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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• US warplanes arrive in Middle East VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- New U.S. reinforcements have arrived in the Middle East, positioned to help defend Israel against a potential strike by Iran and Iranian-backed proxies.
• US CENTCOM Informs F-22 Raptor Jets Arrived in Middle East to Counter 'Iran Threat' Sputnik 08 Aug 2024 -- The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday that additional F-22 Raptors have arrived in the Middle East to counter "threats posed by Iran" and the groups it backs.
• August 8 U.S. Central Command Update CENTCOM 08 Aug 2024 -- In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles and one Houthi ground control station in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
• Houthis undeterred despite US action to protect Red Sea shipping VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- U.S.-led efforts to thwart attacks on international shipping by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen are nothing more than a "shock absorber" and are unlikely to lead to stability or safer seas, according to a senior U.S. commander.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds a Press Conference DoD 08 Aug 2024
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Egyptian Minister of Defense, General Abd-al-Majid Ahmad Saqr DoD 08 Aug 2024
• A Year in, DOD Racks Up Wins for Foreign Military Sales DoD News 08 Aug 2024 -- In 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III directed the creation of a "tiger team" to look into ways the Defense Department could make the Foreign Military Sales system less foreboding for partner nations interested in purchasing U.S. military hardware.
• Army announces groundbreaking for cost-effective sustainable materials barracks at JBLM US Army 08 Aug 2024 -- The Department of the Army broke ground yesterday on a new barracks project at Joint Base Lewis-McChord that will use sustainable building materials.
• Airfield improvements increase readiness and capacity at MK Air Base in Romania Army News 08 Aug 2024 -- U.S. and Romanian officials celebrated the latest improvement project completed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base portion of U.S. Army Garrison Black Sea here yesterday - the airfield's new cargo pad.
• Polish Apache Initiative Takes Flight: V Corps Boosts NATO Unity Army News 08 Aug 2024 -- In a significant boost to security cooperation and NATO interoperability, V Corps has launched the Polish Apache Initiative in collaboration with the Polish military. V Corps, the Army's only forward deployed warfighting headquarters, set the stage for aviation integration by conducting a Polish Apache Initiative summit designed to meet interoperability and training objectives between Polish and NATO aviation units. The summit, starting on 6 August, focused on educating organizational leaders on AH-64 organizations, combat tactics and maintenance consideration during the two-day event in Inowroclaw. The initiative comprises three main components: the Apache Initiative Summits, Apprenticeships, and Partnership Exercises.
• CSAF, CMSAF visit Kirtland AFB US Air Force 08 Aug 2024 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi visited Kirtland Air Force Base Aug. 6.
• SecAF Kendall visits 20th FW US Air Force 08 Aug 2024 -- Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall visited Shaw Air Force Base, July 30-31, to gain a deeper understanding of the 20th Fighter Wing's mission and combat operations, as well as those of tenant units co-located on the base.
• US Air Force demonstrates low-cost capability to defeat surface vessels from the air US Air Force 08 Aug 2024 -- The M/V Monarch Countess slips below the surface after an operational demonstration in July in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. (Courtesy photo)
• USS Wasp Conducts Port Visit to Limassol, Republic of Cyprus US Navy 08 Aug 2024 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), with embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC), arrived in Limassol, Republic of Cyprus for a regularly scheduled port visit Aug. 8, 2024.
• Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group departs Guam and Saipan US Navy 08 Aug 2024 -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS O'Kane (DDG 77), and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) departed Naval Base Guam, August 8, 2024, after conducting a scheduled four-day port call to the island.
• Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity Joint Statement US Navy 08 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).
• SECNAV Del Toro Delivers Remarks at the Future Warfighting Symposium US Navy 08 Aug 2024
• SECNAV Del Toro Reflects on Three Years in Office at the Future Warfighting Symposium US Navy Press Release 08 Aug 2024 -- Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro delivered remarks at the Future Warfighting Symposium at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., Aug. 8. Secretary Del Toro addressed new Naval War College (NWC) students, faculty, and staff on the eve of his third anniversary in office.
