Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Afghan Loya Jirga Meets to Determine Fate of 400 Taliban Prisoners Ahead of Peace Talks VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- A traditional public assembly, known as a Loya Jirga, opened in Afghanistan Friday to determine whether a last set of 400 hard-core prisoners from the Taliban insurgency should be freed to clear the way for long-awaited direct peace talks between Afghanistan's warring sides.
• Afghan Loya Jirga Meeting To Decide Fate Of Remaining 400 Taliban Prisoners RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- Several thousand Afghan politicians and community leaders are meeting in a traditional grand assembly in Afghanistan's capital to decide whether the government should release 400 Taliban prisoners that have been convicted of involvement in deadly, high-profile attacks in the country.
• Afghan Council to Meet on Final Stumbling Block to Peace Talks VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- Afghanistan is holding a loya jirga, an assembly of elders, Friday to determine what to do about the final stumbling block before peace negotiations can begin – the release of 400 Taliban prisoners.
• Pompeo Calls on Afghan Assembly Loya Jirga to Release Remaining Taliban Prisoners Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the all-Afghan assembly Loya Jirga to release the remaining Taliban* prisoners and thus remove the last obstacle to the resumption of the intra-Afghan negotiations.
• US delivers humanitarian aid to Beirut US Air Force 07 Aug 2020 -- In a joint endeavor to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces and the people of Lebanon after a deadly explosion in Beirut, U.S. Airmen and Soldiers stationed in Qatar worked to load the first U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III with humanitarian aid, Aug. 6.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Report: Pompeo Warns Russia Against Taliban Bounties VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned Russia's foreign minister about alleged bounty payments to Taliban militants for killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan, according to The New York Times.
• Pompeo Warned Moscow in July Call Against Alleged Bounties on US Soldiers - Report Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- Unnamed US officials told the New York Times on Friday that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a vague warning to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last month that Russia should refrain from offering bounties to Taliban fighters to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan, as the Times has claimed was happening.
• DOD Innovation Speed Must Increase to Modernize DoD News 07 Aug 2020 -- The Defense Department must be more innovative and act faster in its pursuit of putting new technology in warfighters' hands, the director of Defense Innovation Unit said.
• Ford Steams Through Postdelivery Test, Trials US Navy 07 Aug 2020 -- USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completed its 11th independent steaming event (ISE 11) Aug. 5, and is now more than half way through her post-delivery test and trials (PDT&T) phase of operations.
• US Army Wraps '100% Successful' Experiment of Heavy Robotic Combat Vehicles Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- A US Army official claims the service has made significant progress regarding the possible implementation of heavy robotic combat vehicles into combat, following a monthlong series of experiments at Colorado's Fort Carson.
• US Air Force Challenges Stealth Aircraft Fleet With Radar Penetration Drills Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- In a huge air drill earlier this week, the US Air Force tested the ability of each of its stealth aircraft to work with each other and with non-stealth aircraft to penetrate an enemy air defense network.
• Photos: No-Name Firm Wins Contract to Develop US Hypersonic Air Force One Jet Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- A relatively unknown US aerospace company just won a contract to develop a Mach 5-capable passenger plane to serve as Air Force One, the official aircraft of the US presidency.
• Space Force awards National Security Space Launch Phase 2 launch service contracts to ULA, SpaceX US Air Force 07 Aug 2020 -- The Space and Missile Systems Center, in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, competitively awarded two Firm-Fixed-Price, Indefinite Delivery Requirement contracts for National Security Space launch services to United Launch Alliance LLC and SpaceX Aug. 7.
• Russian Su-35 Jets Intercept US Strategic Bomber Over Sea of Okhotsk Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- Three Russian fighter jets Su-35 were scrambled to intercept and escort a US strategic bomber over the Sea of Okhotsk, the Russian Defence Ministry's National Defence Control Center (NDCC) said on Friday.
• Russian Su-27 Intercepts US Air Force Reconnaissance Aircraft Over Black Sea, MoD Says Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- Numerous aircraft approaching the Russian border over neutral waters in the Black Sea have been detected by airspace control systems in recent weeks.
