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Defense Policy / Programs

• Senior Department of Defense Leaders Host Global Virtual Town Hall DoD 17 Jul 2020 -- Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper; Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark A. Milley; Chief Master Sergeant Ramon "CZ" Colón-López, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman; Commander Morgan Murphy (Moderator)
• Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper Guidance on Public Display or Depiction of Flags in the Department of Defense DoD 17 Jul 2020 -- Today Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper provided guidance to Defense senior leaders and commanders on the public display or depiction of flags in the Department of Defense.
• US Military Effectively Bans Display of Confederate Flag VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- The U.S. Department of Defense is effectively banning the display of the Confederate flag at military installations, the agency announced Friday in a statement that does not mention the flag or the ban.
• Pentagon Effectively Bans Confederate Flag From Military Bases Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- Some branches of the US military have already banned the public display of the flag amid concerns that it might inflame racial tensions and damage unit cohesion.
• DOD Takes Action to Support Diversity, Inclusion DoD News 17 Jul 2020 -- The top leaders of the Defense Department emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion and mentioned steps that the department is taking to address these issues.
• DOD Announces $36.9 Million in Defense Production Act Title III COVID-19 Actions DoD 17 Jul 2020 -- Today, the Department announces two Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III actions to help sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and defense-critical workforce in the aviation and shipbuilding industries.
• Trump Administration Reportedly Considers Reducing US Troop Presence in South Korea Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- In a similar move, the administration of US President Donald Trump recently approved plans to withdraw 9,500 US troops from Germany, an important US Army base in Europe, arguing that Berlin was failing to live up to its military spending obligations as a NATO partner.
• Remaining ready: 31st MEU completes Interop exercise with force health protection measures USMC News 17 Jul 2020 -- The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit completed interoperability exercise here from June 23 to July 13, 2020, incorporating detachments which recently arrived to the MEU. The associated training was designed to enhance coordination and familiarize subordinate elements with the unique mission set of the 31st MEU, in preparation for follow on exercises which will incorporate the entire Marine Air Ground Task Force.
• CNO Visits San Diego; Sees Bonhomme Richard Firefighting Efforts First-Hand NNS 17 Jul 2020 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday traveled to San Diego July 17, to visit USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and see the ship's firefighting efforts first-hand.
• No Going Back: US Air Force Cancels Refurbishment of Open Skies Treaty-Compliant Aircraft Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- The US Air Force has canceled the overhaul of its OC-135B Open Skies spy planes built to meet the 1993 treaty's requirements. The US withdrew from the treaty in May, accusing Russia of noncompliance, and on Friday, a senior Russian Defense Ministry figure accused Washington of torpedoing the peaceful treaty so it can pursue militarizing space.
• Army senior leaders discuss lessons learned from COVID-19 Army News 17 Jul 2020 -- The Army is considering adjustments to its fiscal year 2022 budget request, as senior leaders look to invest in the service's ability to fight against infectious diseases or other chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats.
• 18th MP Brigade Installs ARAT Tiles Army News 17 Jul 2020 -- Soldiers with the 527 Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, participated in an Abrams Reactive Armor Tile, or M19, installation training at Bergen-Hohne Training Area, Germany, July 10, 2020.
• US Soldiers arrive in Poland for DEFENDER-Europe 20 Phase II Army News 17 Jul 2020 -- Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, arrived in Poznan, Poland on July 16, 2020.
• Reserve Sailors Respond to Distressed Vessel on Lake Michigan NNS 17 Jul 2020 -- Reserve Sailors assigned to Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Great Lakes and Assault Craft Unit ONE (ACU-1) responded to a vessel in distress, July 11.
• Naval Aviation Enterprise Conducts Virtual Roll-out of Squadron Maintenance Reform Initiative NNS 17 Jul 2020 -- The Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) completed the initial phase of a novel virtual roll-out of its squadron-level maintenance improvements to units at Naval Air Stations (NASs) Norfolk and North Island on July 17. Using a combination of technology, innovation and dedication to mission, the team involved prevented a delay in this important implementation while observing safety protocols necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Venezuela slams 'sneaky' entry of US destroyer as 'provocation' Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Venezuela has lashed out at Washington for the "sneaky" entry of a US destroyer into the Latin American country's territorial waters, denouncing the move as an "act of provocation."
• Emerging and disruptive technology webinar on interoperability NATO 17 Jul 2020 -- In the context of its ongoing work on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies, NATO's Emerging Security Challenges Division organized a webinar on 16 July 2020 on interoperability.