• After recent challenges, US looks to rethink AFRICOM, aid initiatives VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- The United States on Wednesday completed one of the last major troop departures from Niger ahead of the military junta-imposed September 15 deadline. About 1,000 troops were stationed in Niger before the ruling leadership's order to leave.
• Meeting with Acting Governor of the Kursk Region Alexei Smirnov President of Russia 08 Aug 2024 -- Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Acting Governor of the Kursk Region Alexei Smirnov.
• Baltic Fleet specialists conduct training with servicemen on countering attack drones Russia MoD 08 Aug 2024 -- Baltic Fleet troops underwent training in Kaliningrad region to hone skills in countering unmanned aerial vehicles.
• The Army+ Application Will Start with Basic Functions and We Will Fill It with New Ones - Volodymyr Zelenskyy President of Ukraine 08 Aug 2024
• Today We Are Taking a Step Toward Modernity and Efficiency - Speech by Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Presentation of the Army+ Application President of Ukraine 08 Aug 2024
• Support for Ukraine and Air Defense Strengthening: President Met with Delegation of the U.S. Congress President of Ukraine 08 Aug 2024
• China-Tanzania joint drill commences tactical training session Global Times 08 Aug 2024 -- The ongoing land phase of the China-Tanzania Peace Unity-2024 joint exercise commenced a joint tactical training on Thursday, a counter-terrorism drill that mixes the participating troops from the two sides together that heavily relies on trust, said a Chinese special operations team member.
• Taiwan proposes biggest ever defense spending of US$19.7 billion Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- Taiwan aims to increase its defense spending to NT$647 billion (US$19.76 billion) next year to the biggest sum ever as it seeks to bolster its defenses and its cooperation with democratic allies, President Lai Ching-te announced.
• Announcement of 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 US Dept. of State 08 Aug 2024 -- On 5 August 2024, AUKUS partners signed the trilateral Agreement Among the Government of Australia, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion (the "Agreement").
• AUKUS trilateral statement: 8 August 2024 UK MOD 08 Aug 2024 -- Trilateral statement on the signing of an agreement for co-operation on naval nuclear propulsion.
• Readout of Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer's Meeting with Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Jan Adams The White House 08 Aug 2024
• Minister of National Defence Remarks at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada Canada 08 Aug 2024
• Minister Blair meets with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles Canada 08 Aug 2024 -- Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence hosted Richard Marles, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, in Vancouver for a bilateral meeting.
• Joint Statement on Strengthening the Canada-Australia Defence Relationship Canada 08 Aug 2024 -- Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence of Canada, and the Honourable Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence of Australia, released a joint statement following their bilateral meeting.
• Plans announced to redevelop Cawdor Barracks for landmark radar initiative UK MOD 08 Aug 2024 -- Known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), the initiative will secure long-term jobs and help protect essential satellite communication and navigation networks.
• Germany's membership in UN Command signals commitment to Indo-Pacific VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Germany's entry into the U.S.-led U.N. Command, which expanded the multinational body tasked with defending South Korea against North Korea, reflects growing fears in Europe and the U.S. that multiple wars that could break out simultaneously across the globe, said analysts.
• Global disruptions have given opportunity for domestic defence industry to bolster manufacturing capabilities to make India net exporter, says CDS Gen Anil Chauhan in Ammo India 2024 Conference India PIB 08 Aug 2024 -- Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan today stated that the global disruptions have presented an opportunity for the Indian Defence Eco-system to ramp up their defence manufacturing capabilities so that India transcends from being an importer to being an exporter of munitions, as well as, ammunition
• INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TABAR REACHES LONDON, UK FOR A FOUR DAY VISIT India PIB 08 Aug 2024 -- Indian Navy's frontline frigate, INS Tabar arrived at London harbour on 07 Aug 24 for a four-day visit
• As Japan marks atomic bombing anniversaries, its military emerges from shadow of WWII VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Japan this week restated its aim to rid the world of atomic weapons as it marks the 79th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki — even as the Japanese government seeks assurances the United States would be willing to use its own nuclear arsenal to protect Japan.