• China's defense minister warns US over 'dangerous moves' Press TV 07 Aug 2020 -- China has warned the United States against taking "dangerous moves," on Taiwan after Washington announced it was sending a senior official on a diplomatic visit to the self-ruled island.
• Chinese defense minister holds phone talk with US counterpart PLA Daily 07 Aug 2020 -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe held a phone talk with the US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Thursday. The two sides exchanged views on the relations between two countries and two militaries, as well as the military exchanges in the next stage.
• China's military hospital train gets exclusive railway tracks and station PLA Daily 07 Aug 2020 -- A hospital train with six carriages pulled in the platform of Xinqiao Hospital Railway Station on August 6, marking the opening of China's first railway line and railway station exclusively dedicated to the military hospital train.
• Ceremony held to honor Chinese naval hospital ship PLA Daily 07 Aug 2020 -- A ceremony was held on Friday to honor the Chinese naval hospital ship, Peace Ark.
• No comment from Taiwan on potential sale of advanced drones CNA 07 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan had no response Friday to a Reuters report that the United States is in negotiations to sell at least four advanced aerial drones to Taiwan, which would be the first sale of such drones to Taipei.
• Reported US drone sale to Taiwan a political stunt: experts Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- China on Friday sharply criticized a reported plan by the US to sell military drones to the island of Taiwan, saying that the move seriously undermines China's sovereignty and security interests. Mainland experts noted that the potential sale is more of a political stun that has little military value.
• US Arms Sales to Taiwan Violate One China Principle, Beijing Says on Reports of Possible Drone Deal Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- Beijing's statement comes in response to reports suggesting that Washington is looking to surreptitiously sell four SeaGuardian surveillance drones to the breakaway province.
• Taiwan Deploys F-16s With Live Anti-Ship Missiles Amid China's Rumored Island Invasion Drills Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force launched two multirole F-16 fighters fitted with anti-ship missiles from Hualien Air Force Base this week following reports that forces from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) would be holding drills simulating the capture of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, which Beijing calls the Dongsha Islands.
• Taiwan analysts play down China military drills CNA 07 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan security analysts on Friday played down the importance of a military exercise to be staged by China in the East China Sea, and ruled out a link between the drills and an upcoming visit by a U.S. official to Taiwan.
• India Launches Nationwide Raids in Swiss Pilatus Jet Deal Scam Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- India's top probe agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) suspects that Swiss company Pilatus may have paid off officials in the defense ministry and air force via intermediary Sanjay Bhandari in order to secure a key contract back in 2009.
• Briefing With Ambassador Philip T. Reeker On Secretary Pompeo's Travel to the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria, and Poland US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 7, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 7 August 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Aug 2020
• Saudi Arabia seeking to partition Yemen since 2011: Secret documents Press TV 07 Aug 2020 -- Leaked Saudi secret documents have revealed that the kingdom has been pursuing a policy to partition Yemen through supporting various tribal leaders.
• IDF Troops Say Downed Drone in Northern Israel on Border With Lebanon Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- Earlier in the day, warning signals about a possible rocket attack sounded in the country's north. The IDF then said that it was a false alarm over a suspected drone infiltration.
• India, Pakistan Engage in Heavy Mortar Firefight Along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara - Video Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- India and Pakistan continue to violate ceasefire along the Line of Control in their ongoing Kashmir conflict. In June, New Delhi accused Islamabad of violating the ceasefire over 2,000 times this year, while the latter blamed India for engaging in cross-border firefights 957 times during the same period.
• 'There is a Chinese Mole in the Defence Ministry,' Alleges India's Former Home Minister Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- The Indian Defence Ministry published a document on its website a few days ago on Chinese intrusion in the Ladakh region, but it was removed on Thursday (6 August), kicking up a row. The document had confirmed Chinese intrusion in the Ladakh region, contrary to the claim of Prime Minister Modi that they had left.
• Kachins Complain of 'Tax' Collection by Ethnic Armed Group Amid COVID-19 Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- A rebel armed ethnic group is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to extort money from Kachin businesspeople in Myanmar's far north, placing an undue financial burden on locals who already are struggling to make ends meet, residents said Thursday.
