US air strike on Syria

1 Syria

The Syrian state-run news agency ‘SANA’ reported that the US Air Force launched an airstrike against a Syrian army checkpoint in the Tell Zahab area, to the south-east from the city of Qamishli, in the province of Hasakah. According to the SANA — the airstrike was launched after the Syrian military did not allow an American patrol to pass through a checkpoint. It was reported that as a result of the airstrike, 1 Syrian soldier died and 2 were injured. The newspaper ‘Al-Watan’ noted that one of the wounded is an officer. A bit later, the Syrian Defense Ministry added that the airstrike was made by 2 American helicopters. The Pentagon has denied the information about an air strike at a checkpoint in Syria.

2 The USA — Syria

‘The Wall Street Journal’ reported that the USA intend to impose sanctions against a number of companies that interact with the Syrian authorities. The sanctions may affect companies in the European countries and individuals in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. ‘The Wall Street Journal’ reported while citing their sources that the USA are investigating «the international companies, associated with the regime». Washington expects to cut off the financial ties between the Syrian authorities and other states. ‘The Wall Street Journal’ did not specify which companies are in question. Earlier, ‘The New York Times’ reported that Washington intends to tighten the sanctions against Syria in order to achieve a change of power in the country, despite the fact that many experts doubt the effectiveness of such approach.

3 Belarus

A rally in support of the current president of the country, Alexander Lukashenko, took place in Belarus on Sunday. It was reported that several thousand people took part in the rally. The opposition protests took place on Sunday as well. The TASS news agency reported that the opposition protests took place near the city pre-trial detention centers as well, where the previously detained participants of the mass rallies are being held. Maria Kolesnikova, an associate of the ex-Belarusian presidential candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, said that 4,000 people remain detained as a result of the protests. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus did not confirm that information. The interior Ministry spokeswoman, Olga Chemodanova, called that allegations to be fake. She underlined that the lists of the detainees were posted at the entrances to the pre-trial detention centers. On Monday, the ex-presidential candidate in Belarus, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, posted a video on YouTube where she stated that she is ready to become a national leader. «I am ready to take the responsibility and act as a national leader in order to calm down the country, and let it return to a normal life» — she explained.

4 Belarus

In accordance with the decree of the head of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, dated from 15th of August, the government of the republic resigned to the re-elected president. The document was officially published on the national legal website. The document underlined that the Prime Minister, his deputies, the ministers and the chairmen of state committees «have been instructed to exercise their powers until the president forms a new Council of Ministers via the presidential issuance of legal acts on the appointment to those positions». Earlier during a meeting in Minsk on 15th of August the President Alexander Lukashenko noted that the government has been mostly formed by now. He added that he had a conversation with the Prime Minister, Roman Golovchenko, and added that the government will continue to do their job until a new one is formed.

5 Iran

The Indonesian Permanent Representative to the UN, Dian Trianshah Jani, who chairs the Security Council in August, stated that the UN Security Council had not passed the US resolution to extend the arms embargo against Iran. It was reported that the US and the Dominican Republic voted ‘for’ the resolution. Russia and China voted ‘against’. 11 countries abstained. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abbas Mousavi, stated that «the USA must learn from their failures. Otherwise they will be isolated even more» — end of quote. The Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, called the result of the UN Security Council vote on the US resolution «a great success». The US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated that Washington will continue to try to stop the arms sales to Iran.