Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban stage deadly bomb attack on Afghan commandos, civilians Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- At least three people have been killed and dozens of others injured in a truck bomb attack near a military base in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh.
• Dozen Killed In Taliban Truck Bomb, Other Attacks Across Afghanistan RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- At least 12 people have been killed and scores wounded in attacks across Afghanistan, including in a Taliban truck bombing that targeted a military base used by Afghan commandos, officials said.
• Taliban Attacks on Afghan Forces Cause Dozens of Casualties VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- Taliban insurgents carried out a suicide bombing and other attacks against government security installations in Afghanistan, killing up to 20 people and injuring dozens more.
• Federal Government of Somalia, AFRICOM target al-Shabaab senior leader AFRICOM 25 Aug 2020 -- In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an al-Shabaab senior leader in the vicinity of Saakow, Somalia, on Aug. 25.
• US AFRICOM Conducts Airstrike Targeting Senior Leader of al-Shabaab in Somalia Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced on Tuesday it had carried out an airstrike against a senior leader of the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab.
• Tennessee National Guard keeps fighting COVID-19 Army News 25 Aug 2020 -- Since March 26, Soldiers and Airmen with the Tennessee National Guard have been working diligently alongside Tennessee's Department of Health, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and other state and local agencies to combat the spread of COVID-19. Their main focus: test as many people as possible.
• Michigan National Guard provides drive-thru COVID-19 testing Army News 25 Aug 2020 -- The Michigan National Guard brought drive-thru community COVID-19 testing to Three Rivers, Baldwin and Newago Aug. 13-14.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Marine Corps to build innovative wargaming center USMC News 25 Aug 2020 -- The Marine Corps will soon build a state-of-the-art facility to better visualize the threat environment, gain competitive advantages and simulate future operating environments.
• SECNAV: Installations in Southeast Are Strategically Important US Navy 25 Aug 2020 -- Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite visited Sailors, Marines and Department of the Navy civilians throughout Navy Region Southeast Aug. 10-11.
• US Cyber Forces Go Hunting for Election Trouble VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- U.S. forces are taking an aggressive approach in cyberspace ahead of November's presidential election, aiming to wipe out threats from foreign countries and other actors before they have a chance to disrupt voting or other critical, election-related systems.
• Norwegian Support Ensures Successful Sustained U.S. Operations in High North US Navy 25 Aug 2020 -- U.S. ships operating in the High North have received steadfast support from Norway, ensuring successful sustained operations in the region.
• Russian jet intercepts US, Swedish, German reconnaissance planes over Baltic Sea Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- A Russian Su-27 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept reconnaissance planes from the United States, Germany and Sweden over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
• Russia Developing Radar to Detect Precise Number of Drones in a Swarm Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- Besides Russia, a handful of other countries, including the US, China, Italy, the UK, Japan and Israel are known to be working on technologies related to the mass deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles, whether it's to use them in combat and reconnaissance or to bring them down.
• Russian MiG-31 Fighter Jet Scrambled to Intercept Norwegian Aircraft Over Barents Sea Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- Earlier this week, a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet was scrambled to intercept military aircraft from the US, Germany and Sweden over the Baltic Sea.
• China's MoD Says US Spy Plane Entered No-Fly Zone of Chinese Northern Military District Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese military said on Tuesday that a US spy plane entering the no-fly zone of the Chinese Northern Military District was a "naked provocation."
• China protests US spy plane for breaching PLA no-fly zone Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese military strongly protested a US spy plane trespassing into a no-fly zone of a live-fire drill by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday, warning that the move threatened to cause a misjudgment and even an accident, and was a blatant act of provocation.
• China says US spy aircraft intruded into no-fly zone in 'naked provocation' Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- China says the United States has flown a spy aircraft into a Chinese no-fly zone during live-fire military drills, calling the flight "naked provocation."
• China unveils first indigenous 15 ton-class transport helicopter; amphibious assault role expected Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has unveiled its latest type of transport helicopter, the Z-8L, the first in the 15 ton-class in China. The new helicopter is capable of transporting an all-terrain assault vehicle and other heavy equipment. It is expected to enter service with aerial assault troops and to play a major role in multiple scenarios including amphibious assault missions, experts said on Tuesday.