• Turkey's Erdogan denounces Greece-Egypt maritime deal as 'worthless' Press TV 07 Aug 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced a maritime deal between Greece and Egypt in the eastern Mediterranean as "worthless," saying his country will resume its controversial oil and gas exploration in the area.
• Greece-Egypt Maritime Deal Aimed at Stemming Turkish Designs in Eastern Mediterranean VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- The Greek government is hailing a deal reached with Egypt on Thursday establishing an exclusive economic zone for oil and gas rights as a major success, claiming it counters growing Turkish influence in the region as Ankara prepares to issue new oil exploration licenses that have been sharply criticized by Greece, the European Union and Washington.
• The United States Imposes Sanctions on Central African Republic Militia Leader US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2020 -- Today, the United States took action against the notorious leader of a murderous group that has committed numerous human rights abuses and displaced thousands of people in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2015.
• Treasury Sanctions Militia Leader in Central African Republic for Human Rights Abuse US Treasury 07 Aug 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), corresponding with an action by the United Nations Security Council, took action against Bi Sidi Souleymane (Souleymane), also known as Sidiki Abbas.
• Nearly 20 Civilians Killed at Market in Eastern Burkina Faso Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- Gunmen in Burkina Faso's Est region have opened fire at a cattle market and killed 20 civilians, the regional governor said in a statement on Friday that was carried by domestic media outlets.
• More Than 100 Boko Haram, Captives Surrender Along Cameroon-Nigeria Border VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- More than 100 Boko Haram and their captives, almost all Nigerians, have fled the group in the past two weeks, according to the Multinational Joint Task Force fighting the Islamist militants.

News Reports

• Portland Riots Read-out: August 7 DHS 07 Aug 2020
• Statement by NCSC Director William Evanina: Election Threat Update for the American Public Director of National Intelligence 07 Aug 2020 -- On July 24, 2020, I issued a statement to the American public providing an unclassified overview of foreign threats to the 2020 election and offering basic steps to mitigate some of these threats. At that time, I pledged that the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) would continue to update the American public and other key stakeholders on the evolving election threat landscape, while also safeguarding our intelligence sources and methods.
• Statement by National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien on Lebanon The White House 07 Aug 2020
• U.S. Government Response to the Explosion in Beirut US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2020
• As Beirut rescuers search for survivors, UN warns of 'huge' needs UN News 07 Aug 2020 -- Across Lebanon, "the needs are immediate, and they are huge" in the aftermath of the explosion that destroyed Beirut city port, UN agencies said on Friday.
• UN Mounts Massive Relief Operation for Beirut Explosion Survivors VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- U.N. aid agencies are mounting a huge relief operation to help tens of thousands of survivors of the devastating explosion Tuesday that ripped through the heart of Lebanon's capital, Beirut.
• Angry Lebanese Blame Political Elites for Explosion VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- Angry protesters clashed with police late Thursday in Lebanon's capital over the blast that killed more than 130 people earlier in the week.
• In Lebanon, Shock Turns to Fury VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- Numbness and shock at first – now fury. The massive blast at Beirut's port Tuesday night that wrecked large parts of Lebanon's capital is likely to have as enduring an impact on the impoverished Mediterranean country as the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, say diplomats and analysts.
• Lebanon's Tripoli port ready to temporarily replace Port of Beirut after deadly blasts Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- Lebanon's Port of Tripoli said Thursday that it is ready to temporarily replace the Port of Beirut which was devastated by two powerful explosions on Tuesday.
• Hizbullah Leader terms Beirut blast as major humanitarian, national disaster IRNA 07 Aug 2020 -- The Leader of Lebanon's Hizbullah Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that what happened in Beirut was a great humanitarian and national disaster.
• Beirut explosions aggravate Lebanon's economic woes People's Daily 07 Aug 2020 -- The seismic blasts which rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut have delivered another calamitous blow to a country already in the throes of an unprecedented economic crisis.
• Hezbollah chief says impartial probe necessary into Beirut blast Press TV 07 Aug 2020 -- Secretary General of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has urged an impartial investigation into the blast that rocked Beirut on Tuesday.
