The U.S. will send hundreds of additional troops and a dozen fighter jets to the Middle East in the coming weeks to counter what the Pentagon said is an escalating campaign by Iran to plan attacks against the U.S. and its interests in the region. And for the first time, Pentagon officials on Friday publicly blamed Iran and its proxies for recent tanker bombings near United Arab Emirates and a rocket attack in Iraq. Source: Associated Press
The UK Foreign Office has expressed concern over reports that a Hong Kong consulate employee has been detained at the Chinese border. Media reports say Simon Cheng, who is thought to be from Hong Kong, is believed to have gone missing on 8 August while on a business trip. Source BBC
An Italian prosecutor ordered to seize the Open Arms ship that has been stranded at sea by the Italian island of Lampedusa for the past 19 days with almost 100 migrants aboard, the prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. Source Reuters
A meeting between Bosnia’s Muslim, Serb and Croat leaders ended without an agreement because the Bosnian Serb member of the presidency was against a package that would also include adopting a plan that would move Bosniacloser to NATO membership. Source TRT
