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News Reports

Current Operations

• Afghan Peace Negotiators To Fly To Qatar As More Taliban Prisoners Freed RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Afghan officials say the government is dispatching a delegation to Qatar ahead of long-delayed peace talks after authorities pressed ahead with the release of Taliban prisoners.
• President Ghani says Afghan government fulfilled all commitments for Taliban peace talks Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani says the government has fulfilled all its commitments for peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Actions to Protect U.S. Personnel from Illegitimate Investigation by the International Criminal Court US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2020 -- "Today, the United States is taking action to protect Americans from unjust and illegitimate investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which threatens our sovereignty and poses a danger to the United States and our allies."
• U.S. Announces New Sanctions Against International Court Over Probe Of War Crimes In Afghanistan RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and one of her top aides for continuing to investigate Americans in connection with alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
• UN dismayed over US sanctions on top International Criminal Court officials UN News 02 Sep 2020 -- The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday noted "with concern" the imposition by the United States of sanctions against the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another senior official, in the latest of a series of unilateral policy moves against the body.
• US Sanctions ICC Prosecutor Bensouda VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions against the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda.
• US imposes sanctions on ICC officials over probe into war crimes in Afghanistan Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on senior officials in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
• ICC Rejects 'Unprecedented, Unacceptable' US Sanctions - State Parties Chief Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) condemns new US sanctions that threaten to undermine the common fight against impunity for mass atrocities, President of the Assembly of States Parties O-Gon Kwon said in a statement on Wednesday.
• DASD for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy Delivers Remarks at the Mitchell Institute Nuclear Deterrence Forum Series DoD 02 Sep 2020 -- Dr. Robert Soofer, Deputy Assistant Secretary Of Defense For Nuclear And Missile Defense Policy; Doug Birkey, Executive Director, Mitchell Institute
• Underway, in Maintenance Stateside and Beyond: The Lifecycle of an HSM 73 Helicopter Aboard USS Ralph Johnson US Navy 02 Sep 2020 -- "Flight quarters, flight quarters, man your flight quarters stations" rings out over the general announcing system aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114).
• DOD Awards $10 Million Undefinitized Contract Action to Copan Industries, Inc. to Establish Domestic Production Capacity of Flock Tip Testing Swabs DoD 02 Sep 2020 -- On August 31, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed value of $10,000,000 to Copan Industries Inc, to expand U.S. based industrial production capacity of flocked swabs.
• NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support Awards H-53 Contract to Parker Hannifin Corporation US Navy 02 Sep 2020 -- Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support awarded a Performance Based Logistics contract for the CH-53 Sea Stallion and MH-53E Sea Dragon aircraft to Parker-Hannifin Corporation located in Irvine, California, Sept. 1.
• NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support Boosts Supply-Chain Resiliency in Indo-Pacific US Navy 02 Sep 2020 -- Managing one of the world's largest supply chains is inherently challenging and, when assets are on the other side of the globe, shortening the distance from supplier to customer is paramount to efficiency.
• U.S. Fourth Fleet Hosts Staff Talks with Colombian Naval Delegation US Navy 02 Sep 2020 -- Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, hosted delegates from the Colombian Navy for the annual Maritime Staff Talks (MST) Sept. 1.
• Marine Corps Activates Network Activity - NCR to Provide Unity of Command and Effort to the Enterprise Network USMC News 02 Sep 2020 -- The Marine Corps is modernizing how it commands and controls its enterprise network. Now a dedicated group will upgrade the Corps' ability to prevent and counter adversarial cyber-attacks and minimize network disruptions and outages.
• DOD Official Outlines U.S. Nuclear Deterrence Strategy DoD News 02 Sep 2020 -- There is broad, bipartisan support for the modernization of the nuclear triad, which includes bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and the systems that control them, a Defense Department expert said.
• Test launch demonstrates safe, ready Minuteman III deterrent US Air Force 02 Sep 2020 -- A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle at 12:03 a.m. Pacific Time Sept. 2 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
• Deputy Secretary General addresses meeting of the Aqaba Process NATO 02 Sep 2020 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană took part in a virtual meeting of the Aqaba Process on Wednesday (2 September 2020). The Aqaba Process is an initiative by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan to enhance global coordination and cooperation to counter terrorism.
