Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Centcom Chief: Enduring ISIS Defeat Requires Plans for Refugees, Local Security DoD News 12 Aug 2020 -- While ISIS no longer has the ability to hold ground, the terrorist organization isn't completely defeated. An enduring defeat, the commander of U.S. Central Command said, will require, in part, plans for refugees displaced by the Syrian civil war and for local security forces to be able to handle ISIS on their own.
• CENTCOM Chief Warns of Resurgent IS Without Repatriation from Syrian Camps VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- The top U.S. general for military operations in the Middle East is warning of a potential Islamic State resurgence should the international community not act quickly to repatriate and deradicalize former members and supporters of the terror group who are in Syrian camps.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Operation Warp Speed on Track for End-of-Year Vaccine Delivery DoD News 12 Aug 2020 -- Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership whose goal is to deliver 300 hundred million doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year.
• B2 Spirit Stealth Bombers deploy to Diego Garcia, supports Bomber Task Force US Air Force 12 Aug 2020 -- Koku-Jieitai, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, security personnel from across Japan gathered together at Yokota Air Base to take part in a bilateral training event with the 374th Security Forces Squadron Aug. 4-6.
• F-35A joins Red Flag-Alaska, soars to new heights US Air Force 12 Aug 2020 -- Throughout the years, numerous types of aircraft have flown in the Alaskan skies during Red Flag-Alaska. This year, a new fifth-generation fighter joins the fight.
• National Defense Strategy Key to Force Restructuring DoD News 12 Aug 2020 -- As the Defense Department looked at restructuring its forces in Europe, officials had to decide how a restructure would deal with today's threats as defined in the National Defense Strategy, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Hudson Institute today.
• Summer Fury showcases reach of 3rd MAW's lethal weapons USMC News 12 Aug 2020 -- The character of warfighting is increasingly dynamic, and the rapid advance of new technology has led the Marine Corps to cultivate training evolutions to meet the challenges presented today by adversaries across the Pacific Ocean.
• Access to Actionable Data Key to Future Fight DoD News 12 Aug 2020 -- The next adversarial confrontation will begin in the digital world of the space and cyberspace domains, Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.
• US, South Korea downsize military drills due to coronavirus pandemic: Media Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- South Korea and the United States are reportedly scaling back their joint military drills this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• South Korea Preparing for Reduced Virtual Drills With US Next Week, Reports Suggest Sputnik 12 Aug 2020 -- South Korea has begun preparations for the annual joint summer drills with the United States which this year will be held in an abridged format due to the coronavirus, South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo reported on Wednesday, citing sources.
• Air-Maritime Integration Contributes to NATO's Deterrence and Defence NATO 12 Aug 2020 -- Joint and multi-domain operations are an essential contribution to the Alliance's Deterrence and Defence in the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA). Allied Air Command and Allied Maritime Command are implementing this concept by interlinking their air and naval forces, to further increase the capability for enhanced indications and warnings.
• Russian Fighter Su-27 Scrambled to Intercept 2 US Military Aircraft Over Black Sea Sputnik 12 Aug 2020 -- Russian fighter jet Su-27 was scrambled after two US military aircraft approached Russian border over the Black Sea, so that no violation of the state border was allowed, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Centre (NDCC) said on Wednesday.
• PLA holds anti-aircraft drills amid frequent US reconnaissance sorties Global Times 12 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently held a series of anti-aircraft drills off the South China Sea, a sensitive location to which the US has been frequently sending warplanes for close-up reconnaissance.
• India Deploys Domestically-Produced Armed Helicopters to Contested Ladakh on Chinese Border Sputnik 12 Aug 2020 -- India has deployed fighter jets, transport aircraft, and thousands of additional troops to the Ladakh region to counter movement by the People's Liberation Army. The two Asian giants have failed to reach a consensus on disengagement in Pangong Tso and Depsang Valley after six rounds of military-level talks.
• P-8 Poseidon aircraft to support Border Force operations in the Channel UK MOD 12 Aug 2020 -- A Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft has flown from its base at Kinloss Barracks this morning to support Border Force Operations in the Channel.
• How far is Japan away from breaking pacifist constitution restraints Global Times 12 Aug 2020 -- Japan's pacifist constitution recently drew attention when Alexander Venediktov, the deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, said that the department is "alarmed by the debate in the Japanese society about whether Tokyo should abandon the pacifist principles enshrined in the country's basic law." Venediktov warned, "If these initiatives move closer to reality Russia will certainly have to act to ensure its own security."
