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News Reports

Current Operations

• Pompeo: 'Difficult' Afghan Peace to Help Reduce US Cost of War VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned Tuesday that ongoing peace negotiations over the future of Afghanistan will be a "difficult" process but will help reduce the cost of war and risk to America.
• UN Welcomes Intra-Afghan Talks, Urges Cease-Fire RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on September 15 welcoming the start of negotiations between representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban, encouraging the warring parties to aim for a permanent cease-fire.
• Tennessee Guard prepares for Hurricane Sally Army News 15 Sep 2020 -- On the morning of September 14, Soldiers with the Tennessee National Guard's Task Force Medical conducted COVID-19 testing on nearly 40 emergency responders preparing to depart for Louisiana to assist with Hurricane Sally response.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 15 Sep 2020
• 17th Field Artillery Brigade deploys HIMARS to Alaska: Defender Pacific 2020 Army News 15 Sep 2020 -- 'Thunderbolts' with the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade deployed HIMARS to Eareckson Air Station, Shemya Island, Alaska on September 12th, in support of Defender Pacific 2020.
• Jordanian and U.S. Naval Forces Conduct Maritime Security Exercise Infinite Defender US Navy 15 Sep 2020 -- The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) and U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard forces are participating in the exercise Infinite Defender (ID) 20 from Sept. 1 to 10.
• Strengthening Partnerships: UK, U.S. Navies Conduct Mine Hunting and Countermeasures Exercise US Navy 15 Sep 2020 -- UK Royal Navy and U.S. Navy forces participated in a mine countermeasures (MCM) interoperability exercise in the Arabian Gulf Sept. 9-17.
• US Navy Requests Nearly $600 Million to Develop Fleet of Unmanned Ships Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- A recent Congressional Research Service Report reveals that the US Navy may swap out traditional ships for crewless vessels, which it hopes to develop in the coming years.
• Indian and U.S. Defense Delegations Conduct Virtual Discussion of Defense Cooperation DoD 15 Sep 2020 -- The 10th Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting was held virtually on Sept. 15, 2020.
• Driven by 'a tectonic shift in warfare' Raymond describes Space Force's achievements and future US Air Force 15 Sep 2020 -- Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Jay Raymond, presented an ambitious blueprint Sept. 15 for cementing the nation's superiority in space while also forcing change closer to home by slashing bureaucracy, refocusing training and instilling a culture across the Space Force that puts a premium on speed, technology and innovation for "this digital service."
• Space Force Chief: U.S. Doesn't Want War in Space, Must be Prepared for It DoD News 15 Sep 2020 -- The United States doesn't want to engage in warfare in space, but like in all domains, the U.S. military must be prepared for such a conflict, and that'll take a lot of preparation and change, Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Raymond, said.
• Russian Fighters Escort US Strategic Bomber Over Bering, Okhotsk Seas Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- Russian fighters were scrambled to escort a US Air Force's strategic bomber flying over the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
• Russia's Su-27 Scrambled to Intercept US Spy Plane Over Baltic Sea Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- Russian fighter jet Su-27 was scrambled on Tuesday to intercept a US Air Force patrol plane over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry's National Defence Control Centre said.
• China's Y-20 cargo planes hone strategic power projection capability in Russian drills Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- China has deployed groups of domestically developed Y-20 large cargo aircraft for transporting heavy equipment including infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers to Russia for the first time, as all Chinese forces that will participate in Russia's Kavkaz-2020 strategic military drills starting next week arrived in the country on Monday.
• China's J-20 fighter jets show superiority over previous generation counterparts Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- Despite being heavily outnumbered, a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) pilot scored a 17:0 victory against opponents with a newly commissioned fighter jet in a recent combat exercise. Many clues suggest that the aircraft the pilot flew was likely the J-20, China's most advanced stealth fighter jet. If the speculation turns out to be true, the exercise result again demonstrated the absolute superiority the J-20 has over its previous generation counterparts, media and experts said on Tuesday.
• China military: Years of evidence proves US biggest threat to world order, peace Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- China's Defense Ministry says many years of evidence shows that the United States is the biggest threat to global order and peace.
• Pakistan Air Force Aircraft Crashes in Punjab Province Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- An accident involving a Pakistan Air Force jet on a training mission has occurred in Punjab province, according to local media reports. It is the fifth crash involving a PAF aircraft this year.
