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• Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan The White House 16 Aug 2021
• Biden Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal Decision VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden is defending his decision to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan despite the quickly unfolding calamity there, vowing not to pass on the problem to a fifth U.S. president.
• Biden Stands 'Squarely' Behind Decision to Withdrawal Troops from Afghanistan VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden said he stands "squarely" behind his decision to withdraw U.S. military forces from Afghanistan in his first public comments since the Taliban took full control of the South Asian country.
• Biden's Afghanistan Speech Garners Mixed Reviews VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- A roundup compiled by VOA of some reaction by U.S. lawmakers and analysts to President Joe Biden's speech on Afghanistan:
• Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds an Off-Camera Press Briefing DoD 16 Aug 2021
• President Details Role of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan DoD News 16 Aug 2021 -- President Joe Biden today addressed the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and the actions U.S. troops are now taking to facilitate the departure of allies and Afghan partners. He spoke from the White House.
• Biden Stands Behind Decision To Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has decried as "gut wrenching" the chaotic scenes under way in Afghanistan and the events around the Taliban's lightning-fast seizure of power in the war-torn country, but reiterated that he stands behind his decision to withdraw American troops as Washington had given the Afghan military "every chance" to succeed against the militants.
• U.S. Policy Under Fire As Taliban Seizes Control In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- The sudden seizure of Kabul by Taliban militants after they made rapid advances across the country has triggered sharp criticism of the U.S. policy in Afghanistan, with Washington being held responsible for ultimately failing to build a democratic government capable of withstanding the insurgents despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars and providing two decades of military support.
• Pundits Ponder Biden's 'Saigon Moment,' 'Epic Failure' In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan has led many to criticize U.S. President Joe Biden's administration for allowing the internationally backed government in Kabul to collapse.
• Officials Say Kabul Airport Is Secured; DOD Evacuating Americans, Afghans DoD News 16 Aug 2021 -- Securing the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, and evacuating Americans and Afghans with special immigration visas remains the goal of U.S. troops in that nation, an official of the Joint Staff said today.
• U.S. Central Command Statement on C-17 Flight from Hamid Karzai International Airport CENTCOM 16 Aug 2021 -- We can confirm that a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transported approximately 640 Afghan citizens from Hamid Karzai International Airport Sunday night. The unusually high number of passengers aboard this aircraft that left HKIA that evening was the result of a dynamic security environment that necessitated quick decision making by the crew, which ultimately ensured that these passengers were safely taken outside the country.
• Civilians, Diplomats Seek Evacuation from Chaotic Kabul Airport VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- The Afghan capital's international airport was frenetic Monday with thousands of Afghans looking for a way out of Kabul.
• Hasty Afghanistan Evacuation Continues Amid Turmoil at Airport VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- A day after the Afghan capital fell to the Taliban without a fight, U.S. and other foreign forces continue to protect and hold Kabul's international airport, where panicked crowds have fled to seek refuge from the Taliban.
• Kabul Airport Reopens For Evacuations After Chaos Forced Flight Suspensions RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- The Kabul airport reopened early on August 17 after flights were paused the day before due to a breakdown in security on the tarmac that interrupted evacuation operations, the Pentagon said.
• Taliban Take Kabul, U.S. Troops Arrive to Facilitate Departures DoD News 16 Aug 2021 -- Afghanistan has fallen to the Taliban, and U.S. troops now in the country are working to secure Hamid Karzai International Airport to enable the safe departure of U.S., allied and Afghan partners from the country.
• Report details grave violations against children in Afghanistan UN News 16 Aug 2021 -- Hundreds of boys and girls have been killed or injured over the past two years amid the deteriorating political and security situation in Afghanistan, according to the latest UN report on Children and Armed Conflict, which was issued on Monday, a day after the Taliban consolidated control over the country.
• Afghanistan: 'Now is the time to stand as one', UN chief tells Security Council UN News 16 Aug 2021 -- As desperate Afghans were trying to escape the Taliban and board planes, during chaotic scenes at Kabul airport on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for international unity on Afghanistan, in a briefing to an emergency session of the Security Council.
• UN Chief Urges Taliban to Protect Afghan Lives VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that the "world is watching" Afghanistan during these "pivotal" days, as he called on the Taliban to exercise "utmost restraint" to protect Afghan lives and allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need.
