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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Taliban Group Says Completed Release of 1,000 Afghan Prisoners Under Agreement With US Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- The Taliban movement has completed the release of 1,000 Afghan prisoners as per the Doha deal agreed with Washington, Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Qatar, said on Friday.
• Report: Taliban Slowly Pushing Afghan Government to the Brink VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- U.S. and coalition defense officials fear the Taliban are successfully ratcheting up attacks against the Afghan government, hoping to push it past its breaking point, while often keeping allied forces at bay.
• Afghan Bomb Blast Kills 17 VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- A car bomb blast in the capital city of the Afghan province of Logarn killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more, according to local Afghan officials who spoke to VOA.
• Afghanistan Facing Humanitarian Disaster Amid Pandemic, Continued Violence, U.S. Watchdog Finds RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- Millions more Afghans are being pushed into poverty by the coronavirus pandemic, which has overwhelmed the war-wracked country's basic health-care system and exacerbated food insecurity, a U.S. watchdog said on July 30.
• Afghan Government To Release 500 Taliban Prisoners As Three-Day Cease-Fire Starts RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered the release of an additional 500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture as a three-day cease-fire proposed by the Taliban and agreed to by the Afghan government took effect on July 31.
• Pakistani Shelling Kills 15 Afghan Civilians, Kabul Says, After Clashes At Closed Border RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- Cross-border shelling by Pakistan killed at least 15 civilians in Afghanistan on July 31, prompting Kabul to put its ground and air forces on alert.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Africa Command developing plans to move headquarters AFRICOM 31 Jul 2020 -- As part of the U.S. European Command Review, the Secretary of Defense publicly announced plans to make U.S. force adjustments within the European area of operations during a press briefing in Washington D.C., July 29.
• US Pulling Africa Command from Germany VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States is preparing to pull more troops from Germany, days after President Donald Trump criticized the country for being "delinquent" on defense spending.
• US Africa Command Starts Process of Moving Headquarters From Germany Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- US Africa Command has started what will likely be a months-long process of moving its headquarters from the German city of Stuttgart to another location, AFRICOM Commander Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said in a statement on Friday.
• US to Send 1,000 Troops to Poland Under Pact on Defence Cooperation, Polish Defence Ministry Says Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States and Poland have "politically agreed" on a military cooperation deal that paves the way for the deployment of 1,000 US troops to the eastern European country, the Polish Defence Ministry said Friday.
• Coalition partners engage in large force exercise, UAE CENTCOM 31 Jul 2020 -- The United Arab Emirates Joint Aviation Command conducted air training operations with forces assigned to U.S. Air Force Central Command and coalition forces in the southern Arabian Gulf, July 21, 2020.
• DOD Announces Contract for 250,000 Curative Inc. COVID-19 Test Kits DoD 31 Jul 2020 -- On July 31, the Department of Defense awarded a $42 million contract to Curative Inc. to provide 250,000 Curative Inc. oral fluid swab test kits to military treatment facilities, thus expanding the department's COVID-19 testing capability.
• DOD and HHS Invest $24.3M in Becton, Dickinson and Company to Establish and Expand Production of SARS-CoV-2 Assays for BD Veritor™ Devices DoD 31 Jul 2020 -- On July 30, as part of an ongoing collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the two departments awarded a contract for $24.3 million to Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) to establish and expand domestic production of SARS-CoV-2 rapid point-of-care (POC) tests used for COVID-19 testing on the BD Veritor™ Plus analyzers.
• DOD Awards $51.15 Million Undefinitized Contract Action to Puritan Medical Products Company LLC to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of Flock Tip Testing Swabs DoD 31 Jul 2020 -- On July 29, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed ceiling of $51.15 million to Puritan Medical Products Company LLC, to expand industrial production capacity of flock tip testing swabs.
• DOD Announces $31 Million in Defense Production Act Title III COVID-19 Actions DoD 31 Jul 2020 -- Today the Department is announcing a Defense Production Act Title III action to help sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and defense-critical workforce in the shipbuilding industry.
• 'Small Number' of Sailors Aboard USS H.W. Bush Test Positive for COVID-19 Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- A "small number" of sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush tested positive for the novel coronavirus and have since been ordered into self-isolation, a US Navy official confirmed on Thursday.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Phone Call With Timor-Leste's Minister of Defense Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus DoD 31 Jul 2020
• US Marine Killed, 8 Service Members Missing Off Southern California Coast VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- An accident during training off the Southern California coast has left one Marine dead, two others hurt and eight service members missing.