• RAF to police NATO skies in Iceland following mission in Romania UK MOD 08 Aug 2024 -- This is the first time British F-35Bs will have taken part in any NATO air policing missions.
• Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) UK MOD 08 Aug 2024 -- Proposals are being developed by the Ministry of Defence regarding the future of Cawdor Barracks as part of the DARC programme.
• UK to Build Radar Station to Monitor 'Space Threats' From Russia and China Sputnik 80 Aug 2024 -- The UK Royal Air Force has unveiled plans to build a radar station in Wales to reportedly monitor space activities by Russia and China and counter perceived threats, The Telegraph has written.
• Second testing of Lithuanian drones concluded successfully in Ukraine Lithuania MND 08 Aug 2024 -- The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine carried out a repeat testing of combat drones from Lithuanian manufacturers near Kyiv in a battlefield-realistic environment. The tests are conducted as Ukraine picks the products that match the requirements of its military best.
• PH, US troops to fire HIMARS at ongoing 'Salaknib' drills Philippine News Agency 08 Aug 2024 -- Philippine Army (PA) troops and their counterparts from the United States will be firing the American-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) platform in a military target range in Nueva Ecija on Friday.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 8, 2024

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News
• 8 August 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Aug 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Israel Claims to Have Eliminated Senior Hamas Official in Gaza Strip Sputnik 08 Aug 2024 -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday in a joint statement with the Israel Security Agency (ISA) that they had eliminated a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip allegedly to be involved in attacks on the West Bank.
• PM Netanyahu Meets with Judea and Samaria Council Heads Israel - Prime Minister 08 Aug 2024
• Selection of new Hamas leader further dampens expectations of Gaza cease-fire VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, believed to be the architect of the October 7 attacks on Israel, is now the Palestinian terror group's new political chief as well as its military leader based in Gaza. Analysts say Sinwar is unlikely to conclude a cease-fire deal with Israel to end fighting in Gaza and return hostages, but a Hamas spokesman says Sinwar will continue negotiations.
• August 8: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 08 Aug 2024
• Aug 7: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 08 Aug 2024
• Gaza death toll at nearly 39,670 since early Oct. IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The death toll from Israel's genocidal war on Gaza has increased to 39,699 since the start of the conflict on October 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian territory has announced.
• Israeli airstrikes kill 27 Palestinians in Gaza IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The Gaza Civil Defense reported that tens of Palestinains were killed in a series of bombardments carried out by occupying forces in the past hours.
• Israeli port of Haifa on alert amid fears of strikes by Iran, Hezbollah IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- Zionist settlers, especially those in the port of Haifa, are on edge amid rising fears of potential strikes from the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.
• Israel launches airstrikes on south Lebanon: Report IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The Israeli regime has carried out fresh air strikes on a region in southern Lebanon.
• Scores killed as Israel bombs schools, houses across Gaza Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- At least 56 people have been killed and dozens injured in Israeli strikes across Gaza since Thursday morning, medical sources say.
• 19 Palestinians killed in fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza's Khan Yunis Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Israeli warplanes have conducted fresh air raids on Khan Yunis governorate, in southern Gaza Strip, killing at least 19 Palestinians, some of whom were burned alive.
• Statement by UNICEF Regional Director Adele Khodr on the impact of the recent violence and attacks in the Middle East on children UNICEF 08 Aug 2024 -- "Children in many countries in the Middle East are facing a harsh reality today more than ever before - life shrouded by uncertainty and violence.
