Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
U.S. proposes new Gaza cease-fire plan, seeking agreement by next week Blinken arrives in Israel to push cease-fire deal amid doubts of success Israel kills two Hamas militants in West Bank air strike RealityCheck’s Daniel Pomerantz: Israel's deterrence is working against Iran's threats US official warns Iran of ‘cataclysmic’ consequences if it attacks Israel House Intelligence Committee chairman says Iran could "declare itself a nuclear weapons state by the end of the year" Kremlin response to Kursk incursion shows how Putin freezes in a crisis Hezbollah footage shows apparent underground rocket launch sites South Korea, US kick off annual drills over North's military, cyber threats Indian Kashmir to hold legislative election for first time in a decade Chinese and Philippine ships collide at Sabina Shoal, a new flash point WSJ Editorial: Maduro’s best Latin friendsIn The News
Israel
Most of the world has long agreed on what it will take to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has now brought the Middle East to the brink of a regional war that would almost certainly draw in the U.S. – Wall Street Journal
Fuad Shukr had eluded the U.S. for four decades, ever since a bombing killed 241 American servicemen in a Marine barracks in the Lebanese capital, which it says he helped plan. At the end of July, an Israeli airstrike found him on the seventh floor of a residential building not far away. – Wall Street Journal
The United States and its allies said Friday they have presented a “bridging” proposal to Hamas and Israel for a cease-fire and hostage deal, potentially bringing within reach by the end of next week an agreement that officials hope can put an end to 10 months of fighting in the shattered Gaza Strip. – Washington Post
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel for a trip focused on bridging the significant gaps between Israel and Hamas on a U.S.-sponsored cease-fire proposal aimed at ending 10 months of fighting in the devastated Gaza Strip. – Washington Post
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are in the throes of a public health crisis after local officials announced the enclave’s first case of polio in more than two decades — a harrowing consequence of Israel’s months-long war that has destroyed key water and sanitation infrastructure. – Washington Post
An Israeli man died from wounds sustained in an attack in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to a spokesperson at Israel’s Beilinson Hospital. – Reuters
Israel said it killed two senior Hamas militants in an airstrike on their car in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, claiming they were involved in the killing of an Israeli. – Reuters
The Israeli army ordered people in south and central Gaza areas it had previously designated humanitarian safe zones to leave on Friday, saying Hamas had used the areas to fire mortars and rockets at Israel. – Reuters
Israel is conducting a “robust investigation” of suspects accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian prisoner and is committed to upholding international legal standards regarding the treatment of detainees, the foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday. – Reuters
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan stormed off an interview with CNN anchor Jim Sciutto on Saturday night when the exchange got heated on the topics of October 7 and the terror group’s responsibility for the deaths of innocent Palestinians in Gaza. – Jerusalem Post
The Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf had urgently contacted Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, demanding an emergency government meeting on the issue of mass infiltration from Jordan. – Jerusalem Post
The Hamas terror group published an official statement on Sunday evening in which it rejected the terms for a hostage release-ceasefire deal that were discussed in Doha on Thursday and Friday, and blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for putting up new obstacles in the talks. – Times of Israel
Israel expects Britain, France and other US allies to join it in taking military action against Iran should the Islamic Republic launch a promised assault on Israel to avenge the killing of Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Friday. – Times of Israel
Editorial: The greatest farce here isn’t that Hamas isn’t in the talks, but that Iran isn’t: Tehran, after all, calls the shots not just for Hamas, but also Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and various smaller militias across the region that have been attacking Israel, Red Sea shipping and US bases over there. Until the Biden-Harris team admits that grim truth, all their efforts to avoid “escalation” and restore peace are little more than a joke. – New York Post
Daniel Pipes writes: No less obviously, this strain of Zionism has deep roots and will be enormously difficult to dislodge. But eventually, if the Palestinians are ever to accept the Jewish state, Israelis need to abandon their odd, old, naïve mentality of enrichment and adopt the normal one of economic warfare. They must give up on managing their conflict and instead choose winning it. – Jerusalem Post