• UN Chief Urges Security Council To Guarantee Human Rights Amid Taliban Takeover RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- The head of the United Nations has urged the body's Security Council to use "all tools" at its disposal to guarantee that human rights will be respected in Afghanistan after Taliban militants seized control of the country.
• UN chief warns of 'global terrorist threat' in Afghanistan, urges protection of rights Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned against the rise of a "global terrorist threat" in Afghanistan following the collapse of the country's government by the Taliban militant group, calling for measure to be taken to guarantee the rights of the entire Afghan people across the country.
• UN Chief Guterres Calls on All Nations to Be Ready to Receive Afghan Refugees Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- All countries should be willing to receive Afghan refugees and refrain from any deportations, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.
• Turkey Steps Up Efforts to Avert Afghan Refugee Exodus VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- With the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan, Turkey seeks to avert a refugee exodus, with the country already hosting over four million refugees, with about 120,000 of them from Afghanistan, according the United Nations.
• Ashraf Ghani: The Deeply Polarizing President Who Oversaw The Fall Of Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- Thousands of Taliban militants encircled Kabul as fear and panic swept through the capital, its residents bracing for a bloody takeover of the city and a return to an oppressive life under the militant Islamist group.
• Afghan President Ghani Abandoning His Country Shocked Everyone, Russian Envoy to UN Says Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's decision to abandon Afghanistan over the weekend shocked everyone, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council on Monday.
• Mullah Baradar -- The Taliban's Most Public Face RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- Abdul Ghani Baradar, known as Mullah Baradar, is a co-founder of the Taliban and senior leader of the militant Islamist group who is expected to hold a top role in governing Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of the country.
• If the Taliban abuse basic human rights, they cannot expect legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghan people or the international community UK FCDO 16 Aug 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Afghanistan
• AK-47s Dangling at Their Side, Taliban Roam Streets of Kabul VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- Men with Kalashnikovs roamed the streets of Kabul on foot, in security vehicles and on motorcycles Monday as the insurgents solidified their hold on Afghanistan's capital.
• Rapid Taliban Offensive Avoided Tactical Mistake Made in 1990s VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- The rapid Taliban offensive across Afghanistan that culminated Sunday with the flight of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was meticulously planned and executed with ruthless efficiency, say Western military experts.
• Who Are the Taliban? VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and imposed a strict form of Islamic law on the country. Here are some key facts about the group's beliefs and history.
• Afghanistan: What We Know VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- Taliban fighters patrolled the streets of Kabul on Monday, a day after the group swept into the Afghan capital and President Ashraf Ghani left the country.
• US to Try to Keep Afghanistan's Financial Reserves Out of Taliban Control Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- The Biden administration will not permit the Taliban* movement to gain any access to the financial reserves of the collapsed Afghan government that are held in the United States, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on Monday.
• If the Taliban abuse basic human rights, they cannot expect legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghan people or the international community UK FCDO 16 Aug 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on Afghanistan
• Afghan interior minister says power to be peacefully transferred to transitional government People's Daily 16 Aug 2021 -- Afghan acting Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal said here on Sunday that "power will be peacefully transferred to a transitional government", local media reported.
• US allies react mutely to Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- United States allies are reacting mutely to the Taliban's victory march into the Afghan capital city of Kabul 20 years after a US-led invasion removed the militants from power, expressing concerns for civilians caught in the violence but falling short of pointing to the catastrophic failure of the longest war in US history.
• Merkel party chief calls Afghanistan pullout 'biggest NATO debacle' since its founding Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- The head of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party has called the withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan the "biggest NATO debacle" since the founding of the US-led military alliance.
• German Military Aircraft Has Landed in Kabul to Evacuate Nationals, Afghan Partners - Reports Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- The situation in Afghanistan has sharply deteriorated in recent weeks with the Taliban* advance. The Taliban is reportedly in control of all border crossings and also the capital city Kabul. Afraid of persecution from the movement, thousands of Afghans have rushed to Kabul airport, the only remaining way to leave the country, blocking the airstrip.
• Statement on Afghanistan Australia DOD 16 Aug 2021 -- The Australian Defence Force will be deploying more than 250 personnel to support urgent Australian Government efforts to evacuate Australian citizens and visa holders from Afghanistan.
• The World Reacts: Global Leaders Weigh In on Swift Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- Despite past assurances made by the Biden administration that the Taliban would not take full control of Afghanistan, the militant group did just that over the weekend as reports detailed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country. Amid the worsening chaotic scenes, the US has maintained that it will indeed continue with its troop pullout.
