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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Ain al-Assad attack marks new phase of 'escalation' against American bases: Iraqi resistance Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Iraq's Islamic Resistance, an umbrella group of anti-terror forces, says this week's attack on the US-occupied Ain al-Assad Airbase in western Iraq marks a "new phase of escalation against American bases."
• Washington protects Israel by sending ship-based jets to West Asia base: US Official Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The United States tries to protect Israel against Iran's potential retaliatory strikes by dispatching several ship-based navy fighter jets to a base in West Asia, a US official says.
• August 7 U.S. Central Command Update CENTCOM 07 Aug 2024 -- In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles, one Houthi ground control station, and three Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
• Yemen says US destroyers targeted in Red Sea IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The Yemeni Army has announced new maritime operations in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, which it said targeted two US destroyers and a ship.
• US, UK launch fresh airstrike on Yemen: Reports IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The United States and the United Kingdom have once again conducted attacks on Yemeni soil, according to reports.
• Yemeni forces hit Israel-linked ship, 2 US destroyers in Red Sea Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The Yemeni Armed Forces say they have carried out new pro-Palestine operations, striking an Israel-linked ship and two US destroyers in the Red Sea.
• US Carrier Fleets Cannot End Houthi Threat to Shipping in Red Sea - Commanding Admiral Sputnik 07 Aug 2024 -- The US Navy's giant nuclear aircraft carrier task forces operating in the Red Sea and surrounding region are incapable of fully stopping Houthi rebel forces in Yemen from threatening international shipping, US Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral George Wikoff said on Wednesday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US, Botswana Defence Forces kick off exercise Southern Accord 2024 AFRICOM 07 Aug 2024 -- Exercise Southern Accord 2024 officially began on August 5, 2025, launching a two-week joint military exercise between U.S. and Botswana forces. The opening ceremony in Gaborone marked the start of a comprehensive training operation aimed at enhancing bilateral military cooperation and readiness.
• Illinois Guard Security Battalion Deploys Team to Africa Army News 07 Aug 2024 -- The Illinois Army National Guard's 6th Battalion, 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade, will deploy Logistics Advisor Team 6620 and its seven Soldiers to Djibouti, Africa, for about six months after welcoming home Battalion Advisor Team 660 from Romania and Logistics Advisor Team 6622 from the Philippines.
• 387 AES QRT - A Force Multiplier for Theater Sustainment CENTCOM 07 Aug 2024 -- In the heart of challenging and dynamic operational environments, where resources are scarce, an elite team of aerial porters from the 387th Air Expeditionary Squadron Quick Reaction Team (QRT) are the unsung heroes of mission success in the U.S. Central Command, where they rapidly deploy to austere locations at a moment's notice.
• Keynote Address by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks: "Structuring Change to Last" (As Delivered) DoD 07 Aug 2024
• Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks' Fireside Chat with Honorable Mac Thornberry at the National Defense Industrial Association Emerging Technologies Conference DoD 08 Aug 2024
• Defense Community Increasing Pace of Innovation, Hicks Says DoD News 07 Aug 2024 -- The effects of changes made in Defense Department acquisition processes are finally being felt, and the pace of change and innovation within the department is speeding up, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks told the National Defense Industrial Association today.
• Air Force activates 13th CABS at Luke AFB US Air Force 07 Aug 2024 -- As part of the Air Force's major moves to reoptimize the service for Great Power Competition, the 13th Combat Air Base Squadron was activated during an assumption of command ceremony, Aug. 5, at Luke Air Force Base.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams arrives in Luanda, Angola, for Port Visit US Navy 07 Aug 2024 -- The Gold military crew (MILCREW) of the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4), embarked Marines (MARDET), and the ship's Military Sealift Command Civilian Mariners (CIVMARs) arrived in Luanda, Angola, for a regularly scheduled port visit, August 6, 2024.
• Finland, USEUCOM further bilateral cooperation during military staff talks EUCOM 07 Aug 2024 -- Finland and the U.S. signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement in December 2023 to enhance opportunities for the two militaries to collaborate and train side by side, enhancing the nations' ability to operate as one in support of NATO.
