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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban Slam US Relocation Program for Afghans, Take Credit for Kabul Bombing VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban condemned the United States on Wednesday for what they described as "plain interference" in Afghanistan by offering to resettle Afghan civilians with affiliations to international forces who could be targeted by the insurgent group.
• Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy UK FCDO 04 Aug 2021 -- A letter from Home Secretary Priti Patel and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP).
• Afghan Civilians Urged To Flee Besieged Southern City As Kabul Attacks Target Power Centers RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Aug 2021 -- Civilians fled their homes in southern Afghanistan on August 4 as government troops prepared a counterattack to retake swaths of the city of Lashkar Gah from the Taliban, as international concerns intensify over civilian casualties in several major urban centers.
• Taliban claim attack on defense min. residence, warn of more raids on govt. officials Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban have claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on the Afghan defense minster's house in the capital, Kabul, threatening to carry out more attacks against top government officials.
• Turkey: US triggering major refugee crisis by encouraging Afghans to travel to 3rd states Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- Turkey has slammed as "irresponsible" a US-declared program to offer potential resettlement to Afghans who served American occupation forces or worked for US-based organizations through third countries, including Turkey, insisting that the move would generate a "great migration crisis" in the region.
• 'Irresponsible Decision': Turkey Says US' Refugee Programme for Afghans Could Cause 'Major Crisis' Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- Turkey has warned that America's new 'Refugee Admissions Program Priority 2 (P-2)' could result in an exodus of Afghans fleeing the insurgency-ravaged country. The new visa regime requires Afghan applicants to be in a third country to be granted a US refugee visa. Turkey already plays host to most refugees globally.
• Taliban demanding 'lion's share of power' amid military gains: US diplomat Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- A senior US diplomat says the Taliban are demanding "the lion's share of power" in any new government in Afghanistan, as they are making major military advances across the country.
• Taliban Say Will Keep Targeting Afghan Officials After Attack on Defence Minister's House Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban* will continue their attacks on Afghan officials, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Wednesday, in the wake of an assault on the Afghan defence minister's house.
• Taliban Claims Responsibility for Attack on Afghan Defence Minister's House in Kabul Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- On Tuesday, a car exploded near Afghan Defence Minister Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi's house in Kabul. The minister was not injured in the attack.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Kentucky Guard crosses state lines for Operation Patriot Press Army News 04 Aug 2021 -- Over 60 Kentucky National Guard Soldiers with the 2113th Transportation Company transported 625,000 pounds of explosive ordnance more than 2,200 miles through five states as part of their annual training June 2-10.
• DEVCOM Engineers test RCV-M at Fort Dix Army News 04 Aug 2021 -- Members of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, and Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) located in Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, joined together on a range at Fort Dix June 30 to perform a live-fire test of a Robotic Combat Vehicle-Medium (RCV-M), an experimental prototype under the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team (NGCV CFT).
• Top Military Medical Doctor Predicts Coronavirus Longevity DoD News 04 Aug 2021 -- COVID-19 and other such coronaviruses likely will stay in the environment and continue to mutate, Army Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, director of Defense Health Agency, said.
• US Navy Holds World-Spanning 'Large Scale Exercise,' Biggest War Games in Decades Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- The US Navy has begun its largest war games in decades in the globe-spanning Large-Scale Exercise, running for the next two weeks and involving multiple US fleets, in a return to the massive Cold War-era drills intended to showcase the Pentagon's ability to fight a war on multiple fronts.
• US Navy holding largest amphibious exercise in 40 years Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The US Navy is holding its largest amphibious war games in 40 years.
• USS Arleigh Burke Begins First FDNF-E Patrol US Navy 04 Aug 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) departed Naval Station Rota, Spain to begin its first Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) patrol, Aug. 2, 2021.
• AFMC takes on role as servicing major command for Space Force US Air Force 04 Aug 2021 -- Air Force Materiel Command is adding on a new role as the designated servicing major command for the U.S. Space Force.
• Coronavirus response: NATO delivers disinfectant to Ukraine NATO 04 Aug 2021 -- Ukraine has received 30,000 litres of surface disinfectant liquid from NATO's Pandemic Response Stockpile, in order to help the country respond to coronavirus infections. NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre and Latvia coordinated the donation, which arrived on Tuesday (3 August 2021), in response to a request by Ukraine for COVID-19 assistance. Latvia donated the surface disinfectant to the NATO stockpile and subsequently handed it over to the Ministry of Health, which transferred the donation to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.