• Defense Secretary admits to UK military sector 'vulnerabilities' Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- In a rare admission, the British defense secretary, Ben Wallace, has conceded that the UK's military is "racing to catch up" with its opponents' successes in the technological warfare domain.
• Trump: I would have no problem selling UAE F-35 warplanes Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has said he would have "no problem" selling advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 15 Sep 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 15, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 15 September 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Sep 2020
• Famine threat returns to Yemen, amid upsurge in fighting UN News 15 Sep 2020 -- The spectre of famine has returned to Yemen as donor countries fail to make good on their 2020 pledges, amidst an upsurge in fighting, fresh hurdles for aid deliveries, and ongoing efforts to nail down a nationwide ceasefire, the Security Council heard on Tuesday.
• Trump acknowledges plan to have Syria's Assad assassinated in 2017 Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has admitted that he intended to have Syrian President Bashar al-Assad assassinated after an alleged chemical attack in 2017 that Washington blamed on Damascus but reversed his decision due to purported opposition by the then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
• Syria: Bombshell report reveals 'no clean hands' as horrific rights violations continue UN News 15 Sep 2020 -- Despite a reduction in largescale hostilities since a ceasefire in March, the UN Syrian Commission of Inquiry reported on Monday that armed actors continue to subject civilians to horrific and increasingly targeted abuse.
• Targeted Abuse of Civilians on Rise by Syria's Warring Parties VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria said civilians increasingly are being subjected to targeted abuse by all warring parties. The commission's report, which documents violations during the first half of this year, will be submitted to the U.N. Human Council later this month.
• Libya's GNA Denies Reports of Prime Minister Saraj's Resignation, Calls Them Disinformation Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- Back in August both sides in the civil war - the Government of National Accord (GNA) and a Tobruk-based parliament, supported by the Libyan National Army, had called for a ceasefire amid the pandemic.
• Remarks by President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Minister bin Zayed, and Minister Al Zayani at the Abraham Accords Signing Ceremony The White House 15 Sep 2020
• Trump Hosts Abraham Accords Signing Between Israel, UAE and Bahrain VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump hosted a signing ceremony Tuesday at the White House for the normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab states of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
• The Abraham Accords Declaration The White House 15 Sep 2020
• Abraham Accords: Declaration of Peace, Cooperation, and Constructive Diplomatic and Friendly Relations The White House 15 Sep 2020
• Abraham Accords Peace Agreement: Treaty of Peace, Diplomatic Relations and Full Normalization Between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Israel The White House 15 Sep 2020
• Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu of the State of Israel Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 15 Sep 2020
• UAE, Bahrain sign normalization deals with Israel at White House Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain sign controversial normalization agreements with Israel at the White House amid outrage across Palestine and elsewhere throughout the Muslim world at the Arab regimes' sheer betrayal of the Palestinian cause.
• Israel, UAE, Bahrain and US Sign Historic Abraham Peace Accords at White House Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- Over the past few weeks, Washington has managed to mediate two peace agreements normalising relations between Israel and two Gulf countries, the UAE and Bahrain. In exchange for establishing diplomatic ties, Tel Aviv has vowed to suspend its efforts to extend sovereignty over parts of the West Bank.
• Iran: Measures to normalize ties with Zionist Regime strategic mistake IRNA 15 Sep 2020 -- Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei on Tuesday said that any step taken to formally normalize relations with the Zionist Regime is regarded as a strategic mistake.
• Israelis Welcome, Palestinians Denounce Gulf Deals VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's signing Tuesday of peace deals with two Arab states – the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – in Washington doubles the number of Arab countries that have made peace with Israel. In Tel Aviv, the city government building was lit up with the word "peace" in Hebrew, English and Arabic. For Palestinians, it is a dark day.
• Arab League chief says ending Israeli occupation of Palestine basic condition for Mideast peace People's Daily 15 Sep 2020 -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Monday stressed the recent regional developments wouldn't impact the Arab consensus over the inevitability of ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as an essential condition for achieving comprehensive justice and peace in the Middle East.
