US News

• An Ohio judge is forcing Brandon Rutherford to get a covid vaccine as a part of his bail conditions. Rutherford pled guilty to a drug charge. [Link]
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin says he will request Biden make the covid vaccine mandatory for all troops by September 15th. [Link] Biden Tweeted his support. [Link]
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken claims the coming elections in Nicaragua will be illegitimate. [Link]
• Biden announced new sanctions on over a dozen Belarusian companies and the country’s Olympic committee. [Link]
• The US is donating $50 million to Myanmar and $5 million to Thailand to help those countries battle covid. [Link]

China

• INDOPACOM head Adm. John Aquilino says the US is ready and able to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion. [Link]
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the US is increasingly concerned about China’s nuclear weapons. China has about 300-350 nukes and the US has about 6,000. [Link]
• Blinken says the US passing the infrastructure bill is important to compete with China. [Link] 

Korea

• The US and South Korea being Crisis Management Staff Training war games. The annual military drills will be more computerized due to covid and will last for several weeks. North Korea views the operations as a threat. [Link]
• North Korea is not responding to the recently reestablished North-South Korean hotline after South Korea announced it will move ahead with annual war games. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The US is using B-52s and Specter gunships from Qatar to attack Taliban targets. [Link]
• The Taliban captured a sixth provincial capital, Aibak – the capital of Samanage. [Link]
• Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby said it is up to the Afghans to stop the Taliban and there was not much the US could do. [Link]
• Biden officials say the Taliban gains do not change their withdrawal decision. [Link]

Iran

• Talks between the US and Iran to save the Iran Nuclear Deal are expected to restart in September. [Link]
• The US is considering an agreement with Iran for limited sanctions relief in exchange for some freezes on Iran’s nuclear program. [Link]
• Blinken said the US will hold Iran responsible for the attack on the Mercer Street. [Link]
• The US and UK deploy special forces to Yemen to hunt down the attackers of the Mercer Street. [Link]

Middle East

• Iraqi Shia militias say there will be an appropriate response if all US forces do not leave Iraq. [Link]
• The US will give $165 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen relief efforts. The US is helping Saudi Arabia wage a war in Yemen causing most of the humanitarian crisis. [Link]
• Saudi airstrikes targeted Yemeni reinforcements headed to the battle in central Yemen. [Link]