• Russia intercepts US spy planes over Black Sea for fourth time in a week Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- The Russian military has intercepted American spy planes over the Black Sea four times in the past week.
• Chinese PLA handles diverse missions in tough 2020 Global Times 31 Jul 2020 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will celebrate its 93rd anniversary on Saturday. In 2020, the PLA underwent extremely tough missions, including fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and massive floods, and responded to military threats from other countries in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Straits, and the China-India border region.
• PLA Navy's new warplanes trained in South China Sea: defense ministry People's Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has carried out intensive training for its new warplanes, including the H-6G and H-6J bombers, in the South China Sea, a defense ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
• China's Tibet military command conducts high-altitude artillery training People's Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- China's Tibet military command recently conducted artillery exercises in high-altitude areas to test the army's long-range precision strikes and fire-assault capabilities in plateau environments, said Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday.
• Xi Jinping envisions world-class Chinese army in new era PLA Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has come a long way since its birth during the armed uprising in the city of Nanchang on August 1, 1927, when it had only 20,000 soldiers.
• China conducts 'high-intensity' aerial drills in S China Sea, amid tensions with US Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- China has conducted "high-intensity" aerial drills over the South China Sea, as tensions escalate between Beijing and Washington in the strategic waterway.
• Chinese Navy Installs New Turbo Generators to Power Railguns, Electromagnetic Catapults Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has begun installing new turbo power generators on its warships. With four times the capacity of existing power plants, the new generators will enable new technologies, such as electromagnetic catapults and railguns, to be deployed as well.
• Israel, US Sign Document on Joint Air Defence Military Cooperation Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- The Israeli Defence Ministry hosted on Thursday the annual US-Israeli Defence Policy Advisory Group (DPAG). The DPAG session discussed strategic and regional security challenges following the recent escalation between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement on the border, with explosions and exchanges of gunfire.
• Japan ruling party approves proposal to acquire capabilities to halt ballistic missile Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- A ruling party committee has approved a proposal for Japan to acquire capabilities to halt ballistic missile attacks within enemy territory.
• Canada Receives Swedish, US Proposals to Replace Aging Fighter Jet Fleet Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- Canada received three proposals to replace its aging fighter jet fleet before the submission window closed on Friday, Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand said in a statement.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 31 Jul 2020
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | 7/31/2020 The White House 31 Jul 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 31, 2020
• China's ARJ21 capable of serving all high-plateau airports People's Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- China's independently-developed ARJ21 regional jetliner has been verified capable of operating in all high-plateau airports, its developer announced Thursday after due testings.

Other Conflicts

• Why an Uninvited Chinese Ship Just Visited a Shoal on Malaysia's Continental Shelf VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- The passage of a Chinese civilian ship across part of Malaysia's continental shelf this month shows China aims to bolster its claim over a widely contested sea in the face of U.S. opposition, observers of the dispute say.
• Unverified Satellite Images Show Chinese Deployment of Elite Navy Group at Pangong Tso in Ladakh Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- India and China, both nuclear powers, have been engaged in military level talks to diffuse ongoing tensions following a violent clash on 15 June, the worst in nearly 50 years, that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops.
• Deaths of '300 Russians' in Syria sent warning to Moscow, Pompeo says Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the deaths of "300 Russians" in a failed attack on a military base held by US and mainly Kurdish forces in Syria's oil-rich eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr more than two years ago sent a warning to Moscow.
• Blast Kills One Child, Injures Four Others in Myanmar's Shan State Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- A five-year-old girl was killed and four other children were badly injured by a blast of unexploded ordnance in Myanmar's northern Shan state as they played with an explosive device left from recent battles in a decades-old armed conflict in the region, family members said.
• Interview: 'Security is Important' as Myanmar's Rakhine State Prepares to Vote Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- As Myanmar gears up for general elections slated for Nov. 8, it remains unclear whether voting will be held in war-ravaged northern Rakhine state, where fighting between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army (AA) has raged for 20 months, leaving scores of civilians dead and displacing around 200,000 others.
• Tibetans Are Denied Rights to Fair Trial Under Chinese Rule: Report Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- Tibetans living under China's rule are routinely denied the right to a fair trial, with judicial proceedings against them often held in secret and confessions obtained under torture used against them in court, a Tibetan rights group says in a new report.

News Reports

• Statement from DHS Spokesman Alexei Woltornist on DHS Intelligence & Analysis Directorate Reports DHS 31 Jul 2020 -- "Upon learning about the practice, Acting Secretary Wolf directed the DHS Intelligence & Analysis Directorate to immediately discontinue collecting information involving members of the press."