• PLA Army drills cross-sea transport using ferry Global Times 07 Aug 2024 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army recently practiced cross-sea transport of heavy equipment of a combined arms brigade using a 20,000 ton-class civilian ferry, a ship type experts said on Wednesday could serve as an addition to the PLA Navy's existing amphibious landing ships.
• China flies drone along Vietnam's coast Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- A Chinese military drone flew close to Vietnam's coast early on Wednesday, the second known such incident this month, according to publicly available tracking data.
• Taiwan planning 6% increase in defense spending in 2025 CNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The government's plan to spend NT$647 billion (US$19.76 billion) on defense in 2025, a year-on-year increase of about 6 percent, shows Taiwan's commitment to enhancing its self-defense, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Tuesday.
• Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity Joint Statement Australia DOD 07 Aug 2024 -- Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and the United States uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• Exercise shields Australia's north Australia DOD 07 Aug 2024 -- In the largest Army Reserve exercise in three decades, nearly 2000 personnel practised a rapid deployment to Australia's north to respond to simulated security threats.
• Preparing Hammer to strike Australia DOD 07 Aug 2024 -- The RAAF P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft - callsign 'Hammer 24' - from 11 Squadron in Edinburgh, South Australia, make a quick descent into Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
• Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Agreement Among the Government of the United States of America, the Government of Australia, and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion The White House 07 Aug 2024
• Iran Army boosts air defense power in east in line with 'perceived, emerging' threats Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The Iranian Army has significantly enhanced air defense capabilities in the country's eastern region as means of optimizing its potential to face off the existing and evolving threats against the Islamic Republic.
• Iran's east air defense gets new radars, missile interceptors IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- Iran's air defense system in the eastern part of the country has received new radars and missile interceptors, in a ceremony attended by the chief commander of Iran's Army Air Defense Force.
• IRGC denies it is entering Iran's automotive sector Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has denied reports it is entering into the car manufacturing business in Iran.
• Belarus' Air Force chief meets Iranian commanders to discuss defense ties IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- Commander of the Belarusian Air Force, Major General Andrei Yulianovich Lukyanovich, has met with senior Iranian military officials in Tehran to discuss defense cooperation as well as threats facing both countries.
• Iran, Belarus share common threats, interests: Iran Army chief Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Iran and Belarus face shared threats and interests under oppressive sanctions imposed by the West, not least the United States, the Iranian Army chief says.
• Canada's P-8A Poseidon aircraft procurement bringing investment and economic growth to British Columbia Canada 07 Aug 2024 -- Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, welcomed Boeing's $61 million investment in the British Columbian aerospace sector. This investment is part of the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITBs) included in Canada's decision to procure up to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the United States Government and Boeing through the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) project.
• India hosting first multi-nation air combat drills considered to target China; action 'only a lot of noise with little results' Global Times 07 Aug 2024 -- The first multi-nation air combat exercises hosted by India took off at Sulur in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, with dozens of combat aircraft from different parts of the world scheduling to touch down there.
• INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TABAR CONDUCTS MPX WITH SEA LYNX OF GERMAN NAVY India PIB 07 Aug 2024 -- Indian Navy's frontline frigate, INS Tabar during her return leg from St Petersburg, Russia conducted Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with German Navy off Kiel Canal on 05 Aug 24
• Activities of TCG ENEZ Within SNMCMG2 Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Defence 07 Aug 2024
• A look at the Defence news 29 July - 4 August Netherlands Ministry of Defence 07 Aug 2024
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Angolan President Lourenço US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2024
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre The White House 07 Aug 2024
• On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby The White House 07 Aug 2024
• Secretary Blinken's Call with UN Secretary General Guterres US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 7, 2024

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 7 August 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Aug 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Israeli foreign minister calls for death of new Hamas leader VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- Israel's foreign minister has called for the death of Yahya Sinwar, the newly appointed leader of Hamas, as Israel braces for expected retaliation from Iran following its killing of a commander of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and the killing of Sinwar's predecessor in Tehran last week.
