Nuclear Weapons
- A US intelligence official said Russia possibly has the capabilities to violate the ban on testing nuclear weapons and is probably not adhering to the ‘zero-yield’ standard. An international nuclear watchdog group does not back the statement. [Link]
- A White House aide says Trump will not make a decision on extending the New START Treaty until next year. [Link]
South America
- Shippers are raising the cost of shipping cargo from the US to Venezuela. [Link]
- The Colombia supreme court orders a former FARC leader be released from prison. [Link]
- 40 inmates were killed in prisons across Brazil in fighting between rival gangs. [Link]
Israel
- Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu failed to form a majority coalition. The Israeli parliament was dissolved and new elections will be held on September 17th. [Link]
- Netanyahu’s wife reaches a plea deal in her corruption case. She agreed to pay a fine. [Link]
Iran
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry says it seems no prospect of a deal with the US. [Link]
- John Bolton claims an Iranian mine almost certainly caused the damage to four ships in the UAE port. [Link]
Turkey
- The US threatens to stop training Turkish pilots in the F-35 because of Turkey’s decision to buy the S-400 air defense system from Russia. [Link]
- Turkey releases a Turkish American former NASA employee who was arrested after the 2016 coup. [Link]
- Turkey deploys troops against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. [Link]
Iraq/Syria
- The Western media continues to believe reports – from al-Qaeda linked groups – that Assad is using chemical weapons. Western media has falsely reported several times that Assad has gassed his own people. [Link]
- The Pentagon is underreporting casualties from the war against ISIS and masking the real destruction of the American bombing campaign. [Link]
- France is calling for Iraq to spare the lives of six French citizens who have been sentenced to death for fighting with ISIS. Iraq plans to try an additional 16 French citizens for fighting with ISIS. France has refused to take back captured ISIS members and their wives. [Link]