Daniel Pomerantz writes: It is not clear whether Iran’s Ayatollah will listen to the counsel of his President, indeed by the time you read these words I may be running to a bomb shelter. It’s even possible that the world would be better off if Iran barrels foolishly ahead toward war, as Israel might then proceed to destroy the oppressive regime, its nuclear program, and its role as the major state sponsor of terrorism throughout the Middle East. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Iran is expected to delay planned reprisals against Israel for the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Tehran to allow mediators time to make a high-stakes push for a cease-fire to end the war in Gaza, U.S., Iranian and Israeli officials said on Friday. – New York Times
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was violently beaten by prison guards last week after leading a protest against the death penalty, and her requests for hospital care and a meeting with her lawyer were denied, her lawyer said on Thursday. – New York Times
OpenAI said on Friday it had taken down accounts of an Iranian group for using its ChatGPT chatbot to generate content meant for influencing the U.S. presidential election and other issues. – Reuters
A US official warned Friday that Iran would face “cataclysmic” consequences and derail momentum toward a Gaza truce if it strikes Israel in response to the killing of a top Hamas official. – Agence France-Presse
The West is failing to take the Iran threat seriously out of “sheer arrogance”, a woman who infiltrated the Tehran regime has warned. – Telegraph
Rep. Mike Turner, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that Iran could declare itself a nuclear weapons state “by the end of the year,” blaming Biden administration policies for what would mark a major escalation that the U.S. has sought for years to avoid. – CBS News
Russia & Ukraine
Six days after Ukrainian forces swept through the Russian border town of Sudzha in a lightning advance, a Ukrainian platoon carrying out a mopping-up operation stumbled upon a dozen Russian soldiers hiding in a butter factory. – Wall Street Journal
Faced with crisis, Vladimir Putin tends to freeze. Moscow’s slow, fumbling military response to Ukraine’s surprise occupation of parts of the western Kursk region is the latest example of the Kremlin chief failing to respond with quick, decisive action to match his bellicose rhetoric. – Washington Post
But the indirect talks, with the Qataris serving as mediators and meeting separately with the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, were derailed by Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region last week, according to the officials. The possible agreement and planned summit have not been previously reported. – Washington Post
Ukraine has destroyed a critical bridge and appears to have targeted at least one more in Russia’s western Kursk region as it tries to sever Russian supply lines and consolidate its territorial gains, a dozen days into its startling cross-border offensive. – New York Times
A Russian court rejected an appeal of a U.S. soldier who was sentenced in June to nearly four years in a penal colony after being found guilty of stealing $113 from his girlfriend and making threats to kill her, the court said on Monday. – Reuters
Ukraine’s air defence units repelled Russia’s overnight air attack, including on Kyiv, destroying all 11 drones that Moscow launched, targeting Ukraine’s territory, Ukraine’s air force said on Monday. – Reuters
Russia has complained to Germany over its investigation into the 2022 explosions of the Nord Stream pipelines, RIA news agency reported on Monday, after a key suspect escaped arrest in Poland. – Reuters
Russia on Sunday carried out its third ballistic missile attack on Kyiv this month but preliminary data indicated most of the projectiles were shot down on approach, the military administration of the Ukrainian capital said. – Reuters
Safety at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is deteriorating following a drone strike that hit the road around the perimeter on Saturday, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi. – Reuters
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it had summoned Italy’s ambassador in Moscow over what it said was “illegal border crossing” by a team of correspondents from Italian state broadcaster RAI, who reported from Ukrainian-held parts of Russia’s Kursk region this week. – Reuters
Ukraine has set up storage facilities in its northern region of Sumy to hold and send humanitarian aid to Russian civilians in the Kyiv-held part of Russia’s western region of Kursk, the interior minister said on Friday. – Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to discuss with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev the strategic partnership and alliance between their two countries. – Bloomberg
Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. writes: Ukraine’s people have too much at risk not to be realistic about what fighting can achieve. If battling Russia to a standstill simply guarantees their national independence and freedom to evolve into a healthy, pluralistic society, this would be an excellent strategic result for Ukraine and its backers. Let Mr. Putin’s regime continue to rot toward its inevitable expiry date. – Wall Street Journal