• Main Task is to Make Sure Health Crisis Doesn't Become Security Crisis, NATO's Stoltenberg Says Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- Earlier in the day, EU leaders gathered for an in-person summit in Brussels to discuss the recovery plan for the COVID-19 crisis and a new long-term EU budget.
• Russia's Putin orders snap military drills in southwest Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to go on high alert for snap military exercises in the country's southwestern region, which is facing "a serious threat of terrorism."
• Putin Orders Massive Snap Russian 'Combat Readiness Check' RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a snap "combat readiness check" involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels to ensure security in Russia's southwest, where he sees a "serious threat" from terrorism.
• Out of the Blue: Russia Holds Snap Checks in Its Military Districts Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Friday a snap check of troops in the southern and western military districts, as well as certain units of Airborne forces and Naval Infantry per the decision of President Vladimir Putin.
• Russian Fighters Intercept Norwegian Reconnaissance Plane Above Barents Sea Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- Russia's Northern Fleet scrambled fighters on Friday to escort a Norwegian reconnaissance aircraft flying above the Barents Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
• PLA Air Force's pilot cadet recruitment campaign in 2020 in full swing PLA Daily 17 Jul 2020 -- According to authoritative release of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, the pilot recruitment campaign in 2020 is in full swing. More than 3,800 fresh high school graduates who have passed the preliminary and second round of selection are now in the final-stage test.
• Eighth Chinese peacekeeping contingent to Mali sets out for new mission PLA Daily 17 Jul 2020 -- The servicemembers of the 8th Chinese peacekeeping troops to Mali attended the setting-out ceremony conducted by troops assigned to the PLA 79th Group Army on July 16, in blue berets and new-style combat camouflage uniforms.
• Taiwan's "Han Kuang Exercise" ends up with most military fatalities PLA Daily 17 Jul 2020 -- An OH-58D Kiowa light observation helicopter participating in the 36th Han Kuang exercise crashed on July 16, 2020, killing two pilots. United Daily News, a newspaper in Taiwan, reported that together with Taiwan marine corps' boat overturning accident, which killed two officers and left one in a coma, this year has seen the worst casualties in the history of the Han Kuang exercises.
• India to Invite Australia to Join Naval Drill in Effort to Contain China VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- In a significant move to strengthen defense cooperation between India, Japan, Australia and the United States with an eye on countering China, New Delhi is firming up plans to invite Australia to take part in naval exercises in the Indian Ocean.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 17, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 17 July 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Jul 2020
• Wartime sexual violence a 'psychological weapon', sets back cause of peace UN News 17 Jul 2020 -- Sexual violence is used as a war tactic and a political tool to dehumanize, destabilize and forcibly displace populations across the globe, the UN's expert on the issue told the Security Council on Friday, pressing countries to adopt a survivor-centred approach that ensures victims will not be forgotten.
• What China's Asian Maritime Rivals Expect from Bolder US Support VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- Asian countries who feel pinched by China over competing maritime claims expect the U.S. government to step up aid following Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's words of support this week, but only in severe cases and without risking conflict, scholars in the region believe.
• Nimitz, Reagan Stand with Allies and Partners in South China Sea NNS 17 Jul 2020 -- The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups continue integrated exercises and operations while deployed to the South China Sea.
• Teamwork in the South China Sea: Nimitz, Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups Continue Exercises NNS 17 Jul 2020 -- The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group continued high-end dual-carrier exercises in the South China Sea July 17.
• US Navy Flexes Military Muscle With Renewed Dual Carrier Strike Group Drills in South China Sea Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- The United States deployed a quarter of its carrier fleet to the Pacific a month ago amid soaring tensions with China over Hong Kong, coronavirus, trade and Beijing's entrenchment in the South China Sea. Chinese media have warned that the country could deploy "countermeasures" against the US warships, including carrier-killing ballistic missiles.
• US deploys aircraft carriers to South China Sea amid rising tensions with China Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Amid escalating tensions with China over a number of issues, the United States has deployed two aircraft carriers to the South China Sea.
• Eight Chinese Fighter Jets Show up at Woody Island in the South China Sea Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- Eight Chinese fighter jets were visible Friday at its key military base in the disputed Paracel Islands, as two U.S. aircraft carriers performed their second exercise in the South China Sea in two weeks amid mounting tensions between Washington and Beijing.
• Vietnam to Fine Drivers With License Plates That Lack Map of South China Sea Islets Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- Police in Vietnam will begin fining drivers for using an older version of license plates showing a map of the country that does not include the disputed Spratly and Paracel island chains, local news reported Friday.
