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News Reports

Current Operations

• Pentagon Confirms Strike Near Airbase in Iraq, Reports No Casualties Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed an attack near the Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq Thursday but claimed there were no casualties or damage to the facility as a result of the strike.
• July 25 U.S. Central Command Update CENTCOM 25 Jul 2024 -- In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) launcher in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Biden Vows To Defend Ukraine, Democracy In Final Months Of Presidency RFE/RL 25 Jul 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking publicly for the first time about his decision to drop his bid for reelection, vowed to defend democracy at home and in allies such as Ukraine in the final months of his presidency.
• Washington warns adversaries: US politics not a sign of weakness VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- U.S. diplomats and military officials rejected concerns that recent — and sudden — changes to the American political landscape are a sign of weakness, warning America's adversaries Thursday against trying to seek any sort of advantage.
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles "CQ" Brown Jr Hold a Press Conference DoD 25 Jul 2024
• Austin: Allies, Partners Strengthen U.S., Global Security DoD News 25 Jul 2024 -- Over the past 3 1/2 years, great progress has been made in building alliances and partnerships around the globe and strengthening security, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, during a press briefing as he prepares for an upcoming trip to Japan and the Philippines.
• AI-Powered Agile Talent Identification Systems Supports Joint Force DoD News 25 Jul 2024 -- The launch of an artificial intelligence-powered platform for uncovering and matching talent across the joint force is an important step in tackling what Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., has described as the current "war for talent."
• AFRL aims to accelerate development of software-enabled weapons US Air Force 25 Jul 2024 -- Air Force Research Laboratory technical directorates from AFWERX and Munitions teamed up to host a Collider event aimed at exploring commercial solutions for software-enabled weapons at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, July 17-18.
• DAF stands up Integrated Capabilities Office to advance Operational Imperatives US Air Force 25 Jul 2024 -- In an effort to codify the success and significant gains made in line with the Operational Imperatives, Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall stood up the Integrated Capabilities Office July 19.
• George Washington, Ronald Reagan Conduct Hull Swap US Navy 25 Jul 2024 -- Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS George Washington (CVN 73) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conduct a hull swap on Naval Air Station North Island that sends Ronald Reagan to Bremerton, Washington, and returns George Washington to Yokosuka, Japan, as the Navy's only Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan (FDNF-J) aircraft carrier effective Aug. 1.
• Indian Ocean Defense and Security Conference Panel 2: Cooperation and Security in the Indo-Pacific US Navy 25 Jul 2024 -- is the ability of those staffs to synchronize. We have leaders--each nation here--leads many parts of the combined maritime force or they lead RIMPAC. And having those experiences will help us be much better in the future.
• Indian Ocean Defense and Security Conference Panel 1: AUKUS and security in the Indian Ocean US Navy 25 Jul 2024
• South Carolina Guard bridging unit trains with Colombian partners Army News 25 Jul 2024 -- The sun glinted off the Savannah River as it meandered broadly along the South Carolina-Georgia border. Boats churned on the river's otherwise placid waters while a breeze whispered past on an almost movie-perfect summer morning.
• Pennsylvania Guard's 213th RSG Trains on Heavy Vehicles Army News 25 Jul 2024 -- Soldiers with the 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania National Guard, trained on the proper care, maintenance and hazards of driving and operating large military vehicles July 23.
• US official unfazed by Russian-Chinese flyby off coast of Alaska VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- The appearance of two Russian and two Chinese long-range, strategic bombers in the skies off of coastal Alaska may have been a first, but it did not catch the United States off-guard.
• U.S., Canadian Warplanes Intercept Russian, Chinese Military Aircraft Near Alaska RFE/RL 25 Jul 2024 -- The United States and Canada scrambled fighter jets after two Russian and two Chinese military planes were tracked in the international airspace close to Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement.
• US military says 'tracked, intercepted' Russian, Chinese bombers off Alaska Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- The US military says it has intercepted several Russian and Chinese bombers in international airspace near the coast of Alaska, the first time the two Asian allies make a joint foray into the area.
• Russia's Mi-28 Helicopter crashes in Kaluga region; all crew members killed Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- A Russian military helicopter has crashed in the country's Kaluga region during a routine flight killing all of its crew members, as confirmed by the country's Defense Ministry.