• Portland Riots Read-out: July 31 DHS 31 Jul 2020
• US Homeland Security Halts Spying on Reporters Covering Protests, Spokesman Says Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- US Homeland Security Chad Wolf ordered his agency's intelligence directorate to immediately stop collecting information and publishing reports on reporters covering violent anti-government protests in the city of Portland, Spokesman Alexei Woltornist said in a press release on Friday.
• U.S. Appeals Court Overturns Boston Marathon Bomber's Death Sentence RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- A U.S. federal appeals court has overturned the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, an ethnic Chechen and naturalized U.S. citizen convicted in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
• US Appeals Court Overturns Death Sentence of Boston Marathon Bomber Tsarnaev Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a 27-year-old Kyrgyz-American man found guilty in 2015 of the Boston Marathon bombings two years prior, has had his death sentence overturned by a US appeals court on Friday.
• White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Announces Record Reduction in Poppy Cultivation and Potential Heroin Production in Mexico The White House 31 Jul 2020
• ONDCP Releases Data on Coca Cultivation and Production in Peru The White House 31 Jul 2020
• Russia vows 'reciprocal' response to EU's political sanctions Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry says it will respond in kind to travel and financial sanctions imposed by the European Union on a department of its military intelligence service over alleged cyber attacks.
• Putin Signs Into Law Bill On Multiday Voting In Elections RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a controversial bill that allows voting over as many as three days during elections.
• Russia Opens Criminal Case Against Opposition Politician Over Anti-Kremlin Rallies RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against Yulia Galymina, an opposition Moscow city councillor and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, over her involvement in anti-Kremlin rallies.
• The Week In Russia: The Death Of An Anti-Perestroika Icon And A Wagnerian Riddle In Belarus RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- The fears of a perestroika foe who has died at age 81 have echoes in President Vladimir Putin's political planning, and Russia's intentions in Belarus face new scrutiny after Kremlin-linked mercenaries are arrested and the embattled authoritarian who is arguably Putin's closest foreign ally accuses Moscow of a plot to destabilize elections.
• The Soviet Mars Shot That Almost Everyone Forgot RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- A U.S. Atlas V rocket lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral on July 30 to cap an unprecedented month of international Mars mission launches, including by the United Arab Emirates and China.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on July 31, 2020 PRC MofA 31 Jul 2020
• Hong Kong Postpones Elections By a Year, Citing Coronavirus VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- Hong Kong's top leader, Carrie Lam, announced Friday that the city's September legislative election would be postponed for a year, citing the coronavirus pandemic. The decision dealt a blow to the pro-democracy camp, which was widely expected to score a victory in the election.
• Hong Kong Postpones Legislative Elections by One Year, Sparking Outcry Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam on Friday announced the postponement of elections to the Legislative Council (LegCo) by one year, in a move that was immediately slammed by pro-democracy lawmakers as questionable, and tantamount to a political coup.
• HK LegCo election postponed a year, gets central govt support Global Times 31 Jul 2020 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced on Friday that due to the current severe COVID-19 situation in the city, the Legislative Council (LegCo) election scheduled for September has been postponed to September 5 next year. Experts and local lawmakers said the decision prioritizes public health and aims to ensure fairness in the election.
• US Sanctions Key Paramilitary Group, Officials Over Abuses in China's Xinjiang Region Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned a key paramilitary group in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and two of its current and former officials, in the latest bid by the Trump administration to end rights violations in the region.
• U.S. Slaps Sanctions On Chinese Entity, Individuals Over Rights Abuses In Xinjiang RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States says it has imposed sanctions on a Chinese government entity and two current or former officials for their alleged involvement in "serious rights abuses" against Uyghurs and other mainly Muslim ethnic groups in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
• US Imposes Sanctions on Two Chinese Individuals, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States has imposed sanctions against the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and two Chinese nationals connected to it under the Global Magnitsky Act, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said on it website on Friday.
• On Sanctioning Human Rights Abusers in Xinjiang, China US Dept. of State 31 Jul 2020 -- The Chinese Communist Party's human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities rank as the stain of the century.
• Treasury Sanctions Chinese Entity and Officials Pursuant to Global Magnitsky Human Rights Executive Order US Treasury 31 Jul 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned one Chinese government entity and two current or former government officials in connection with serious rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
• Pompeo slanders China to serve his own political interests: FM Global Times 31 Jul 2020 -- The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's claim that the "threat from CPC is very real" disregards the facts, turns black into white, and is a hotch-potch of political lies, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday, adding that Pompeo slanders China to serve his own political interests and divert the public's attention while the US is in a public health and economic crisis.