• No colonial power can return to Lebanon, President Aoun says, rebuffing Macron Press TV 07 Aug 2020 -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun says no colonial power can return to Lebanon, following a trip by French President Emmanuel Macron to disaster-stricken Beirut that sparked outrage among the Lebanese.
• The Week In Russia: Mercenaries, Media, And A Big Belarusian Election RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020
• Widely Seen as Warning Shot, Russia Court Sentences Young Activists for Extremism VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- A Moscow court convicted 7 young Russians on extremism charges Thursday – sentencing several of the group to lengthy prison sentences in a closely watched case that seemed to encapsulate the limits of political youth activism in today's Russia.
• Ex-Saudi official: MBS sent kill team to target me Press TV 07 Aug 2020 -- A former Saudi intelligence official files a lawsuit in the United States, accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of sending a hit squad to Canada to try and kill him.
• Former Saudi Intel Officer: Crown Prince Wants Me Dead VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- A former Saudi intelligence officer says the Saudi crown prince wants him dead and an assassination team dispatched to Canada to kill him was stopped by alert customs agents.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on August 7, 2020 PRC MofA 07 Aug 2020
• Universities Round the World Fail to Stand up to China: Report Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- Universities and colleges around the world are "unprepared" to deal with threats to freedom of speech on campus and academic freedom among their scholars as a result of political pressure from Beijing, a New York-based rights group said on Friday.
• China Pays Premium to Control Petroleum Pipelines Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- China's biggest energy shakeup in years has turned into a guessing game as analysts wonder why the state agreed to pay so much for assets that it already owns.
• Full text of Yang Jiechi's signed article on China-US relations Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- A signed article by Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee was published Friday.
• China's chief diplomat slams US politicians' efforts to undermine China-US ties Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- A signed article by Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, was published Friday, calling for stable ties and mutual respect. It also criticized US politicians who deliberately distort and attempt to undermine China-US relations.
• China Threatens Retaliation for US Denial of Journalist Visas VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- China has threatened to retaliate after the United States did not renew visas for some 40 Chinese journalists, whose 90-day permit to work in the U.S. expired Thursday.
• TikTok Threatens to Sue after US Moves to Ban App VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- TikTok reacted to President Donald Trump's executive order barring U.S. companies and individuals from doing business with its parent company, ByteDance, by threatening to take legal action and urging its U.S. users to lobby on its behalf.
• TikTok owner vows to sue over crackdown by 'modern-day pirate' Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- In a white-knuckle move that has led analysts to label him a modern-day pirate, the Trump administration issued an executive order on Thursday blocking all US deals with TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance after 45 days, even as Microsoft is in talks to secure a deal for the hugely popular video-sharing app in the US.
• US executive orders targeting Chinese apps a 'shameless' act of hegemony: FM Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- The US will eventually taste the bitter fruit of choosing self-interest over market principles, intl rules, which will only lead to the decline of morality, national image, and intl trust: Chinese FM on US executive orders targeting TikTok and WeChat .
• US' rising tech war targets WeChat Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- Tencent Holdings, one of the largest tech firms in the world based in China, has now become another target of Washington.
• Trump Bans US Transactions With Chinese Parent Companies of TikTok, WeChat Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- President Donald Trump has issued a ban on U.S. transactions with the Chinese parent companies of video-sharing app TikTok and messaging app WeChat, citing threats the two subsidiary firms present in harvesting the data of U.S. citizens.
• Citing Security Concerns, Trump Orders Bans on TikTok, WeChat VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump Thursday ordered sweeping bans on two Chinese consumer apps.
• The United States Designates Individuals in Hong Kong for Curtailing Promised Freedoms US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese Communist Party has made clear that Hong Kong will never again enjoy the high degree of autonomy that Beijing itself promised to the Hong Kong people and the United Kingdom for 50 years. President Trump has made clear that the United States will therefore treat Hong Kong as "one country, one system," and take action against individuals who have crushed the Hong Kong people's freedoms.
• Treasury Sanctions Individuals for Undermining Hong Kong's Autonomy US Treasury 07 Aug 2020 -- Today, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on 11 individuals for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly of the citizens of Hong Kong.