• Kim Jong Un Disbands Military Unit for Allowing Refugee to Return Across Sino-Korean Border Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has disbanded a military company guarding part of the country's porous border with China after they failed in mid-July to detect a North Korean refugee returning home after having spent an unspecified amount of time outside the country, sources told RFA Tuesday.
• INDIAN ARMY ORGANISES SEMINAR ON IMPACT OF DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ON FIGHTING PHILOSOPHY IN FUTURE CONFLICTS India PIB 25 Aug 2020 -- Warfare has undergone a sea change due to the emergence of new domains of warfare and disruptive technologies.
• Pompeo says U.S. to keep Israel's military edge People's Daily 25 Aug 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday that the U.S. will continue to ensure Israel's military edge in the Middle East under any future weapons deals involving the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
• Military police to get CM-34 armored vehicles CNA 25 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Tuesday said it is placing an additional order of 21 CM-34 "Clouded Leopard" eight-wheeled armored vehicles, to be deployed to the country's Military Police Command.
• UK military considering ditching tanks and armored vehicles Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- In an extraordinary development it is being reported that British military chiefs have drawn up plans to mothball Britain's entire tank and armored fighting vehicle fleets.
• Sweden Announces 'High Readiness Action' in Baltic Sea in 'Signal' to Russia, NATO Partners Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- On Monday, a Russian Aerospace Forces jet spotted a Swedish reconnaissance plane flying toward Russia's maritime borders in the Baltic Sea, with US and German military aircraft detected nearby. Despite formal neutrality, Sweden regularly participates in NATO drills, and took part in the bloc's bombing campaign against Libya in 2011.
• UAE snubs three-way meeting with US, Israel over F-35 spat Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- The Emirati envoy to the UN has reportedly snubbed a meeting with his Israeli and American counterparts after Tel Aviv spoke out against Abu Dhabi's potential acquisition of American F-35 warplanes despite a normalization deal between the two sides.
• UAE Reportedly Calls Off Trilateral Meeting With US, Israel Over F-35 Sale Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- The United Arab Emirates has reportedly cancelled the planned trilateral meeting with the United States and Israel in protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to the US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Abu Dhabi, the Axios news portal reported, citing informed sources.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 25, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 25 August 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 25 Aug 2020
• Arab League could collapse due to lack of concern, inaction: Yemeni foreign minister Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- Yemeni Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf Abdullah has warned that the Arab League could collapse in the near future as the 22-member regional organization suffers from lack of concern and gross inaction in light of the crises that the Arab world is going through.
• US supports terrorist attacks to impede Syria's reconstructionb process, Russian military says Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- The Russian military says the United States continues to support acts of terror and sabotage by allied Takfiri terrorists operating at the al-Tanf region in southern Syria to justify its illegal military deployment in the war-torn Arab country.
• Joint Russia-Turkey Patrol Comes Under Fire in Idlib Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- Last week, the Russian centre for Syrian reconciliation stated that Turkish troops were hit by an unidentified explosive device while patrolling a highway in Syria's Idlib.
• COVID Infections Delay Syria Constitution Talks VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- UN sponsored talks to draft a new constitution for war-torn Syria have been suspended one day after they began, after four representatives of the 45-member constitutional committee tested positive for COVID-19.
• Israel's accord with United Arab Emirates an opportunity to unlock progress on wider Middle East peace efforts, UN envoy says UN News 25 Aug 2020 -- The recent agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has the potential to change dynamics across the Middle East, the UN's top envoy in the region told the Security Council on Tuesday, urging Palestinian and Israeli leaders to re-engage in efforts to resolve their protracted conflict.
• No normalization with Israel until Palestine establishes viable state: OIC Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) says its member states would not follow the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel until the regime ends the occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem al-Quds, which Palestine wants as the capital of its sovereign state.