• Gaza: Thousands on the run again following new evacuation order UN News 08 Aug 2024 -- Thousands of people in Gaza have been fleeing west toward Al Mawasi after the Israel military issued a new evacuation order on Thursday, UN humanitarian partners on the ground have reported.
• UNICEF warns against escalating violence in the Middle East UN News 08 Aug 2024 -- The recent surge in violence and attacks in the Middle East is taking a shocking toll on young lives in the region, a senior official with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday in an appeal for de-escalation.
• UN calls for full investigation into rights abuses against Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- The United Nations has urged a thorough investigation into rights abuses against Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, after leaked video footage showed Israeli forces sexually assaulting a Palestinian inmate.
• Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar The White House 08 Aug 2024
• U.S. Calls on All Parties in Middle East to De-Escalate Tensions DoD News 08 Aug 2024 -- The U.S. government is monitoring the situation in the Middle East and calls on all parties to de-escalate regional tensions, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh today.
• Only a strong measure can compel Israel to obey international law: Iran IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has said that the "criminal" Israeli regime could only be compelled to adhere to international regulations through pressure and a strong deterrent measure.
• Iran military leaders congratulate Sinwar on his new post as Hamas chief IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- In a series of separate messages, senior commanders of the Iranian Armed Forces have congratulated Yahya Sinwar on his appointment as the head of the political bureau of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas.
• Punishing Zionist regime, Gaza ceasefire among priorities: Iran UN mission IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations has announced that some of the priorities of Tehran in the current circumstances are to establish a ceasefire in Gaza simultaneously with punishing the Zionist regime and preventing it from further aggression against the Islamic Republic.
• Only 'decisive action' can force Israel to comply with international law: Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Iran strongly condemns as "heinous and horrific" recent remarks by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who justified the killing of two million Palestinians through deliberate starvation, saying Israel can only be made to comply with international law through "decisive and deterrent action."
• Top Iranian military officials hail Sinwar appointment as new Hamas political leader Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Senior Iranian military commanders have extended their congratulations to Yahya Sinwar on his appointment as the new political leader of Hamas, pledging assistance to the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement.
• Israel aims to endanger security of all Muslim states, Iran's interim FM warns Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Iran's interim foreign minister says Israel is an evil entity which seeks to endanger security of not only Palestine but the entire Muslim world.
• Iran to make Israel regret its terrorist aggression: UN mission Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations says the country seeks to make the Israeli regime regret committing its recent act of terrorist aggression against the Islamic Republic that led to the martyrdom of senior Hamas' leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
• Israel/Palestine: Statement by the High Representative on government's actions against Norway European External Action Service (EEAS) 08 Aug 2024 -- Today I received a call from the Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, following the decision by the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu to revoke the diplomatic status for Norwegian diplomats dealing with the Palestinian Authority. I strongly condemn this unwarranted decision, which contradicts the spirit of Oslo Accords and disproportionately disrupts the normal relations and cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.
• Deliberate starvation of civilians a war crime, EU warns Israel Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- The European Union has slammed remarks made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who criticized aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying deliberate starvation constitutes a war crime.
• Statement by the Federal Foreign Office on the situation in the Middle East Germany Federal Foreign Office 08 Aug 2024
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Espen Barth Eide: 'Consequential for our relationship with the Netanyahu government' Government of Norway 08 Aug 2024 -- 'Today, we were informed by the Netanyahu government that they will no longer facilitate Norwegian diplomats' work in Palestine. This is an extreme action that first and foremost affects our ability to help the Palestinian population. It shows once again that the Netanyahu government is actively working against a two-state solution', said Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Espen Barth Eide.
• Chinese FM calls for intl community to unite behind cease-fire in Gaza Global Times 08 Aug 2024 -- Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi has held phone conversations with the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, condemning the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, calling for efforts by different parties to prevent further escalation of conflicts and urging countries to form a joint force to help achieve a cease-fire in Gaza.