• China's Military Set to Increase Presence in South China Sea: Pentagon Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2020 -- China is set to greatly increase its military presence in the South China Sea, according to a new U.S. Department of Defense report. China's neighbors can expect to see its newest aircraft carrier, ship-killer missiles, and Marine Corps wade into disputed waters more boldly as the People's Liberation Army focuses on an "expeditionary" capability, facilitated by the increasing militarization of its outposts in the Paracel and Spratly Islands.
• Pentagon Says Parts of China's PLA Have Overtaken US Military Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2020 -- China has strengthened and modernized its military capabilities in recent years to the point where its People's Liberation Army (PLA) is "already ahead of the United States" in some areas, the Pentagon said in a report to Congress published on Wednesday.
• Pentagon Says Tajikistan Among Countries Where Beijing May Seek To Establish Military Bases RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. Department of Defense says the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan is among the countries China may be planning to set up new military bases as it expands the world's largest standing ground force.
• US Admiral Davidson Calls China 'Strategic Threat' in WWII Victory Anniversary Address Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- US Indo-Pacific fleet Commander Admiral Philip Davidson during the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Hawaii accused China of attempting to undermine the international order and characterized the country as being "a strategic threat".
• Pentagon report shows China's nuke strength key deterrence Global Times 02 Sep 2020 -- The latest Pentagon report on the Chinese military development shows that China's nuclear strength is key to deterring US hegemonic activities, Chinese military experts said on Wednesday. The Chinese national defense ministry also criticized the report for stigmatizing China's military modernization, and groundlessly hyping the "China military threat theory."
• Chinese MND: US report on China full of Cold War mentality PLA Daily 02 Sep 2020 -- The Chinese military has expressed opposition to the Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2020, an annual report released by the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Beijing: US report on Chinese warheads filled with bias Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- China has dismissed a US report that claims Beijing is expected to double the number of its nuclear warheads.
• Beijing Rejects US Report That China is Expected to Double Nuclear Warheads as 'Biased' Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The day before, the US Defence Department issued a report suggesting that China is pursuing a 'nuclear triad' by developing land, sea, and air-based nuclear weapons systems.
• China Uses Tactics Short of Armed Conflict to Pursue Territorial, Maritime Claims - Pentagon Report Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- Leaders of China's Communist Party want to create a favourable international environment for their country's national rejuvenation, a Pentagon report has told the US Congress. The report, titled "A 20 Year Retrospective on China's Strategy and Armed Forces", revealed the national goal and the role of the Chinese army in achieving it.
• China's military buildup eroding Taiwan's advantages: Pentagon CNA 02 Sep 2020 -- Beijing's military modernization has eroded Taiwan's potential advantages should a cross-Taiwan Strait conflict occur, even though Taiwan is taking steps to compensate for the growing disparities, the Pentagon said in a report Tuesday.
• Taiwan military's 'overreaction' to report shows it's 'guilty': Beijing think tank Global Times 02 Sep 2020 -- The island of Taiwan on Wednesday said a Beijing think tank report on Sunday which claims a US military aircraft may have taken off from a Taiwan-based airfield and flew to Japan was fake news. This is the third time that the Taiwan military authority has responded to the report by the think tank, which recently gained prominence for closely tracking US military activities in the Taiwan Straits.
• France - C-130 Aircraft Support DSCA 02 Sep 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of France of four (4) AE-2100D Turbo Prop engines and two (2) Multifunctional, Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminal Block Upgrade Two (MIDS-LVT BU2) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $350 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Iranian Army air defense commander unveils two new achievements IRNA 02 Sep 2020 -- Iranian Army air defense commander on Wednesday unveiled two new achievements in a ceremony marking the progress Iranian defense industries made in science and technology.
• Iran unveils Kashef-99 radar ISNA 02 Sep 2020 -- Iran has unveiled a new domestically developed radar system on Wednesday with Commander of Army Air Defense Force Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard in attendance.