• U.S. tries to pass Mideast peace plan through Israeli normalization with Arabs: Palestinian FM People's Daily 15 Sep 2020 -- Palestinian minister of foreign affairs accused the United States on Monday of trying to pass its Mideast peace plan through Israeli normalization with Arab countries.
• 'No peace' in Middle East without end to Israeli occupation: Abbas Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has harshly rebuked the normalization agreements signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain with Israel at the White House, saying that peace in the Middle East region is only possible after Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories and recognition of Palestine's rights to establish a state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
• Blast In Northwestern Pakistan Kills Soldier, Wounds Three Others RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- A Pakistani soldier was killed and three others wounded when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in the northwestern South Waziristan tribal district.
• China-India border tension could 'extend to winter' Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- In a speech before the Indian parliament on Tuesday, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the border dispute with China remains "unresolved" for now, and blamed China for "violating" the border agreement with India.
• Text of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh's Statement in Lok Sabha on September 15 Regarding Situation on Eastern Border in Ladakh India PIB 15 Sep 2020 -- "I would like to take some time first to briefly provide some details of our boundary issue with China. As the House is aware, India and China are yet to resolve their boundary question. China does not accept the customary and traditional alignment of the boundary between India and China. We believe that this alignment is based on well-established geographical principles confirmed by treaties and agreements, as well as historical usage and practice, well-known for centuries to both sides. The Chinese position,however, is that the boundary between the two countries has not been formally delimited, that there exists a traditional customary line formed by the extent of jurisdiction that they claim was exercised historically by each side, and that the two sides have different interpretations of the position of the traditional customary line."
• India says ready for all eventualities amid border tensions with China Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- India's defense minister says his country is prepared to deal with all contingencies amid ongoing border tensions with China.
• India's Defence Minister Points to Lack of 'Mutually Acceptable Solution' to China Border Conflict Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- India and China have been engaged in a border stand-off for five months, but despite several military and diplomatic-level talks, the tensions are boiling over in the Eastern Ladakh sector along the Line of Actual Control. Meetings between the defence and foreign ministers of the two countries have not resulted in disengagement.
• Turkey does not expect EU sanctions over East Med dispute: Turkish FM People's Daily 15 Sep 2020 -- Turkey does not expect the European Union to impose sanctions on Ankara over its dispute with Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.
• Russia Reopens De Facto Border With Georgia's Breakaway Region Of South Ossetia RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed a decree on reopening the de facto border with Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.
• Myanmar Denies Destroying Rohingya Expulsion Evidence From 2017 Radio Free Asia 15 Sep 2020 -- Myanmar on Tuesday rejected concerns raised by the top U.N. human rights official about recent government actions in Rakhine state, saying there had been no effort to destroy evidence of the military campaign that drove 740,000 Rohingya Muslims into neighboring Bangladesh in 2017.
• UNHCR Urges Investigations After 10 Refugees Killed in Uganda Water Conflict VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and Ugandan authorities are working to restore peace after clashes between locals and refugees in northern Uganda last week left about at least 10 refugees dead. The violence followed an argument between South Sudanese refugees and the host community at a shared water point. Rights activists say the fighting underscores scarce resources in Uganda, which hosts Africa's largest population of refugees.

News Reports

• DHS Statement on OIG Letter Criticizing GAO's Leadership Succession Report DHS 15 Sep 2020 -- On Monday, Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari sent a letter to House Chairs Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) declining to issue an opinion on the Government Accountability Office's erroneous and partisan August 14 report on the succession of leadership at DHS.
• Navalny case: Russian opposition figure shares photo, says breathing unaided Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny who has been at the center of a dispute between Russia and Western countries over allegations that he was poisoned in Siberia last month, has shared a photo of himself and his family on Instagram, saying he is now able to breathe unaided.
• Navalny Posts Picture From Berlin Hospital Bed, Says He 'Generally Feels Like Himself' RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny says he is able to breathe on his own and "generally" feels like himself as his recovery from being poisoned with a nerve agent continues.
• Poisoned Russian Opposition Leader Posts Photo from Hospital Bed VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny published a photo of himself in a Berlin hospital bed Tuesday as he recovers from a nerve agent poisoning last month in Siberia.
• Russia Refutes Claims of Possessing Novichok Stockpiles Amid Navalny's Nerve Agent Poisoning Claims Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- All Russia's stocks of the Novichok nerve agent have been eliminated in compliance with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) protocols, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, said on Tuesday.
