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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Fresno Guard members help fight California wildfires Army News 04 Sep 2020 -- The smell of smoke hangs heavy in the air as the Soldiers and Airmen make their way through the burnt and barren landscape. Forcing their way through charred branches and soft dirt, they meet up with the rest of the crew, who arrived by helicopter a few hours earlier and are already at work clearing brush and roots.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Reaffirms Original JEDI Cloud Award to Microsoft DoD 04 Sep 2020 -- The Department has completed its comprehensive re-evaluation of the JEDI Cloud proposals and determined that Microsoft's proposal continues to represent the best value to the Government.
• US Military Will Stick With Microsoft on JEDI Cloud Development Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- The US government is sticking with Microsoft to develop its JEDI Cloud supercomputing project despite a prior legal challenge from Amazon and an earlier injunction order issued by a federal court, the Department of Defence said in a press release on Friday.
• U.S., Australian militaries demonstrate rapid, long-distance airstrike capabilities USMC News 04 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and Australian Defence Force took a major step toward multinational interoperability as a combined task force during a major training scenario throughout August.
• Air Force B2s, B1s join Marine Corps, Australian Defence Forces in combined exercise US Air Force 04 Sep 2020 -- B-2 Spirits and B-1 Lancers participated in a combined United States-Australia exercise in Australia's Northern Territory by providing long-distance air strikes as part of a combined task force with the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin and Australian Defence Forces in August.
• DOD Awards Goldbelt Security, LLC, $125 Million in Support of National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy DoD 04 Sep 2020 -- On August 31, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD), in support of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded $125 million to Goldbelt Security, LLC to procure 530 million syringes and needles in support of a potential U.S. COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
• Russia wards off spy jets as US deploys tanks near border Press TV 04 Sep 2020 -- The Russian military says it has detected more than 40 foreign spy aircraft that were heading toward the country's border over the last week.
• Russia Scrambles Eight Fighter Jets to Intercept US Bombers Over Black Sea - Defense Ministry Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday it had scrambled eight fighter jets after it detected three US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers over the Black Sea.
• Russia's MiG-31 Intercepts Norwegian Air Force Plane Over Barents Sea Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- Russian fighter jet MiG-31 intercepted a Royal Norwegian Air Force plane near the Russian border over the Barents Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said in a statement on Friday.
• Chinese PLA's 36th naval task force sets sail for escort missions PLA Daily 04 Sep 2020 -- The 36th escort taskforce of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy left a military port in Qingdao on September 3rd for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to engage in escort missions.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh addresses Combined Meeting of Defence Ministers of SCO, CSTO & CIS Member States in Moscow; India PIB 04 Sep 2020 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has emphasised that, "Peaceful, stable and secure region of SCO member states - which is home to over 40 per cent of global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules and norms, sensitivity to each other's interest and peaceful resolution of differences."
• Indra Navy – 20 India PIB 04 Sep 2020 -- The 11th edition of exercise INDRA NAVY, a biennial bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Russian Navy is scheduled in the Bay of Bengal from 04 to 05 September 2020.
• Indian, Russian Warships Begin Naval Drills in Bay of Bengal Amid Emerging Security Challenges Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- India has been holding military exercises with Russian troops since 2005. Named "Indra", these exercises between the armies, navies, and air forces boost mutual the confidence and cooperation between the two countries' armed forces. They also reinforce the longstanding bond of friendship between the two countries.
• Iran says to equip its destroyers with vertical-launch cruise missiles Global Times 04 Sep 2020 -- An Iranian defense official says Iran Navy's destroyers will be equipped with vertical-launch cruise missiles, saying U.S. sanctions can't hinder Iran's defense development.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Phone Call With Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin "Benny" Gantz DoD 04 Sep 2020
• Israeli PM Denies He Approved US Arms Sales To Emirates After Peace Deal Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- The New York Times quoted a Washington-based Arab academic who said officials in the US, Israel and United Arab Emirates have confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu has privately assured that he would not oppose the arms deal.
• Norway Bolsters Key Arctic Port to Accept More US Submarine Calls Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- The new installations at the vital Arctic port Tromsø will allow US and NATO submarines to replenish supplies during port calls, which, in turn, will open them up for longer deployments in the contested Arctic region.