• New Iranian Radar Can Detect Over 300 Targets at Once, Including Micro Air Vehicles, Commander Says Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- Earlier this week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed his gratitude to the nation's air defence troops, saying the Islamic Republic "owes its security" to their continued "preparedness and wakefulness" in the face of regional and global threats.
• Spain – AIM-120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) DSCA 02 Sep 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Spain of one hundred (100) AIM-120C-7/8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and one (1) AMRAAM Guidance Section (spare) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $248.5 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• US announces decision to partially lift arms ban on Cyprus, angering Turkey Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- The United States says it is partially lifting a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus, drawing a strong rebuke from Turkey, at a time of escalating tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo At a Press Availability US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 2, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 2 September 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Sep 2020
• Saudi Arabia, UAE used cluster bombs in military offensives against Yemen's Hudaydah: UN official Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- A United Nations official says Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the key members of a coalition waging war on Yemen, have deployed cluster bombs against a residential neighborhood in the country's coastal western province of Hudaydah.
• Syria thwarts fresh Israeli missile attack on T4 airbase Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- The Syrian air defenses have foiled a fresh Israeli missile attack against the T4 airbase in central Syria.
• Syria Intercepts Israeli Strike on Central Air Base - State Media Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- According to Syrian state media, several missiles fired at the Tiyas T4 air base in Homs Governorate were intercepted on Wednesday.
• Militants Shell Settlement in Syria's Aleppo Province, Russian Military Says Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group shelled a settlement in Syria's Aleppo province, the deputy head of the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation, Rear Admiral Alexander Grinkevich, said on Wednesday.
• Committing to a lasting ceasefire in Libya UK FCDO 02 Sep 2020 -- Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen, UK Chargé d'Affaires to the UN, at the Security Council briefing on the situation in Libya
• Security Council support 'in action' for Libya, crucial for its future, declares UN mission chief UN News 02 Sep 2020 -- The top UN official in Libya urged the Security Council on Wednesday to press for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and a return to negotiations, following the call from rival political leaders for a ceasefire on 21 August.
• Indian troops first to cross LAC; blame for border issues lies with New Delhi Global Times 02 Sep 2020 -- India's habitual boasts about its military strength, fabrication of victories and cover-ups of its provocations in recent border clashes with Chinese troops, which arise from its domestic need to divert public attention from its government's failure to improve the economy and contain COVID-19, make the whole world question its sincerity in maintaining the stability of the border area, Chinese analysts said.
• India first to provoke, responsibility rests with India: Chinese FM Global Times 02 Sep 2020 -- The Indian army's statement admitting that its troops pre-empted the Chinese military activity fully proves that it was the first to illegally cross the border in an act of provocation, the first to unilaterally change the status quo in the border area and the first to violate the important consensus reached by the two sides, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
• Chinese embassy urges India to immediately withdraw troops illegally trespassing border area People's Daily 02 Sep 2020 -- The Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday urged India to immediately withdraw its troops illegally trespassing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and immediately halt any move that would escalate tensions.
• Troops Didn't Cross Border to Occupy Ridge at Pangong Tso, Indian Army Says Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- India and China have accused each other of crossing the loosely demarcated Line of Actual Control in Ladakh since 29 August when the two sides were involved in a skirmish in the Chushul Valley.
• India Reportedly Deploys Troops to Arunachal Border Amid Boiling Tensions With China in Ladakh Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- After another face-off between troops in Eastern Ladakh region's Chushul Valley overnight on 29-30 August, India has issued a high alert along the border with China, Nepal and Bhutan. Preempting action from Chinese forces, the troops have been asked to remaintain vigilant, especially at the tri-junction area in Lipulekh.
• No Indian Soldiers Were Killed in the Border Clash in Ladakh, Claims Chinese Foreign Ministry Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The troops of India and China were engaged in a fierce physical duel on 29 August in Chushul, an area of the Ladakh Union Territory. The two sides have been conducting commanders' level talks for a third consecutive day to diffuse tension in the region.