John R. Deni writes: Even so, however it ends, the Kursk offensive will offer critical insights into Ukrainian long-term campaign planning as well as Kyiv’s ability to utilize all the assistance the West continues to provide. Creative, robust planning and training are comparative advantages that the West and Ukrainian allies hold over Russia, and Ukrainian success is likely to hinge on their continued exploitation. – Foreign Policy
Hezbollah
A day after the assassination of a senior commander of the Lebanese militant faction Hezbollah, the group vowed to retaliate against Israel. More than two weeks later, however, the response has not come as Hezbollah strikes a delicate balance between the vengeance it seeks and the risks of a backlash at home. – New York Times
The powerful Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah published footage on Friday that appeared to show its fighters driving trucks with rocket launchers through a maze of tunnels to an apparent underground launch site. – Reuters
Hezbollah on Monday claimed attacks on troops and military positions in northern Israel, including a drone strike on a base and an assault on soldiers allegedly “infiltrating” near the Lebanese border. – Agence France-Presse
Turkey
Firefighters in Turkey have brought under control two large forest fires that had been burning for three days, with several other wildfires across the country expected to be put out soon, the Forestry Minister said on Sunday. – Reuters
A fistfight broke out in Turkey’s parliament on Friday when an opposition deputy was attacked after calling for his colleague, jailed on charges of organising anti-government protests but since elected an MP, to be admitted to the assembly. – Reuters
Turkey, seeking to extend its influence in Africa and strengthen energy security, will send the 86-meter long research vessel Oruc Reis to explore offshore oil blocks belonging to Somalia next month. – Bloomberg
Omar al-Radad writes: While there are some intersections between the two sides in the supposed negotiation details, the implementation of any agreements that might be reached would require extensive resources and time commitments. Outside interference–particularly from Iran–in these bilateral initiatives threatens to disrupt or significantly alter the process, and the tumultuous state of the region could also put these talks on pause. – Washington Institute
Lebanon
Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon killed at least 25 civilians Saturday, according to Lebanese and Palestinian health authorities, as the United States and allies were racing to conclude delicate cease-fire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. – Washington Post
Three peacekeepers on patrol were “lightly injured” when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked U.N. vehicle in the village of Yarine in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said on Sunday. – Reuters
Algeria will immediately begin supplying Lebanon with fuel for its power plants, Algerian state radio said in a statement on Sunday, after Lebanon’s electricity company said the day before its supplies were exhausted. – Reuters
Middle East & North Africa
Acute malnutrition is rapidly increasing in areas of Yemen controlled by the government, with the most critical cases along areas of the Red Sea coast, U.N. food security experts said in a report issued on Sunday. – Reuters
Iraq has summoned Britain’s chargé d’affaires over remarks made by the British Ambassador to Iraq Stephen Hitchen about the country’s security and political issues, the country’s state news agency reported on Sunday. – Reuters
A suicide bomber killed 16 Yemeni soldiers and wounded 18 other troops in a military post in the southern province of Abyan on Friday morning, authorities said. – Reuters
Andrew J. Tabler writes: Whatever approach Washington takes toward the latest clashes, it should realize that withdrawing from Syria now—with IS resurgent, the threat of broader regional war increasing, and Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” emboldened—would be a mistake. To sustain America’s presence and the viability of its local partner forces, U.S. officials need to moderate the SDF’s problematic approach to governance. – Washington Institute
Korean Peninsula
Ever since the Korean War was halted in an uneasy truce in 1953, South Koreans have lived under an American promise to defend their country, if necessary, with nuclear weapons. President Biden emphatically reiterated that commitment last year, vowing that any nuclear attack by North Korea would lead to the destruction of its government. – New York Times
The leaders of South Korea, Japan and the United States issued a joint statement on Sunday marking the anniversary of their summit at Camp David and reaffirmed a pledge to jointly tackle regional challenges, South Korea’s presidential office said. – Reuters
North Korea condemned Ukraine’s incursion into Russia as an unforgivable act of terror backed by Washington and the West, adding it would always stand with Russia as it seeks to protect its sovereignty, state media said on Sunday. – Reuters
South Korea and the United States kicked off annual summertime military exercises on Monday, seeking to boost their joint readiness to fend off North Korea’s weapons and cyber threats. – Reuters
China