• Russia's Baltic Fleet Group to Make Port Call in Cuba's Havana From July 27-30 - Ministry Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- A group of Russian Baltic Fleet warships will make a port call in the Cuban capital of Havana from July 27-30, the Cuban Defense Ministry said on Thursday, adding that one of the ships will be accessible to visitors.
• Chinese and Russian bomber jets intercepted near Alaska Radio Free Asia 25 Jul 2024 -- The North American Aerospace Defense Command on Wednesday "detected, tracked, and intercepted" two Chinese and two Russian military aircraft operating together in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, but said the activity was "not seen as a threat."
• Chinese, Russian bombers appear in Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone Global Times 25 Jul 2024 -- China and Russia on Thursday held their eighth joint aerial strategic patrol that saw bombers of the two countries flying over the Bering Sea for the first time, also marking the farthest place Chinese bombers have reached in a strategic patrol mission, experts said.
• Russian, Chinese Bombers Conduct Joint Patrols Near Alaska - MoD Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- Russian Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers and Chinese bombers conducted joint patrols over the waters of the Chukchi and Bering seas as well as the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Thursday.
• Russian, Chinese Military Aircraft Intercepted off Alaska - NORAD Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- US and Canadian fighter jets intercepted Russian and Chinese military aircraft flying in international airspace near Alaska but they were not seen as a threat, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a press release.
• US creating logistic hubs to expedite arms supplies to Ukraine: Russia Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- Amid growing tensions between Moscow and the West, a Russian presidential aide says the United States plans to establish logistics centers in Black Sea countries to speed up arms supplies to Ukraine.
• US Creating Logistic Centers in Black Sea to Speed Up Arms Supplies to Ukraine - Kremlin Aide Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- The United States wants to create logistics centers in the Black Sea region to speed up arms supplies to Ukraine and deploy long-range weapons, Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev said on Thursday.
• Han Kuang drills cut short as troops reassigned to typhoon disaster relief CNA 25 Jul 2024 -- This year's Han Kuang military exercises have been cut short as troops were mobilized to assist in disaster relief in the aftermath of Typhoon Gaemi, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Thursday.
• US, Taiwan, China race to improve military drone technology VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- This week, as Taiwan was preparing for the start of its Han Kuang military exercises, its air defense system detected a Chinese drone circling the island. This was the sixth time that China had sent a drone to operate around Taiwan since 2023.
• Defence supports Pacific Partnership 2024 Australia DOD 25 Jul 2024 -- Defence military and civilian personnel have joined Pacific Partnership 2024, and are deploying to four countries across the Indo-Pacific region from July to September.
• INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR MULTINATIONAL MILITARY EXERCISE KHAAN QUEST India PIB 25 Jul 2024 -- The Indian Army contingent departed today for the Multinational Military Exercise KHAAN QUEST
• US armed Israel with 25,000-plus bombs, missiles since Oct. 7: Report Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- The United States has reportedly armed the Israeli regime with upwards of 25,000 bombs and missiles since October 7, 2023, which marked the onset of Tel Aviv's yet-ongoing genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.
• Belgium - Small Diameter Bomb-Increment II DSCA 25 Jul 2024 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Belgium of Small Diameter Bomb-Increment II and related elements of logistics and program support for an estimated cost of $115 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) is Providing An Opportunity For Companies To Produce Battle and Combat Ammunition in Ämari Estonia CDI 25 Jul 2024 -- The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) is conducting a competitive bidding process to find a company that will start producing battle and combat ammunition in the Ämari military base, with the aim to commence production at the beginning of next year.
• Lithuania and Poland to purchase Piorun air defence systems together Lithuania MND 25 Jul 2024 -- Lithuania and Poland, alongside two other European countries, submitted a request for partial European Union funding in a common procurement of the Piorun short-range man-portable air defence system under the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act (EDIRPA).