• Austria Rejects Halting Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Over Navalny Poisoning RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- Austria has said it still supports the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, despite growing reservations about the project in parts of Europe following the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Aleksei Navalny.
• Austrian President Says He Sees no Link Between Navalny's Case, Nord Stream 2 Project Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said Tuesday he did not see any connection between the situation with Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
• Former Employee At Los Alamos National Laboratory Sentenced To Probation For Making False Statements About Being Employed By China US Dept. of Justice 15 Sep 2020 -- Turab Lookman, 68, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to five years of probation and a $75,000 fine for providing a false statement to the Department of Energy. Lookman is not allowed to leave New Mexico for the term of his probation.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 15, 2020 PRC MofA 15 Sep 2020
• The United States Sanctions Chinese State-Owned Entity for its Role in Corruption in Cambodia US Dept. of State 15 Sep 2020 -- China is the world's largest emitter of environmental pollution including of greenhouse gases and the exploitation of natural resources around the globe.
• Treasury Sanctions Chinese Entity in Cambodia Under Global Magnitsky Authority US Treasury 15 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated one Chinese state-owned entity, Union Development Group Co., Ltd. (UDG), for seizure and demolition of local Cambodians' land for the construction of the Dara Sakor development project.
• US attempts to turn Mekong into another anti-China battlefield like S. China Sea Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- With $150 million initial investment, the US claimed to launch a Mekong-US partnership as an integral part of its "Indo-Pacific vision," which observers believe shows its accelerated pace in politicizing the water resources issue in the region to curb China's growing influence in Southeast Asia.
• US Treasury Sanctions Chinese Developer For Land Seizure, Graft in Cambodia Project Radio Free Asia 15 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. Department of Treasury on Tuesday sanctioned a Chinese developer for the "seizure and demolition of local Cambodians' land" during construction of the Dara Sakor project in Cambodia, which has been touted by Beijing as one of the key pieces in its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.
• Dim Future for US-China Engagement as US Ambassador Plans Exit VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, announced on Monday that he would step down in early October, ending his three-and-a-half-year tenure in Beijing.
• China extends tariff exclusions for US imports by an additional year Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- China extended tariff exclusions for US imports that are subject to China's counter measures against the US Section 301 action by an additional year from Wednesday, the due date, to September 16, 2021.
• EU-China Summit Has Some Germans Rethinking Relations With Beijing VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- A high-profile virtual summit among Chinese and EU leaders this week has spurred some influential Europeans to rethink their continent's relationship with Beijing, and especially whether economic considerations have been overemphasized at the expense of human rights.
• China Rejects Human Rights Criticism as EU Seeks Trade Rebalance VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- Europe has called on China to take down trade barriers and rebalance their economic relationship, following a virtual summit held Monday among EU leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
• China to arrange Xinjiang visit for EU diplomats: FM Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- China has agreed to and will arrange for European Union (EU) diplomats in China to visit Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in response to the diplomats' request, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
• China denounces US bans on imports from Xinjiang Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- China says bans by the United States on imports of some products from the region of Xinjiang sabotage global supply chains.
• U.S. Blocks Imports From China's Uyghur Region Over Suspected Forced Labor RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- The U.S. administration has issued orders to block the import of cotton, apparel, computer parts, and hair products made by "forced labor" in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang, a move Beijing called an attempt to sabotage global supply chains.
• China urges US to stop restrictions on Xinjiang cotton exports Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday excoriated the new US restrictions on imports of cotton and apparel produced in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, painting US allegations of forced labor as fabrication and political manipulation and calling on Washington to stop using Xinjiang affairs to undermine China-US business cooperation.
• Twelve Hong Kong Detainees 'Not Oppressed' in Chinese Detention Center: Carrie Lam Radio Free Asia 15 Sep 2020 -- Twelve Hongkongers who fled the city amid an ongoing crackdown on participants in last year's protest movement weren't "democracy activists being oppressed," the city's leader Carrie Lam told journalists on Tuesday.