China surprised many here in June when it renewed a multibillion-dollar portion of a currency swap, alleviating concerns that Argentina would need to pay back the funds from its depleted reserves. – Wall Street Journal
China’s President Xi Jinping praised Vietnam on Monday during talks with Vietnam’s new leader To Lam in Beijing on his first state visit since he took office, Chinese official media Xinhua said. – Reuters
China’s Premier Li Qiang told a cabinet plenary session on Friday that great efforts must be made to boost the economy and the country will focus on stimulating consumption, state media reported. – Reuters
Chinese biodiesel producers are seeking new outlets in Asia for their exports and exploring producing other biofuels as supply to the European Union, their biggest buyer, dries up ahead of anti-dumping tariffs, biofuel executives and analysts said. – Reuters
One of China’s leading chip equipment makers, Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment, said on Friday it had filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. defence department, challenging its designation as a “Chinese Military Company”. – Reuters
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party on Friday added the country’s most senior police officer to its elite Politburo, the government said, another sign of the growing political clout of its powerful internal security agency. – Reuters
Jeffrey Ding writes: When some of the leading thinkers of the era declare that the AI revolution will be more significant than earlier industrial revolutions, it is easy to get caught up in their excitement. Many people in every generation wind up believing that their lives coincide with a uniquely important period in history. But the present moment might not be so unprecedented. Previous industrial revolutions suggest that real success in the age of AI will come to those countries that best position their populations and industries to embrace new technologies—not simply invent them. – Foreign Affairs
South Asia
In May, 23-year-old English major Abu Sayed was looking forward to graduating. He posted nostalgic Facebook photos of himself and his classmates at their last class, in a message dotted with colorful heart emojis. – Wall Street Journal
For the first time in a decade, Muslim-majority Kashmir in India will hold an election for its regional legislature starting next month, the country’s election commission said on Friday. – New York Times
Bangladesh’s caretaker government told Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi on Friday that reports of attacks on Hindus and other minorities in the Muslim-majority country are “exaggerated” and assured him it is committed to protecting everyone. – Reuters
U.S. officials met virtually with members of Myanmar’s opposition movement on Friday and pledged to expand direct support to help a transition to civilian government and agreeing on the need to maintain pressure on the military junta, the State Department said. – Reuters
Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov arrived in Afghanistan on Saturday in the highest-level visit by a foreign official since the Taliban returned to power three years ago. – Associated Press
India’s Supreme Court will begin hearings this week into the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata, which has sparked protests and a nationwide strike by doctors. – Bloomberg
More than 600 people were killed during weeks-long violence in Bangladesh, the UN Human Rights Office said in a preliminary report. – Bloomberg
Brahma Chellaney writes: Over the years, the U.S. has maintained cozy ties with military or military-backed regimes in Bangladesh. And it views the latest regime change as a positive development. But the White House and the State Department have denied Hasina’s allegation of U.S. involvement in her overthrow. Still, with purges and crackdowns in full swing even as the nation remains in disarray, Bangladesh faces the daunting task of restoring the rule of law and reviving an economy battered by large-scale mob violence and destruction. – The Hill
Asia
China and Philippine coast guard vessels collided early Monday morning at Sabina Shoal, opening a new flash point between the two countries in the disputed South China Sea, according to officials from both countries and security analysts tracking ship movements. – Washington Post
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is finalising its plans to hold the party’s leadership election on Sept. 27, Fuji TV reported on Monday. – Reuters
Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is finalising plans to visit the U.S. in late September for the U.N. General Assembly and a possible meeting with President Joe Biden, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Saturday. – Reuters
The Philippines sought to assure China on Friday that the presence of a U.S. intermediate-range missile system on its territory posed no threat to China and would not destabilise the region. – Reuters
Paetongtarn Shinawatra was endorsed as prime minister by Thailand’s king on Sunday, two days after parliament elected her, paving the way for her to form a cabinet in the coming weeks. – Reuters
Thailand’s billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra received a royal pardon shortening his parole by two weeks, his lawyer said on Saturday, a day after his daughter was elected premier by parliament. – Reuters
