South Sudan: UNMISS says peacekeepers ambushed by armed group in Western Equatoria, no casualties reported.

South Africa: Nelson Mandela’s grandson joins Global Freedom Flotilla to Gaza with 10 South Africans to challenge Israeli blockade.

Iraq: Intelligence says a recent West Africa operation captured and killed senior IS “West Africa Province” members.

Israeli FM Gideon Sa’ar:

Emmanuel Macron will not be able to come to Israel as long as France persists in its anti-Israeli actions.

IDF:

Our forces are operating inside Gaza City. We control 40% of the city’s territory.

Netanyahu on Iran:

If they "do things", we will act.

IDF shares footage of the attack that allegedly killed Hamas’s Al-Qassam spokesman, Abu Obaida.

Israel shares image claiming it shows Abu Obaida, Mohammed Deif, Rafah Salama, and Mohammed Ode.

Zelensky:

Ukraine has asked the US to consider a special format for protecting Ukrainian airspace.

BIG: The US plans to phase out security assistance for eastern European countries bordering Russia, aiming to push NATO allies to fund more of their own defense.

The cuts affect Section 333 programs, which train and equip frontline militaries, with funding ending by September 2026 unless renewed by Congress.

Source: FT

Saudi Arabia has deployed at least eight Chinese ‘Silent Hunter’ laser air defense systems to counter low-altitude drones, but harsh desert conditions—dust and sand disrupting optics—limited their effectiveness.

Source: Defence Blog

Somalia: First 11 female officers graduate from Türkiye’s TURKSOM military academy in Mogadishu.

Marco Rubio:

Maduro is a fugitive of US justice. He is not the legitimate leader of Venezuela. He is an indicted fugitive causing trouble in the region.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will visit London on Sept. 11, ahead of Britain’s expected UN recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Marco Rubio:

The Palestinian Authority has its own set of problems. They pay people to kill Israelis.

Interesting: Ukraine is now operating at least one former Azerbaijani MiG-29 fighter jet, believed to have been repaired in Lviv and re-armed before entering service under Ukrainian markings.

Source: TWZ

Marco Rubio:

The recognition of Palestine stuff is all fake. It is not even real.

During today's call, Trump accused the Europeans of buying Russian oil and thus aiding the Russian war machine.

EU leaders pushed back, noting most Russian oil imports had stopped except in Hungary and Slovakia.

Trump’s envoy Witkoff alleged Europe was indirectly buying Russian oil via India.

European officials do not expect Trump to impose sanctions against Russia.

Source: BILD