• Turkey Infiltrates Syrian Displaced Persons Camp, Frees Moldovan Mother VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- Officials with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces are expressing dismay after Turkish intelligence agents infiltrated a displaced persons camp to smuggle out a Moldovan woman and her four children.
• Iran condemns latest Saudi air raids, calls for UN intervention to save Yemeni lives Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Iran has strongly denounced the latest Saudi airstrikes against Yemen, calling on the United Nations to stop Riyadh's atrocities "by any means possible".
• Yemeni tribes reject Saudi compensation, seek revenge for Jawf bloodshed Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Yemeni tribes in the northern province of al-Jawf have rejected a financial offer from Saudi Arabia to compensate for Wednesday airstrikes that claimed over two dozen civilian lives, saying the only thing that would calm them down is revenge.
• US continues to arm terrorists in Syria's al-Tanf, trains them for terror acts: Top Russian official Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry says the United States continues to arm allied Takfiri terrorists in al-Tanf region in Syria's central province of Homs near the Jordanian border, and trains them to carry out acts of terror and sabotage across the war-wracked country.
• Three Russian soldiers injured as unknown drone strikes Syria's Hasakah: Report Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- At least three Russian troops have been injured in a drone attack in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah.
• Iran Military Insists Only Eight Servicemen Killed In All Israeli Air Raids In Syria Radio Farda 17 Jul 2020 -- The senior spokesman of Iran's Armed Forces has insisted that only eight Iranian servicemen have been killed in Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military bases in Syria in recent years.
• Turkey's Erdogan says Egypt involved in 'illegal' action in Libya Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Egypt is taking "illegal" action in Libya by supporting the rebels there.
• Libya denounces Egypt's threats of military intervention Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Libya has denounced the Egyptian president's recent threats of military intervention in the North African country to support forces of renegade strongman Khalifa Haftar.
• Pakistan Hails Decision To Add Pakistani Taliban Leader To UN Sanctions List RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- The Pakistani government has welcomed a United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) decision to add the leader of the Tehrik-e Taliban militant group (TTP) to a sanctions list of individuals and entities subject to an assets freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo.
• Russia Urged To Accept Responsibility On Sixth Anniversary Of MH17 Downing RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- Ukraine and its Western partners have marked the sixth anniversary of the downing of a Malaysia Airlines passenger flight over eastern Ukraine by calling on Russia to cooperate fully with the investigation into the tragedy and accept its responsibility.
• India's Defence Minister Visits India-China Border Area Amid Intense Disengagement Talks Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- The simmering border tensions between India and China escalated into direct clashes on 15 June in the east of the Ladakh region. Both countries are in the process of resolving the conflict through multiple dialogues. While disengagement has started at friction points, it has yet to take place in Pangong Tso and Depsang Valley.
• Three Terrorists Killed, Three Indian Army Personnel Injured in Gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- Over 100 terrorists have been gunned down and some 27 Indian security personnel killed in Kashmir during encounters since April. The Indian government on Thursday admitted that terrorism is on the rise in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Gov't forces kill 3 militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfight People's Daily 17 Jul 2020 -- Three militants were killed Friday in a fierce gunfight with government forces in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.
• Israel's Gantz wants annexation plan shelved: Ministers Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Israel's prime minister-in-waiting and ruling coalition partner Benny Gantz reportedly wants a plan by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley shelved.
• Idle Threat? Azerbaijan's Hint Of Missile Strike On Armenian Nuclear Plant Increases Tensions RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- Azerbaijan dramatically escalated tensions amid its border battle with Armenia this week with an implicit threat to bomb the region's only nuclear power plant and unleash "great catastrophe" on Armenians.
• Tensions High Along Armenia-Azerbaijan Border After Days Of Skirmishes RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- Despite a lull in fighting overnight, tensions remain high on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan after days of skirmishes and a threat from Baku that it is capable of targeting nuclear power stations.
• Argentina Condemns UK Military Exercises Near Falkland Islands Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- Argentina and the United Kingdom have long-held disputed claims over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands or as they are called in Spanish - 'Islas Malvinas' - Buenos Aires has long stressed a return to negotiations to solve the clashing ownership.

News Reports

• CIA conducted cyber attacks against Iran after secret Trump order in 2018: Report Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) conducted a series of covert cyber operations against Iran and other targets after US President Donald Trump issued a secret order in 2018 giving the agency power to undertake such activities, according to a report.