• Rohingya Refugees Quietly Mark Third Anniversary of Rakhine Crackdown Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- Rohingya Muslim refugees on Tuesday quietly marked the third anniversary of a military crackdown that drove hundreds of thousands of them from Myanmar into Bangladesh, with no prospects of repatriation or accountability on the horizon.
• Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh mark Myanmar crackdown anniv. Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh have held a silent protest on the third anniversary of a crackdown on the Muslim minority by Myanmar that killed thousands of them.
• Ethnic Ta'ang Groups, Families Accuse Myanmar Army of Killing Three Civilians Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- Ta'ang civil society groups and the relatives of three missing ethnic Ta'ang villagers whose bodies turned up last week in a township in Myanmar's restive northern Shan state have demanded that the Myanmar military – the alleged perpetrators of the killings – be brought to justice for the crime, they told RFA on Tuesday.
• United States Continues To Call for Justice and Accountability in Burma US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2020 -- Three years after Burma's security forces launched brutal attacks against hundreds of thousands of Rohingya men, women, and children, the United States reiterates its call for justice for victims and accountability for those responsible.
• Three years after exodus, Rohingya refugees 'more vulnerable than ever' UN News 25 Aug 2020 -- Three years into the Rohingya refugee crisis, women, men and children – driven from their homes in Myanmar into camps across the border in Bangladesh – are more vulnerable than ever, UN agencies have reported.
• Indian Troops Armed With Russian-Made Portable SAMs Reportedly Deployed Near China Border Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- Relations between the Asian powers worsened dramatically in June, after Indian and Chinese troops engaged in deadly melee combat in a disputed area in the Galwan River Valley situated between Ladakh, India and China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
• Mladic Lawyer Says He's Unfit For Genocide Appeal RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- A lawyer for former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic told a UN court on August 25 that he was at risk of a "miscarriage of justice" because he was mentally unfit to take part in an appeal hearing on his life sentence for genocide.
• Southern Kaduna Villagers Stand Up to Security Threats, Killings VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- After a spate of killings in Nigeria's Southern Kaduna state, Christian residents upset with a lack of security in their villages began standing up to Muslim attackers by establishing their own patrols. The lightly trained guards, armed with whistles and sticks, staff strategic spots to keep watch and announce any unusual movements in their communities.

News Reports

• Trump to Nominate Acting Homeland Security Head to Permanent Position VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he would nominate Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Homeland Security Department, to serve permanently in the position.
• Russian National Arrested for Conspiracy to Introduce Malware into a Nevada Company's Computer Network US Dept. of Justice 25 Aug 2020 -- Before Attempting to Flee the United States, Defendant Allegedly Plotted with Co-Conspirators to Pay $1 Million to Company Employee to Surreptitiously Insert Malware
• Turkish Police Detain Daesh Militant Plotting Terrorist Attack in Istanbul, Reports Say Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- The Istanbul police have detained a member of the Daesh* terrorist organization, who was plotting a terrorist attack in the city, the Turkish Daily Sabah newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing a law enforcement source.
• Treasury Delists Former Honduran Money Launderer and Associated Companies US Treasury 25 Aug 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) delisted one individual and five associated companies from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List).
• Mali Military Leaders and West African Mediators Fail to Reach Agreement on Transitional Government VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- Mali remains without a blueprint forward after three days of talks between military coup leaders and West African mediators yielded no decision on the make-up of a transitional government.
• Talks between regional bloc, Mali's new junta on return to civilian rule end without result Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- Negotiations between West African mediators and Mali's new military junta have concluded without an agreement on how the country should return to civilian rule.
• Confirmation of Reports on the Poisoning of Aleksey Navalny US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2020 -- "The United States is deeply concerned by reported preliminary conclusions from German medical experts that Russian opposition activist Aleksey Navalny was poisoned."
• Pompeo: US 'Deeply Concerned' About Possible Poisoning of Russian Opposition Leader VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- The U.S. government said Tuesday it is "deeply concerned" about medical tests that indicate poisoning in the case of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, currently hospitalized in Germany following a medical evacuation.