• Israel Targets Gaza Humanitarian Facility Claiming Hidden Arms Factory - Statement Sputnik 07 Aug 2024 -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that it had attacked a facility inside a humanitarian area in the town of Deir al Balah in the Gaza Strip, where weapons for Palestinian movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad were supposedly produced.
• Israel Informs Washington of Its Involvement in Killing of Hamas Political Chief - Reports Sputnik 07 Aug 2024 -- Israel immediately informed US officials that it was behind the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, The Washington Post reported, citing sources.
• IDF Sharpening Offensive Capabilities as Attack from Iran Looms - Report Sputnik 07 Aug 2024 -- The Israeli military is seeking to sharpen its offensive capabilities and improve its defensive readiness amid a potential attack by Iran and its allied forces in the region, The Times of Israel reported citing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
• Aug 6: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 07 Aug 2024
• Prospect Of Iran-Israel War Brings Region To 'Most Dangerous Moment' In Years RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024 -- The Middle East faces its biggest crisis in years as it braces for a potential full-blown war between Iran and Israel that could drag in the entire region.
• Israeli military issues new evacuation order in northern Gaza Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The Israeli military has issued new evacuation orders in areas of the northern Gaza Strip that were among the first to be hit in October 2023.
• WHO regional chief voices grave concern over Middle East escalation UN News 07 Aug 2024 -- Recent developments in Gaza, the wider Middle East, and Sudan, have highlighted the complexities of emergencies in the World Health Organization's (WHO) vast Eastern Mediterranean region, officials from the UN agency said during a virtual media briefing on Wednesday.
• Lack of Gaza ceasefire hurting polio vaccination campaign: WHO Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says the absence of a ceasefire is hurting the fight against polio in the Gaza Strip.
• Israel killed 10,000 Palestinian students, 500 teachers since October Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The Palestinian Ministry of Education says over 10,000 students in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank have been killed by Israel since the beginning of the regime's genocidal war in Gaza last October.
• US insists Gaza cease-fire talks in final stage as region braces for wider war VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- The Biden administration is emphasizing the nearness of a Gaza cease-fire amid fears that an expected attack by Iran and its proxies on Israel will push the Middle East into a wider war.
• Iran reserves right to respond to Israeli aggression: President IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said the Islamic Republic is committed to peace and security in the region but reserves the right to respond to the Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil.
• Pezeshkian: Iran won't renounce right to retaliate Haniyeh assassination Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has underscored Iran's right to retaliation in the wake of Israel's recent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
• Iran says won't let 'Tel Aviv terrorist gang' undermine security of region Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Iran's interim foreign minister has stressed that the Islamic Republic will not allow Israel to treat stability and security in the West Asia region as "playthings" in order to serve the illegitimate interests and goals of the terrorist ruling gang in Tel Aviv.
• 'Legitimate defense only option for Iran to prevent more Israeli aggression' IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has said that inaction by the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Israeli violations has left Iran with no choice but to use its inherent right to legitimate defense against the regime's acts of aggression.
• Iran says must retaliate against Haniyeh assassination amid UNSC inaction Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Iran's acting foreign minister says the country has no option but to retaliate against the Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, saying this is necessary to deter further aggression against the Islamic Republic amid inaction of the UN Security Council.
• No doubt Zionists will soon receive strong, definite response: Iran Army chief IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army has said that the Zionist regime will soon receive a strong and definite response and there is no doubt about it.
• Israel to soon receive 'strong, definitive' response for Haniyeh assassination: Iran Army chief Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The chief commander of the Iranian Army has praised the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the new political leader of Hamas, warning that the Israeli regime will soon be met with a "strong response" over the assassination of the Palestinian resistance movement's chief Ismail Haniyeh.
• Israel/Gaza: Statement by the High Representative on remarks of Minister Smotrich regarding starving civilians European External Action Service (EEAS) 07 Aug 2024 -- The European Union strongly condemns recent declarations of Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich at the Katif Annual Conference.
• Chinese FM holds phone talks with FMs of Egypt, Jordan, condemns assassination of Hamas leader Global Times 07 Aug 2024 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday had phone conversations with Egyptian and Jordan's foreign ministers, exchanging views on the situation in the Middle East, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry.