• Kremlin denies UK allegations of vote meddling, COVID-19 vaccine hacking Global Times 17 Jul 2020 -- The Kremlin on Thursday denied claims by Britain that "Russian actors" sought to meddle in last year's general election and that Russian intelligence services most likely hacked coronavirus vaccine research.
• The Week In Russia: The Kremlin And The World Out There RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- With the coronavirus crisis and President Vladimir Putin's push for the option of seeking two more terms, as well as planning for the postponed Victory Day military parade, the Kremlin seemed to turn its attention inward in the past few weeks and months.
• 'The Kremlin Is Shocked': Moscow Scrambles For A Response As Protests Rock Russia's Far East RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- In September 2018, residents of Khabarovsk Krai, a Russian region bordering China, voted overwhelmingly for a governor not allied with the ruling party. Sergei Furgal, a former scrap-metal trader, won the election on a wave of discontent over falling wages and a hugely unpopular pension reform that raised the retirement age by five years.
• Kremlin Critic Navalny Ordered Not To Leave Moscow During Investigation Into Video Post RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny says he has been ordered not to leave Moscow as investigations continue connected to a criminal case launched over comments he made on social media.
• Russia, Germany criticize U.S. threat to sanction Nord Stream 2 as disregard for Europe's energy sovereignty People's Daily 17 Jul 2020 -- U.S. Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act -- was enacted in late December 2019.
• Designation of PRC Foreign Nationals and Entities under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act US Dept. of State 17 Jul 2020 -- The Department of State joins the Department of the Treasury in announcing the designation of four People's Republic of China foreign nationals – Ji Songyan, Zhan Longbao, Cheng Guifeng, and Zheng Guangfu – and one Chinese entity – , and Global United Biotechnology Inc. – for their support to and involvement in the international drug trafficking operations of Chinese synthetic opioid traffickers Zheng Fujing and Yan Xiaobing and the Zheng Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO).
• Treasury Targets Chinese Persons Involved with Drug Trafficking Organization Moving Fentanyl US Treasury 17 Jul 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four individuals and one entity pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). The four individuals were designated for providing support to the Zheng Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), which is run by Chinese synthetic opioid trafficker Fujing Zheng. These designations include Songyan Ji, Longbao Zhang, Guifeng Cheng, and Guangfu Zheng, all located in China. OFAC also designated Global United Biotechnology Inc. for being owned or controlled by the Zheng DTO. OFAC previously identified Fujing Zheng and the Zheng DTO as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act in August 2019.
• Book, Report Spark Concern Over China's UK Elite Influence Operations Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- Concerns are growing over Chinese influence in the U.K. after a prominent member of a Chinese Communist Party-backed "friendship" organization was able to meet with five prime ministers and several members of the royal family, according to a recent report in the Daily Mail newspaper.
• Russia Categorically Denies Meddling in UK Elections, Warns of Negative Consequences for Relations Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- On Thursday, London hurled a string of accusations at Moscow, accusing it of trying to interfere in the UK's 2019 general election, and of using hackers to try to steal British coronavirus vaccine research. The same day, a parliamentary intelligence committee promised to release a report on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on July 17, 2020 PRC MofA 17 Jul 2020
• China Dominates Steel Market as Pandemic Slows Competition Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- As China's government highlights signs of an early economic recovery, it is making a strong case with record production of steel.
• British Lawmakers Seen Pushing for Earlier Huawei Ouster VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- The British government's decision to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G telecom network beginning in 2027 is only the "opening salvo" of what is to come, according to a leading expert on U.S.-British relations.
• Transcript of Attorney General Barr's Remarks on China Policy at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum US Dept. of Justice 17 Jul 2020
• US officials have 'gone mad' in dealing with China: Beijing Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- China says US officials have "lost their minds and gone mad" in dealing with Beijing, in the strongest verbal reaction from China to the ratcheting up of tensions by Washington.
• FM refutes US official's groundless accusations about China 'replacing the US' Global Times 17 Jul 2020 -- China has never sought to confront or replace the US as the top power in the world, but has the right to fight back against "malicious slander" and attacks by the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a regular press conference on Friday.
• What is the CPC? US needs to be taught: Global Times editorial Global Times 17 Jul 2020 -- The New York Times report "US Weighs Sweeping Travel Ban on Chinese Communist Party Members" published on Wednesday has set public opinion ablaze in no time. The idea is incredibly absurd. Who in Washington were the first to propose it? Do they understand the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese society?