• Palestine urges ICC arrest warrant for Israeli minister over call to starve Gazans Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Palestine has called upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for extremist Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich who said starving two million civilians in Gaza is "justified and moral".
• Hezbollah conducts reprisal missile, drone attacks against Israel IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement have carried out more retaliatory attacks on the Zionist positions in the northern occupied Palestinian territories with rockets and missiles.
• Israel's Haifa engulfed by fear of Iran, Hezbollah retaliation: Media Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Israeli media reports indicate that settlers in the strategic port city of Haifa in the northern occupied territories are increasingly anxious about potential retaliatory strikes from Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah in response to recent Israeli assassinations of top resistance leaders.
• West's efforts won't prevent Iran response to Israel: Ansarullah IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah movement has emphasized that the delay in the response by the Axis of Resistance and Iran to the Zionist regime's atrocities is a tactical issue in order to turn it into an effective response.
• Houthi: Battle against Zionist regime at its height after assassinations Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- The leader of Yemen's Ansarullah says the battle against Israel is now at its height after the regime's assassinations of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

Other Conflicts

• Afghan refugees worry as Iran continues forced deportation VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- When the Taliban overran the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif in August 2021, Aminullah Ranjbar, a police officer, says he had "no option" but to flee with his family to Iran.
• 'Overwhelmed By Misery': Taliban's Harvest Tax Squeezes Impoverished Afghan Farmers RFE/RL 08 Aug 2024 -- Fawad was already reeling from the deadly earthquake that struck western Afghanistan in October and severely damaged his home and crops. But the Taliban dealt the small-scale farmer from the western Herat Province another crippling financial blow.
• Syrian tribes' clash with Kurdish separatists puts spotlight on sinister US plan Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Syria's Eastern Deir ez-Zor province has been witnessing an escalation in clashes between Arab tribes and US-backed Kurdish separatist forces in recent days.
• Residents flee ahead of expected fight for Myanmar military academy town Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- The relatives of civil servants and military soldiers have been packing up and leaving a scenic hill town in central Myanmar that's home to the junta's top military service academy ahead of an anticipated battle, residents said.
• Myanmar junta bombs sleeping village killing seven, rebels say Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- The Myanmar junta's air force bombed a village in a strife-torn central region killing seven people as they slept, an insurgent group said on Thursday, the latest deaths in what opponents of the junta say is a deliberate campaign to target civilians in areas under rebel control.
• United States Announces Nearly $536 Million in Additional Humanitarian Assistance for Sub-Saharan Africa US Dept. of State 08 Aug 2024 -- On August 8, 2024, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya announced nearly $536 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance from the United States, including nearly $516 million through the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and nearly $20 million through the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
• Kosovo Further Alienates Minority Serbs, Straining Status As 'Reliable Partner' RFE/RL 08 Aug 2024 -- Fears of ethnically charged strife have flared up in the Balkans this week as Kosovo dramatically intensified its pressure on tens of thousands of local Serbs to abandon aspects of daily life tied to Serbia, shutting post offices used by Serbs and preparing a controversial reopening of a bridge separating ethnic Serb and Albanian communities.
• Tajik Official Confirms Arrests Of Almost 30 Residents Of Volatile Gorno-Badakhshan Region RFE/RL 08 Aug 2024 -- Tajikistan's First Deputy Interior Minister Abdurahmon Alamshozoda has confirmed reports by RFE/RL's Tajik Service that 27 residents of the Yazgulom community in the volatile Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) have been arrested.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the August 2008 events in the Caucasus Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Aug 2024
• Abkhazia Condemns Georgia's Refusal to Sign Non-Aggression Pact as 'Unconstructive' Sputnik 08 Aug 2024 -- Georgia's stance on singing a non-aggression with Abkhazia and South Ossetia is "absolutely unconstructive," Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergey Shamba told Sputnik on Thursday.