• Chinese Media Impressed by Russia's S-500, Says 'Worth Studying' Possible Purchase for PLA Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- Russia's Ministry of Defence released the first-ever video footage of the S-500 surface-to-air missile system last month. The first S-500s will be introduced into Moscow region's air defence troops once combat trials are wrapped up.
• COMMENCEMENT OF SEA TRIALS OF INDIGENOUS AIRCRAFT CARRIER (IAC(P71)) 'VIKRANT' India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) 'Vikrant' designed by Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design(DND) is being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited(CSL), a Public Sector Shipyard under Ministry of Shipping(MoS). IAC is a leading example of the nation's quest for "Atma Nirbhar Bharat" with more than 76% indigenous content. This is the maiden attempt of the Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard to indigenously design and build an Aircraft Carrier.
• Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 'Vikrant' proceeds for maiden sea trial India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal has hailed the launching of sea trials of indigenous aircraft carrier 'Vikrant', India's most complex warship to have been indigenously built by Cochin Shipyard for the Indian Navy.
• INS Vikrant, the First Indian-Built Aircraft Carrier, Begins Sea Trials - Video Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- India's first aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, took the name of a ship which was decommissioned in 1997. India at present has only one aircraft carrier, the Russian-made INS Vikramaditya.
• BRO constructs highest motorable road in the world in Eastern Ladakh India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed and black-topped the highest motorable road in the world at 19,300 ft at Umlingla Pass in Eastern Ladakh, creating a record in high-altitude road construction. It has constructed a 52-km long tarmac road through Umlingla Pass, bettering the previous record of a road in Bolivia connecting to its volcano Uturuncu at 18,953 ft.
• CHINESE THREAT AT THE COASTAL REGION India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- India's relations with its neighbours stand on their own and are independent of the relations of those countries with third countries.
• OPENING CEREMONY EXERCISE INDRA-21 India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- The Indo - Russia joint training Exercise INDRA 2021 commenced at Prudboy Ranges, Volgograd on 04 Aug 2021 with an impressive opening ceremony that saw the unfurling of the National Flags of both countries. Exercise INDRA 2021 will enhance interoperability between the Indian and Russian Armies .
• VARIOUS R&D PROJECTS TAKEN UP BY DRDO India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) undertakes various R&D projects. The lab-wise details of projects sanctioned during last three years (1 Jul 2018 – 30 Jun 2021) are as follows:-
• BOOSTING DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF DEFENCE EQUIPMENT India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- The Government has taken several policy initiatives and brought reforms to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country, thereby reducing dependency on imports in coming years
• CYBER WARFARE India PIB 04 Aug 2021 -- Government has approved establishment of Defence Cyber Agency, under the aegis of Ministry of Defence.
• Japan - AEGIS Class Destroyer Support DSCA 04 Aug 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan of AEGIS Class Destroyer Support and related equipment for an estimated cost of $134 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Japan - RAM Block 2 Tactical Missiles DSCA 04 Aug 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan of RAM Block 2 Tactical Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $61.5 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Taiwan to soon mass produce extended-range air-to-air missiles: source CNA 04 Aug 2021 -- An extended-range version of Taiwan's indigenous Tien Chien II "Sky Sword" missile has undergone successful testing and will soon enter mass production, as part of the country's efforts to counter China, a military source told CNA Tuesday.
• Taiwan to test self-made rockets on island in South China Sea CNA 04 Aug 2021 -- The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is scheduled to hold two rounds of live-fire exercises on the Taiwan-held Pratas (Dongsha) Island in the South China Sea next month and will test an indigenous anti-armor rocket.
• Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) - 155mm M109A6 Paladin Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer System DSCA 04 Aug 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) of 155mm M109A6 Paladin Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer System and related equipment for an estimated cost of $750 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Next-generation vehicles show their firepower Australia DOD 04 Aug 2021 -- The two contender vehicles for Australia's soon-to-be-selected infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) (LAND 400 Phase 3 project) recently conducted a firepower demonstration at Puckapunyal Military Area, showcasing next-level protection, firepower and mobility.