• OIC: Haniyeh assassination 'serious infringement' of Iran's sovereignty IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned Israel's assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, calling it a "crime of aggression" and a "serious infringement of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
• Chinese, Egyptian FMs held phone talks on bilateral ties, Mideast situation People's Daily 07 Aug 2024 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday held a phone conversation with Badr Abdelatty, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates.
• Turkey joins South Africa's genocide case at ICJ against Israel Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Turkey has submitted its official request to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• No: 161, 7 August 2024, Regarding Türkiye's Intervention in the Application Filed by the Republic of South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs 07 Aug 2024
• Hamas leader's assassination 'heinous' crime, infringement on Iran sovereignty: OIC Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the Israeli regime's recent assassination of senior Hamas' leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital Tehran, underlining the criminal aspects of the atrocity.
• Development Minister calls for peace and security in Middle East, announcing new aid for Gaza on first trip to region UK FCDO 07 Aug 2024 -- International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds will pledge new UK aid and meet key Jordanian Ministers in her first official visit to the Middle East.
• Hamas releases appalling figures on Israeli war on Gaza IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The Hamas-led government in the Gaza Strip has released some appalling figures about Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.
• 'Big blow': Resistance says Sinwar shows Hamas 'stands strong' despite Israel extermination Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- The appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the new political leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas after the Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh has drawn in applause from various regional resistance groups, who described his selection as "the best successor to the best predecessor."
• Yahya Sinwar named as new Hamas leader People's Daily 07 Aug 2024 -- Hamas announced on Tuesday the selection of Yahya Sinwar as its political bureau chief, replacing late chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran last week.
• Sinwar's appointment proves Israel's goal of assassinating resistance leaders fails: Hezbollah Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Lebanon's resistance movement Hezbollah has hailed the election of Yahya Sinwar as the new political leader of Hamas, saying the appointment once again proves Israel's goals of assassinating the resistance group's leaders have failed.

Other Conflicts

• Citing Risk of Protection Vacuums for Women, Girls, Speakers Urge Security Council to Fully Integrate Gender Perspective into Peacekeeping Missions Transitions UN Security Council 07 Aug 2024 -- The grave situation in Sudan offers fundamental lessons for drawdowns and terminations of United Nations peacekeeping missions in other transition contexts where women's lives are at stake — such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Somalia and Haiti — the Security Council heard today, as delegates underscored the need to integrate a gender perspective into all components of peace missions.
• Philippines joins US-led allies in multilateral maneuvers in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- The Philippines joined the United States, Australia and Canada in a two-day "maritime cooperative activity" from Wednesday to press for freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea amid maritime tensions with China.
• PLA holds combat patrol in South China Sea Global Times 07 Aug 2024 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command on Wednesday held a combat patrol in the South China Sea in an apparent response to a joint exercise by the Philippines, the US, Australia and Canada in the region. The combat patrol is a move to defend China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights while sending a warning to relevant parties not to fan the flames in the region, experts said.
• China refutes accusations by Philippines, Germany over South China Sea People's Daily 07 Aug 2024 -- Individuals in the Philippines should stop making groundless accusations against China over the South China Sea issue, and countries outside the region are hoped to do things that are conducive to regional peace and stability, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.
• PH, Australia, Canada, US hold multilateral maritime drill in WPS Philippine News Agency 07 Aug 2024 -- Philippine military units and their counterparts from Australia, Canada and the United States held a "multilateral maritime cooperative activity" (MMCA) on Wednesday within Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which includes the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
• Religious freedom in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan on steady decline, US watchdog says VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- An independent U.S. federal government agency reported Wednesday that Afghanistan has experienced a "continual and significant" decline in religious freedom under the de facto Islamist Taliban rule.
• Violence against the Rohingya explained Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- On Monday, scores of Rohingya were killed by a missile as they tried to flee Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh, witnesses told Radio Free Asia. The victims were just the latest civilian casualties as fighting between the junta and several factions has worsened across Rakhine state in recent months. But amid a mounting death toll, no groups have suffered quite as much as the Rohingya, whose vulnerable position within Myanmar has placed them in particular danger.