• Interview: 'The West . . . is Dealing With a Murderous Regime' Radio Free Asia 15 Sep 2020 -- Dissident author, poet, and musician Liao Yiwu fled China in 2011 to live in Germany after suffering harassment, imprisonment, torture, and abject poverty for years as a result of his criticism of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He has published a string of books and article collections exposing the darker side of life under single party rule in mainland China, and continues to write and publish in exile. He spoke to RFA's Mandarin Service about his latest book about the emergence of COVID-19 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, which is soon to be published in Taiwan:
• Chinese Dissenters Who Were Helped by Geng Xiaonan Return the Support After Her Arrest Radio Free Asia 15 Sep 2020 -- Artist Geng Xiaonan for years quietly helped dissidents and liberal intellectuals who'd crossed China's Communist Party and lost their jobs or their freedom – most recently ordering online groceries for former Tsinghua University scholar Xu Zhangrun, who was blacklisted by vendors following his arrest in July.
• Nation conducts second seaborne space launch Global Times 15 Sep 2020 -- China conducted its second seaborne space launch early Tuesday morning, with a Long March-11 solid propellant light launch vehicle lifting off from a mobile floating platform in the Yellow Sea, in waters off the coast of East China's Shandong Province.
• Somaliland's legislature supports Taiwan Relations Act: envoy CNA 15 Sep 2020 -- Somaliland's legislature has endorsed the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), an American law that governs the United States' unofficial ties with Taiwan, according to the Somaliland representative to Taipei Mohamed Omar Hagi Mohamoud.
• Vatican says its accord with China will not affect Taiwan ties: MOFA CNA 15 Sep 2020 -- The Vatican had given the assurance that its extension of an accord with China on the appointment of Catholic bishops will not affect its diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
• Mutual goodwill, equal footing key to China exchanges: KMT chair CNA 15 Sep 2020 -- Cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges should be based on mutual respect and held on an equal footing, the head of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) said Tuesday, a day after his party pulled out of a forum in China because of what it saw as a demeaning remark by a Chinese commentator.
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Rebuilt Kangbuk-ri, Kumchon County, North Hwanghae Province KCNA 15 Sep 2020 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, inspected Kangbuk-ri, Kumchon County, North Hwanghae Province that has been rebuilt from the damage by heavy rain and strong wind.
• Joe Biden: I will return US to Iran nuclear deal Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says if elected he will return the United States to the Iran nuclear deal as a starting point for follow-on negotiations.
• Iran warns US against making another 'strategic mistake' after Trump's military threat Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- The Iranian government warns the United States against making another "strategic mistake" after President Donald Trump threatened Tehran with a huge attack.
• Iran Warns U.S. Of 'Decisive' Response After Trump Threat RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- Tehran has warned Washington against making a "strategic mistake" after U.S. President Donald Trump said that any attack by Iran would be met with a far greater response, in reaction to a news report said that Iran planned to assassinate a U.S. diplomat to avenge the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in January.
• Trump Warns Any Strike by Iran Against US Will be Met With Attack '1,000 Times Greater in Magnitude' Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- Trump's statement came as he received reports on Tehran allegedly planning an assassination against the United States in retaliation for Gen. Soleimani, killed in a US targeted attack in January.
• Grossi terms Iran as important partner for IAEA IRNA 15 Sep 2020 -- Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi described Iran as an important partner for IAEA.
• Iran key partner to UN nuclear watchdog: Grossi Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has hailed Iran's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, describing Tehran as a "key partner" to the atomic agency.
• AEOI chief: Iran masters science of enriching stable isotopes IRNA 15 Sep 2020 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced that said that Iran has joined the club of the few countries which has the ability to produce stable isotopes.
• Iran to sign $2.2 billion deal to develop Farzad gas field: Zangeneh Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh says Iran will sign a deal worth $2.2 billion to develop the offshore Farzad B gas field.
• First Iranian condensate cargo reaches Venezuela in blow to US Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- The first Iranian condensate cargo for Venezuela has been unloaded at the South American country's port of Puerto Jose, a report says.
• Rights Group Accuses Belarusian Authorities of Mass Arrests, Torture VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- Human Rights Watch has accused Belarusian security forces of detaining thousands of people and torturing hundreds of others in the days after the disputed August 9 election that gave authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office.
• EU says does not recognize Lukashenko as president of Belarus Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- The European Union (EU)'s diplomatic chief says the bloc does not recognize Alexander Lukashenko as the president of Belarus, ratcheting up tensions with the post-Soviet state.