• HMAS Parramatta switches sides Australia DOD 04 Aug 2021 -- Lurking in the blue waters off the coast of Queensland, Australian frigate HMAS Parramatta and United States destroyer USS Rafael Peralta waited for their targets.
• US Vice President Kamala Harris Set to Visit Vietnam Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit Vietnam later this month, following up on a visit to Hanoi at the end of July by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the first high-ranking U.S. official to visit Vietnam since President Joe Biden took office in January.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with UK Foreign Secretary Raab US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Ukrainian Officials The White House 04 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Palauan President Whipps, Jr. US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and President of Palau Surangel Whipps, Jr. Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Participation in the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Sudanese PM Abdalla Hamdok US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Participation in the U.S.-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with the Bucharest Nine Ambassadors The White House 04 Aug 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, August 4, 2021 The White House 04 Aug 2021
• Department Press Briefing – August 4, 2021 US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 4, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 4 August 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Aug 2021
• WHO: Health Care Under Siege in Areas of Conflict VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- The World Health Organization says more than 700 health care workers and patients were killed, more than 2,000 injured, and hundreds of health facilities destroyed in countries of conflict between 2018 and 2020.
• India deploys warships to South China Sea, joining US in countering China Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- India has deployed warships to the South China Sea in what New Delhi proclaims to be a bid to expand security ties with "friendly countries" and in an apparent move to join and play a bigger role in a US-led scheme to counter China near Chinese territorial waters.
• U.S. Will Continue to Operate in South China Sea to Ensure Prosperity for All DoD News 04 Aug 2021 -- There's a variety of concerns that keep Indo-Pacom on its toes — many centered around the activities of China, which quite often don't match up with the words that come out of Beijing, its commander said.
• M'arib battle prelude to peace: Yemen FM tells Press TV Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- Yemeni Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf says Saudi Arabia and its allies have been funneling Ma'rib's oil and gas revenues to their mercenaries in order to help finance the war, describing victory in the battle for the strategic province as a prelude to peace for the entire country.
• Urging Syria to cooperate fully with the OPCW UK FCDO 04 Aug 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on Syria chemical weapons
• Work still remains on Syria chemical weapons destruction, Security Council hears UN News 04 Aug 2021 -- Identifying perpetrators of chemical weapon attacks, and holding them accountable, must remain a priority, a senior UN official said on Wednesday during the latest Security Council meeting on Syria.
• Britain's Top General Calls for Retaliation on Iran for Drone Strike VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- Britain's top military commander, General Nick Carter, said Wednesday that Western powers need to retaliate for a suspected Iranian drone strike on an oil tanker, which killed a British security guard and the ship's Romanian captain — otherwise Tehran will feel emboldened.
• Iran's reaction to reports of security incidents in Sea of Oman ISNA 04 Aug 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh described as totally suspicious the reports of successive security incidents involving vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, warning against any effort to create a vicious atmosphere to pursue certain political goals.
• Iran: Reports of maritime incidents Western psywar for new adventurism Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The Iranian Armed Forces have denounced recent contradictory reports of maritime incidents and hijacking in the Sea of Oman as a Western "psychological warfare" meant to set the ground for new adventurism.
• Iran denies rumors about military forces entering foreign ships in Persian Gulf Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry has dismissed rumors about the entry of the country's military forces into foreign ships passing in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, warning against such false reports propagated by the Western and Zionist media.
• U.S. Says Iran Believed Behind Hijacking Of Vessel In Gulf Of Oman RFE/RL 04 Aug 2021 -- The United States said that it believes Iranian forces hijacked the Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess tanker in the Gulf of Oman but is not in a position to confirm.
• Videos: IDF Aircraft Bomb Sites in Southern Lebanon in Response to Earlier Rockets Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- Hours after Israel shelled positions in southern Lebanon in response to several rocket launches, jet aircraft were reported flying over the area carrying out airstrikes early Thursday morning.
• USAID Head Pushes for Humanitarian Aid Access in Tigray VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Agency for International Development head Samantha Power is set to meet Wednesday with officials in Ethiopia as the United States urges the government to allow clear access for humanitarian aid to the Tigray region.
• UN rejects claims of bias among aid workers in Ethiopia's Tigray Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The United Nations (UN)'s top aid official has denounced as "dangerous" the accusations by Ethiopia's federal government that aid workers are favoring and even arming rebel forces in the country's conflict-ridden region of Tigray.
