U.S. intelligence officials are reportedly investigating whether a blast off the coast of northern Russia that killed at least seven people involved a test of a new nuclear-propelled cruise missile (NYT).
 
Russia’s state nuclear agency said rocket fuel being tested (Reuters) on a sea platform last Thursday caught fire, causing it to detonate. Five of those killed in the explosion were scientists, described by the nuclear agency’s head at their burial yesterday as the “pride of the country.” Moscow initially said radiation levels remained normal after the blast, but the state weather service later reported they rose by four to sixteen times (Reuters) in a nearby town. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the new missile is designed to evade U.S. missile defenses.

South Korea’s trade ministry announced that firms sending some goods to Japan must now undergo a certification process (NYT) that can take up to three times longer than the current one. Japan put South Korea under stricter export controls earlier this month.
 
CFR lays out what to know in the Seoul-Tokyo trade dispute.
 
Hong Kong: Pro-democracy protests disrupted travel at Hong Kong’s international airport for the second consecutive day as the airport suspended check-ins (SCMP) for all departing flights. Yesterday afternoon, the airport canceled all incoming and outgoing flights.

Negotiators for the Taliban and the United States ended the latest round of peace talks in Qatar without announcing a deal (AP), saying they will consult with top officials about how to proceed with negotiations. A spokesperson for the militant group said the talks were useful.
 
India: China’s foreign minister told his Indian counterpart that Beijing is “seriously concerned” (Dawn) about New Delhi’s decision to change the status of the disputed Kashmir region and that it opposes unilateral action on the issue. China has said it would oppose India’s move (Dawn) at the UN Security Council.
 
CFR lays out what to know about Kashmir.

Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and Saudi King Salman called for dialogue (Al Jazeera) to defuse tensions in Yemen after separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates captured a major city from forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government. The countries are coalition partners in the war in Yemen.
 
Iraq: Explosions following a fire at a munitions warehouse (National) in south Baghdad have killed one person and wounded at least twenty-nine others. Authorities said they are investigating the cause of the fire.

Two Ebola drugs that have been tested in trials in the Democratic Republic of Congo since November appeared so successful (Guardian) that they will be made widely available to patients in the country.
 
CFR looks at the latest Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
 
Zimbabwe: The country has finalized three twenty-year loan agreements (Chronicle) with China’s and India’s export-import banks to support its electricity sector and expand its broadband access, according to state-owned media. Zimbabwe has suffered rolling blackouts amid an economic crisis.

Wildfires in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and northern Russia caused record carbon emissions (Guardian) for the region in June and July, as fires across Siberia entered their third month. The Siberian wildfires have produced a cloud of smoke larger than the European Union.

The peso weakened more than 30 percent against the dollar (WSJ) after President Mauricio Macri finished more than 15 percentage points behind challenger Alberto Fernandez, whose running mate is former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in a primary election. The general election is set for late October.
 
Venezuela: The Supreme Court, filled with judges seen as loyalists to President Nicolas Maduro, stripped three opposition lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity and charged them with treason (LAHT). A pro-Maduro legislative body that rivals the opposition-controlled National Assembly said it will create a commission (Reuters) to look into holding 2020 elections early.

Under the new policy, immigrants will be denied permanent legal status (NYT) if they appear likely to apply for public assistance programs such as food stamps or subsidized housing. Several immigrant advocacy groups said they plan to file lawsuits against the measure, which is set to take effect in October.