• General Valdemaras Rupšys passed the colors to General Raimundas Vaikšnoras Lithuania MND 25 Jul 2024 -- On July 24 the transfer of authority took place at the Lithuanian Armed Forces during a ceremony in the Cathedral Square. The incoming chief of Defence of Lithuania General Raimundas Vaikšnoras received the Lithuanian Armed Forces flag and other regalia of command from the President of the Republic of LIthuania and Commander-in-Chief HE Gitanas Nausėda.
• Central Asian military spending surges amid border tension, regional conflict fears VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- Military spending is surging in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, a development officials link to regional conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, although experts doubt the buildup will increase stability.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Manalo US Dept. of State 25 Jul 2024
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Kenyan President William Ruto US Dept. of State 25 Jul 2024
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre The White House 25 Jul 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 25, 2024
• Unistring Tech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. secures major order for advanced Electronic Warfare equipment from prominent PSU Unistring Tech Solutions 25 Jul 2024 -- Unistring Tech Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a distinguished leader in the domain of the electronic warfare systems and solutions for the defence sector, proudly announces the award of a substantial order valued at ₹43.42 crore from a renowned Indian Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) for the supply of state-of-the-art Electronic Warfare (EW) equipment whose end user is Indian armed forces.
• Greece Becomes Newest Member of the F-35 Lightning II Global Alliance Lockheed Martin 25 Jul 2024 -- Today, the Greece government finalized its intention to procure 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft by signing a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) through a U.S. government Foreign Military Sale. The LOA also includes an option for 20 additional aircraft.

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Israeli officials detail recovery of hostage bodies as fighting continues VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- Israeli officials Thursday offered details of how they recovered the bodies of five hostages killed during the October Hamas attack on Israel, while Israel's military continued its offensive in Gaza.
• July 24: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 25 Jul 2024
• Gaza death toll climbs to 39,175 IRNA 25 Jul 2024 -- The death toll from Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has reached 39,175 since the regime invaded the Palestinian territory on October 7.
• Gaza: Hunger fears persist as Israeli operations further harm enclave's farmers UN News 25 Jul 2024 -- As President Biden on Thursday prepared to meet Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss progress on a Gaza ceasefire and the release of all hostages still held in the enclave, the spectre of further hunger and malnourishment continued to loom over Gazans, as UN humanitarians warned that farming and even small-scale gardening remain suspended.
• UN: Israel continues forcible transfer of Palestinians to Gaza Strip's south Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory says Israel continues forcible transfer of Palestinians in the devastated northern part of the Gaza Strip to the south of the besieged territory.
• UN highlights mass killing, displacement of Palestinians in West bank since Gaza war Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- The UN says Israeli forces and armed settlers have killed 563 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East al-Quds, since Israel began its war on Gaza in October, highlighting mass killing and displacement of Palestinians in the area.
• Biden, Netanyahu discuss war in Gaza, possible cease-fire; Harris takes firm line VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday brought Israel's leader into the calm eye of America's political storm, as the two tried to hash out a lasting peace to silence the suffering in Gaza. But it was Biden's vice president who took a sharper tone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying she had "serious concern" about the scale of human suffering in the besieged exclave.
• White House backs phased-in cease-fire in Gaza VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- The Biden administration is hopeful over a deal to reach a cease-fire and free hostages held in Gaza, where war has raged for more than nine months after Hamas' stunning October 7 attack on Israel.
• PM Netanyahu Meeting with US President Joe Biden Israel - Prime Minister 25 Jul 2024
• Readout of President Joe Biden's Meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel The White House 25 Jul 2024
• Unspeakable scandal: Iran censures US over 'criminal' Netanyahu's disgraceful visit, Congress speech Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- Iran has hit out at the US over the current visit by the "criminal" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid nine months of the regime's genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
• Netanyahu repeats anti-Iran rhetoric, talks US-Israel nexus IRNA 25 Jul 2024 -- Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu misses no opportunity to defame Iran and has repeated his rhetoric against the Islamic Republic while addressing the US Congress where he called on Israel's main backer and architect to stand by the regime to win together in the current circumstances.
• Qalqilya operation natural response to Gaza genocide: Hamas IRNA 25 Jul 2024 -- The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has emphasized that a recent anti-Zionist operation in the city of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank was a natural response to the genocide of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
• Hamas hails anti-Israel op. in West Bank as 'natural response' to Gaza genocide Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has lauded the retaliatory attack on Israeli occupation forces in the occupied West Bank.