• Key Player Worries About Mideast Drive to Build Ties With Israel VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- U.S. officials say Washington would like to see more Arab and Muslim countries follow the United Arab Emirates' lead in normalizing relations with Israel. It looks to Oman, Bahrain and Sudan as possible candidates. But Israel's peace partner and staunch Palestinian supporter, Jordan, worries that the Israel-UAE deal will scuttle the two-state solution and it could possibly be one of the biggest losers, if the land-for-peace option is abandoned.
• Watchdog Warns of 'Limited Progress' in Africa Counterterror Fight VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- Terrorist organizations appear to be tightening their grip on multiple regions of Africa, despite ongoing efforts by the United States and its allies to degrade their capabilities and limit their reach.
• Sudan Holdout Group: Peace Deal Fails to Address Conflict's Root Causes VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- The leader of the rebel group Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), which was not part of the negotiations in Juba that led to a peace deal Monday, is calling the agreement nothing more than a plan to distribute wealth and government positions, and asserting it does not address the underlying reasons for Sudan's conflicts.
• Cameroon Says Conflict Destroying Anglophone Regions' Economies VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- Cameroon says the economies of its troubled English-speaking western regions are collapsing as a result of the country's four-year separatist conflict. Officials say the ongoing fighting has made tax revenues in the English-speaking Northwest region drop from $800,000 annually to just $1,000 last year. The lack of government funds has had devastating effects on the region.
• Khmer Rouge Executioner 'Duch' Dies in Prison in Cambodia Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2020 -- Khmer Rouge prison chief and executioner Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, has died in a Cambodian hospital at the age of 77, Cambodian government and other sources said on Wednesday.

News Reports

• 14 Terror Attack Suspects on Trial in Paris VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- Fourteen alleged associates of two jihadist terrorists went on trial Wednesday in Paris for allegedly helping them carry out deadly attacks in 2015, including one on the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
• Repatriated ISIS Fighter Pleads Guilty to Terror Charge US Dept. of Justice 02 Sep 2020 -- A repatriated ISIS fighter has pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge, announced the Department of Justice.
• American IS Follower Pleads Guilty to Terror Charges VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- An American who traveled to Syria to fight for Islamic State's self-declared caliphate has pleaded guilty to terror charges, a year after he was returned to the United States.
• United States Seizes Domain Names Used by Foreign Terrorist Organization US Dept. of Justice 02 Sep 2020 -- The United States has seized "Aletejahtv.com" and "Aletejahtv.org," two websites, which were unlawfully utilized by Kata'ib Hizballah, a Specially Designated National and a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
• US Federal Appeals Court Rules NSA's Mass Surveillance Programme Was Illegal Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA's mass surveillance programme collected telephone, email and internet browsing records on nearly everyone in the United States, despite a law prohibiting the monitoring of US citizens without a court order.
• Name Your Poison: Exotic Toxins Fell Kremlin Foes RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- The German government has announced that tests on blood samples taken from Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny showed the presence of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.
• 'Novichok' Would Have Killed Navalny, Developer of Substance Says Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The symptoms of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny's alleged poisoning are absolutely uncharacteristic of the use of the Novichok nerve agent, Leonid Rink, who was directly involved in the development of Novichok, said.
• German Gov't Spokesman Claims Tests Show Navalny Was 'Poisoned by Novichok Group Nerve Agent' Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- Russian opposition figure and blogger Alexei Navalny was flown to Germany from Omsk, Russia, where he was hospitalised on 20 August after falling gravely ill. Russian doctors waged an interrupted battle for 44 hours to save his life.
• Foreign Secretary statement on Alexey Navalny UK FCDO 02 Sep 2020 -- Following a statement by the German government on Alexey Navalny, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab made the below comments.
• Putin Critic Poisoned by Soviet-Era Nerve Agent, Germany Says VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- Germany said Wednesday that tests performed on specimens taken from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny showed the presence of the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
• Kremlin says 'no answer' yet from Berlin on Navalny episode Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- Russia has censured Berlin for its failure to cooperate with Moscow on the case of Alexei Navalny, saying the German narrative that the Russian opposition figure was poisoned with a nerve agent lacked evidence.