• China Considers Toughening Rules for Foreign English Teachers VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- China recently issued new draft rules aimed at toughening oversight of foreign teachers in the country, requiring them to undergo ideological training sessions and creating a new social credit rating system to monitor their conduct.
• China turns inward amid external risks Global Times 31 Jul 2020 -- China has sent its clearest signal yet that it will throw more policy weight and coordination to further prop up its economy with a massive consumer market and robust industrial prowess to cope with fast evolving external risks, as top policymakers start to draft a key document that would set the tone for economic and social development for at least the next five years.
• US claim that China committed cyber-attacks on Moderna slanderous: FM Global Times 31 Jul 2020 -- The US' claim that hackers linked to the Chinese government targeted US coronavirus vaccine research developer Moderna in an attempt to steal data is completely slanderous without any actual evidence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing on Friday.
• China Rejects Accusations of Hacking US Vaccine Developer Moderna Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- Reuters reported on Thursday citing an anonymous US security official that Beijing-linked hackers attempted to steal data from US coronavirus vaccine research developer Moderna earlier this year.
• China's Record Oil Imports Spark Security Concerns Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- China has been buying record volumes of foreign oil as tensions with the United States and energy security concerns climb.
• China achieves key independent tech with full global service of BeiDou Global Times 31 Jul 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a ceremony to mark the launch of full global services of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System on Friday in Beijing, indicating that China's domestically development and independently operated global satellite navigation system has been fully completed.
• Xi declares start of Beidou's full-scale global service People's Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- Renowned Chinese scientists, headed by Chen Fangyun, propose to build an experimental two-satellite positioning system.
• Xi officially announces commissioning of BDS-3 navigation system PLA Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, officially announced the commissioning of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) on Friday.
• China's successful launch of Tianwen-1 Mars mission marks steady progress in exploring the outer space People's Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- China launched its first Mars exploration mission Tianwen-1 on July 23 with the fourth Long March-5 rocket coded as Long March-5 Y4 at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan province.
• International community praises Lee Teng-hui (update) CNA 31 Jul 2020 -- The international community on Thursday mourned the passing of Taiwan's former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who succumbed to multiple organ failure at the age of 97, lauding him for his role in leading Taiwan onto the path of democracy.
• Lee remembered as initiator of 'quiet revolution' in Taiwan CNA 31 Jul 2020 -- Former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) is being remembered as an initiator of a "quiet revolution" during his 12-year presidency, carrying out six rounds of constitutional reforms that laid a solid foundation for Taiwan to peacefully transition from a dictatorship to a democracy.
• 'Two-state' theory considered Lee Teng-hui's main political legacy CNA 31 Jul 2020 -- The "two-state" theory proposed by former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) in 1999, which characterized the Republic of China (Taiwan) and China as two different jurisdictions, is considered one of his major political legacies as it emphasized Taiwan's national identity.
• Taiwan Mourns Death of 'Mr Democracy,' Former President Lee Teng-hui Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- Taiwan on Friday mourned the death of its former president Lee Teng-hui, widely regarded as the man who brought about the island's democratic transition.
• Party Officials Implicated as North Korean Smugglers Caught Trying to Move Gold Into China Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- Authorities in North Korea are investigating allegations that central Party officials of the ruling Workers' Party are involved in gold and platinum smuggling after seven alleged smugglers were arrested as they were attempting to deliver a large amount of the metals to buyers in China, local sources told RFA.
• Large Fire In Tehran Commercial Area Engulfs Warehouses Radio Farda 31 Jul 2020 -- Tehran's fire department says a huge blaze broke out this morning in a large commercial area housing depots for various manufactured goods.
• Tehran Does Not Believe Blast on Natanz Nuclear Plant Caused by Missile, Drone Attack Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- Tehran does not consider that an incident that occurred on Iran's Natanz advanced centrifuge plant in early July was the result of a drone or missile attack, Mojtaba Zonnour, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in the Iranian parliament, said on Friday, adding that a reason should be found within Iran.
• US Sanctions Are Intended to Collapse Iran's Economy, Supreme Leader Says Sputnik 31 Jul 2020 -- Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States is expanding its metal sanctions against Iran to cover 22 additional materials used in various missile programmes.
• Khamenei Rules Out Negotiations With US, Says Trump Seeks Personal Gain Radio Farda 31 Jul 2020 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has once again ruled out negotiations with the United States and accused U.S. President Donald Trump of suggesting talks with Iran for personal gain.