• Islamic Jihad rebukes Netanyahu's lies in US congress, calls for his quarantine Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- The Palestinian resistance movement Islamic Jihad has denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the US Congress as "full of lies and slander," calling on the international community to make utmost effort to "quarantine" him following the regime's months-long onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Hezbollah targets Israeli positions in fresh attacks IRNA 25 Jul 2024 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah Resistance Movement has targeted the positions of Zionist forces in northern occupied Palestine to show solidarity with Palestinians.
• Yemen-Iraq joint operations to see significant development: Ansarullah leader IRNA 25 Jul 2024 -- The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah Movement has underlined that joint operations by the Arab country and Iraqi resistance groups against the Israeli regime will witness an important development in the next stage.

Other Conflicts

• China Breaks Ground On Massive Afghan Copper Mine After 16 Years Of Delays RFE/RL 25 Jul 2024 -- Chinese engineers and the Taliban government officially started work on a massive project in Afghanistan to mine the world's second-largest deposit of copper.
• No: 149, 25 July 2024, Regarding the Agreement Reached Between the Yemeni Parties Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• Iran supports sustainable peace agreement in Yemen: FM Spox IRNA 25 Jul 2024 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has expressed hope that a sustainable peace agreement in Yemen will be signed as soon as possible.
• Iran welcomes Yemen de-escalation deal, says hopes for 'sustainable peace' Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- Iran has hailed a deal between Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement and the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) to ease financial tension and stop reciprocal measures.
• New Extremist Groups -- At Least In Name -- Enter Pakistan's Militant Scene RFE/RL 25 Jul 2024 -- Suicide bombers and gunmen penetrated a military base in northwestern Pakistan last week, killing eight soldiers.
• Traders end monthslong protest at Pakistan-Afghan border crossing VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- The Chaman border crossing on the Pakistan-Afghan border reopened Monday after small traders ended a nine-month sit-in protest. The border had been closed due to a Pakistani government decision to implement a visa and passport program for travelers on both sides.
• Pashtuns in Pakistan oppose military offensive in borderlands VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- Militant attacks in Pakistan's northwest have plagued the region for years, leading to tensions between some of the region's civilian leaders and the Pakistani military.
• Insurgents claim seizure of regional headquarters in northeast Myanmar Radio Free Asia 25 Jul 2024 -- A Myanmar insurgent army said it had captured a junta regional military headquarters in an embattled northeastern town on Thursday, which, if confirmed, would be one of the most significant losses for the military in years.
• Tibetans forced to remove religious structures outside their homes Radio Free Asia 25 Jul 2024 -- For the first time, Chinese authorities are forcing ordinary Tibetans to remove religious symbols and destroy such structures from the exteriors and roofs of their homes in several villages in a Tibetan area of Sichuan province, two sources with knowledge of the situation said.
• Azerbaijan Threatens Military Action Against Armenia Over Border 'Provocations' RFE/RL 25 Jul 2024 -- Azerbaijan threatened on July 25 to take large-scale military action against Armenia in response to what it called Armenian "provocations" along the border between the two countries.
• Imposing Sanctions on Coalition of Armed Groups in the DRC US Dept. of State 25 Jul 2024 -- The United States is today sanctioning the Congo River Alliance, known by its French name Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a coalition of armed groups driving violent conflict and civilian displacement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We are also designating individuals and entities associated with AFC.
• Treasury Sanctions Rebel Alliance Driving Instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo US Treasury 25 Jul 2024 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the Congo River Alliance, known by its French name Alliance Fleuve Congo(AFC), a coalition of rebel groups that seeks to overthrow the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is driving political instability, violent conflict, and civilian displacement. The principal member of AFC is the U.S.- and UN-sanctioned March 23 Movement (M23), an armed group with a long history of destabilizing the DRC's North Kivu province and perpetrating human rights abuses.

News Reports

• Two Men Plead Guilty to Acting as Illegal Agents of Chinese Government and Bribery US Dept. of Justice 25 Jul 2024 -- John Chen, 71, of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Los Angeles, California, and Lin Feng, 44, a PRC citizen and resident of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty to acting as unregistered agents of the PRC and bribing an IRS agent in connection with a plot to target U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong — a spiritual practice banned in the PRC.
