WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Aug. 13, 2026, by American Security Co-Chair Keith Kellogg and American Security Policy Co-Chair Robert Wilkie to Washington Examiner: * * * Beating Iran Means Dismantling Hezbollah As military pressure on the Iranian regime waxes and wanes, we have yet to arrive at an achievable end state for the conflict -- one that focuses not on the world as it is today but on the world as it will be in the 2030s and beyond. The decision must focus more PR

LONDON, England, Aug. 13 -- British Prime Minister Andy Burnham issued the following news release: * * * PM call with President Stubb of Finland: 13 August 2026 * The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, today. The Prime Minister began the call by welcoming the friendship between the UK and Finland, noting the recent commissioning of the first Finnish cadet from Sandhurst as an example of the two countries' close ties. Turning to Ukraine, the two leaders agreed the vital importance of continuing to stand wi more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis issued the following commentary on Aug. 13, 2026, by non-resident senior fellows Irina Borogan and Andrei Soldatov: * * * From Guns to Gulags: The FSB's Empire Builders The days when the KGB's successors were content with plain clothes and concealed weapons are gone -- they are much more ambitious these days. - An SUV or a truck with a heavy machine gun mounted in the trunk bed along with a three-man crew is an increasingly common sight on Russian roads. Grouped into mobile fir more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis issued the following commentary on Aug. 13, 2026, by senior energy journalist Aura Sabadus and external affairs intern Petroslava Bratanova: * * * Romania's Gas Surplus? Bury it in Ukraine Pairing Romania's Black Sea gas with Ukraine's vast storage network can boost the continent's energy security. - Europe's dependence on Kremlin energy has fallen dramatically. From next year, all remaining Russian gas imports will be banned under EU legislation now being phased in. Not only  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis issued the following commentary on Aug. 13, 2026, by Chris Stephen, former war correspondent with The Guardian: * * * Tracking My Son to His Grave: Nina's Story There is more evidence of war crimes now than ever before, courtesy of devices in the hands of combatants. What it reveals is heartbreaking. - There are two remarkable things about the Ukrainian war documentary Peace for Nina, now touring the film festival circuit. The first is the story it tells. Ukrainian soldier Ih more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Center for European Policy Analysis issued the following commentary on Aug. 12, 2026, by legal expert Anna Stakhanova: * * * Ukrainian Justice Struggles to Keep Pace with Russia's Crimes Ukraine has investigated almost a quarter million atrocities by Russian forces, but its judicial system struggles to meet prosecution demand. - Ukraine's war crimes investigation and prosecution system has matured substantially since 2022, with specialized war crimes departments now embedded across the Office of the Prosecutor Ge more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following Critical Questions Q&A on Aug. 13, 2026, by Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department: * * * After Iran: Scenario for Renewed Trump-Kim Summitry U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly told South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the June 2026 G7 meetings in France that he would restart diplomacy with North Korea. As if to accentuate the point, he later posted a picture on social media of his stroll with more PR

SWANSEA, Wales, Aug. 13 -- Swansea University issued the following news: * * * Experts lead European study into childhood survival inequalities * Swansea University researchers have led major European study investigating how socio-economic circumstances influence survival among children born with major congenital anomalies. The team used the SAIL Databank, based at the University, for the research and their findings have just been published in PLOS One. The research, part of the EUROlinkCAT collaboration, analysed data from more than 47,0 more PR

LEIPZIG, Germany, Aug. 14 (TNSjou) -- The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research issued the following news release: * * * In raw materials policy, security of supply takes precedence over sufficiency UFZ study shows that certain narratives shape the raw materials policy of the EU - In 2024, the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) came into force. The regulation is intended to secure Europe's supply of critical raw materials, especially minerals and metals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. The EU is therefore focusing on  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, issued the following commentary on Aug. 12, 2026, by nonresident senior fellow Can Kasapoglu: * * * Ukraine Military Situation Report | August 12 Executive Summary * Battlefield assessment. Moscow sustained pressure on Ukraine through missile and drone warfare, while Kyiv expanded strikes on Russian logistics hubs. * North Korean assistance. North Korea is preparing to deploy large troop contingents to more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 13 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary by Hugh Williamson, director in the Europe and Central Asia Division: * * * Russia's Supreme Court Bars Pro-Peace Party from Elections Blatant Violation of Rights to Political Participation and Freedom of Expression - The Supreme Court of Russia canceled on August 10 the registration of a key opposition party, Yabloko (Apple), for the upcoming elections to the State Duma, Russia's lower parliament chamber. Yabloko's election slogans include " more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 13 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news: * * * Russia: Cluster Munition Attack on Kyiv a Potential War Crime * (Kyiv) - Russia apparently used cluster munitions contained in at least one ballistic missile in an attack on Kyiv early on August 5, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today.  The attack reportedly killed three people at a sorting center belonging to Nova Poshta, Ukraine's largest private courier and mail service, and endangered civilians nearby. The strike was part of a wider Russi more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Aug. 12, 2026, by senior fellow Matthew Johnson in the foundation's China Brief: * * * Geopolitical Socialism: Xi and Putin Build Bloc Power Executive Summary: * The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia are entering a new phase of institutionalized interdependence, built through unprecedented systemic coordination and guided by Beijing's ambition to transform the geopolitical foundations of global order. The latest summit and surrounding activity show  more PR

LOUGHBOROUGH, England, Aug. 13 -- Loughborough University issued the following news release: * * * How warfare has been 'gamified' in Ukraine * Where can you score 12 points for killing a Russian soldier in a drone attack, 20 for damaging a tank and up to 50 for destroying a mobile rocket system? Not on the latest video game, but rather through Ukraine's Army of Drones Bonus (ADB) programme. Launched shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, before being revamped in 2025, the ADB programme is where points win prizes. Milita more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- Rep. Joseph Neguse, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Neguse Leads Bipartisan Effort Imploring Defense Department Reverse NATO Force Cuts "NATO is the most successful defensive military alliance in history, having served as the cornerstone of trans-Atlantic peace and U.S. national security for over seven decades. Now is the time to recommit to this alliance...not to pull back and create vulnerabilities that risk implicating the United States." - Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse, alongside Sena more PR

GENEVA, Switzerland, Aug. 13 [Category: Religion] -- The World Council of Churches posted the following news: * * * Ukrainian churches appeal for Worldwide prayer as expression of solidarity * The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations is appealing for churches everywhere to join a Worldwide Prayer for Ukraine on 24 August, which also marks the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence. The prayer will serve "not only as a spiritual expression of solidarity with Ukraine but also as an affirmation of the values of freedo more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Warren, Coons Press Rubio and Bessent to Explain Unprecedented Halt in Regular Russia Sanctions, Even After Admitting Talks Stalled "If the Administration paused regular Russia sanctions because of peace talks, and those talks stalled months ago, why hasn't the Administration resumed routine and frequent U.S. sanctions to rebuild leverage for a just peace in Ukraine more PR