• Weapons fire kills many Rohingya as they attempt to reach Bangladesh Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- Minority Rohingya Muslims were targeted by heavy weapons as they waited on a Myanmar riverbank for motorboats to carry them to Bangladesh, several survivors of the attack told Radio Free Asia. The witnesses said that dozens of people were killed.
• Myanmar junta jets bomb town under rebel control, six killed Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar junta jets bombed a northeastern town under rebel control, killing six people and severely damaging a market, residents told Radio Free Asia on Wednesday, the latest civilian casualties inflicted by the army as it loses territory to insurgents battling to end military rule.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a question from Rossiya Segodnya regarding Mali severing diplomatic ties with Ukraine due to the Kiev regime's support for terrorism Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 07 Aug 2024
• Russia Understands Motives Prompting Mali to Sever Diplomatic Ties With Ukraine - Diplomat Sputnik 07 Aug 2024 -- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik on Wednesday that Moscow understands the motives that prompted the Malian authorities to sever diplomatic relations with Kiev.
• Niger Becomes Second African State To Cut Ties With Ukraine RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024 -- Niger's ruling military junta has announced it is breaking off diplomatic relations with Ukraine, becoming the second African state to sever ties with Kyiv following comments by a Ukrainian official perceived as lending support to rebels in neighboring Mali.
• Niger Severs Diplomatic Relations with Ukraine Over Kiev-Backed Terrorism in Mali Sputnik 07 Aug 2024 -- Niger will immediately sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine due to Kiev's aggression against Mali, spokesman for Niger's transitional military government Amadou Abdramane said.
• Sudan: Over a dozen more areas at risk of famine as fighting impedes aid UN News 07 Aug 2024 -- With famine confirmed in the Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan's North Darfur, there are growing concerns that similar crises may be unfolding in other nearby camps, an official with the UN emergency food relief agency (WFP) said on Wednesday, in an interview with UN News.
• UN requests assistance from Security Council to address famine crisis in Sudan Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- High-ranking officials from the United Nations have made a formal appeal to the Security Council to seek assistance in facilitating humanitarian aid access in Sudan, emphasizing the need for aid to reach the affected areas in order to combat the famine that has emerged in at least one location in North Darfur.
• A Constitutional Amendment That Could Lead To Peace Between Armenia And Azerbaijan RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024 -- Armenia and Azerbaijan are nearly finished hammering out a peace agreement that would finally end their decades-old conflict. But in recent months one issue has emerged that is threatening to scuttle the entire process.
• Baku Said To Have Withdrawn Troops From Section Of Demarcated Border With Armenia RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024 -- Azerbaijan has withdrawn its military from one section of the recently demarcated border with Armenia, according to the mayor of a local Armenian village who spoke to RFE/RL on August 7.
• 16 Years After War With Russia, West Reiterates Support For Georgia's Territorial Integrity RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024 -- The United States, the European Union, and other Western states have reiterated their support for Georgia's sovereign and territorial integrity as the country marks the 16th anniversary of a brief war with Russia even as its ruling party appears to be turning back toward Moscow.
• Marking 16 Years Since Russia's Invasion of Georgia US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2024 -- Today we mark sixteen years since Russia invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia and remember those killed, injured, or displaced by Russia's military campaign and illegal occupation.
• Kosovo Serbs Protest In North Mitrovica Against Opening Of Main Bridge RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024 -- Serbs from northern Kosovo protested on August 7 against the opening of the main bridge in Mitrovica that divides the city into the Albanian-majority south and the Serb-majority north.

News Reports

• Explainer: Tim Walz's long track record in China VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- From teaching at a high school in China to his experience serving on a key congressional committee that focuses on relations between Beijing and Washington, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has a decades-long connection with China dating back to the pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.
• The United States of America and Australia Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Countering Foreign State Information Manipulation US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2024 -- On August 5, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Australia on countering foreign state information manipulation.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question regarding the situation with Estonian journalist Svetlana Burtseva Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 07 Aug 2024
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Remarks on August 7, 2024 PRC MofA 07 Aug 2024
• China In Eurasia Briefing: Russian And Chinese Banks Feel The Bite Of New U.S. Sanctions RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024
• China successfully launches new satellite group People's Daily 07 Aug 2024 -- China sent a new satellite group into space on Tuesday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province.