• Leaked: Israel attempted to obstruct US lawsuit against Pegasus spyware Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- Israel has gone to great lengths to obstruct a high-stakes US lawsuit that could potentially expose highly confidential information regarding the regime's Pegasus spyware, one of the world's most notorious hacking tools, leaked files suggest.
• Putin vows to 'crush' anybody trying to 'divide' Russia Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin has vowed to crush anyone who attempts to sow division within the Russian society, while praising effectiveness and unswerving loyalty of the Russian Federation's powerful law enforcement agencies.
• Statement by the Deputy Head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation at the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Cluster I: Nuclear disarmament), Geneva, 25 July, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
li>Statement by the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Pankin at the G20 Ministerial Meeting of the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, Rio de Janeiro, July 24, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Saleumxay Kommasith Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at the meeting with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Lao PDR Saleumxay Kommasith, Vientiane, July 25, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia Sok Chenda Sophea Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• The Russian Federation is increasing its malign activities and interference: UK statement to the OSCE UK FCDO 25 Jul 2024 -- Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown underlines the increased scale and intensity of the hybrid threat now faced by many participating States.
• Time for Russia to give straight answers on its commitment to OSCE principles: UK statement to the OSCE UK FCDO 25 Jul 2024 -- Ambassador Holland expresses concern at the mounting evidence of Russia's violations of international law and demands answers on whether Russia stands by its OSCE commitments.
• Russian-Chinese International Scientific Lunar Station to Be Built in 3 Phases Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- The International Scientific Lunar Station (ISLS) will be jointly created by Russia and China in three phases: research and development, construction, and operation, according to the relevant agreement published on the official legal information portal on Thursday.
• Russian Space Company Gonets Plans to Launch 40 Small Satellites by 2027 Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- The Russian Gonets Satellite System company is planning to launch two small spacecraft next year in cooperation with the Fifth Generation experimental and design bureau as well as to increase the number of its small satellites in the orbit to 40 by 2027, the company told Sputnik.
• Xi Jinping 'sharing out' political power among rival allies Radio Free Asia 25 Jul 2024 -- Ruling Chinese Communist Party ideologue and 'United Front' czar Wang Huning - who on Thursday attended the funeral of Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong - appears to have been favored in a recent move by party leader Xi Jinping following a top political meeting in Beijing, analysts told RFA Mandarin.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on July 25, 2024 PRC MofA 25 Jul 2024
• Chinese FM arrives in Laos with cooperation in mind Global Times 25 Jul 2024 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday arrived in Lao capital Vientiane to attend the ASEAN meetings and other events against the backdrop of turbulence in the South China Sea, but analysts believed the tensions will not have a major impact on the main course of cooperation.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks during his meeting with Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi, Vientiane, July 25, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• China seeks to boost influence by playing peacemaker VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- China hosted a series of high-profile diplomatic meetings this week aimed at projecting an image as a global peacemaker in two major global crises, the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
• Experts eye China-Japan meeting on sidelines of ASEAN VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- Expectations are building for a meeting this week between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Vientiane, Laos.
• Infamous anti-China disruptor Jimmy Lai to testify in his own defense on national security trial Global Times 25 Jul 2024 -- Infamous anti-China disruptor and Next Digital founder Jimmy Lai, has been charged with two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiring to publish seditious materials. A local court in Hong Kong has ruled on Thursday that there is a prima facie case for all three charges against the defendant, and Lai will testify in his own defense.
• Rights advocates cite uptick in Uyghur refugee detentions in Turkey VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- Over the past three weeks, Shirali Abdurehim, a 39-year-old Uyghur honey seller in Istanbul, has been detained in an immigration detention center.
• PBC announces 20 bps reduction in one-year MLF to boost liquidity, economic recovery Global Times 25 Jul 2024 -- China's central bank conducted a medium-term lending facility (MLF) operation reducing rates on Thursday, marking the second rate cut within one week.