News Reports

• U.S.-U.K. Teams Receive Bilateral Academic Research Award to Investigate Adversary Social Influence and Information Campaigns DoD 08 Aug 2024 -- The Department of Defense today announced the selection of a team of United States and United Kingdom academic researchers to investigate the growing threat that malign social influence campaigns pose to democracies.
• Two Iranian Nationals and One Pakistani National Indicted for Providing Material Support to Terrorists US Dept. of Justice 08 Aug 2024 -- A superseding indictment was returned yesterday charging two Iranian citizens, brothers Shahab Mir'kazei (Shahab) and Yunus Mir'kazei (Yunis), and one Pakistani citizen, Muhammad Pahlawan, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to Iran's weapons of mass destruction program resulting in death and conspiring to commit violence against maritime navigation and maritime transport involving weapons of mass destruction resulting in death.
• UN counter-terrorism chief highlights Da'esh surge, calling for global action UN News 08 Aug 2024 -- Islamic State (ISIL/Da'esh) and its affiliates have expanded their activities and finances in several parts of Africa, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, resulting in a major spike in attacks and civilian fatalities, a senior UN counter-terrorism official warned the Security Council on Thursday.
• Strong, Human Rights-Centred Action, State Cooperation Crucial to Combating Terrorism, Speakers Stress during Security Council's Biannual Briefing on Threat Posed by ISIL UN Security Council 08 Aug 2024 -- The complex terrorism landscape, with terrorist groups expanding in West Africa and the Sahel, and improving capabilities in Afghanistan, calls for robust counter-terrorism efforts, State cooperation and human-rights centered approaches, the Security Council heard today at a briefing on the Secretary-General's biannual report on the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh).
• UN sees rising threat of IS-Khorasan attacks outside Afghanistan VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- The head of the United Nations counterterrorism office warned Thursday that there is a risk of the Afghanistan-based Islamic State affiliate IS-Khorasan carrying out attacks abroad.
• UN warns Daesh Afghanistan branch posing threats to Europe, beyond Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- A UN counter-terrorism official has warned that the notorious Daesh terrorist group in Afghanistan poses the greatest external terrorist threat to Europe and beyond.
• "We cannot lose focus in the fight against Daesh": UK statement at the UN Security Council UK FCDO 08 Aug 2024 -- Security Council Statement by Jess Jambert-Gray, Deputy Political Coordinator, at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.
• Counter ISIS Finance Group Leaders Issue Joint Statement US Treasury 08 Aug 2024 -- On July 23 and 24, the United States, Italy, and Saudi Arabia hosted virtually the 20th meeting of the Counter ISIS Finance Group (CIFG) under the auspices of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. The U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Department of State jointly represented the United States at this event, which included over 50 member states and observers.
• Yunus-led interim Bangladesh govt sworn in; diverse members include 2 student leaders Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in Thursday to lead Bangladesh's interim government following a three-day power vacuum that resulted from Sheikh Hasina quitting as prime minister and fleeing the country.
• Muhammad Yunus sworn in to lead Bangladesh's interim government VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus returned Thursday to Bangladesh to lead an interim government, following the resignation and departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
• Muhammad Yunus takes oath of office as head of Bangladesh's caretaker government Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as head of Bangladesh's interim government, a few days after a weeks-long massive uprising forced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India.
• Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus returns to crisis-hit Bangladesh to form interim government Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus has returned to Bangladesh to lead an interim government following days of bloody anti-government protests that forced the prime minister to flee the country and resign.
• Bangladesh: Statement by the High Representative on the new interim government European External Action Service (EEAS) 08 Aug 2024 -- The EU welcomes the swearing-in of the members of Bangladesh's interim government, led by Nobel Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, as they took their oath tonight.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a question from the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency about the remarks by US Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Aug 2024
• Russian prosecutors seek 15-year sentence for US-Russian woman VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Russian prosecutors on Thursday sought a 15-year prison sentence for Russian-American woman Ksenia Khavana, who pleaded guilty to treason.