• US Top Diplomat Warns of China's Global Threat VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that China's economic power is in some ways a greater global threat than the Soviet Union was during the Cold War.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis at a Press Availability US Dept. of State 12 Aug 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 12, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 12 August 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Aug 2020
• Changmenyan Island in China's Yellow Sea ends 58-year power shortage PLA Daily 12 Aug 2020 -- At the end of July, as a worker from the Jimo branch of State Grid Shandong Electric Power Company pushed the switch, the 0.25-square-kilometers Changmenyan Island, lying marginally deep in China's Yellow Sea, was eventually connected to the power grid, which ended its 58-year-long history of no continuous electricity and improved greatly the living conditions of the stationed troops.
• Photo: Beijing Reportedly Deploys H-6J Bomber to South China Sea's Woody Island Sputnik 12 Aug 2020 -- A photo circulating on Chinese social media seems to show one of China's most advanced bombers, the H-6J, on the airfield on tiny Woody Island, a growing Chinese settlement in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
• Assad: US needs terrorists, uses sanctions to support them Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Syria's President Bashar al-Assad says the US needs terrorists on the ground in the region, and levied its recent draconian sanctions against Syria as a means of throwing support behind them.
• Iraq cancels Turkish defense minister's visit, summons envoy over deadly drone strike Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Iraq has canceled an official visit by Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and summoned Ankara's ambassador to Baghdad following a drone strike that killed two high-ranking Iraqi commanders in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
• Turkey interested in dialogue with Greece on gas exploration in eastern Mediterranean: Minister Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Turkey's Defense Minister says his country is interested in resolving a dispute with Greece over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean through dialogue.
• Islamic State Holding on in Philippines, Despite Millions in US Spending VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars and hundreds of hours spent working with and training Philippine government forces appear to be doing little to dislodge Islamic State fighters entrenched in the country's south.
• At Least 10 Killed in Somalia After Fighting Between Al-Shabab, Residents VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- At least 10 people were killed and five others were wounded in fighting between al-Shabab and armed residents in Somalia's central region of Mudug, witnesses and officials said.
• Cameroon Rights Groups, Embassies Condemn Barbaric Acts Against Civilians VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- In Cameroon, there has been widespread condemnation of recent barbaric violence against civilians in the country's troubled western regions. In the past week, suspected separatists killed 13 civilians, including aid workers, with videos of beheaded women shared on social media.
• Ethnic Violence in Sudan's West Darfur Sends Thousands Fleeing to Chad VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- The U.N. refugee agency says last month's ethnic violence in Sudan's Western Darfur region has driven thousands of refugees, some for the second time, to neighboring Chad for safety.

News Reports

• Lebanon: WFP racing to help vulnerable, prevent food shortages UN News 12 Aug 2020 -- The World Food Programme (WFP) is racing to prevent food shortages in Lebanon as the country continues to reel from the triple shock of the devastating blast in Beirut, economic meltdown and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• World Food Program Announces Wheat Stocks for Lebanon VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Director David Beasley has pledged to deliver 17,500 metric tons of wheat flour, as well as a three-month supply of wheat, to Lebanon.
• Magnitude of Beirut Blast Demands Costly Response VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- The United Nations is preparing an appeal to cover the enormous emergency and acute humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of survivors of last week's devastating explosion in the center of Lebanon's capital Beirut. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
• Can Lebanese Protesters, Civil Society Help Govern After Toppling Government? VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Lebanon's protests already have brought down two successive governments in the space of nine months, analysts say, pointing to the strength of people power in nationwide demonstrations and their demands for change, as well as the vulnerability of the country's long-entrenched ruling elite. But some argue the "revolution" has not yet succeeded in raising up alternative leadership, while others point to new political parties and coalitions already being formed as a sign of what lies ahead.
• Damages From Beirut Port Blast Expected to Reach $15 Billion, Lebanese President Says Sputnik 12 Aug 2020 -- The cost of the damage resulting from the massive blast at the Beirut port on August 4 is expected to reach $15 billion, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said during a phone call with Spain's King Felipe VI on Wednesday.
• WHO Seeking $76 mln for Lebanon After Beirut Blast, Concerned on Coronavirus SPA 12 Aug 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said today, on Wednesday it had appealed for $76 million in aid for Lebanon after last week's massive explosion in Beirut destroyed or damaged hospitals, clinics and medical supplies, Reuters reported.