• China lowers MLF interest rate to reduce financing costs People's Daily 25 Jul 2024 -- China's central bank on Thursday lowered the medium-term lending facility (MLF) interest rate to decrease the borrowing costs of the real economy.
• Mainland spokesperson rejects DPP's accusation of "travel risk" as political maneuver People's Daily 25 Jul 2024 -- A mainland spokesperson criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Wednesday for falsely creating the notion of a "travel risk" in the mainland, stating that it is purely a political maneuver.
• Key CPC reform resolution to offer broader space for Taiwan compatriots, enterprises: spokesperson People's Daily 25 Jul 2024 -- Taiwan compatriots and enterprises will enjoy better conditions and broader development space on the Chinese mainland thanks to a recently adopted resolution of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC MND 25 Jul 2024
• Whoever confronts powerful Iran will be defeated: IRGC chief cmdr. IRNA 25 Jul 2024 -- The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has said that anyone who wants to confront "powerful Iran" will be defeated and humiliated.
• Iran executes Kamran Sheikheh, 7th defendant in imam murder case, rights groups say VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- Human rights sources say Iranian authorities have executed Kamran Sheikheh, a Sunni Kurdish prisoner and the last of seven defendants sentenced to death for the 2008 killing of a Muslim cleric.
• Thailand to investigate financing of deals on arms for Myanmar Radio Free Asia 25 Jul 2024 -- Thailand is to set up a task force to investigate transactions by its financial institutions that help the junta in neighboring Myanmar acquire weapons it uses against domestic opponents battling to end military rule since a 2021 coup.
• Transcript of the Press Briefing by the Spokesperson on Thursday, 25 July 2024 Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 25 Jul 2024
• Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (July 25, 2024) India MEA 25 Jul 2024
• Putin, Assad meet in Moscow to discuss bilateral ties, regional issues Press TV 25 Jul 2024 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad have met in Moscow to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, in their first meeting at the Kremlin in over a year.
• Putin, Assad Meet in Kremlin, Discuss Worsening Regional Situation Affecting Syria Sputnik 25 Jul 2024 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, suggested discussing the situation in the region, noting that it is showing a tendency to escalate, which also affects Syria.
• Vietnamese, foreign officials attend state funeral for Communist Party chief Radio Free Asia 25 Jul 2024 -- Top Vietnamese and foreign officials gathered in Hanoi on Thursday for the funeral of Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong who died last Friday at the age of 80.
• Cambodian court rules top opposition official must pay US$1.5 million Radio Free Asia 25 Jul 2024 -- The president of Cambodia's leading opposition party was ordered on Thursday to pay the government US$1.5 million in a defamation case that stemmed from critical comments about Prime Minister Hun Manet.
• Never Mind Unseating Georgian Dream, Georgia's Opposition Must First Overcome Internal Frictions RFE/RL 25 Jul 2024 -- With the ruling Georgian Dream party risking estrangement from the West amid a crackdown on dissent, Georgia's opposition parties appear to agree on one thing: In their view, winning national elections this fall is essential to preserving democracy in their Caucasus state.
• Croatia Declares Three Right-Wing Montenegrin Officials 'Undesirable' RFE/RL 25 Jul 2024 -- Croatia has declared three pro-Serbian officials from neighboring Montenegro undesirable, effectively banning them from entering the country, after the Montenegrin parliament passed a resolution declaring the World War II-era Croatian concentration camp at Jasenovac as genocidal.
• UN rights chief calls for end to protest crackdowns in Bangladesh UN News 25 Jul 2024 -- On Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Bangladeshi Government to provide explicit details about last week's protest crackdowns and increased violence to ensure that law enforcement adheres to international human rights standards.
• World News in Brief: Rights experts urge US to protect peaceful assembly rights, attacks against Ahmadis in Pakistan, sustainability push at Paris Olympics UN News 25 Jul 2024 -- UN independent human rights experts on Thursday expressed deep concern over a "massive crackdown" on pro-Palestinian student protests at various universities in the United States, urging authorities to uphold the rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.
• UN chief: Earth becoming hotter and more dangerous for all VOA 25 Jul 2024 -- The U.N. Secretary-General warned Thursday that the Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, killing nearly a half-million people annually, and he blamed fossil fuels for driving global warming.