8/26/16

* Syrian Kurds clash with Turkish forces Syrian Kurdish militia commanders are flouting the ultimatum US Vice President Joe Biden handed them Wednesday, Aug. 24 to retreat to east of the Euphrates or else forfeit US support.  

* Iranian Defense Minister: We don't need Russia's S-400 system Iranian Defense Minister says S-300 system is enough to defend his country and it doesn't intend to purchase the more advanced S-400.

* 'Saudi and Persian Gulf states share Israel's concerns about Iran hegemony' Gold: Arab leaders are "laying out a case against Iranian actions, and we are seeing it expressed over and over by Arab leaders."

* Euro Banks Profits in Free Fall Across All Sources Euro area banks saw their profits fall by a fifth in the first three months of this year as they made less money from trading and most other business areas, European Central Bank data showed on Wednesday.

* US warship 'harassed' by Iranian speedboats near Strait of Hormuz  The USS Nitze, a guided missile destroyer, was intercepted by four Iranian military boats near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, US defense officials said. 

* China gears up for missile warfare with US  China's military is developing offensive and now defensive missiles in preparation for a future missile-dominated conflict with the United States. 

* Social media failing to filter extremist content, UK lawmakers charge  Parliament Home Affairs Committee warns Facebook, Twitter, Google could become 'the Wild West of the internet'. 

* Turkey warns Syrian Kurds to withdraw east of Euphrates  Turkey has threatened further intervention in northern Syria unless Kurdish-led forces fully withdraw east of the River Euphrates within a week. 

* Iranian ex commander: New militia formed to destroy Israel in 23 years  The former leader of the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guards reportedly says new branch is positioned to destroy the Jewish state because it's fighting nearby in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. 

* Neighbouring star Proxima Centauri has Earth-sized planet  The nearest habitable world beyond our Solar System might be right on our doorstep - astronomically speaking. 

* Israel First to Deploy Autonomous Military Robots  Several militaries are currently working on a range of not only unmanned, but autonomous military vehicles. 

* Russia to Field Hypersonic Missiles by 2020  Russia is working to deploy a revolutionary hypersonic maneuvering strike missile by 2020, according to a Russian defense industry leader. 

* Hit the ATM: The Ankara-Tehran-Moscow coalition  So Turkish President, a.k.a. Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan is about to make a high-profile visit to Tehran - the date has not yet been set - to essentially kick start the ATM (Ankara-Tehran-Moscow) coalition in Syria. 

* Palestinians: When the Mountain of Fire Erupts  Hours after his security officers lynched a detainee, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged Palestinian businessmen living abroad to support the Palestinian economy by investing in the Palestinian territories.