• US Sanctions Hong Kong Leaders VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on Hong Kong's pro-China government leader and other Hong Kong officials for allegedly suppressing freedom in the former British colony.
• US Slaps Sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Carrie Lam and Chinese Officials Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- In late June, President Xi Jinping signed into effect the new law, which criminalises secession, subversion, collusion, and terrorism in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The law was welcomed by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, but was opposed by a number of nations, including the United States.
• Disqualified candidates should be banned from possible temporary LegCo: analysts Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- The standing committee of China's top legislature is likely to approve a resolution during the four-day session starting Saturday on the outgoing Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to avoid a potential "vacuum period" resulting from the postponed LegCo election.
• US Freezes Assets of Hong Kong Leaders, Chinese Officials Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- The United States on Friday announced sanctions against Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and other senior officials for their role in curbing the city's promised freedoms, and in implementing a draconian national security regime.
• Xi stresses combination of top-level design, public advice in compiling 14th Five-Year Plan People's Daily 07 Aug 2020 -- President Xi Jinping has underlined the need to combine top-level design and public opinions in compiling the 14th Five-Year Plan.
• China's rare-earth exports drop by 44% in July amid pandemic Global Times 07 Aug 2020 -- China witnessed a steep decline in rare-earth exports in July as the global epidemic resulted in weak demand.
• Xinjiang's Restricted-Access 'Residential Area' For Uyghurs Accused of Lighter 'Offenses' Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- A special, restricted-access "residential area" in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) was established to relocate internment camp detainees accused of lighter "offenses," and requires study of Mandarin Chinese, while employing detainees in several on-site factories, sources told RFA.
• 'Everyone Should Update Their Understanding of China': Taiwanese Diplomat Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan's newly appointed representative to its trade and economic office in the United States, Hsiao Bi-khim, has said she will go to bat for the democratic island as a "battle cat" to counter China's aggressive, "wolf warrior" style of diplomacy.
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Flood-Damaged Area in North Hwanghae Province KCNA 07 Aug 2020 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, inspected Taechong-ri Area of Unpha County, North Hwanghae Province hit by flood.
• More Warnings About Dangerous Chemicals In Tehran, After Beirut Blast Radio Farda 07 Aug 2020 -- Following a warning from a Tehran City Councilor about the dangerous location of gigantic oil storage in the Shahran neighborhood of Iran's capital city, the head of the Tehran Crisis Management Organization insisted on Friday, August 7, that moving all these large chemical depots out of the cities is a national demand and not limited to a local request.
• Rouhani's 'Good News' May Refer To Finalization Of FATF Laws Radio Farda 07 Aug 2020 -- Two members of Iran's Chamber of Commerce have said that the "good news" Rouhani on Wednesday said should be expected "if approved" by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is a hint at the possible approval of the bills that allow Iran to join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
• Iran Is No. 1 Sponsor of Terrorism, U.S. Says Ahead Of UN Arms-Embargo Talks RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has called Iran "the world's No. 1 sponsor of terrorism," a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States plans to hold a UN Security Council vote next week to extend an arms embargo against Iran.
• FM spox: No difference between Bolton, Hook or Abrams IRNA 07 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi reacted to the change in the US especially envoy in Iran's affairs and said there is no difference between Bolton, Hook or Abrahams.
• Iranian Officials, Media Say Hook's Resignation Won't Bring Change To US Policy Radio Farda 07 Aug 2020 -- Iranian officials and media have reacted with glee to the resignation of Brian Hook as the United States' Special representative for Iran and have angrily greeted the arrival of his successor Elliot Abrams.
• State Department Text Messages May Harm Iranian Recipients, Expert Says Radio Farda 07 Aug 2020 -- A London-based Internet expert on Thursday said that a text message from the State Department's Rewards for Justice Program which some Iranians have received is likely to put their lives in danger.
• Iran Mocks Resignation Of U.S. Envoy, Appointment Of His Replacement RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- Iran has ridiculed the resignation of the U.S. government's point man on Iran policy under President Donald Trump, accusing the White House of "biting off more than they can chew."
• The Body Of Fugitive Judge Who Died In Romania Buried In Iran Radio Farda 07 Aug 2020 -- The spokesman for the Islamic Republic's judiciary announced on August 6, that Judge Gholamreza Mansouri who died in Romania in suspicious circumstances in June was buried in Mashhad.