• Ethiopia: 'Heartbreaking' devastation in Tigray, says UN humanitarian chief UN News 04 Aug 2021 -- The new UN Emergency Relief Coordinator ended a six-day mission to Ethiopia with a fresh push to get badly needed food and other supplies into the embattled Tigray region.
• Tibetan Students Forced to Take Military Training During Summer Break Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- Schoolchildren in Tibet are being forced by Chinese authorities into programs of military training during summer vacation in a move aimed at weakening their ties to their own culture and further indoctrinating them in the ideology of China's ruling Communist Party, Tibetan sources say.
• Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway hosts its first military transport mission Global Times 04 Aug 2021 -- The newly opened Lhasa-Nyingchi Railway in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region recently hosted its first military transport mission, a move analysts said on Wednesday served as a boost to the capability of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
• Interpol Issues Red Notice for Former FARC Rebel Group Leader, Colombian Police Chief Says Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- Interpol and the Colombian Attorney General's Office have issued international arrest warrants for Ivan Marquez, a former top commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the head of Colombia's police, Jorge Vargas, said on Wednesday.
• Doctors Without Borders Leaving West Cameroon After Government Suspension VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- Withdrawing emergency health care services amid a crisis was a difficult decision, but it was one that Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had to make after the government suspended its operations for eight months.

News Reports

• NASA: Boeing Starliner Crew Capsule Test Launch Indefinitely Postponed VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- The U.S. space agency, NASA, said the test flight of aerospace company Boeing's Starliner Crew Capsule, delayed twice in the past week, has now been put off indefinitely to allow more time to troubleshoot problems with the spacecraft.
• OSCE Will Not Send Election Observers To Russia Following 'Major Limitations' RFE/RL 04 Aug 2021 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will not send observers to Russia's upcoming elections for the first time in nearly three decades due to "major limitations" imposed by Russian authorities.
• As Sweeping Crackdown Intensifies, Russians Wonder What Comes Next RFE/RL 04 Aug 2021 -- Few doubt that the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin is worried about the September 17-19 elections to the State Duma, Russia's lower chamber of parliament.
• RUSSIA'S POSITION AT THE SEVENTY-SIXTH SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04 Aug 2021
• China Launches Campaign Against 'Fake News' Amid Flood Row With BBC Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched a campaign against "fake news" that will mostly target online content, and will likely extend to Hong Kong.
• Court in China's Anhui Jails Rights Activist Over Foreign Funding Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui have jailed a rights activist and citizen journalist for three-and-a-half years on public order charges for getting overseas funding and providing information to human rights groups.
• China rolls out extra-large tank parts and liquid booster engine for new heavy-lift carrier rocket Global Times 04 Aug 2021 -- Experts have hailed the development of China's super-heavy-lift Long March-9 carrier rocket as a milestone, as the country's first 9.5-meter-diameter rocket tank bottom and the liquid booster engine were rolled out in recent days.
• North Korea Forces Factory Workers to Donate Grain for Army Pig Farms Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- North Korea is forcing factories to raise pork for the country's huge military, and imposing pig feed grain quotas on workers who are already struggling to stay fed after 18 months of coronavirus measures have frozen trade with China and choked the economy, sources in the country told RFA.
• Israel Claims Iran Will Obtain Nuclear Weapon Materials in 10 Weeks Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday that Iran will be able to produce military-grade nuclear materials as soon as 10 weeks from now, owing to a sweeping violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Iran reaffirming its strong commitment to regional stability, maritime security ISNA 04 Aug 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed that Iran is reaffirming its strong commitment to regional stability and maritime security.
• Iran's supreme leader endorses Raisi as new president People's Daily 04 Aug 2021 -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday endorsed Ebrahim Raisi as the new president of the Islamic republic.
• Iran's newly-elected President Raeisi calls for promotion of political, economic ties with Latin America Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- Iran's newly-elected President Ebrahim Raeisi has reaffirmed the Islamic Republic's policy to strengthen relations with Latin American countries.
• Iran Sentences German And British Dual Nationals To More Than 10 Years In Prison RFE/RL 04 Aug 2021 -- An Iranian Revolutionary Court has sentenced two dual nationals, German-Iranian Nahid Taghavi and British-Iranian Mehran Raouf, to more than 10 years in prison.