• With Navalny Poisoning Confirmed, Focus Turns To With What And By Whom RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- For five days now, Russian anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny has been comatose, medically induced into unconsciousness in an effort to keep his body from shutting down.
• Kremlin Claims German Doctors 'Rushing' To Say Navalny Was Poisoned RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- The Kremlin has said that there was no immediate need to open a probe into how Aleksei Navalny fell gravely ill -- claiming that German doctors treating the Russian opposition leader were "rushing" to use the word poisoning.
• Russian doctors deny German hospital's claim of opp. figure Navalny's poisoning Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- Russian doctors say tests on opposition figure Alexey Navalny's found no traces of intoxication with substances from the group of cholinesterase inhibitors, dismissing the claim by a German hospital where he has been admitted.
• EU Calls For Independent Russian Investigation Into Navalny's Condition Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- The European Union is calling for an independent Russian investigation into the condition of Alexey Navalny, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said in a statement.
• Designation of People's Republic of China (PRC) Foreign National and Hong Kong Entity under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2020 -- Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated one of the most significant drug traffickers in the world – Chinese national Zhang Taotao.
• Treasury Sanctions Chinese National for Shipping Fentanyl to the United States US Treasury 25 Aug 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified Chinese national Taotao Zhang as a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). OFAC also designated Hong Kong-based Allyrise Technology Group Co., Limited, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or acting for or on behalf of, Taotao Zhang.
• China Wins Seat at International Tribunal on Law of the Sea Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- China's candidate has won an election to be a judge on a key United Nations-affiliated agency responsible for hearing cases concerning the Law of the Sea, despite U.S. opposition to what it views as Beijing's growing influence in international organizations.
• UPDATE: Chinese diplomat's election to sea tribunal with high count of votes reflects intl recognition: FM Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- Chinese Ambassador to Hungary Duan Jielong was on Monday elected as a member of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea with a high count of votes, which reflected the international community's recognition of China's claims and actions on maritime issues and was a "slap in the face" of the US, as the country had not accepted the law but instead pointed its finger at and smeared China's moves.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on August 25, 2020 PRC MofA 25 Aug 2020
• Full text: Speech by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting People's Daily 25 Aug 2020 -- The following is the full text of the speech by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the third Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting on Monday in Beijing.
• Wang Yi kicks off crucial Europe trip Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi kicked off a week-long visit to Europe on Tuesday, his first overseas trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Italy as his first stop. Experts said that the high-level exchange will strengthen bilateral political trust and pave the way for 5G cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• China and US chief trade negotiators hold talks, agree to push for phase one deal Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- The phone call made on Tuesday by chief trade talk negotiators from China and the US and the ensuing announcements showed that there is still enough will from the two sides to implement the phase one trade deal, despite doubts that the deal might be on shaky ground after the call was not held at a pre-scheduled time, Chinese analysts said on Tuesday.
• Human Rights Under Attack in Hong Kong Under New National Security Regime: Report Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- A draconian national security law imposed on Hong Kong by the ruling Chinese Communist Party at the beginning of July has ushered in an ever-widening crackdown on peaceful dissent, and a new wave of human rights violations, according to a report from an overseas-based rights group.
• First person charged under natl security law for HK denied bail again Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday again refused bail to a 23-year-old man who was the first person charged under the national security law for HKSAR.
• Dissidents Call on China's Confucius Institute to Allow Them to Speak on 1989 Massacre Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- Chinese dissidents overseas have called on the head of a China-backed cultural institute at the University of Western Australia (UniWA) to allow them to speak about their experiences of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre that ended weeks of student-led protests around the country.
• Xi stresses long-term perspective in economic, social planning People's Daily 25 Aug 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday stressed adopting a long-term perspective, grasping the trend of the times and extensively pooling wisdom to study new circumstances and make new plans.
• Top STEM Graduates Hired For District Official Roles in China Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- Government recruiters for ruling Chinese Communist Party-sponsored jobs are requiring ever higher levels of qualification for graduate positions in district-level government organizations, RFA has learned.