• Russian prosecutors demand Navalny's medical records from Germany Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- Russian prosecutors have asked Germany to provide the medical records of opposition figure Alexi Navalny, who is in coma in a German hospital, for a comparative study of his condition.
• Germany Says Navalny Poisoned By Novichok Nerve Agent RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- The German government says tests on blood samples taken from Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny showed the presence of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group, a poison suspected of being used in other attempts to silence outspoken Kremlin opponents.
• Red Scare: United Russia Uses 'Administrative Resources' To Beat Back Communists In Ulyanovsk RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Throughout the early post-Soviet period, the Ulyanovsk region was the buckle in the so-called Red Belt of Communist-leaning agrarian regions across southwestern Russian.
• Chechen Leader Kadyrov Appoints His Daughter First Deputy Culture Minister RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya, has appointed his eldest daughter as first deputy culture minister.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 2, 2020 PRC MofA 02 Sep 2020
• Hong Kong, Xinjiang Crackdowns Haunt China FM Wang's Europe Tour Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2020 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's five-nation tour of Europe was billed as a charm offensive to court key Western nations amid a deepening China-U.S. standoff, but the trip was dogged by Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang and other issues that have straining Beijing's ties with Washington.
• Advancing Reciprocity in U.S.- China Diplomatic Relations US Dept. of State 02 Sep 2020 -- "For years, the PRC has imposed significant barriers on American diplomats working in the PRC that are far beyond diplomatic norms. PRC authorities implement a system of opaque approval processes designed to prevent American diplomats from conducting regular business and connecting with the Chinese people. U.S. diplomats' attempts to host cultural events, secure official meetings, and visit university campuses are regularly obstructed."
• US State Department imposes restrictions on Chinese diplomats Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- In a briefing with reporters on Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the restrictions, accusing the People's Republic of China of pressuring US diplomats in the country by subjecting them to "a system of opaque approval processes"
• US Says Will Make Sure All Chinese Embassy Social Media Pages Identified as Government Accounts Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- According to the US State Department, senior Chinese diplomats in the US will now be required to receive approval to visit US university campuses and meet with local government officials.
• Pompeo: Senior Chinese Diplomats Now Need Prior Approval for Travel, Meetings Within US VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- The United States is requiring senior Chinese diplomats to receive prior approval before visiting U.S. university campuses and meeting with local U.S. government officials, citing the need for reciprocity between the two countries.
• China's Top Diplomat Confirms Relations, Projects in Second Myanmar Visit of 2020 Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2020 -- China's top diplomat visited Myanmar this week to reconfirm major infrastructure plans with its Southeast Asian neighbor, his second trip to Naypyidaw in 2020 and a sign Beijing is shoring up relations in the region to help offset deteriorating ties with the West, analysts said Wednesday.
• China, Vietnam Try to Make Amends After Stormy Start to 2020 VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- Officials from Vietnam and China met this week after months of maritime disputes, including a sunken boat and missile tests.
• New passport design that highlights 'Taiwan' released CNA 02 Sep 2020 -- Taiwan's government has released a new design for the country's passport highlighting the English word for "Taiwan" in the hope of drawing a clearer distinction between Taiwan and China.
• Reactions to passport redesign split along party lines CNA 02 Sep 2020 -- A new passport design announced by Taiwan's government on Wednesday to highlight the name "Taiwan" and minimize the country's official name, the Republic of China, drew mixed reactions that split along party lines.
• Taiwan Introduces New Passport Cover to Draw Distinction From China VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- The Taiwan government released a new design Wednesday for its passport cover, and the island's popularly known name "Taiwan" is noticeably amplified in a bold font to avoid a connection to China, once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Taiwan to redesign passports to differentiate from mainland China Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- Taiwan says it plans to redesign its passports to put greater emphasis on the island's name, amid an increasingly hostile posturing toward mainland China.
• Taiwan Presents Changed Passport Cover to Avoid Confusion With Chinese One Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The Taiwanese government on Wednesday presented a new design of its passport to ensure it reflects the difference between it and mainland China, the state-owned Central News Agency reported.