• Ex-Lawmaker Raises Rare Criticism Of Iran's Silence About China's Abuse Of Uyghurs, Other Muslims RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- A former Iranian lawmaker has started a big controversy by raising rare criticism of China's treatment of its Muslim minority population.
• Fuel Loading Starts At Belarus's New Astravets Nuclear Plant RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- Belarus has begun loading fuel into the first of two reactors at its new Russian-built Astravets nuclear power plant, which it says it expects to become operational later this year.
• Rosatom Announces Start of Nuclear Fuel Loading to First Unit of Belarusian NPP Sputnik 07 Aug 2020 -- The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has started loading nuclear fuel into the reactor of its first energy unit, marking the beginning of launch operations, Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom said on Friday.
• Lukashenko's Biggest Election Opponent: the Internet VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- In the closing days of the Belarus presidential election campaign, opposition candidates are holding mass rallies and incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko is visiting businesses, giving speeches to the Security Council and government – and lashing out at the news media.
• Putin, Lukashenka Discuss Detainment Of Russian Vagner Mercenaries In Belarus RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka have discussed the recent detainment of 33 mercenaries from the private Russian security firm Vagner Group in Belarus.
• Thousands In Belarus Attend 'Canceled' Opposition Rally Despite Pressure RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- Thousands of people gathered in a park in the Belarusian capital on August 6 in support of opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya after she had to cancel her campaign event following the city authorities' abrupt decision to replace her rallies in Minsk with government-organized events.
• U.S. Justice Department Moves To Seize Ukrainian Tycoon's Property RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- The United States has moved to seize U.S. real estate belonging to a powerful Ukrainian tycoon with links to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
• Myanmar Races to Fix Outdated, Erroneous Voter Lists Ahead of November Poll Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- Myanmar officials are scrambling to sort out outdated voter lists in the three-month run-up to November polls, prompting country leader Aung San Suu Kyi to call on the national election commission to swiftly clean up the errors.
• Mekong River Commission Urges More Data Sharing Amid Low Water Levels in Lower Mekong Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2020 -- As water levels in the lower-Mekong region hit record lows for the second year in a row, a report published Friday by the intergovernmental Mekong River Commission urged China, Myanmar and its member countries to share more data about hydroelectric dam operations to enable all parties to prepare for droughts and floods.
• No Coronavirus Postponement And No Front-Runners So Far In Kyrgyz Elections RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- The two-month countdown to Kyrgyzstan's parliamentary elections has started, and President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has been clear the elections will take place despite the huge problems the coronavirus is causing for the country.
• Bulgarian Police Clear Anti-Government Camp Blockades RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- Bulgarian police have cleared traffic blockades set up by protesters in the capital and other cities for the past week to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's conservative government over corruption, the Interior Ministry says.
• Tashkent Residents Protest Plan To Merge Territory With Surrounding Region RFE/RL 07 Aug 2020 -- A group of residents of the Uzbek capital have protested the government's plan to merge parts of the city with the surrounding region.
• Ivory Coast President Accepts Nomination for Controversial Third Term VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has formally accepted the nomination of the ruling party to be its presidential candidate in October's election.
• Tanzania Opposition Leader to Run Against President in General Elections VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu was chosen this week to take on President John Magufuli in October's general elections.
• Analysts Hope Elections Do Not Slow Somalia-Somaliland Talks VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- As Somalia and the self-declared republic of Somaliland head toward elections, conflict experts are calling on both sides not to let politics disrupt progress in recent talks.
• Somali Floods Displace Hundreds of Thousands, Raise Fears of Coronavirus Spread VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- Surging floodwaters in the southern regions of Somalia have driven more than 650,000 people to flee their homes this year. The U.N. refugee agency reports the flooding has caused food shortages, led to the outbreak of killer diseases and increased the risk of the coronavirus spreading in the country.
• Thai Protesters Demand Drastic Changes in Political System VOA 07 Aug 2020 -- Protesters in Thailand are pressing on with their demands for the dissolution of parliament, new elections and changing the constitution.