🇲🇱🇨🇳⚡- Four Chinese were kidnapped after JNIM attacked a factory in Dougabougou, Mali, on August 1st.

Footage shows the aftermath of the attack.

🇺🇸⚡- "FBI’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Office earlier this year, in preparation for the potential release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, tasked close to a thousand agents to go though over 100,000 documents, files, and trannoscripts, in order to redact the names of many high-profile figures and officials, including President Donald Trump.

The FOIA reviewers at the FBI applied for two exemptions to justify their redactions of President Trump:

1) Exemption 6 - protects individuals against "a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
2) Exemption 7(C) - protects personal information contained in law enforcement records, the disclosure of which "could reasonably be expected to constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."

A White House spokesperson would not respond to questions about the redactions of Trump’s name, instead referring questions to the FBI. The FBI declined to comment as did the Justice Department," - Bloomberg.

🇷🇺⚡️- Russian government to introduce new state-approved messaging service called "MAX," which will come pre-downloaded on all smartphones; this among fears Russia could be preparing to block WhatsApp and Telegram.

🇷🇺🇮🇳⚡️- The Telegraph reports that India will continue to buy Russian oil despite Donald Trump's tariff threats.

🇸🇦🇱🇧⚡️- "Saudi Arabia is strongly pressuring the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah and bring the weapons issue to Tuesday's government session." - Al-Manar, Hezbollah-funded Lebanese outlet.

🇺🇸⚡️- Tesla’s board just approved a $30 billion pay deal for Elon Musk, giving him 96 million shares.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- BREAKING: "The decision has been made, we are going to occupy the Gaza Strip immediately," - Israeli Channel 12.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- BREAKING: "It's over. We are going for a full conquest of the Gaza Strip," - Israeli Channel 14.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held a limited security cabinet meeting over the hostage-ceasefire deal. The cabinet have decided to begin annexing the Gaza Strip until Hamas releases the remaining Israeli hostages.

Netanyahu has told Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who opposes the annexation plan, "if the Chief of Staff refuses to put on the uniform, he should go home."

🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡️- Trump Administration will deny disaster relief funds to cities and states that boycott Israeli companies. This is the most aggressive targeting of the BDS movement by the US so far. Most states already have anti-BDS laws.

🇱🇧⚡- Saudi outlet al-Hadath says Hezbollah are planning protests ahead of tomorrow's Lebanese cabinet meeting on the disarming of Hezbollah entirely.

🇰🇷🇮🇳⚡- India may purchase South Korea's domestically developed KF-21 fighter jets.

🇷🇺🇸🇾⚡- "The new Syrian government is an ally of ours in the Middle East," - Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- BREAKING: Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is threatening to resign if the security cabinet go ahead with the Gaza annexation plan.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- Hillel Biton Rosen, of Israeli Channel 14, says the decision to annex Gaza entirely has not yet been made. Rosen says the majority of the cabinet approved the plan. The decision will be made tomorrow, in a follow-up security cabinet meeting at the Kirya.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- Netanyahu's Press Office has announced a security cabinet meeting for tomorrow, confirming Hillel Biton Rosen's report.

No decision on the Gaza annexation plan has been made yet - it will be made tomorrow.

🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- "It is not unlikely that this could be part of a negotiating tactic to pressure Hamas," - Yediot Ahronot.

🇮🇱 - Meanwhile Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has posted a two minute video on anti-Semitism on social media just now.