• Press release on developments in Afghanistan Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Aug 2021
• Russian Ambassador To Kabul To Meet Taliban RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- A senior Russian official says the country's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, will hold talks with Taliban representatives on August 17 to discuss the security of Russian citizens and embassy personnel.
• Russia blames US failure for Taliban's seizure of Afghanistan Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Russia has taken the United States to task over the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan, saying the Taliban's takeover of the country stems from America's failure two decades after the invasion.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Aug 2021 -- On August 16, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Aug 2021 -- On August 16, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by telephone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the initiative of the American side.
• China respects Afghans' choice, expects Taliban to keep its words of establishing inclusive govt Global Times 16 Aug 2021 -- China hopes that the Taliban can implement its previous commitments and ensure a smooth transition of power in Afghanistan, said spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying at a Monday news conference.
• China respects the choice and will of the Afghan people: MFA Global Times 16 Aug 2021 -- China will respect the choice and will of the Afghan people, spokesperson Hua Chunying from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said Monday in a daily press conference in response to the situation in Afghanistan.
• China says ready to establish 'friendly, cooperative ties' with Afghanistan under Taliban Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- China says it is ready to deepen "friendly and cooperative" relations with Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Kabul.
• China says respects choices of Afghan people, calls for smooth transition People's Daily 16 Aug 2021 -- China respects the choices of the Afghan people and hopes for a smooth transition in the Afghan situation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.
• China Eyes Post-War Reconstruction in Afghanistan Amid Promises of Peace From Taliban Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- China stands poised to take part in post-war reconstruction in Afghanistan after U.S. troops ended a 20-year occupation, leaving the capital Kabul to be taken over by the Taliban, state media reported on Monday.
• Beijing in Contact With Taliban Over Situation in Afghanistan Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- China is in touch with the Taliban* and other political forces over the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.
• China's special envoy for Afghanistan meets with Zarif in Tehran IRNA 16 Aug 2021 -- China's special envoy for Afghanistan affairs meets with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran on Monday.
• Zarif holds talks with Chinese envoy over developments in Afghanistan Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has held talks with China's special representative for Afghanistan affairs Yue Xiaoyong in Tehran over the latest developments in the Central Asian nation in the wake of Taliban's takeover of the capital Kabul.
• President Raisi: Iran to help restore stability in Afghanistan IRNA 16 Aug 2021 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that Iran will help restore stability in Afghanistan and invites all groups to reach a national agreement as a neighboring and brotherly country.
• Iran, China confer on latest developments in Afghanistan ISNA 16 Aug 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held a meeting with Chinese Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs Yue Xiaoyong in Tehran on Monday.
• Iran welcomes formation of Coordination Council by Afghan leaders: Zarif ISNA 16 Aug 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reacted to the latest developments in Afghanistan, stressing that Tehran hopes former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai's initiative on formation of a Coordination Council by Afghan leaders will lead to dialogue and a peaceful transition of power in the country.
• Iran draws down diplomatic staff in Afghanistan: spokesman ISNA 16 Aug 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman says the country has drawn down personnel at its political missions in Afghanistan amid fresh developments on the ground in the country.
• Iran's Armed Forces maintain full security in eastern borders with Afghanistan: Military commander Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- The deputy commander of Iran's Air Defense Force has assured the Iranian people that the country's eastern borders with Afghanistan are safe and secure amid Taliban's rapid takeover of the war-ravaged country.
• Iran will use all in its power to promote dialogue, reconciliation in Afghanistan: Foreign Ministry spokesman Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman says the Islamic Republic will use all its capacities and available means to promote dialogue and reconciliation in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.
• Uzbekistan Says It 'Forced' The Landing Of 46 Afghan Aircraft RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- Uzbekistan said August 16 that it "forced" the landing of 46 Afghan aircraft carrying 585 troops that illegally crossed its border fleeing the Taliban blitz that saw Kabul fall to the militants on August 15.
• Tashkent Says It Shot Down Afghan Air Force Jet Over Uzbek Airspace RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- Uzbekistan says its armed forces have shot down an Afghan military plane after the aircraft illegally entered the Central Asian nation's airspace.
• Uzbek MiG-29 and Afghan Embraer Collide in Skies Over Uzbekistan, Pilots Survive Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- Two aircraft, Embraer 314 of the Afghan Air Force and MiG-29 of the Uzbek Air Force, collided in the air on Sunday in Uzbekistan, the pilots ejected and survived, the press service of the Uzbek Prosecutor General's Office said on Monday.