• Navalny's Widow Says He Should Have Been Released In Recent Prisoner Swap RFE/RL 08 Aug 2024 -- Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, says her late husband should have been among those released from Russian jails and prisons last week in a major prisoner swap between Moscow and the West.
• DHS Places Additional PRC-Based Companies on the UFLPA Entity List DHS 08 Aug 2024 -- Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the addition of five entities based in the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List, bringing the total entities listed to 73.
• US blacklists five more Chinese firms over Uyghur slavery Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- The United States has banned imports from five more Chinese companies accused of profiting from the slave labor of Uyghurs trapped in what Beijing calls "poverty alleviation" programs.
• Chinese dissidents face renewed government imprisonment threats VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- China has been intensifying pressure on some prominent dissidents in recent weeks, as local prosecutors decide whether to impose jail sentences on human rights lawyer Lu Siwei, and police repeatedly threaten to arrest citizen journalist Zhang Zhan again.
• MAC criticizes TAO's new 'Taiwan separatists' section on its website CNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The addition of a new section on "diehard Taiwan independence separatists" on the official website of China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) has created "more obstacles and harm in cross-strait interactions," the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday.
• TAO website 'Taiwan separatists' section creates punitive model: Experts CNA 08 Aug 2024 -- The newly-added "diehard Taiwan independence separatists" section on the website of China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) can be seen as Beijing's attempt to establish a punitive model, following new legal guidelines targeting the same individuals, experts have told CNA.
• Taiwan should step up transparency amid Chinese 'gray zone' tactics: Expert CNA 08 Aug 2024 -- Taiwan should step up efforts to boost transparency about China's "gray zone" activities to drum up international support and pressure Beijing into not escalating tensions, a maritime transparency project director at Stanford University said Thursday.
• Listing diehard 'Taiwan independence' secessionists on official websites is to eliminate black sheep undermining cross-Straits relations: Taiwan Affairs Office Global Times 08 Aug 2024 -- The special columns listing diehard "Taiwan independence" secessionists have been added to the websites of two Chinese mainland departments, which aims to eliminate the "black sheep" that undermine cross-Straits relations and fundamentally maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said on Thursday after the columns drew public attention from the island of Taiwan and was distorted and smeared by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC MND 08 Aug 2024
• Justice Department Disrupts North Korean Remote IT Worker Fraud Schemes Through Charges and Arrest of Nashville Facilitator US Dept. of Justice 08 Aug 2024 -- Matthew Isaac Knoot, 38, of Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested today for his efforts to generate revenue for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK or North Korea) illicit weapons program, which includes weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
• IOC: North Korean athletes never received sanctions-violating smartphones Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- The 14 North Korean Olympic athletes in Paris have not received the smartphones that were gifts to all athletes, the games' authority told Radio Free Asia in a revised statement after it was questioned whether such gifts would be a sanctions violation.
• North Korea appoints top envoy to Cuba Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- North Korea has appointed a new ambassador to communist ally Cuba, months after the former one left in the wake of Cuba's decision to establish relations with the North's bitter rival, South Korea.
• Iran ready to develop defense cooperation with Belarus IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard, commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force (IRIADF) has said that his country is ready to develop defense and military relations with the Republic of Belarus.
• Iran pursuing 'open door policy' on its nuclear industry: AEOI chief IRNA 08 Aug 2024 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami has said that the Islamic Republic pursues an open-door policy on its nuclear energy program and industry.
• Iran to make Israel regret its terrorist aggression: UN mission Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations says the country seeks to make the Israeli regime regret committing its recent act of terrorist aggression against the Islamic Republic that led to the martyrdom of senior Hamas' leader, Ismail Haniyeh.
• Lawyers, groups condemn Iran's execution of women's rights protester VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Lawyers and human rights groups have condemned Iran for the execution of a man accused of killing a Revolutionary Guard during women's rights protests.