• Remarks by President Trump After Air Force One Arrival | Joint Base Andrews, MD | September 3, 2020 The White House 04 Sep 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 4, 2020

Other Conflicts

• Al-Qaeda joining Saudi-led forces in Ma'rib province: Yemeni govt. Press TV 04 Sep 2020 -- The deputy foreign minister of Yemen's National Salvation Government based in Sana'a has warned that al-Qaeda forces are joining Saudi-led mercenaries in the strategic central Ma'rib province.
• Saudi-Led Coalition Thwarts Explosive-Laden Drone Launched From Yemen - Report Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- The attack comes just days after a similar drone launched by the Houthi rebel movement targeted the Southern Region of Saudi Arabia, local media reported.
• Illegal US military deployment in Syria creates tensions in Middle East: Russia, Syria Press TV 04 Sep 2020 -- Russian and Syrian joint coordination committees on the repatriation of Syrian refugees have denounced the presence of US troops on the Syrian soil, stating that such an illegal military deployment stokes new tensions in the Middle East.
• Militants Shell Settlements in Syria's Idlib, Latakia, Aleppo, Russian Military Says Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group shelled settlements in the Syrian provinces of Idlib, Latakia, and Aleppo, the deputy head of the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation, Rear Admiral Alexander Grinkevich, said on Friday.
• US-Led Coalition Downsizes Program That Spent $5 Bn to Equip 'Security Partners in Iraq and Syria' Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- The US will attempt to maintain equipment and other supplies for local fighters battling pockets of remaining fighters of the Daesh* terror group in Syria and Iraq while scaling back aid that totaled more than $5 billion since 2014, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release on Thursday.
• Exiled Tibetans in India's 'special force' are only 'cannon fodder' Global Times 04 Sep 2020 -- The latest border confrontation between China and India has brought under spotlight an Indian force unit, composed of the exiled Tibetans who some Indian media believe formed an "elite unit" and played an "important role" in the latest standoff triggered by India's provocative actions.
• India on High Alert as Defence Chief Talks of Coordinated Threat From China, Pakistan Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- India and China were recently involved in a skirmish in the Chushul area of Ladakh on the night of 29-30 August. Since then the two Asian giants have been accusing each other of crossing the loosely demarcated Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. In June, India lost 20 soldiers in one such clash with the Chinese Army.
• US Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Vows Strong Policy Supporting Tibet Radio Free Asia 04 Sep 2020 -- Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden said he would take a strong stand against China's human rights abuses in Tibet, and take measures to support Tibetans' cultural and religious rights, including meeting exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
• Greece Rejects NATO Bid to De-Escalate Tensions With Turkey VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- Athens Thursday denied NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's earlier statement that Greece and Turkey had agreed to "technical talks" to avoid military clashes in the region. The move, critics say, dashes hopes of a breakthrough in rising tension in the eastern Mediterranean.
• Turkey accuses Greece of 'rejecting dialog, lying' in Mediterranean dispute Press TV 04 Sep 2020 -- Turkey has accused Greece of shunning dialog and lying after Athens denied it had agreed to NATO-brokered talks aimed at de-escalating tensions in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.
• Athens Ready for Talks With Ankara After Withdrawal of Turkish Vessels, Greek Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said that the country was ready to launch reconciliation talks with Turkey after Turkish vessels leave what Athens calls its continental shelf.
• Renewed Violence in DRC's Kasai Region Could Trigger Mass Displacement, UN Says VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- The U.N. refugee agency warns that renewed violence and tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Kasai province could trigger a new wave of mass displacement.
• Myanmar Military Implicated in Civilian Deaths, Arson in Rakhine Villages Radio Free Asia 04 Sep 2020 -- At least two villages were set on fire and two civilians shot dead allegedly by a Myanmar military column in war-ridden Rakhine state, witnesses said Friday, as the government dismissed a cease-fire offer by the rebel Arakan Army and its allies.

News Reports

• China Has Largest Program to Interfere in US Presidential Election, White House Adviser Says Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Friday that China has the largest program to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election.
• Trump Administration Launches First Cybersecurity Principles for Space Technologies DHS 04 Sep 2020 -- The Trump Administration announced the first comprehensive cybersecurity policy for systems used in outer space and near space today.