• Afghan Military Plane Downed by Uzbek Air Defences for Trying to Cross Border Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- According to the emergency services, two pilots from the aircraft survived the fall and were admitted to a hospital in the city of Termez.
• Evacuations Stall Amid Death And Chaos At Kabul Airport, Biden To Speak RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- Seven people have been reported killed as thousands of Afghans flooded the runways and terminals of the Kabul airport amid chaos, attempting to leave after Taliban militants seized control of the country ahead of the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces after a presence of nearly two decades.
• Chaos and killings at Kabul airport: US forces open fire as Afghans mob tarmac Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Kabul International Airport has been overwhelmed with scenes of disorder and confusion as panicked Afghan residents and foreign nationals hoping to find seats on the last flights leaving the country have dashed to the airport, with reports of several deaths after US troops were said to have fired in the air to disperse a desperate crowd of thousands.
• At least five dead at Kabul airport crowds; US evacuation planes take off from scrambling Afghans Global Times 16 Aug 2021 -- As supporters of US military operations in Afghanistan scramble to board America's planes to leave Kabul as Afghan Taliban quickly took control of the capital, US troops opened fire to Afghan civilians to clear the runway for the taking off of its planes.
• Airlines Begin To Avoid Afghan Airspace Amid Travel Chaos RFE/RL Gandhara 16 Aug 2021 -- Afghanistan's Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) has advised commercial air traffic to reroute and avoid transiting the country's airspace after the military was given sole access to departures and arrivals as countries scramble to evacuate their citizens from Kabul.
• Pentagon: US sending 1,000 more troops to Kabul Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- The Pentagon has announced it will send another 1,000 American troops to Afghanistan to help secure Kabul's airport after thousands of Afghan civilians stormed the airport, attempting to flee the country taken over by the Taliban.
• With Ghani out of picture, Taliban waltz into Kabul presidential palace Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Not long after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flees the country to safety, the Taliban militant group tops its exponential advances in the country by running into the presidential palace in the capital Kabul.
• Afghan president leaves country, Taliban controls capital Kabul People's Daily 16 Aug 2021 -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday night, while the Taliban forces entered the capital of Kabul and took control of the presidential palace.
• Secretary Blinken's Calls with European Counterparts on Afghanistan US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with People's Republic of China State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2021
• U.S. Southern Command Supports U.S. Disaster Assistance to Haiti US Navy 16 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) established Joint Task Force-Haiti Aug. 15 to conduct U.S. military operations in support of U.S. foreign disaster assistance to the people of Haiti.
• USSOUTHCOM supports US disaster assistance to Haiti US Air Force 16 Aug 2021 -- A team of 14 military personnel assigned to a U.S. Southern Command Situational Awareness Team arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Aug. 15, where they will work with U.S. government diplomatic and disaster-assistance personnel assessing the situation in areas impacted by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, Aug. 14.

Defense Policy / Programs

• 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division assumes authority in Żagań, Poland Army News 16 Aug 2021 -- The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team "Devil Brigade," 1st Infantry Division, assumed command during a transfer of authority ceremony in Żagań, Poland, August 13, 2021.
• Army transporters offload Army equipment for Dynamic Front in Izmir, Turkey Army News 16 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Army transportation and logistics professionals from the 598th Transportation Brigade, 839th Transportation Battalion, executed mission command for the offload of approximately 160 equipment items at the port facility in Izmir, Turkey, August 6, 2021. The equipment, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery Regiment, 33rd Brigade Combat Team, Illinois Army National Guard, is deploying in support of exercise Dynamic Front 21.
• In a First, Floating Dry-Dock Dynamic Docks Port Operations Work Boats US Navy 16 Aug 2021 -- Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) Floating Dry-Dock Dynamic (AFDL 6) successfully completed a double docking August 10, simultaneously docking two Port Operations Work Boats.
• Exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021: 265 tons of ammunition fired in 45 minutes PLA Daily 16 Aug 2021 -- Exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021 entered the final stage–---the live-fire exercise on August 13. During the drill, the Chinese and Russian participating forces carried out joint counter-terrorism operations focusing on responding to traditional security threats. New forces and asymmetric combat methods were used to form a powerful joint strike capability against the mock enemy. In this drill, more than 10,000 soldiers, 200-plus armored vehicles, and over 100 aircrafts from both side were invovled.
• Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme India PIB 16 Aug 2021 -- In order to boost domestic defence and aerospace manufacturing, Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) with an outlay of Rs 400 crore for creating state-of-the-art testing infrastructure in partnership with the private industry.
• Taiwan Navy prepares amphibious vehicles for disaster relief missions CNA 16 Aug 2021 -- Taiwan's Navy indicated Monday that it was in the process of carrying out maintenance work on its AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles in preparation for disaster relief operations during the current rainy season.
• Department Press Briefing – August 16, 2021 US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 16, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 16 August 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Aug 2021
• China ends fishing moratorium in South China Sea, foreign media speculation rejected Global Times 16 Aug 2021 -- The summer fishing moratorium has ended in the South China Sea, with thousands of fishing boats from South China's Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan setting off on Monday.
• Blast kills 3 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Turkey's Defense Ministry says three Turkish soldiers have been killed in an explosion in northern Iraq.
• US Diplomat's Meeting with Tibetan Exile Representative in India Riles China Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- U.S. Charge d'Affaires Atul Keshap, the senior diplomat in the U.S. Embassy in India, met last week with a representative of Tibet's exile government, disregarding Chinese protests that the meeting represents interference in China's internal affairs.
• Chinese Police Stop Tibetan Travelers, Pushing One Into River and Shooting Another Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- Police in western China's Qinghai province stopped a group of Tibetans traveling on the road in a random search on Sunday, pushing one who objected to the search into a river where he later died, and shooting another who attempted to intervene, Tibetan sources said.
• IDF Says It Has Intercepted One Missile Fired at Israel From Gaza Strip Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- Last week, the IDF shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle believed to have been launched by the Hamas movement from the Gaza Strip. Reports indicated then that the drone was being monitored by Israel before it was eventually shot down.
• Palestine refugees face 'dire' humanitarian conditions amid ongoing clashes in southern Syria: UNRWA UN News 16 Aug 2021 -- Some 30,000 Palestine refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in south Syria have become increasingly vulnerable, following recent clashes in and around the Dera'a Governorate, the UN agency warned on Sunday.
• Security Experts Warn Al-Shabab May Try to Emulate Taliban in Somalia VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan has raised concerns that it could encourage other Islamist militant groups around the world, such as al-Shabab in Somalia. Experts warn that when and if international forces there try to hand over security to the Somali government, the world could see a repeat of what happened in Afghanistan.
• Somali Governor Says AU Soldiers Killed Civilians After Al-Shabab Ambush VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- Forces belonging to the Africa Union Mission in Somalia have shot and killed seven civilians following an ambush by al-Shabab militants last week, a Somali governor told VOA Somali.
• Commander of UN Peacekeeping in CAR Says Violence Continues in Country VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- The commander of U.N. peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic says rebels there continue to challenge authorities and threaten neighboring countries like Cameroon. General Daniel Sidiki Troare made the comments during a weekend visit to Cameroon for talks with defense officials.

News Reports

• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on August 16, 2021 PRC MofA 16 Aug 2021
• Hong Kong Protest Organizer Disbands After Criticisms in Beijing-Backed Media Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- Hong Kong's Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), which once organized annual mass rallies on July 1 marking the 1997 handover of the city to Beijing, announced it would disband at the weekend following repeated denunciations by media backed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
• China's top legislature may discuss adding anti-sanctions law to HK legislation: source Global Times 16 Aug 2021 -- China's top legislature will likely discuss including the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law into the Annex III of the Hong Kong Basic Law in a meeting this week, a source confirmed with the Global Times on Monday.
• Anti-China group Civil Human Rights Front will never escape punishment: spokesperson People's Daily 16 Aug 2021 -- A central government spokesperson of China on Sunday said the illegal organization Civil Human Rights Front in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) must be investigated and punished severely in accordance with the law.
• Hong Kong's Population Falls For Second Year Running Amid Exodus Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- Hong Kong's population fell by 1.2 percent in the past 12 months, amid an ongoing exodus of people in the wake of a draconian national security law imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from July 1, 2020.
• Children of Detained Uyghur Parents Held in 'Welfare Schools' in China's Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- More than 80 percent of the Uyghur children at a village preschool in China's far-western Xinjiang have at least one parent in state custody, while pupils with both parents in detention attend a separate "welfare school" where they are continuously monitored, RFA has learned.