• ASEAN urged to address Myanmar's post-coup turmoil Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The FORUM-ASIA and Progressive Voice rights groups have called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address the "dire" humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.
• 102 Days Later, ASEAN Finally Appoints Envoy to Myanmar Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- ASEAN on Wednesday appointed Brunei's top diplomat as its special envoy to Myanmar more than 100 days after the Southeast Asian bloc's members agreed to send an emissary to help resolve the post-coup crisis there.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with Zin Mar Aung US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021
• Belarusian Authorities Shut Down Four More NGOs In Widening Clampdown RFE/RL 04 Aug 2021 -- Belarusian authorities have shut down four more nongovernmental organizations in Minsk as Alyaksandr Lukashenka's crackdown against pro-democracy activists, independent media, and civil rights groups continues.
• Leading Belarusian Opposition Figures Go On Trial In Minsk RFE/RL 04 Aug 2021 -- The closed-door trial of two leading Belarusian opposition figures began in Minsk on August 4 over charges stemming from their calls for protests against the official results of last year's widely discredited presidential election.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on US Announcement of Sanctions against Cuba PRC MofA 04 Aug 2021
• Pakistani Opposition Decries Alleged Former Militant's Spot On Ruling Party List RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Aug 2021 -- Pakistan's opposition has decried the nomination of a candidate with links to a militant Pakistani Islamist group to the legislative assembly in Pakistan-administered Kashmir with the support of the ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party.
• Anniversary of Beirut explosion: Foreign Secretary speech at Lebanon conference, August 2021 UK FCDO 04 Aug 2021 -- On the first anniversary of the Beirut explosion, the Foreign Secretary made an intervention at the French-hosted conference in support of the Lebanese people.
• Donor conference a 'unique opportunity' to renew commitment to Lebanon: UN deputy chief UN News 04 Aug 2021 -- A donor conference to boost support for Lebanon one year after the devastating explosion in its capital, Beirut, represents a "unique opportunity" to renew commitment to the country and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, the UN Deputy Secretary-General said on Wednesday.
• UN Rights Chief Calls for Justice for Victims of Beirut Blast VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet is calling for a thorough investigation into the causes of last year's Beirut port explosion that decimated large swathes of Lebanon's capital city.
• Tunisia's president launches new round of dismissals Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- Tunisia's President Kais Saied has sacked the country's ambassador to the United States and the governor of Sfax province.
• Nasrallah: Enemy plot to make Hezbollah get into civil war won't materialize Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- The Hezbollah chief says enemies are plotting to drag the Lebanese resistance movement into a civil war and tarnish its image, following the murder of a member by a number of extremists, saying the group will not be lured into such a trap.
• Malaysia PM rejects mounting calls to quit, seeks confidence vote Press TV 04 Aug 2021 -- Malaysia's embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has refused to resign amid mounting calls from opposition lawmakers to step down and after a key ally withdrew support for the government, stressing that he still retains majority support among legislators.
• Cambodian Opponents Form New Political Parties, With PM's Blessing Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2021 -- Former officials of Cambodia's banned opposition party have returned to political life, forming new parties that they say will help restore democracy to the country, but analysts told RFA that the new parties play into Prime Minister Hun Sen's hand by dividing opponents to his 36-year hold on power.
• South Sudan's Vice President Ousted as Leader of Opposition Party – Reports Sputnik 04 Aug 2021 -- South Sudan's Vice President Riek Machar has been deposed by his party after accusing him of "incompetence," media reported on Wednesday
• Samoa Election Seen as Setback to China's Pacific Ambitions VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- China's diplomatic and strategic expansion into the South Pacific appears to have run aground – at least temporarily – in Samoa, where a Beijing-allied leader has been defeated in a history-making election.
• U.S. Visa Actions Supporting Democracy and Combatting Corruption in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador US Dept. of State 04 Aug 2021 -- The United States is launching a new visa restriction authority as part of our effort to help the people of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador improve their political, economic, and security conditions.
• Amphetamine Seizures Highlight the Role of Syria in Trafficking VOA 04 Aug 2021 -- Customs officials at the Al-Haditha Port, located near Saudi Arabia's border with Jordan, intercepted last month a consignment of more than 2 million Captagon pills hidden in the hollowed-out lids of jars of tomato paste.