• Russian National Indicted for Conspiracy to Introduce Malware into a Computer Network US Dept. of Justice 04 Sep 2020 -- A federal grand jury in the District of Nevada returned an indictment today charging a Russian national for his role in a conspiracy to intentionally cause damage to a protected computer.
• Two Self-Described "Boogaloo Bois" Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to Hamas US Dept. of Justice 04 Sep 2020 -- The Justice Department today announced a federal criminal complaint charging Michael Robert Solomon, 30, and Benjamin Ryan Teeter, 22, with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (Hamas).
• Statement by the North Atlantic Council on the poisoning of Alexei Navalny NATO 04 Sep 2020 -- Allies condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition figure, with the use of a nerve agent from the banned Novichok group.
• Online press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following a meeting of the North Atlantic Council NATO 04 Sep 2020
• NATO: Russia Must Answer Serious Questions About Navalny VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- After an urgent meeting of NATO ambassadors on Friday to discuss the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the allies said Russia must fully cooperate in an impartial investigation under the supervision of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
• Moscow Defiant As NATO Demands Cooperation Over Navalny Poisoning RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- NATO has called on a defiant Russia to "fully cooperate" with an "impartial international" probe to be led by the global Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) into the poisoning of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
• The West Did It: Kremlin Responds To Navalny Poisoning With Denials, Wild Conspiracy Theories RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- As much of the world expressed outrage following confirmation that a deadly military-grade nerve agent was used in the poisoning of prominent Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, the response in Russia has been one of denial to outright conspiratorial.
• 'Weapon Of Terror': A Novichok Creator Tells How Navalny Case Differs From The Skripal Attack RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Medical specialists in Germany have determined that Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is being treated in a hospital in Berlin after falling ill on August 20 on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, was poisoned with a form of the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok.
• Chinese president makes indirect response to US-led attacks on CPC at 75th anniversary of WWII victory Global Times 04 Sep 2020 -- The Chinese people will never agree on any attempt by any person or force to distort the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and smear the nature and the purpose of the CPC, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said at a symposium commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII. This was the first time China's top leader made an indirect response to US-led attacks on China's ruling Party.
• Xi Jinping Warns Against 'Changing China's Direction' As Textbooks Rewritten Radio Free Asia 04 Sep 2020 -- General secretary Xi Jinping on Friday warned that the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will never allow anyone, at home or overseas, to try to change China's "direction of progress."
• China warns UN against meddling in its affairs Press TV 04 Sep 2020 -- China warned United Nations (UN) experts to stop meddling in its affairs after officials from the body raised concerns about the application of a uniform national security law to Hong Kong.
• Malaysia's New Govt Says it Won't Hand Over Uyghur Refugees to China Radio Free Asia 04 Sep 2020 -- Malaysia's new government will not extradite ethnic Uyghurs to China if Beijing requests it and will allow them safe passage to a third country, a cabinet member told parliament recently, responding to questions from a lawmaker concerned that the policy could damage relations with China.
• Independent Tribunal Launched to Judge Claims of Mass Atrocities Crimes in Xinjiang Radio Free Asia 04 Sep 2020 -- The one-time prosecutor of ex-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic on Friday launched an independent tribunal to judge allegations of mass atrocities crimes committed against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
• China's Bad Loans Climb With Economic Recovery Radio Free Asia 04 Sep 2020 -- China's commercial banks have come under increasing pressure from government plans to support economic recovery with eased credit policies and mounting bad loans.
• Ethnic Mongolian Official Dead by Suicide Amid Language Protests Radio Free Asia 04 Sep 2020 -- A 33-year-old ethnic Mongolian woman has died by suicide in what her family members said was an act of protest over the ruling Chinese Communist Party's plans to phase out Mongolian-medium education and language teaching in schools.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 4, 2020 PRC MofA 04 Sep 2020
• Suppression on Chinese journalists reflects US' Cold War mentality and ideological bias: Chinese FM Global Times 04 Sep 2020 -- The political persecution and suppression on Chinese journalists in the US reflects the Cold War mentality and ideological bias of the US, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday in response to the discriminatory treatment to Chinese journalists by the US.