• Chinese Police Have Filmed Dozens of Forced Confessions, Often After Torture: Report Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2020 -- State media organizations and Chinese state security police have produced dozens of televised forced "confessions" in the years since ruling Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping took power, often involving severe duress and torture, according to a recent submission to the United Nations.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on August 12, 2020 PRC MofA 12 Aug 2020
• For the first time, foreign ministry ceases summer adjournment as China's voice must be heard amid US smearing Global Times 12 Aug 2020 -- In response to a question on why Chinese Foreign Ministry will not take a "regular" summer press conference adjournment this year, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said anyone on Earth knows the reason. Echoing with Zhao's remarks, Chinese netizens joked the question should be asked to US President Donald Trump as he and US politicians are busy cueing China almost every day.
• Tsai condemns Hong Kong arrests of activists, urges dialogue CNA 12 Aug 2020 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday condemned the arrest of democracy activists in Hong Kong, including Next Digital media group founder Jimmy Lai (黎智英), saying that such attempts to obstruct the will of the people will not succeed.
• LegCo should focus on fighting virus, considering natl security legislation in 1 year extension: experts Global Times 12 Aug 2020 -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has allowed all lawmakers of the current Legislative Council to their extended terms, which means incumbent lawmakers disqualified from the next election will stay in the city's legislature until at least September 2021, analysts and politicians said on Thursday.
• Jimmy Lai bailed out, 'not released': sources Global Times 12 Aug 2020 -- Granting Jimmy Lai conditional bail does not mean the founder of Apple Daily is now free, and the possibility that the central government's office for safeguarding national security will oversee and provide guidance in the case can't be ruled out, a police source and legal experts told the Global Times on Wednesday.
• China's top legislature resolves HKSAR LegCo vacancy concern People's Daily 12 Aug 2020 -- Chinese lawmakers on Tuesday voted to adopt a decision for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to continue performing duties.
• Hong Kong's Apple Daily Braces For More Raids Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2020 -- Police in Hong Kong released pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow and media tycoon Jimmy Lai late on Tuesday on bail, pending charges of "collusion with foreign powers" under a draconian national security law imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
• Hong Kong Media Tycoon's Arrest Sparks Fear of Press Freedom Demise VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- The arrest of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai and the high-profile police raid on the Apple Daily newspaper this week has stoked widespread fears of the end of Hong Kong as a flourishing city where information and opinions were freely aired.
• Any attempt that challenges "one-China principle" is doomed to fail People's Daily 12 Aug 2020 -- Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, arrived in Taiwan on August 9 and began a 3-day-long visit. Such a move of the U.S. is a serious breach of its commitments pledged on the Taiwan question.
• Azar discusses Taiwanese protective gear investment in U.S. CNA 12 Aug 2020 -- United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on Wednesday said he discussed with Taiwan the possibility of Taiwanese healthcare supply manufacturers investing in the U.S. to bolster its productive capability in such products.
• 'Those who play with fire will get burnt:' China warns US against Taiwan ties Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- China has warned the United States against any official ties with Taiwan, as a high-level US official visits the self-ruled island.
• North Korea's Office 39 Diverts Electricity to Gold Production Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2020 -- The North Korean secret organization that oversees Kim Jong Un's slush funds and foreign currency is looking to cash in on record gold prices by diverting scarce electricity to facilities that produce the precious metal, sources in the country told RFA.
• Benevolent Father of DPRK People KCNA 12 Aug 2020 -- Some days ago, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un showed warm love and benevolence for the inhabitants in Kaesong City and Taechong-ri of Unpha County, North Hwanghae Province, of the DPRK.
• Officials of WPK Central Committee and Their Families Aid People in Taechong-ri, Unpha County KCNA 12 Aug 2020 -- Departments of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and families of officials of its headquarters sincerely aided the residents in Taechong-ri, Unpha County, North Hwanghae Province who suffered by the flood.
• Pak Pong Ju Inspects Taechong Co-op Farm in Unpha County KCNA 12 Aug 2020 -- Pak Pong Ju, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), vice-chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and vice-chairman of the C.C., WPK, inspected the Taechong Co-op Farm in Unpha County.
