🇨🇳🇹🇼⚡- Chinese naval exercises in the Guangdong waters, South Taiwan Strait.

The drills are unique in that it involves civilian and commercial vessels, which are widely expected to be used by the Chinese Navy in any landing operation in a conflict with Taiwan.

The preparation for the exercises began on July 31.

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇹🇼⚡- "A US Think Tank recently war-gamed a Chinese blockade of Taiwan. The results: even limited military action could kill thousands," - TaiwanPlus News, Taiwanese outlet.

🇨🇳🇮🇷⚡- To evade sanctions, China's shadow fleet is carrying out ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil in the middle of the Indian ocean.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- Hamas says it will disarm only when an independent Palestinian State is formed.

🇮🇷🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- The Iranian IRGC has rejected the two-state solution, claiming it will never recognize the State of Israel.

🇰🇿⚡- Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the Defense Minister Dauren Kossanov to increase the combat potential of the army, and enhance troop mobility and military infrastructure.

🇹🇷🇺🇦⚡- A Ukrainian delegation visited the Turkish defense company Baykar, they also met with Baykar's chairman Selcuk Bayraktar.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "Trump has taken the first step on the 'nuclear escalation ladder'.

Even during the Cold War, no US President publicly directed nuclear submarines towards Russian waters. Never before has any US leader dared to balance on the brink of nuclear war like this.

This is not a new Cuban Missile Crisis. However, this does not mean that the actions of the US President are without risk. He has changed the structure of Washington's nuclear forces in relation to Russia in a way that none of his predecessors dared, stepping - almost casually - onto the first rung of the nuclear escalation ladder.

If Russian President Putin decides to respond in kind, a serious crisis may follow. At the same time however, such a reaction from Russia is unlikely," - The Telegraph.

🇺🇸🇫🇷🇦🇲⚡- Armenian Center for American Studies, ACAS, says Yerevan's decision to recognize the State of Palestine last year is viewed negatively by Washington. The US has not responded well to the decision.

According to ACAS, the decision to recognize Palestine was not Armenia's, but Macron's. ACAS claims Paris pressured Armenian President Pashinyan into the decision to continue the build-up of France-Armenia relations.

Under President Pashinyan, Armenia has pivoted greatly towards France, both economically and militarily. Armenia recognized the State of Palestine on June 21st, 2024.

🇸🇾⚡- Clashes broke out between the SDF and Turkey-funded Suleiman Shah Division (part of the former SNA) in Aleppo.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense reports a failed SDF infiltration attempt in the Dayr Hafr direction, northern Syria.

🇮🇷⚡- A chemical factory in Azarshahr, northwest Iran, exploded.

🇸🇾⚡- Front-line sources in Syria report clashes in the western outskirts of Era, southwest of As Suwaida city, between Druze separatists and Bedouin tribes.

Bedouin tribes are reportedly shelling a petrol station - allegedly turned into a military outpost - located at the western entrance of Era, at 32.6151968, 36.5220808.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- Israeli drones over Nablus, the West Bank. Israeli forces are likely preparing another incursion into the city.

🇹🇷🇸🇾 - Turkish media, for the millionth time, are falsely reporting an escalation along the Dayr Hafr axis. The Turkish media have launched similar campaigns before, which had all been rejected by the SDF. Turkish media is trying to interfere yet again in the Damascus-SDF talks.

Fighting was minimal in the Dayr Hafr region, the Syrian Ministry of Defense claimed an SDF unit attempted an incursion, which is unlikely. In reality, it was the Turkish-funded Suleiman Shah Division that launched attacks on the SDF first. Small artillery exchanges continue every once in a while.

There are no exchanges in the Tell Abyad - Ayn al-Arab direction, nor any unusual Turkish military movements in this area.

🇸🇾⚡- SDF special forces reinforce the Dayr Hafr direction, SDF-controlled northern Syria.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- The Red Crescent reports the death of one of its employees after Israel directly struck the aid group's building in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip.

🇸🇩🇪🇹🇪🇷⚡- Sudanese media deny that Khartoum instructed TPLF-70 to deploy to the Sudan-Ethiopia border, but have not denied the reports of the 70th Division amassing near the disputed region of al-Fashaga, opposite the Tigray region.

🇲🇱🇨🇳⚡- Four Chinese were kidnapped after JNIM attacked a factory in Dougabougou, Mali, on August 1st.

Footage shows the aftermath of the attack.