• Xinjiang Authorities Restrict Islamic 'Nikah' Wedding Rites, Citing Danger to 'Stability' Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- Authorities in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), are restricting Uyghurs from observing Islamic wedding rites, according to sources, amid a campaign that has labeled a broad spectrum of religious practices as "extremist."
• US deeply involved in Taiwan Island's politics, peaceful reunification unlikely: former KMT official Global Times 25 Aug 2020 -- The US has deeply involved in the island of Taiwan's politics, and the possibility of a peaceful reunification is fading, the former deputy secretary-general of the Kuomintang (KMT) Tsai Cheng-Yuan said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times.
• UN Security Council Declines Action on US-Sought Return of Iran Sanctions VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- The president of the U.N. Security Council said Tuesday there is no consensus for restoring international sanctions on Iran in the 15-member council and that he would take no further action on a U.S. demand to re-impose them.
• FM Spox terms IAEA reports as best reference for reducing Iran's JCPOA commitments IRNA 25 Aug 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said five steps of Iran on reducing nuclear-related commitments have been fully implemented and the reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are the best reference for it.
• IAEA should observe principles of impartiality, professionalism: FM Zarif Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the UN nuclear agency should observe the principles of impartiality and professionalism in its dealings with the Islamic Republic.
• UNSC says 'not in position' to take more action to return all sanctions against Iran Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- The president of the United Nations Security Council has dismissed attempts by the US to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran due to a lack of consensus in the 15-member body over such a move.
• US defeat at UNSC showed Iran's diplomatic power: Rouhani Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani says America's failure in its attempts to make the UN Security Council (UNSC) extend the arms embargo against Tehran was a political success that displayed the power of Iran's diplomacy.
• Grossi: IAEA won't let third parties influence Iran ties Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- Visiting Tehran, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Orgzniation Rafael Grossi says the UN nuclear watchdog will not allow any third party to influence its relations with Iran.
• IAEA Chief Says Working On Reaching Agreement With Iran On Safeguards Verification Radio Farda 25 Aug 2020 -- Rafael Grossi, the Chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Tuesday during his visit to Iran that the agency is working on reaching an agreement on the nuclear watchdog's oversight capabilities in Iran.
• UN Security Council Head Says No 'Further Action' On U.S. Bid For Return To Iran Sanctions RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- The rotating, Indonesian presidency of the UN Security Council has cited a lack of consensus and "significant numbers of...contesting views" to forestall further action on a U.S. push to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran.
• Iran, IAEA Chief Say Tehran Talks 'Constructive' RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- Talks with the UN atomic watchdog's chief were "constructive," Iran's top nuclear official Ali Akbar Salehi has said after a meeting with Rafael Grossi, who is in Iran to seek access for the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) inspectors to two suspected former atomic sites.
• UNSC Head Says 'Not in Position to Take Further Action' on US Move to Trigger Sanctions on Iran Sputnik 25 Aug 2020 -- Last week, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, stated that Washington will not succeed in its attempt to renew sanctions against Tehran through the mechanism launched at the United Nations.
• Iran Interior Minister Concerned Over Prospect of Low Turnout In Next Presidential Election Radio Farda 25 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has expressed concern over possible low turnout in the country's next presidential election.
• Iran Lawmakers Aim To Fully Ban All 'Foreign' Messaging Apps Radio Farda 25 Aug 2020 -- Dozens of lawmakers in Iran have signed a motion to replace foreign messaging apps with domestically produced ones. The proposal titled as the motion for "Organizing Social Media Messaging," was presented to the parliament's presidium on Monday, August 24.
• Designations of Iranian Human Rights Violators US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2020 -- On August 21, the U.S. Department of State announced visa restrictions on 14 Iranian individuals for their involvement in gross violations of human rights on behalf of the Iranian regime, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.
• Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joey Hood and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq David Copley, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs On the Recent U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2020
• What Exactly Is The Coordination Council And What Are Its Plans To Oust Belarus's Leader? RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- One day after an estimated 200,000 people flooded the streets of Minsk demanding longtime leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka to step down, the council established to facilitate a transfer of power met the reporters in the Belarusian capital for the first time.