• Interview: South Korean Probes into Refugee-led Civic Groups are 'A Political Decision' Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2020 -- North Korean refugee-led civic groups in South Korea have become the target of sweeping government inspections as Seoul seeks to re-engage with Pyongyang, which says heightened tensions on the peninsula are the fault of activist groups who send anti-Pyongyang leaflets by balloon over the border. Inter-Korean tensions reached a crescendo in June when Pyongyang cut off all official communication with Seoul and blew up a landmark inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean city of Kaesong.
• Approval of anti-Iranian draft UNSC resolution blatant violation of JCPOA: President Rouhani ISNA 12 Aug 2020 -- Iran's President described bringing up the issue of this government or that government by some people in recent days is ugly, irrational and childish and emphasized, "This government or that government is meaningless, we are a single nation and we stand against an enemy".
• Rouhani: US not entitled to JCPOA mechanisms IRNA 12 Aug 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a telephone conversation on Wednesday with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron said that the US is not entitled to use the mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Iran denies report of partial sanctions removal ISNA 12 Aug 2020 -- Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran has dismissed reports that a part of the foreign sanctions against Iran have been lifted temporarily.
• Rouhani warns Europeans against siding with US in backing anti-Iran resolution Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has warned the Europeans against falling into the trap of siding with the US in supporting a resolution that aims to extend an arms embargo against Iran indefinitely.
• Rouhani: US will hopefully face defeat in anti-Iran bid at UNSC Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani says Iran has "high hopes" that the US will fail in its push to extend the UN arms embargo on Tehran and will face isolation at the Security Council, urging neighboring countries not to let Washington "exploit" them to advance its own agenda.
• GCC call for Iran arms embargo extension not supported by all members, Doha enjoys good ties with Tehran: Qatari official Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Qatar has distanced itself from a hostile call by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for the UN Security Council to back a US-proposed extension of the UN arms ban against Iran, highlighting good neighborly relations between the two countries.
• Iran envoy to UN: Softened US resolution can't get UNSC on board Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Iran says a watered-down draft resolution put forward by the US to extend the UN arms embargo on Tehran is similar to the previous version in nature, voicing confidence that the Security Council (UNSC) will reject the unlawful American bid.
• US maliciously working to use UN itself to destroy world body: Iran FM Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Iran's foreign minister says the US is "maliciously" working to destroy the United Nations using the world body itself, as Washington steps up an unlawful push at the Security Council to get approval for a resolution on extending an arms ban against Tehran.
• US proposes watered-down resolution to garner support for Iran arms embargo Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- The United States has reportedly proposed a simplified draft resolution to extend an arms embargo on Iran in an apparent bid to garner support in the United Nations Security Council.
• U.S. Seeks More Support On Extending UN Arms Embargo Against Iran RFE/RL 12 Aug 2020 -- The United States has circulated a revised draft resolution that seeks to indefinitely extend a United Nations arms embargo against Iran.
• Amid Mayhem In The Region Rouhani Says Iran's Weapons Good For Everybody Radio Farda 12 Aug 2020 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani reacted with a three-day delay to The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council's letter to the United Nations Security Council demanding an extension to the arms embargo against Iran.
• Iran Parliament Says No To Rouhani Candidate For Industry Minister Radio Farda 12 Aug 2020 -- The Iranian Parliament on Wednesday turned down President Hassan Rouhani's candidate to head the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade.
• Wife of Jailed Iranian Activist Says Husband, 5 Other Political Prisoners Tested Positive for Coronavirus VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- The wife of a jailed Iranian teachers union leader says her husband and five other dissidents have tested positive for the coronavirus in a Tehran prison that has transferred them to rooms where they cannot maintain social distance.
• Iran Jails Two For Alleged Spying, Arrests Several Others On Espionage Charges RFE/RL 12 Aug 2020 -- Iran said it arrested what it called "a number of spies" and jailed two men over alleged espionage for Britain, Germany, and Israel.
• Belarus: UN rights chief condemns violence against protesters, calls for grievances to be heard UN News 12 Aug 2020 -- The flow of free information is "crucial" in a democratic society, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday, spotlighting the landlocked eastern European nation of Belarus, "especially in a context of crisis and social unrest".
• Fourth Straight Night of Protests in Belarus VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Thousands protested in Belarus for the fourth straight night Wednesday against what they said was the fraudulent election of President Alexander Lukashenko for a sixth term.