• Beijing Warns Travel Ban on CPP Members Would Put US at Odds 'With 1.4 Billion Chinese People' Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- On Thursday, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration was considering introducing across-the-board travel restrictions against members of China's Communist Party and their families, with the reported proposal targeting as many as 270 million people.
• Firms Must Ensure Imports Are Forced Labor Free: CBP Official on Seized Xinjiang Hair Products Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- On July 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of New York/Newark detained a shipment of products believed to be made with human hair originating in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), which the agency said indicated potential human right abuses of forced child labor and imprisonment. The products were part of shipment of nearly 13 tons of hair products worth more than U.S. $800,000. The seizure followed a withhold release order on hair products manufactured by Lop County Meixin Hair Product Co. Ltd. and the CBP's June 17 instruction to all ports of entry to detain such products, citing information that indicated they had been made with the use of prison labor.
• Security installed at request of Muslims against terrorism: Xinjiang official Global Times 17 Jul 2020 -- As requested by local Muslims, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region installed security facilities to protect believers, as a big number of violent terrorist attacks had been launched at religious sites around the world in recent years, a Xinjiang official said at a press conference on Friday.
• Canada Awaits Arrival of Hong Kongers With Canadian Passports VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- More than 300,000 Hong Kongers are believed to hold Canadian passports, and while Canada has yet to join Britain, Australia and Taiwan in making it easier for Hong Kong residents to immigrate or seek asylum because of a harsh new security law for the partly autonomous Chinese territory, Ottawa is waiting to see how many will show up.
• Hong Kong Loses Its Shine as Asia Media Hub VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- Hong Kong's new national security law is prompting international media outlets to reconsider their presence in the Chinese territory, signaling the likely end of its status as a regional media base.
• What Do Hong Kong Officials Have to Lose From Sanctions? Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- A number of family members of high-ranking Hong Kong officials are holders of foreign passports and have assets in other countries including the U.S. and the U.K., RFA has learned.
• 'Changsha Three' Rights Activists Secretly Indicted For 'Subversion' Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- Authorities in the central Chinese province of Hunan have secretly indicted the "Changsha Three" non-governmental organization (NGO) workers, family members and rights groups said.
• Long March-5 rocket in position for China's first Mars probe Global Times 17 Jul 2020 -- China has taken another major step toward its first Mars probe mission, Tianwen-1. The Long March-5 Y4, the carrier rocket commissioned for the probe, was vertically transported to the launch area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in South China's Hainan Province on Friday morning ahead of the launch scheduled to take place between the end of July and the beginning of August, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA.)
• China prepares to launch Long March-5 rocket for Mars mission PLA Daily 17 Jul 2020 -- The fourth Long March-5 rocket, to be used to launch China's first Mars exploration mission, was vertically transported to the launching area at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province on Friday.
• Solar Orbiter Captures Closest Images of Sun VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA have released the first images from the Solar Orbiter spacecraft – the closest pictures ever taken of the sun.
• Top posts at Taiwan's HK office empty as ties get worse: sources CNA 17 Jul 2020 -- The acting director-general of Taiwan's representative office in Hong Kong has left the Chinese special administration region after its government refused to extend his work visa.
• Great Brilliant Commander Leads Socialist Korea KCNA 17 Jul 2020 -- Eight years has passed since Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un was awarded the title of Marshal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on July 17, Juche 101 (2012).
• Rapid Progress Made in Construction of Pyongyang General Hospital KCNA 17 Jul 2020 -- The construction of the Pyongyang General Hospital is progressing apace in the DPRK.
• Tehran Consolidates Hardline Gains At Home While COVID-19 Spreads Radio Farda 17 Jul 2020 -- Iran experienced its highest-ever record of coronavirus-related deaths in just one day earlier this month, bringing the official number of reported deaths since late February to more than 13,000. These deaths follow a widely reported second peak of confirmed coronavirus infections from early June. Despite this trend, as well as Iran's status as a regional hub for the virus, the Islamic Republic has not used the pandemic as an opportunity to moderate its behavior or improve the function of government at home.
• Iran Vows To 'Deal Decisively' With Protests RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- Iran has vowed to "deal decisively" with further protests, a day after police fired tear gas to disperse antiestablishment demonstrators in the southwestern city of Behbahan.
• Police Chief In Iran Threatens Protesters With 'Forceful' Crackdown Radio Farda 17 Jul 2020 -- The police chief in Behbahan, a southwestern Iranian city where the first of what appears to be a new round of protests took place Thursday evening, says security forces used their "might" to disperse the protesters.