• Tsikhanouskaya Calls For Belarusian Dialogue As Clampdown, Protests Continue RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- Authorities in Belarus handed down jail sentences against opposition leaders and tightened their clampdown against weeks of unprecedented protests on August 25, but demonstrations continued and the exiled challenger in this month's disputed election vowed that the country's pro-democracy movement "will not be broken."
• That Gun! Lukashenka Chooses Weapon Favored By Osama Bin Laden, Islamic State Leader RFE/RL 25 Aug 2020 -- After besieged Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka strode from his helicopter gripping an assault rifle on August 23, some watching may have felt a flash of deja vu. It was the same distinctive model of gun Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was frequently photographed with and the favored weapon of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
• Belarusian Government Ups Crackdown Against Opposition Activists VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- Belarusian authorities have jailed several opposition activists as part of a mounting pressure campaign against protesters who are planning more demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko to force an end to his 26-year rule.
• COVID Could Bring Fundamental Changes to Mideast, Analysts Say VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic is the third major crisis to hit the Middle East in a decade following the tumult of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and the start of oil price declines in 2014 and regional analysts suggest the health emergency has lessons that could help in bringing fundamental change to the region. They say innovation both in the Middle East's economies–in particular, for Gulf Arabs who have relied heavy on oil exports--and educational systems is needed to confront new challenges as the world moves into more renewable energy sources and is increasingly tech-driven.
• Myanmar disqualifies Rohingya politicians from contesting elections Press TV 25 Aug 2020 -- Authorities in Myanmar have disqualified six Rohingya politicians from contesting the upcoming general elections for the lack of ID documents in Rakhine State, where the Muslim community has faced state-sponsored violence and apartheid-like conditions.
• Pakistani Kashmir Residents Fear Power Project Will Destroy Economy, Livelihood VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- Shoukat Nawaz remembers the days when he could enjoy the fresh cold air on his balcony in a three-story house along a riverbank in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Today, a stench greets him as he goes outside.
• US Top Diplomat Pompeo Visits Sudan VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Tuesday in Khartoum with Sudanese Sovereign Council Chair General Abdel Fattah el-Burhan as the Trump administration pushes for Arab nations to normalize ties with Israel.
• Lao Democracy Activist Still Missing After a Year, as Thai Police Investigation 'Stalls' Radio Free Asia 25 Aug 2020 -- A Lao democracy activist who vanished under mysterious circumstances in Thailand last year is still missing, with Thai police saying no progress has been made in the investigation into his disappearance.
• President Erdogan's Meeting With Hamas Leadership US Dept. of State 25 Aug 2020 -- The United States strongly objects to Turkish President Erdogan hosting two Hamas leaders in Istanbul on August 22.
• UNICEF works to ease suffering of children whose lives have been 'turned upside-down' after Beirut blast UN News 25 Aug 2020 -- Following a deadly explosion earlier this month, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has delivered some 67 tons of critical humanitarian supplies to affected children and families in Beirut.
• In Lebanon, Expanded Army Powers Formalize Long-Tightening Media Restrictions, Journalists Say VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- A state of emergency law passed in Lebanon could be used to suppress protests and silence journalists, and has formalized de facto policies in the country for cracking down on dissent, reporters and civil rights groups say.
• 'Momentous milestone' as Africa eradicates wild poliovirus UN News 25 Aug 2020 -- The wild poliovirus has been eradicated in Africa, health officials announced on Tuesday, calling it a "momentous milestone" for the continent.
• In Major Milestone, Africa Now Polio-Free VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- All of Africa has reached a very important milestone. The World Health Organization has declared that the entire continent is now free of the wild poliovirus. This comes after four years without a single case.
• Cameroon Dispatches Humanitarian Assistance as Floods Render Thousands Homeless VOA 25 Aug 2020 -- Cameroon has dispatched emergency aid for at least 5,000 people left homeless or displaced by the worst coastal flooding in decades. Heavy rains this month swept floodwaters through Douala, Cameroon's largest city and economic capital, leaving much of it underwater.