Situation Reports

Power outages struck southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on Aug. 14 after an abrupt change in cross-border power flows activated emergency protections and separated parts of the interconnected Central Asian grid, Reuters reported on Aug. 14.

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu announced that the annual budget for fiscal year 2026 had finally passed its third reading, ending a delay of 266 days, UDN reported on Aug. 14.

Argentina's Central Bank will relax restrictions on onshore dollar lending and allow banks to increase foreign currency credit to companies with revenue in pesos, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 13.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced plans for a commodity exchange to establish Indonesian reference prices by early 2027 as he presented a $230 billion budget targeting 6% growth and a 2.4% fiscal deficit, the Financial Times reported on Aug. 14.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced that it suspended vote counting for the country's Aug. 13 general election following the theft of paper ballots and violence against some of its officials before resuming the count several hours later, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 14.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States plans to unveil more extensive economic measures against Iran during the week of Aug. 17, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 14.

Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno on Aug. 14 signed two decrees granting a full presidential pardon to opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succes Masra and eight other political figures, following his announcement four days earlier that he would pardon certain prisoners, Jeune Afrique reported on the same day.

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, claimed to have recaptured the strategic border town of Kurmuk from the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, Sudan Tribune reported on Aug. 13.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli Defense Forces would not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, Reuters reported on Aug. 13.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 13 visited Etorofu/Iturup Island, one of the four Northern Territories claimed by Japan in the Kuril Islands, which Russia has occupied since just after World War II, Reuters reported.