US News

• Senator Robert Menendez, his wife, and three businessmen have all been indicted by a federal grand jury in a corruption scheme. The New Jersey Democrat and his spouse, Nadine Menendez, allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for enriching and protecting the three men and supporting the Egyptian government. AWC
• A delegation of Australian members of parliament met with US officials in Washington on Wednesday and called for the release of WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange, who faces up to 175 years in prison if extradited to the US and convicted for exposing US war crimes. AWC

Haiti

• The US is preparing a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution to authorize Kenya to send its soldiers to Haiti. Washington believes Nairobi can aid Port-au-Prince in restoring order to gang-controlled territory. The Joe Biden administration said the American taxpayers will foot the bill for the deployment, and US soldiers will train the Kenyan force. The Institute 
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained how the US plans to support a proposed UN deployment to Haiti aimed at restoring order in the country. The Whtie House intends to spend $100 million to support the Kenyan soldiers sent to the Caribbean nation. Washington believes the troops could be deployed to Haiti within a few months. The Institute 

Russia

• President Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday and announced a new tranche of US military aid for Ukraine that includes more cluster bombs, which are notorious for killing and maiming civilians. AWC
• The Pentagon will exempt its operations supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia from a government shutdown that will happen if Congress fails to pass a funding bill by September 30. AWC
• A group of 28 Republicans in the House and Senate released a letter to the White House on Thursday saying they’re opposed to authorizing more spending on the Ukraine war as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington. AWC
• The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces downed 19 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and Crimea, as Kyiv has stepped up attacks on the peninsula amid its faltering counteroffensive. AWC
• The White House is close to deciding it will provide Ukraine with a cluster-armed version of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of nearly 200 miles and can be fired from HIMARS launchers, according to the Washington Post. The HIMARS in Kyiv’s possession are currently firing munitions with a range of 50 miles. The US arming Ukrainian forces with ATACMS would mark a significant escalation in the proxy war with Russia and cross Moscow’s “red line.” AWC
• Kyiv launched cruise missile attacks on the Crimean Peninsula with weapons provided by NATO on Friday. This was followed by another missile strike on Sevastopol, where Russia’s Black Sea fleet is based, on Saturday morning. AWC
• House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) announced on Saturday that the House would vote on a Pentagon funding bill that includes aid for Ukraine. Initially, the Congressman said the $300 million in aid for Kyiv would be voted on separately from the annual Department of Defense spending bill. AWC
• A new group formed to rally GOP support for Ukraine released an ad this weekend that said US spending on the war in Ukraine is good for the US because it “weakens” Russia. AWC
• Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Friday said Ukrainian President Volodoymr Zelensky must “never insult” Polish people again as Warsaw and Kyiv are at odds over Ukrainian grain imports. AWC
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that during his recent trip to the US, he met with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and other US business and finance leaders to discuss investment in Ukraine’s reconstruction. AWC

China

• The four-star general in charge of the US Air Force’s Air Mobility Command has defended a memo he sent to his officers earlier this year where he predicted the US would be at war with China in 2025. AWC
• Two US Navy drone ships have arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, marking the first US deployment of unmanned vessels aimed at China in the western Pacific. AWC
• The US and Vietnam are in talks on a major arms deal in what would be the largest-ever weapons transfer between the two nations, Reuters reported on Friday. AWC

Israel

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) have expressed confidence that a Washington-brokered normalization agreement between Tel Aviv and Riyadh is becoming more likely as negotiations continue apace. This comes as Netanyahu’s apartheid army is murdering scores of Palestinians in the occupied territories and the blockaded Gaza Strip. The Institute 

Niger

• French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that French will remove its troops and ambassador from Niger, as the military junta that took over the country in July wants French forces out. AWC