• DPP secessionists 'deceive themselves' with new passport Global Times 02 Sep 2020 -- With growing tensions and the specter of a military conflict looming over the Taiwan Straits, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-dominated Taiwan island unveiled a new version of its passport, marked by further de-sinicization. Experts from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan believe the DPP's "political smuggling" is pushing the island toward the brink of a military conflict.
• Czech Senate speaker says visit aimed at connecting with Taiwan CNA 02 Sep 2020 -- Czech Senate President Miloš Vystrčil said during a meeting with Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Wednesday that his current visit to Taiwan is aimed at connecting the two countries.
• 'You crossed the line,' Chinese Foreign Minister warns Czech official's visit to Taiwan island Global Times 02 Sep 2020 -- Ignoring opposition of China and the Czech government, Czech Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil insisted on visiting the island of Taiwan, instigating secessionist forces, a blatant provocation that "crossed the line," Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
• Taiwan-U.S. dialogue to be held by year-end: economics minister CNA 02 Sep 2020 -- The newly announced Economic and Commercial Dialogue between Taiwan and the United States will be held by the end of this year, Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said Wednesday.
• US Claims North Korea Trying to Skirt Economic Sanctions, Seeks Items For Missile Program Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- A recent report by several US government departments has warned that Pyongyang is still trying to get around international economic sanctions and buy materials for its missile program.
• China: JCPOA commission sends message of upholding JCPOA, UNSC authority IRNA 02 Sep 2020 -- China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said the Tuesday meeting of Iran nuclear deal joint commission meeting sends out the message of upholding the deal and the authority of the UN Security Council.
• Rouhani: US will get nowhere in its attempt with UN Security Council IRNA 02 Sep 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the US will get nowhere in its attempt with the UN Security Council to restore UN sanctions on Iran.
• US efforts to use JCPOA privileges despite their withdrawal from the deal laughable: President Rouhani ISNA 02 Sep 2020 -- Iran President instructed the head of the Plan and Budget Organisation and the ministers of "Education" and "Communications and Information Technology" to take steps to ensure that public schools and students use the SHAD Network free of charge, given the reopening of schools on September 5th.
• Joint statement of Joint Commission of JCPOA ISNA 02 Sep 2020 -- The participant states of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reaffirmed on Tuesday evening that the United States unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA on May 8, 2018 and therefore cannot invoke the UN sanctions snapback under UNSC resolution 2231.
• U.S. plan to restore Iran sanctions will fail: Russian FM People's Daily 02 Sep 2020 -- U.S. attempts to re-impose sanctions on Iran are doomed to fail, while Moscow stands ready to mediate between Washington and Tehran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.
• Iran diplomat: JCPOA won't survive unless Iran enjoys sanctions removal benefits Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says the only practical way to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is for Tehran to reap the full benefits of the agreement arising from sanctions-lifting.
• Parties To Iran Nuclear Deal Meet In Vienna Amid U.S. Pressure Radio Farda 02 Sep 2020 -- Abdou Abbarry, the United Nations Ambassador for Niger who will be chairing the Security Council this month, said on Tuesday that Niger will follow last month's precedent and ignore the United States' attempt to restore all U.N. sanctions on Iran.
• Iran Nuclear Deal Parties 'United in Resolve' to Preserve Agreement VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- A European Union official leading talks among Iran and a group of five world powers Tuesday said the participants are committed to keeping alive the 2015 nuclear deal that restricted Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
• Owners of cargoes carrying Iranian fuel challenge US loot in court Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- The owners of four cargoes carrying Iranian fuel that was looted in high seas by the United States last month have mounted a legal challenge to reclaim them, a report says.
• World Must Reject And Condemn Khamenei's Ideology Of Hatred, Pompeo Says Radio Farda 02 Sep 2020 -- After Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei accused the United Arab Emirates of "betraying" Muslims, Arab nations and Palestine by establishing diplomatic ties with Israel, the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on Tuesday that the world should "reject and condemn" Khamenei's "ideology of hatred."
