice.
• Exiled Belarusian Presidential Challenger: Lukashenka Will Flee If Faced With Protests RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- An exiled challenger to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says the strongman will not use force if large crowds take to the streets to challenge the results of the upcoming election.
• Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi Makes Official Her Third Run For Yangon Seat Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday officially registered to run for her seat in parliament for a third time in November general elections that are widely seen as a referendum on her party's five years in office.
• FBI Raids Offices Of U.S. Companies Belonging To Ukrainian Tycoons RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- The FBI has raided the offices of U.S. companies owned by a powerful Ukrainian tycoon linked to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
• Thai PM Urges Protesters to Back Off Constitutional Demands VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told student protesters Tuesday "not to create chaos" after many advocated for reform of Thailand's constitutional monarchy.
• Cape Verde Agrees to Extradite Maduro Ally to US VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- A court in the West African nation of Cape Verde has approved extradition of Colombian businessman Álex Saab to the United States, where he faces charges involving money laundering on behalf of Venezuela's socialist government.
• Zimbabwe President Calls for Unity as He Deals With 'Divisive' and 'Rogue' Elements VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- Zimbabwe's president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has appealed for national unity against what he called "evil" and "dark forces." In a televised address Tuesday the president blamed opposition groups, who he described as "terrorists" working with outsiders, for destabilizing Zimbabwe's economy. The comments come days after he ordered troops to stop anti-government protests over poverty and corruption.