• Would a power like the US let others exploit it? Chinese FM asks Pompeo, who said US bent to China for 40 yrs Global Times 04 Sep 2020 -- As US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo's remarks and deeds not only severely damaged his reputation but also blurred the US' international image and credibility. He has become an infamous example in international relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a press conference on Friday.
• China launches reusable experimental spacecraft for peaceful uses Global Times 04 Sep 2020 -- China successfully launched a reusable experimental spacecraft with a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China on Friday.
• China's Reusable Spacecraft Blasts Off for First Time in Secretive Launch Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- China's first reusable spacecraft was blasted into space on Friday morning from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. According to a government aerospace agency, the mission will prepare the Chinese space program for a new generation of manned space missions.
• U.S., Taiwan agree to promote alternatives to Chinese supply chain CNA 04 Sep 2020 -- The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) have agreed to work closer together to restructure the global supply chain and make it more resilient, in an apparent attempt to avoid overreliance on China, especially in the ICT and medical sectors.
• European Attitudes Harden as Czech Visit to Taiwan Triggers Chinese Fury VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- A bitter dispute between China and the Czech Republic threatens to affect relations between Europe and Beijing.
• Flurry of High-Level Foreign Visitors Boosts Taiwan's International Visibility VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- A flurry of high-level visits from foreign officials and legislators has pushed Taiwan's international visibility to a new peak, despite chronic opposition from China, analysts in Taipei say, and the boost has raised people's confidence that their normally isolated island is getting international respect.
• IAEA report creates constructive prospects for ties with Iran: Envoy IRNA 04 Sep 2020 -- Iran's Ambassador to the Vienna-based international organizations Kazem Gharibabadi hailed IAEA's report on Safeguards Agreement (NPT) with Iran, saying that the report creates positive and constructive prospects for relations with Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog.
• New IAEA report envisages constructive prospects for cooperation with Iran: Official Press TV 04 Sep 2020 -- Iran's permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations says the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) envisages 'positive and constructive' prospects for bilateral cooperation.
• UN Nuclear Watchdog Says Iran's Enriched Uranium Stockpile 10 Times Over Limit RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase and now stands at more than 10 times the limit set down in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a report on September 4.
• IAEA: Iran Continues to Increase Enriched Uranium Stockpile in Breach of Nuclear Deal Sputnik 04 Sep 2020 -- Iran announced its intentions to go beyond the restrictions imposed by the nuclear deal in terms of enriching and stockpiling uranium in 2019. Tehran argued that since the Iranian economy was again suffering under sanctions, albeit only American ones, it should no longer abide by its obligations under the nuclear accord.
• Iran Dismisses Russia's Mediation Offer, Direct Talks With US Radio Farda 04 Sep 2020 -- Speaking on Friday, the Iranian President's Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi dismissed any plans for direct talks with the United States after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed to mediate between Iran and the United States.
• We Cannot Sell Even A Drop of Oil, Iran Deputy President Laments Radio Farda 04 Sep 2020 -- In unprecedented remarks, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the Vice President of Iran and Head of the Budget and Planning Organization, lamented that "Tehran cannot sell even a drop of oil."
• UN Special Rapporteur On Iran Human Rights Says Shocked By Violence Against Protesters Radio Farda 04 Sep 2020 -- In his third report to the General Assembly of the United Nations, Special Rapporteur Javaid Rehman has said that he is alarmed and shocked by the violence used against protesters in Iran during the November 209 civil unrest.
• Iran To Work With China To Create National Internet System RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- An Iranian lawmaker says Tehran and Beijing will work together to create a national Internet for Iran as part of a 25-year partnership agreement they are discussing.
• Kosovo, Serbia Agree To Normalize Economic Ties Following Talks In Washington RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Rivals Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to normalize economic ties following two days of U.S.-brokered talks in Washington.
• Serbia, Kosovo Normalize Economic Ties, Gesture to Israel VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- President Donald Trump announced Friday that Serbia and Kosovo have normalized economic ties as part of U.S.-brokered talks that include Belgrade moving its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, and Israel and Kosovo agreeing to mutual recognition.