• Myanmar junta orders its workers to pay it part of their Thai wages Radio Free Asia 08 Aug 2024 -- Hundreds of thousands of Myanmar workers in Thailand have to hand over part of their wages to the junta ruling their country or risk losing their jobs under a new rule introduced by the military aimed at collecting foreign exchange and perpetuating army rule.
• Experts: As Myanmar's junta loses control, China's influence grows VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Myanmar's ruling generals are facing unprecedented challenges as armed resistance groups gain more control in the north and the economy stalls. Experts say the rapidly shifting situation is giving China more leverage over the nation's ruling military junta.
• Belarus: Statement by the High Representative on the 4th anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections European External Action Service (EEAS) 08 Aug 2024 -- Four years ago, on 9 August, the people of Belarus took to the streets to peacefully protest against the fraudulent presidential elections and Lukashenka's attempt to take away their right to decide their future. Since then, and despite violent repression, the Belarusian people have repeatedly and bravely stood up for their human rights and their country's democratic future.
• Transcript of Special Briefing by Secretary (East) on President's visit to New Zealand (August 08, 2024) India MEA 08 Aug 2024
• Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (August 08, 2024) India MEA 08 Aug 2024
• Japan leads Central Asia summit amid rising tensions with Russia, China VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's landmark three-day visit to Central Asia, beginning Friday, is poised to challenge the existing geopolitical balance in the region.
• Journalists detained, threatened amid Venezuela election unrest VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Venezuelan authorities have arrested at least nine journalists and expelled 14 from the country in the lead-up to, and immediate aftermath of, contested elections.
• Former Finance Minister of Mozambique Convicted of $2B Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme US Dept. of Justice 08 Aug 2024 -- A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, convicted the former Finance Minister of Mozambique for his role in a $2 billion fraud, bribery, and money laundering scheme that victimized investors in the United States and elsewhere.
• Telephone conversation with To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam President of Russia 08 Aug 2024
• Catalan ex-leader Carles Puigdemont returns to Spain and vanishes again Press TV 08 Aug 2024 -- The fugitive ex-Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont has returned to Spain despite facing an outstanding arrest warrant by the Spanish authorities and possibly facing arrest.
• Turkmen Teachers Ordered To Pick Cotton Instead Of Teach Classes As Harvest Approaches RFE/RL 08 Aug 2024 -- Schoolteachers in Turkmenistan's northeastern city of Lebap received a big surprise when they returned from their summer holidays this year.
• Upcoming elections in Cameroon mark a 'key opportunity' to commit to human rights: UN human rights chief UN News 08 Aug 2024 -- Despite obstacles, Cameroon maintains immense potential to foster social change and promote civic engagement in their upcoming 2025 and 2026 elections, stressed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Wednesday at the end of a two-day visit to the country.
• UN rights chief 'deeply troubled' by dissolution of Thailand's Move Forward Party UN News 08 Aug 2024 -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Thursday that a decision of the Constitutional Court in Thailand to dissolve the country's largest political party was deeply troubling and that it undermined democratic processes and restricted political pluralism.
• World News in Brief: Hostilities in Syria, Israeli detention practices, 'summer wave of COVID-19' in Europe UN News 08 Aug 2024 -- Escalating hostilities in Deir-ez-Zor in eastern Syria is impacting civilians and the infrastructure they rely on, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said on Thursday, expressing deep concern over the situation.
• Zimbabwe's leader rules out extending presidency terms VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa says he is not extending his presidency beyond the current two five-year terms allowed by the country's constitution. There are some who have expressed skepticism about his stated commitment to the constitution.
• Kenya police use tear gas to disperse protesters in capital VOA 08 Aug 2024 -- Police in Kenya used tear gas against protesters in Nairobi on Thursday, as President William Ruto introduced his new Cabinet.