• Hundreds Of Iranian Political Activists Urge Chief Justice To Free Prisoners With COVID Radio Farda 17 Jul 2020 -- In a letter to Chief Justice Ebrahim Raeesi on Wednesday, nearly five hundred political activists living in Iran and in exile abroad have urged him to order the release of prisoners infected with the coronavirus, including the prominent human rights activist Narges Mohammadi.
• Tehran warns Seoul over 'unacceptable' freezing of Iranian oil money Press TV 17 Jul 2020 -- Iran has issued an official warning to the "rude" government of South Korea over its "unacceptable" and "unjustifiable" move to block the Islamic Republic's oil money.
• European Aviation Agency Warns Airliners Of Risks Flying Over Iran Radio Farda 17 Jul 2020 -- The European Aviation Safety Agency has warned airliners flying over Iran of the danger of being accidentally targeted by Iran's anti-aircraft defense system, seven months after a Ukrainian jetliner was shot down over Tehran.
• IRGC arrests counter-revolutionary elements in NE Iran IRNA 17 Jul 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday announced that a number of counter-revolutionary and violence-seeking stooges have been arrested in northeastern Iran.
• Iran dismantles MKO terrorist team in Fars province IRNA 17 Jul 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) identified and dismantled a terrorist team of the terrorist Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) in Shiraz, Fars province.
• Knowing He May Be In Trouble, Lukashenka Tries To Blunt Election Challenges In Belarus RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- It's not who's on the ballot that sparked a fresh wave of protests as an August 9 presidential election draws closer in Belarus – it's who is not.
• Belarusian Opposition Rallies Behind Tsikhanouskaya In Presidential Race RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- The united campaigns of three opposition figures involved in Belarus's presidential election next month have called on Belarusians to vote for registered opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
• Statement on U.S./Iraq/GCC Cooperation US Dept. of State 16 Jul 2020 -- The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, the Republic of Iraq and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
• North Macedonia's Pro-EU Social Democrats Win Elections, Face Complex Coalition Talks RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- North Macedonia's pro-EU Social Democrats will try to start complex power-sharing negotiations after securing a narrow victory in the Balkan country's July 15 parliamentary elections.
• US Imposes Sanctions on Nicaraguan President's Son Murillo Ortega Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's son Juan Carlos Ortega Murillo and another individual for allegedly distributing government propaganda and participating in money laundering, the Treasury Department announced in a press release on Friday.
• The United States Sanctions Two Individuals and Two Entities Related to Corruption in Nicaragua US Dept. of State 17 Jul 2020 -- Today, the U.S. government announces sanctions on Juan Carlos Ortega Murillo (Ortega Murillo), Jose Jorge Mojica Mejia (Mojica), Difuso Comunicaciones S.A., and Mundo Digital S.A. for enabling and benefitting from the corrupt activities of the Ortega regime in Nicaragua.
• Treasury Sanctions Members of Nicaragua President Ortega's Inner Circle US Treasury 17 Jul 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Juan Carlos Ortega Murillo, son of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega; Jose Jorge Mojica Mejia; and two companies they use in an effort to distribute regime propaganda and launder money. 
• Sudan Faces Worst Food Crisis in Recent History VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- Sudan is facing the worst food security crisis in its recent history according to the United Nations. Nearly a quarter of Sudan's 45 million population is severely food insecure, including those living in the capital, Khartoum.
• UN Urges Thailand to Apply International Standards to Torture, Disappearance Law VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- The United Nations Human Rights Office has called on Thailand to enact a torture and disappearance law that fully incorporates international standards.
• Bulgarians Rally For Ninth Night In Anti-Government Protests RFE/RL 17 Jul 2020 -- Thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets of the capital and other cities for the ninth straight night as they continued to press demands that Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's government step down over allegations of corruption.
• Ethiopian Rebel Group Denies Role in Singer's Death VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- While Ethiopia's government is blaming the insurgent Oromo Liberation Army for last month's shooting death of a popular singer, which sparked days of violent unrest, the OLA's commander denies any responsibility and says the administration itself is culpable.
• Ugandan Police Tear Gas Opposition People Power Supporters VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- Police in Uganda used tear gas Friday to break up a crowd of supporters outside the offices of the opposition People Power movement. Critics say police often target opposition rallies but never break up gatherings of the ruling party.
• Italian Mafia May Become Wealthier After Pandemic, Report Says Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- In April, chief of the State Police, Franco Gabrielli, said that during the coronavirus outbreak mafia groups managed to infiltrate various sectors of the national economy, primarily those dealing with the production of essential goods.