• U.S., Australia reaffirm opposition to changing cross-strait status quo CNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The United States and Australian governments issued a joint statement on Tuesday reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and their opposition to unilateral changes to the region's status quo.
• Ex-Army officer held by China over fishing trip released CNA 07 Aug 2024 -- A former Taiwanese Army officer, who was rescued by the Chinese Coast Guard in mid-March during a fishing trip and detained in China since then, returned to Kinmen County Wednesday.
• Departments list diehard 'Taiwan independence' secessionists on websites Global Times 07 Aug 2024 -- Both the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office and China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) have added a special column to their official websites which list the names of diehard "Taiwan independence" secessionists, a notable change indicating the Chinese mainland's high attention to lawfully punishing diehard "Taiwan independence" secessionists, serving as another warning to these stubborn individuals.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC MND 07 Aug 2024
• Executions In Iran Show No Sign Of Letting Up As 36 Hanged In 2 Days RFE/RL 07 Aug 2024 -- Iran executed 36 people on August 6-7, including 26 in a group execution in one prison, a rights group said on August 7, a day after Tehran faced international condemnation for executing an Iranian activist arrested during the Women, Life, Freedom protests.
• Iran's UN mission rejects links with 'assassination plot' against US politicians Press TV 07 Aug 2024 -- Iran has roundly rejected having any connection with a Pakistani individual, who has reportedly been arrested in the United States and charged with being behind a foiled plot to assassinate US politicians.
• Iran rejects claims about assassination plots in US IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has reacted harshly to false claims and accusations leveled against the Islamic Republic regarding political assassination attempts on American soil, including former President Donald Trump.
• Bangladesh's president dissolves parliament after PM leaves nation Global Times 07 Aug 2024 -- Bangladesh's President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday dissolved the parliament, a key demand of the protestors, following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation.
• Interim Bangladesh govt to be sworn in Thursday, army chief says Radio Free Asia 07 Aug 2024 -- Bangladesh's interim government will be formed and sworn in on Thursday evening, and its leader Muhammad Yunus will guide citizens through a "democratic process," the country's Army chief announced.
• Bangladesh's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus to take office Thursday VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- Bangladesh's military chief announced that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to be sworn in as head of the country's interim government on Thursday night upon his return from Paris.
• Nobel laureate to head Bangladesh interim gov't IRNA 07 Aug 2024 -- The Presidency of Bangladesh has announced that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will head the country's interim government after weeks of deadly protests in the South Asian country forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to tender her resignation and flee the country.
• China hopes Bangladesh to restore order People's Daily 07 Aug 2024 -- China expressed on Tuesday its sincere hope for Bangladesh to restore its social stability at an early date.
• Thai court dissolves election-winning political party VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- Thailand's Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday to dissolve the opposition Move Forward Party and ban its executives -- including up-and-coming lawmaker Pita Limjaroenrat - from politics for a decade.
• Thailand: Statement by the Spokesperson on the dissolution of the main opposition party European External Action Service (EEAS) 07 Aug 2024 -- The decision by the Constitutional Court of Thailand to dissolve another major political party, the Move Forward Party, is a setback for political pluralism in Thailand. The Move Forward Party was the leading party in the general elections in May 2023 with over 14 million votes (out of 39 million).
• On the Dissolution of Move Forward Party in Thailand US Dept. of State 07 Aug 2024 -- The United States is deeply concerned by Thailand's Constitutional Court ruling today ordering the dissolution of the Move Forward Party and the banning of 11 of its leaders from politics.
• Venezuela's opposition candidate ignores Supreme Court summons VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- Venezuela opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who insists he is the rightful winner of the July 28 presidential election, failed to comply Wednesday with a Supreme Court summons ordering his appearance for an audit of the disputed July 28 vote.
• Malnutrition surging in Nigeria's Bauchi state, aid group says VOA 07 Aug 2024 -- Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, says it recorded an alarming 23,000 cases of severe malnutrition in Nigeria's Bauchi state between January and June this year — a 120% increase over the same period a year before.