• Afghan abandonment a lesson for Taiwan's DPP: Global Times editorial Global Times 16 Aug 2021 -- The US troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to the rapid demise of the Kabul government. The world has witnessed how the US evacuated its diplomats by helicopter while Taliban soldiers crowded into the presidential palace in Kabul. This has dealt a heavy blow to the credibility and reliability of the US.
• Australia's continued commitment to Operation ARGOS Australia DOD 16 Aug 2021 -- Australia remains committed to enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea, with the deployment of a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
• North Korea Cracks Down on Employees Skipping Work to Earn Money Elsewhere Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- North Korea has begun sending citizens to labor camps for skipping out on their low-salary government-assigned jobs to try to make a living elsewhere in an economy that has gone from bad to worse under the coronavirus pandemic, sources in the country told RFA
• Iran has produced 200g of 20%-enriched uranium metal: UN nuclear agency Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- The UN nuclear agency says Iran has made progress in its work on enriched uranium metal, as Tehran and the remaining signatories to a 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear program are making efforts to revive the deal, which was abandoned by the US in 2018.
• Iran will use all in its power to promote dialogue, reconciliation in Afghanistan: Foreign Ministry spokesman Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman says the Islamic Republic will use all its capacities and available means to promote dialogue and reconciliation in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.
• Myanmar's Junta Seen Moving to Dissolve NLD to Ensure Grip on Power Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- Myanmar's junta is targeting members of the deposed National League for Democracy (NLD), including its leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dozens of lawmakers, in a bid to disband the party and secure its tenuous hold on power six months after overthrowing the government, ousted lawmakers and analysts said Monday.
• Bezos' Blue Origin Sues US Gov't Over $2.9Bln Lunar Landing Contract Given to SpaceX Sputnik 16 Aug 2021 -- Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin filed a lawsuit against the US government over NASA's decision to award the $2.9 billion lunar landing contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX, a spokesperson said in a statement to Sputnik on Monday.
• Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Resigns After Chaotic 17-Month Tenure VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- Malaysia's king will keep Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on as caretaker prime minister after Muhyiddin and his entire cabinet formally resigned Monday following months of political turmoil.
• Malaysia's PM Muhyiddin tenders resignation amid political turmoil Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has finally declared his resignation after months of political infighting within his coalition government, which saw him lose the confidence of the majority of legislators.
• Lebanon's Mikati says chances of forming new govt. greater than chances of him stepping down Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati says chances of success in forming a desperately-needed new government in the cash-strapped country are higher than chances of him resigning in failure.
• Supporters of Next Zambian President Celebrate in Capital VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- Supporters of Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema celebrated Monday after Hichilema was declared winner of the country's presidential election, receiving a majority of the vote and avoiding a runoff election.
• Zambia's opposition leader Hichilema wins presidential election Press TV 16 Aug 2021 -- Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has been declared the winner of Zambia's hotly contested presidential election, defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu.
• Laos Drowning in Debt That Can't be Repaid: Experts Radio Free Asia 16 Aug 2021 -- Laos is drowning in debt with at least $400 million due in loans this year that can't be repaid, with cash flows crippled in the country due to a shutdown of the economy due to COVID-19 and another $1 billion coming due each year from 2022-2025, experts say.
• Haiti: flash floods and mudslides latest threats in earthquake-hit country UN News 16 Aug 2021 -- As Haiti struggles to recover from the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit over the weekend, killing some 1,300 people, the UN is warning that many people are likely to be affected by Tropical Depression Grace, a storm which is expected to bring torrential rain, flooding and mudslides between Monday and Tuesday.
• Thai 'Gen Z,' Pro-democracy Veteran 'Red Shirts' up Ante on PM Prayuth VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- Thailand's boisterous youth movement is linking up with the kingdom's most enduring pro-democracy force — the "Red Shirt" protest veterans — posing the most serious threat yet from the street to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's grip on power.
• Update on Recent Legislative Developments in Poland US Dept. of State 16 Aug 2021 -- The United States reiterates our concerns about amendments to the Code of Administrative Procedure, which President Duda signed on August 14, severely restricting restitution and compensation for property wrongfully confiscated during Poland's communist era.
• Rights Activists Skeptical of Museveni's New Concern About Torture in Uganda VOA 16 Aug 2021 -- Ugandan human rights activists have welcomed President Yoweri Museveni's condemnation of torture allegedly committed by police and the armed forces. However, rights activists say they are skeptical whether Museveni will back up his words by prosecuting security forces accused of abuse.