• Amnesty International: Iran Protesters Were Flogged, Sexually Abused And Given Electric Shocks Post-Protests Radio Farda 02 Sep 2020 -- A new report released by the human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Wednesday says that following the Iranian protests in November 2019, some detainees were extensively tortured and subjected to grossly unfair trials, with officials using torture-tainted "confessions" to sentence prisoners to death.
• Watchdog Describes Iran's 'Shocking' Rights Violations After November Protests RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Amnesty International has accused Iran of committing "a catalogue of shocking human rights violations" against those detained in connection with the November 2019 antiestablishment protests, including children as young as 10.
• Iran Looks To China For Development Of Intranet Radio Farda 02 Sep 2020 -- The head of the Council and Internal Affairs Commission of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Saleh Jokar, says that launching an Iranian national intranet is included in the new partnership being planned between Iran and China.
• U.S. Demands End To Violence In Belarus As Dozens More Face Charges Over Protests RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States is demanding an immediate end to the violent crackdown by Belarus's government on opposition supporters after a disputed election on August 9 that gave longtime authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka a new six-year term.
• Deputy Secretary Of State Vows Continued U.S. Support For Freedom In Belarus RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun says Washington and its European partners will continue to press Belarusian authorities to free political prisoners, end violence against protesters, and allow citizens to choose their government through a free and fair election.
• Women Join Belarus Protests After Dozens Of Students Detained RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Throngs of women peacefully protested in central Minsk late on September 1 after earlier in the day security forces detained dozens of university students rallying in response to a call from Belarus's opposition for a nationwide strike to coincide with the first day of the school year.
• NASA Announces Successful Completion of First Firing Test for Artemis Moon Mission Rocket Engine Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The first full-scale booster engine test for the Space Launch System, the largest US rocket motor ever built, at Promontory, Utah was a full success, National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials announced.
• Kazakh Officials, Family Members To Be Barred From Having Bank Accounts Abroad RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Kazakhstan's government has announced that officials and members of their families will be barred from having bank accounts abroad amid growing public frustration over corruption following several scandals that have shed light on the enormity of their unexplained offshore wealth..
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 02 Sep 2020 -- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired here today the Cabinet's virtual session.
• UN Warns of Hazardous Waste Threat After Beirut Blast VOA 02 Sep 2020 -- The U.N. Development Program warns the explosion at the Port of Beirut has unleashed tons of hazardous waste that pose enormous threats to health and the environment if not disposed of properly.
• United States Reaches Settlement to Recover more than $60 Million Involving Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund US Dept. of Justice 02 Sep 2020 -- The Department of Justice has reached a settlement of its civil forfeiture cases against assets acquired by Riza Aziz utilizing funds allegedly embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Malaysia's investment development fund, and laundered through financial institutions in several jurisdictions, including the United States, Switzerland, Singapore and Luxembourg.
• Tunisia parliament approves new, technocratic cabinet Press TV 02 Sep 2020 -- Tunisia's parliament has approved a new, technocratic cabinet, in what would end months of political instability in the country.
• U.S. Shifts Focus To Economic Development In Serbia-Kosovo Talks In Washington RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti will meet in Washington on September 3 and 4 as part of long-running negotiations between the Balkan rivals.
• Bulgarian Protesters Clash With Police At Start Of 'Grand National Uprising' RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- Violent clashes erupted between Bulgarian police and protesters in central Sofia in one of the biggest showings in nearly two months anti-government protests calling for the resignation of the country's prime minister and chief prosecutor.
• Montenegrins Hand Djukanovic's Foes A Rare Opportunity. Can They Capitalize? RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- "Montenegro is finally free -- that's the easiest way to put it," said Perica Jankovic, a lawyer in the capital, Podgorica, one day after August 30 national elections.
• Cambodian Opposition Leader Kem Sokha Asks That Treason Charges Against Him be Dropped Radio Free Asia 02 Sep 2020 -- Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha, awaiting trial on charges of treason, on Wednesday called on the court handling his case to drop all charges against him so that he can return to political work amid national fears over the spread of coronavirus.