United States

Croatian Serb leaders condemned on Thursday two attacks by masked assailants on local Serbs watching a televised football match near the town of Knin.

The Serbs in the villages of Uzdolje and Djevrske were watching a game involving Red Star from the Serbian capital Belgrade when the attackers burst into the bars, media reports said. Five, including a minor, were lightly injured.

The Board of Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund has recommended that the age limit for the Managing Director of the Fund be dropped. This statement paves the way for Kristalina Georgieva, who is a candidate for the European Union, to head the IMF.

Iran has unveiled its new domestically developed and manufactured air defense system. Earlier, Iranian officials called the Bavar-373 the first such system in the country.

Tehran started making Bavar, which means "I believe" after the purchase of the Russian C-300 system was halted in 2010 due to international sanctions.

China's Footprint

China has been deepening its footprint in Serbia for years, primarily through infrastructure loans and construction projects, all packaged as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. There have also been some major investments, such as the Smederevo Steel Plant, or in the Bor mining complex.

Athens is looking to extend the US-Greece defense agreement, also known as the Souda Agreement, by a year when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits in October or November, it emerged after Wednesday's meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey at the Maximos Mansion in Athens.

US President Donald Trump has attacked automakers who refused to back his administration's plan to roll back Obama-era fuel efficiency rules, CNBC reported.

Trump specifically mentioned Ford, which has negotiated with California-led Democrats, which has some of the most stringent requirements for low fuel consumption of future car models, Reuters reports.

A slight drop in the number of tourists visiting Greece in the first half of 2019 was more than offset by a significant rise in per capita spending, data published by the Bank of Greece show.

Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine in order to regain its place in the G-8 group of the most influential countries in the world, RIA Novosti reports.

The memorandum signed by the Romanian ambassador in Washington and the US ambassador in Bucharest in Washington DC on August 20 recommends a thorough evaluation of suppliers to ensure full security of the implementation of the 5G technology, according to Romania's Foreign Ministry (MAE).

US President Donald Trump has promised that checks on the criminal and health backgrounds of people who buy guns will be stepped up, Reuters and BTA report.