Malaysia’s ruling bloc won a seat in an opposition-controlled state on Saturday, in a swing of support toward Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the country’s recovery gains speed. – Bloomberg
Azerbaijan’s army held air-defense drills just days after its southern neighbor Iran conducted naval tests near their shared border. – Bloomberg
Editorial: Thai officials largely brushed off the criticism over Move Forward’s dissolution, saying the country wouldn’t be swayed by “foreign interference.” They know that in the geopolitical rivalry between America and China, Thailand is too important an ally to seriously sanction. As long as the United States pays only lip service to promoting democracy as a guiding principle, they are probably right. – Washington Post
Europe
The new U.K. government managed to stop recent anti-immigration riots by swiftly arresting and prosecuting hundreds of people who took part in a 7-day spree of violence that included mobs damaging mosques and trying to set fire to hotels housing migrants. – Wall Street Journal
Two Italian journalists who angered Moscow with a TV report from Ukrainian-held parts of Russia’s Kursk region will return to Italy, state broadcaster RAI said on Saturday. – Reuters
Ukraine is reaping “huge political gains” from its military offensive into western Russia but the incursion is not altering the “anti-escalation approach” of the West, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said. – Reuters
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday that Ukraine had stationed more than 120,000 troops at its border with Belarus and Minsk had deployed nearly a third of its armed forces along the entire border, the Belta state news agency reported. – Reuters
President Emmanuel Macron has invited party leaders from France’s two parliamentary chambers for talks on Aug. 23 with a view to appointing a new premier, his office said on Friday. – Reuters
Two German warships await orders from Berlin, their commander said, to determine whether next month they will be the first German naval vessels in decades to pass through the disputed Taiwan Strait, at the risk of stoking tensions with Beijing. – Reuters
Germany will no longer grant new requests for aid to Ukraine as the government seeks to rein in spending, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. – Bloomberg
A man has been shot dead by Serbian police, the interior minister said Sunday, after being connected with the attacker behind a crossbow shooting at the Israeli embassy in Belgrade in June. – Agence France-Presse
Norway will be closing its Representative Office in the Palestinian West Bank town of Al-Ram “until further notice,” Oslo’s foreign minister said on Friday, following a decision by Israel to revoke the accreditation of Norwegian diplomats working there. – Times of Israel
Michael Starr writes: However, only by proscribing the organization as a terrorist group will Palestine Action be fully deterred. This will allow the law to discourage it by inditing the organization with severe charges or by putting its members behind bars, where they will no longer be a threat to society. – Jerusalem Post
Africa
Sudan’s government said it will send a delegation to Cairo for discussions with U.S. and Egyptian officials on Monday, keeping open the question of participation in peace talks aimed at ending a 16-month war. – Reuters
Four years after the military ousted Mali’s then-president and came to power, many residents say economic troubles are worsening and constant power cuts are hurting businesses. – Reuters
Malawi’s main opposition party, the Democratic Progress Party endorsed on Sunday former President Peter Mutharika to be its candidate in next year’s presidential election. – Reuters
At least six Burkina Faso magistrates have been conscripted to serve in the military this month for taking action against pro-junta activists and other individuals, three unions of magistrates said in a joint statement. – Reuters
Fighters from Sudan’s paramilitary group rampaged through a central village, looting and burning and killing at least 85 people, including women and children, authorities and residents said Saturday, the latest atrocity in the country’s 18-month devastating conflict. – Associated Press
At least 20 Nigerian university students were abducted by gunmen who ambushed their vehicles in the country’s north central region, police said Friday. – Associated Press
The United States on Friday called on Sudan’s military to join talks aimed at calming the country’s grinding conflict as the African country faces a worsening humanitarian crisis. – Associated Press
African leaders will meet in Zimbabwe on Saturday for a scheduled summit of the 16-nation Southern African Development Community that may discuss the rising issue of mpox outbreaks across the continent but is less likely to tackle international concerns about the human rights record of its host. – Associated Press
Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea signed an agreement to establish and operate a pipeline planned to advance gas exploration on the continent. – Bloomberg
The Americas
Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets Saturday in protests across their country and in cities around the world, demanding that authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro recognize the results of last month’s election they say he lost. – Washington Post