• Exclusive: Pompeo Vows U.S. Action To Ensure 'Good Outcome' For Belarusian People RFE/RL 12 Aug 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking about the contentious Belarusian presidential election and the ensuing police crackdown against peaceful protesters, says that "we want good outcomes for the Belarusian people, and we'll take actions consistent with that."
• Fourth Night Of Postelection Protests In Belarus As Pompeo Vows U.S. Action RFE/RL 12 Aug 2020 -- Belarus witnessed a fourth night of protests on August 12 in Minsk and elsewhere against the reelection of Alyaksandr Lukashenka in a vote that protesters say was rigged.
• Women Protest In Minsk, Elsewhere In Belarus To Protest Postelection Crackdown RFE/RL 12 Aug 2020 -- Women in Minsk and elsewhere across Belarus on August 12 wore white and carried flowers as they formed human chains to protest against the massive security crackdown since the country's presidential election.
• How Telegram Users Found A Way Through Belarus's Internet Lockdown RFE/RL 12 Aug 2020 -- A dynamic graphic posted to Twitter by the Internet-freedom advocacy group NetBlocks.org paints a grim picture. It shows Internet traffic in Belarus on the morning of August 9, the date of the country's bitterly disputed presidential election.
• Erection of Barricades, Stun Grenades, Clashes, and Detentions Mark Third Day of Belarus Protests Sputnik 12 Aug 2020 -- Several Belarusian cities have been engulfed by a wave of mass protests in the wake of presidential elections in the country. The latter saw incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, secure the overwhelming majority of votes, something the opposition puts down to election rigging.
• Belarus Continues Crackdown Against Opposition Protesters VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko continued a crackdown against opponents to his rule – as thousands took to the streets Tuesday for a third straight night to protest a highly controversial election that saw him declared the winner despite allegations of vote rigging and violence by state security forces.
• Belarus president calls security top priority Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Belarus' president calls maintaining security nationwide the country's top priority, saying those rioting across the country under the guise of contesting recent elections are mostly people with criminal records.
• Myanmar's government bars Rohingya Muslim from running for election Press TV 12 Aug 2020 -- Myanmar has barred a Rohingya Muslim from running in the upcoming election, in an apparent indication of the persecution against the minority.
• Tashkent Scraps Redistricting Plan After Rare Street Protests RFE/RL 12 Aug 2020 -- Authorities in Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent, have scrapped a controversial plan to merge some neighborhoods of the capital with the surrounding region after protests by residents who would have been pushed outside of the city limits.
• Tensions Rise Between Ethiopia's Former Leaders, Government VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Ethiopia's Tigray Peoples' Liberation Front (TPLF), which ruled the country for three decades until 2018, has vowed to hold its own regional vote, an action the national government said would violate the constitution. The TPLF made its declaration after the government delayed this year's national election, citing the coronavirus pandemic. The standoff is increasing the risk of conflict, with the Tigray region holding military parades and refusing to back down.
• Thai King Welcomes New Officials as Protests Rage VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Thailand's King swore in six new cabinet officials Wednesday amid unprecedented student-led protests that have erupted in recent days denouncing the monarchy.
• Protests Continue in Mali's Capital Calling for President to Resign VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Police in Mali's capital, Bamako, clashed with protesters early Wednesday, following a day of protests calling for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to step down, despite international mediation efforts to resolve the political crisis.
• Zimbabwe's Displaced White Farmers Wait for $3.5 Billion Compensation VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- White farmers in Zimbabwe whose land was taken from them and redistributed to Blacks have welcomed a $3.5 billion compensation plan, which the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa hopes will also encourage foreign investment in Zimbabwe's imploding economy.
• Mexican President Approves Corruption Investigation Into Former Officials VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Mexico's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said Wednesday he supports a corruption probe into former presidents and other administration officials, saying they should testify about what they know.
• EU Reinstates Duties on Key Cambodian Exports Over 'Serious And Systematic' Rights Concerns Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2020 -- The European Union on Wednesday reinstated duties on key exports from Cambodia that had enjoyed tariff-free access to its market, citing "serious and systematic concerns related to human rights," dealing a blow to an economy already reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Egypt Elects New Upper Chamber of Parliament as Heat, COVID-19 Weigh on Popular Enthusiasm VOA 12 Aug 2020 -- Voter turnout was mostly mixed at polling stations in the Egyptian capital Cairo, in a two-day election designed to resurrect an upper house of Parliament that was eliminated by the country's 2014 constitution.