• Remarks by President Trump, President Vučić of Serbia, and Prime Minister Hoti of Kosovo in a Trilateral Meeting The White House 04 Sep 2020
• Press Briefing by Ambassador O'Brien, Ambassador Grenell, Senior Advisor Kushner, and Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | September 4, 2020 The White House 04 Sep 2020
• Belarusian Journalists Sentenced To Three-Day Jail Terms Amid Crackdown On Postelection Protests RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Six Belarusian journalists detained earlier this week while covering an anti-government protest in Minsk were sentenced to three days in jail, as authorities continued their crackdown on dissent and media freedom following a disputed election that gave President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth-straight term.
• Tsikhanouskaya Calls On UN To Condemn Postelection Crackdown In Belarus RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called on the United Nations to condemn the violent crackdown by the government of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on protesters who charge he falsified his reelection victory last month.
• Belarusian Diplomat Who Resigned After Backing Protests Says People Tired Of Being Ignored RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- A Belarusian diplomat who resigned after he openly supported ongoing protests against official results of the August 9 presidential poll that handed victory to incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka says the uprising occurred for the simple reason that people are tired of having their votes "ignored."
• Belarus Opposition Leader Appeals to UN to Stop Human Rights Abuses in Her Country VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya appealed to the United Nations on Friday to stop human rights abuses in her country, a month after the results of a disputed presidential election have led to the arrests of thousands of peaceful protesters.
• PACE Rapporteurs Concerned At Sentence Handed To Azerbaijani Opposition Politician RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Three rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have urged Azerbaijan to review the case of opposition politician Tofiq Yaqublu, who was sentenced to four years and three months in prison on charges of "hooliganism."
• Campaigning Officially Starts For Kyrgyzstan's October 4 Parliamentary Elections RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Kyrgyzstan's parliamentary election campaign has officially begun, with 15 political parties contesting 120 seats in the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council).
• Bulgarian Government Resists Calls To Resign As Nearly Two Months Of Protests Turn Violent RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Bulgaria's weeks-long political crisis deepened on September 3 as the ruling conservative GERB party rebuffed calls to resign following violent anti-government protests the night before.
• The United States Responds to the Maduro Regime's Attempts To Corrupt Democratic Elections in Venezuela US Dept. of State 04 Sep 2020 -- Today, the United States is sanctioning, under Executive Order 13692, David Eugenio de Lima Salas, Reinaldo Enrique Muñoz Pedroza, Indira Maira Alfonzo Izaguirre, and Jose Luis Gutierrez Parra in light of their involvement in Maduro's efforts to manipulate the Venezuelan National Assembly and restructure the National Electoral Council, moves that rob the Venezuelan people of free and fair elections and destroy their democratic institutions.
• Treasury Sanctions Maduro Regime Officials for Undermining Democratic Order in Venezuela US Treasury 04 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four key figures that have facilitated the illegitimate Maduro regime's efforts to undermine the independence and democratic order of Venezuela.
• End secret detention of rights defender, independent experts urge Pakistani authorities UN News 04 Sep 2020 -- Independent UN rights experts have called on the Government of Pakistan to end the secret detention of a human rights defender, who has not been heard from in more than nine months.
• Sudan's Government Agrees to Separate Religion and State VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- Sudan's transitional government has agreed in principle to separate religion and state after three decades of Islamic rule in the country.
• Malawi President Announces Measures to Spark Economy VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera has announced plans to pull the country out of poverty, which he blamed on past governments.
• Jamaica's Ruling Party Claims Landslide Victory in Thursday's General Election VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness' Jamaica Labour Party won a decisive victory in Thursday's general election, retaining power by claiming 49 seats compared to the People's National Party's 14 seats in the preliminary tally.
• El Salvador President Denies Allegations of Negotiations With MS-13 Gang VOA 04 Sep 2020 -- El Salvador President Nayib Bukele vehemently denied allegations of collusion Friday after a report circulated by the online media outlet El Faro said his government had been engaging in talks with one of the country's most prolific gangs.
• Tajik Lawyer Questioned By Security Agents After Announcing Bid For President RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- A 30-year-old Tajik lawyer has been questioned by security officers after he announced his intention to run for president in the October 11 election.