Elon Musk said he closed the Brazilian office of his social network X on Saturday because a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordered the company to suspend certain accounts or face the arrest of its legal representative in Brazil. – New York Times
Argentina’s Federal Police dismantled what it said was a terrorist cell planning attacks on the Jewish community in the city of Mendoza, the National Security Ministry said in a statement on Friday, describing the group as an “Islamist terrorist organization.” – Reuters
Brazil’s federal police formally accused the country’s former justice minister, who served under ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, of acting to block voters in an opposition stronghold from reaching polling stations in the 2022 presidential election, two sources told Reuters on Friday. – Reuters
Dominican Republic leader Luis Abinader assumed his second four-year term as president on Friday, vowing economic growth and a set of social reforms while criticizing the aftermath of the recent elections in Venezuela. – Reuters
Ukraine can use Canadian tanks and missiles in its ongoing special military operation on Russia soil, Ottawa said. – Politico
Editorial: The autocratic amigos put protecting Mr. Maduro above the will of the Venezuelan people. They also shared the confidence of the Biden Administration, which has called them crucial to the path forward in Venezuela. Crucial if you want to keep Mr. Maduro and his minders in Cuban intelligence in power. – Wall Street Journal
Mary Anastasia O’Grady writes: This would violate Mexico’s obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and scare away capital. If the reforms go forward, a nation that relies on greater integration with the global economy will go backward. And with it, Mexican hopes of living in peace, freedom and prosperity. – Wall Street Journal
United States
If not for the trade war between the world’s two largest economies, Easy Signs would now be hiring dozens of workers at its factory in Allentown, Pa. It would be readying plans to build a second plant somewhere out West — Salt Lake City was a contender — generating another 100 jobs. – New York Times
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend the Democratic National Convention that begins on Monday in Chicago, Ardern’s spokesperson said on Monday, confirming earlier media reports. – Reuters
Sen. Mark Kelly said Sunday that Ukraine’s decision to counter the ongoing Russian invasion by attacking Russia itself could change how that war plays out. – Politico
Editorial: We’ll see this week if that bet paid off for Ms. Harris and the Democrats. But it would help if she denounced the anti-Israel voices in her party that are increasingly antisemitic. This dangerous time for Jews will become more so unless leaders stand up against the haters. – Wall Street Journal
Jake Auchincloss writes: A deal with Brussels would help MAGA-proof Ukraine’s defenses. Funding Ukraine with Russian money is popular even among Republican lawmakers. By investing long-term capital, Ukraine could turbocharge its defense industrial base. This is Mr. Putin’s nightmare: Ukraine, stronger by the day, hitting hard at Russia’s war economy and fighting toward clear war aims. It’s the stuff victory is made of, and Mr. Biden can deliver it before he leaves office. – Wall Street Journal
Cybersecurity
South Korean artificial-intelligence chip makers Rebellions Inc and Sapeon Korea Inc have signed a definitive merger agreement, the privately held companies said on Sunday. – Reuters
Researchers have discovered that a damaging ransomware attack on a digital payment system used by many of India’s banks began with a vulnerability in Jenkins — a widely used open-source automation system for software developers. – The Record
One of the largest companies that conducts background checks confirmed that it is the source of a data breach causing national outrage due to the millions of Social Security numbers leaked. – The Record
Defense
Joint production of hypersonic missiles by Australia and the United States could reduce strain on the U.S. defence industrial base and boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul said in Sydney on Friday. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department approved a foreign military sale to Canada of tactical missiles and related support for $264.6 million, the Pentagon said on Friday. – Reuters
Following the Space Force’s release this spring of its high-level strategy for better harnessing commercial technology, a panel of defense experts is offering a more detailed roadmap for how the Defense Department can better embed off-the-shelf systems and widgets throughout its processes and acquisition plans. – Defense News
Marines and soldiers are trading notes on how to defend their airspace in an increasingly complex and threatening battlespace. – Defense News
Maciej Bukowski writes: New materials to reinforce cables should be developed. NATO’s new focus on protected critical infrastructure is necessary and timely. Its effectiveness, though, will depend on whether plans will be translated into action. In the coming years, threats from Russia and its allies will only increase, and NATO must act decisively. – Center for European Policy Analysis