• Leader: US sanctions, crime against Iranian nation IRNA 31 Jul 2020 -- The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei described the US sanctions against Iran not as sabotage against the government but a crime against the nation.
• Ayatollah Khamenei rules out any letup in resistance to US Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has slammed US sanctions on Tehran as "a crime against the Iranian nation".
• Iran will let no aggressors to approach its borders: Spox IRNA 31 Jul 2020 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi reiterated that territorial integrity and land, sea and air borders are sacred for the Iranian people, stressing that 'We will certainly not allow any intruder to infiltrate or harm this sacred trinity.'
• This Week in Iran Policy US Dept. of State 31 Jul 2020
• Pompeo: US expanding scope of Iran metals sanctions Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- The US is currently working to expand the scope of Iran metals sanctions which relate to the country's nuclear, military and ballistic missile programs, says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
• U.S. expands scope of Iran metals sanctions People's Daily 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States on Thursday expanded the scope of Iran metals-related sanctions by identifying 22 specific materials, a move to constrain Iran's nuclear, military programs.
• U.S. Adds Materials To Metals Sanctions Against Iran RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States has expanded sanctions against Iran's metals industry, adding 22 materials to the U.S. sanctions regime, a move that allows Washington to blacklist any company or entity that transfers the materials to Iran.
• Ukraine welcomes 'constructive' talks over plane crash with Tehran Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- Ukraine says the first round of talks between Kiev and Tehran about the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane near Tehran was constructive, but it was too early to say how much compensation Iran would agree to pay.
• Ukraine Reiterates Determination For Justice In Talks With Iran Over Downed Passenger Jet RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- Ukraine has reiterated its determination to bring Iran to justice for the downing of a Ukrainian airliner shortly after takeoff in Tehran during talks on compensation over the January air disaster that killed 176 people.
• Kremlin urges Belarus to release 33 detained Russians Press TV 31 Jul 2020 -- Russia has urged Belarus to immediately release 33 Russian private security contractors detained on terrorism charges, dismissing the accusations against them as bogus.
• U.S. Calls On Belarus To Hold Free Elections, Expresses Regret Over Lack Of OSCE Observers RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States called on Belarus on July 30 to conduct its upcoming presidential election in a free and fair manner as it expressed disappointment over the lack of Western observers to monitor the vote.
• Ukraine To Seek Extradition Of Alleged Russian Mercenaries Detained In Belarus, Moscow Calls For Their Release RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- Kyiv says it will seek the extradition of alleged contractors from the Russian private military company Vagner being held in Belarus as Moscow demanded their release, saying they were in transit and headed to Turkey.
• New Bill Backing Reform In Ukraine Seeks To Show U.S. 'Will Stand By Its Friend' RFE/RL 31 Jul 2020 -- A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to provide military assistance and reform support to Ukraine over the next five years, underscoring the widespread congressional backing for the nation despite repeated disappointments as it battles Russia-backed forces.
• US Outraged at Pakistan Killing of Citizen on Trial For Blasphemy VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- The United States has denounced the killing inside a courtroom of a naturalized U.S. citizen on trial for blasphemy in Pakistan.
• Anti-Femicide Protests Sweep Turkey VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- A wave of protests sparked by the slaying of a young woman has been sweeping across Turkey as the government considers leaving an international convention that protects women against violence, despite warnings from rights groups about the rising number of killings of women.
• Laos Builds Road and Workers' Camp for Luangprabang Dam Ahead of Formal Approval Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- A Thai dam developer has begun clearing land for a large-scale Mekong River dam near the ancient Lao capital Luang Prabang before signing a hydropower sale pact required for approval, raising concerns from downstream communities already hit hard by Laos' aggressive damming of the vital waterway.
• Cambodia Arrests Outspoken Union Leader Over Claims Government Ceded Land to Vietnam Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- Authorities in Cambodia arrested outspoken union chief Rong Chhun from his home in Phnom Penh on Friday in connection with a statement he made claiming that the country had ceded land to Vietnam along their shared border, according to officials.
• Eight Vietnamese Democracy Activists Given Long Terms in Prison Radio Free Asia 31 Jul 2020 -- A court in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City on Friday handed stiff prison terms to a group of eight activists convicted of planning protests on Vietnam's National Day on Sept. 2, 2018.
• Ivory Coast President Names New Prime Minister VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara chose Hamed Bakayoko to be prime minster, replacing Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who died suddenly earlier this month.
• Zimbabwe Protests Stopped by Government Soldiers VOA 31 Jul 2020 -- A heavy security presence in Zimbabwe's capital Friday shut down planned opposition protests against the government's handling of corruption and the economy.