A man killed in an explosion in the Myassar district of Aleppo, Syria, was wearing a suicide belt, according to initial reports. The explosion on August 17th confirmed one fatality. Separately, Google has officially announced a partial resumption of its activities in Syria after a 14-year interruption, following the United States' removal of the country from the OFAC sanctions list. Separately, a former Syrian National Army commander was killed in a filmed daylight assassination in Azaz, northern Aleppo, described as a rapid and coordinated attack suggesting an experienced assassination squad. The University of Fine Arts in Damascus has reportedly banned "nude" sculptures, citing a conflict with Islamist societal values. This decision has drawn criticism, contrasting with Syria's historical association with Roman sculptures. In Yemen, Sentinel-2 satellite imagery confirms that the Hezyaz Central generating station in Sanaa sustained significant damage last night due to Israeli strikes targeting Houthis. Reports also circulated regarding the alleged forceful displacement of residents from Kafr Amid Village in Hama by security forces, a claim disputed by some sources who label the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) as a misleading platform in the post-Assad era.