• EU Does Not Recognize Lukashenka, Borrell Says RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- The European Union does not recognize embattled leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimate president of Belarus, the bloc's top diplomat said on September 15.
• U.S. Senators Introduce Resolution Calling For Sanctions Over 'Unconscionable' Crackdown In Belarus RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- A bipartisan group of 13 U.S. senators has introduced a resolution calling for targeted sanctions on Belarusian officials responsible for a crackdown on peaceful protesters in the country.
• Five Takeaways From The Lukashenka-Putin Talks: Who Got What? RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- Vladimir Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka sat down for talks in Russia on September 14, the first one-on-one meeting between the two presidents since protests erupted in Belarus following a disputed election in which the authoritarian leader claimed a sixth term.
• Kremlin Refuses to Comment on Whether Moscow Has Plan in Case Lukashenko Fails to Hold on to Power Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to speculate on Moscow's reaction to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko potentially losing power.
• Russia offers $1.5bn loan to Belarus as Putin, Lukashenko meet in Sochi Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to grant a loan of 1.5 billion dollars to Belarus, reaffirming support for Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's government.
• EU says ties with Turkey at turning point Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- The European Union (EU)'s top diplomat has warned that the bloc's relations with Turkey are at a "watershed moment in history," urging Ankara to defuse tensions with neighboring Greece over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean.
• Somerset County Man Admits Concealing Material Support to Hamas US Dept. of Justice 15 Sep 2020 -- A Somerset County, New Jersey, man admitted today that he concealed his attempts to provide material support to Hamas, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the U.S. Department of Justice's National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, FBI-Newark Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr., and FBI Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Jill Sanborn announced.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 15 Sep 2020 -- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, chaired today the Cabinet's virtual session.
• Venezuelan Chief Prosecutor Brings Charges of Terrorism Against Alleged US Spy Sputnik 15 Sep 2020 -- According to Venezuelan officials, the man was plotting attacks targeting the country's oil industry and electrical system, which have both been under significant pressure, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
• US spy detained in Venezuela charged with terrorism, arms trafficking Press TV 15 Sep 2020 -- Caracas says the American spy it recently arrested near a Venezuelan oil refinery has been charged with terrorism and weapons trafficking.
• Venezuela Charges US Citizen with Terrorism VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- Venezuela is charging a recently arrested U.S. citizen with terrorism and weapons trafficking.
• Bulgarian Lawmaker Gets Four-Year Sentence For Extortion RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- A Bulgarian district court has sentenced a deputy parliament speaker and chief of a small opposition party to four years in prison on September 15 for extorting money from a pizza parlor owner.
• Uzbek Law Easing Rules On Citizenship Comes Into Force RFE/RL 15 Sep 2020 -- Amendments that introduce a simplified way to obtain Uzbek citizenship came into force on September 15.
• Treasury Targets Support to Designated Corrupt Actors US Treasury 15 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Zineb Souma Yahya Jammeh (Zineb) and Nabah LTD (Nabah) for their roles in providing support to persons previously designated for their own corrupt behavior
• Former First Lady of The Gambia Sanctioned for Supporting the Former President's Corruption US Dept. of State 15 Sep 2020 -- Today, the United States imposed economic sanctions on Zineb Souma Yahya Jammeh, the former first lady of The Gambia.
• Sanctions on Nabah Ltd. Owned or Controlled by Corrupt Businessman Ashraf Al-Cardinal US Dept. of State 15 Sep 2020 -- Today, the United States imposed economic sanctions on Nabah Ltd., a company owned or controlled by Ashraf Seed Ahmed Al-Cardinal. Al-Cardinal is a Sudanese businessman previously designated for his role in corruption connected to the South Sudanese government.
• The United States Condemns the Ortega Regime's Attack on the Free Press US Dept. of State 15 Sep 2020 -- Despite the international community's call for free and fair elections, Daniel Ortega is doubling down on repression and refusing to honor the democratic aspirations of the Nicaraguan people.
• South Sudan: No Money to Pay Civil Servants' Overdue Salaries VOA 15 Sep 2020 -- South Sudan's finance minister said his ministry does not have the money to pay government workers their past due salaries, dismaying civil servants who have been waiting for their paychecks since April or May.