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News Reports

Current Operations

• Top Afghan Negotiator In Pakistan As Talks With Taliban Continue RFE/RL 28 Sep 2020 -- Afghanistan's top peace negotiator has arrived in neighboring Pakistan as intra-Afghan peace negotiations are under way in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Soldier Center's new fabric will enhance cybersecurity, subzero weather durability Army News 28 Sep 2020 -- The Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, or CCDC SC, is working with industry to develop a new shelter fabric that will increase durability in subzero conditions and provide electromagnetic, or EM, shielding. The EM shielding will prevent the detection of EM emissions that are generated within a Command Post shelter and provide cybersecurity to Command Post wireless networks.
• Spangdahlem AB Airmen integrate in joint multinational exercise Astral Knight US Air Force 28 Sep 2020 -- As part of joint multinational exercise Astral Knight, a KC-10 Extender refueled multiple Polish and U.S. aircraft while over Polish airspace Sept. 22 and 24.
• It's a wrap: Thracian Viper 2020 US Air Force 28 Sep 2020 -- Airmen and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, and Airmen assigned to the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participated in Thracian Viper 20, a multilateral training exercise with the Bulgarian air force at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, Sept. 21 to 25.
• USS Ross Completes Maritime Interoperability with Polish Allies US Navy 28 Sep 2020 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) operated alongside the Polish Navy, Sept. 26, in the Baltic Sea.
• NATO Air Defense Forces Integrate in the Baltics Army News 28 Sep 2020 -- Soldiers assigned to 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC) along with air defense forces from nine other NATO countries participated in Tobruq Legacy 2020 (TOLY20) from Sep. 14 to 25 in Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania.
• U.S. F-16 begin NATO Air Policing mission With Bulgarian air force NATO 28 Sep 2020 -- RAMSTEIN, Germany -- The United States Air Force will begin NATO air patrols over Bulgaria on September 28, 2020. The four-week long mission will involve the deployment of six F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, which will fly alongside Bulgarian fighter aircraft.
• Secretary General: NATO must help to curb climate change NATO 28 Sep 2020 -- In a keynote speech on Monday (28 September 2020), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for the Alliance to take further action to address the threat of climate change. Speaking to students from 10 universities across the Alliance, he said: "NATO's core task is to keep us all safe. Climate change is making the world more unsafe. So to fulfil our main responsibility, NATO must help to curb climate change."
• NATO and the security implications of climate change - Virtual speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg NATO 28 Sep 2020 -- (As delivered)
• Russia's Su-27 Escorted US, German Aircraft Over Baltic Sea, Defence Ministry Says Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- Russian fighter jet Su-27 was scrambled to escort two aircraft of the US Navy and the German Navy over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defence Control Centre (NDCC) said on Monday.
• China's unmanned plateau helicopter completes high-altitude maiden flight Global Times 28 Sep 2020 -- China's first independently developed unmanned helicopter that will focus on plateau operation successfully completed its maiden flight in a plateau region on Sunday, a milestone that demonstrates the capability of this agile drone. The aircraft is expected to join missions in the high-altitude China-India border region including logistics support and armed reconnaissance amid tensions, analysts said on Monday.
• Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon participate in UN cleanup, reconstruction mission after Beirut's blasts PLA Daily 28 Sep 2020 -- The first batch of 20 Chinese peacekeepers to Lebanon arrived in Beirut on Sunday for the UN mission to clean up and reconstruct the Lebanese capital after huge explosions swept through its port in early August.
• China Begins Massive New Military Drills in Four Neighboring Seas - Report Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- For the second time in two months, China is holding massive military drills in all four seas on its eastern border.
• India's Frontline Troops to Get Additional 72,000 Assault Rifles From US Arms Maker Sig Sauer Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- Last year, American infantry weapon maker sealed the first major contract with the Indian Army under fast-track procurement to modernise infantry. The procurement is part of the plan which envisaged by the Indian Army in October 2017 to acquire around 700,000 rifles, 44,000 light machine guns and nearly 44,600 carbines.
• Indian, Japanese Naval Ships Conduct Maritime Drills in Arabian Sea, Close to Pakistan - Photos Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- India put its Navy on operational alert in the oceans around the country following the border row with China in the Ladakh sector. New Delhi has since deployed its warships along critical sea lanes of communication and other key points.
• Japan - RAM Block 2 Tactical Missiles DSCA 28 Sep 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan of RAM Block 2 Tactical Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $55.311 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• UK leads thousands of NATO troops in major exercise off Scottish coast UK MOD 28 Sep 2020 -- Thousands of sailors, soldiers and airmen and airwomen will next week take part in Exercise Joint Warrior, a major show of NATO's collective force and capability.
• Iran Is Helping Venezuela To Form Popular Mobilization Force Radio Farda 28 Sep 2020 -- The former Chief-Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, says Iran is helping Venezuela to form a mobilization force.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 28, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 28 September 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Sep 2020
• China urges US not to act rashly on S.China Sea Global Times 28 Sep 2020 -- The US is the biggest driving force behind the militarization of the South China Sea, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, noting that China is determined to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial security, and will continue to work with other countries in the region to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.
• Data Shows Commercial Shipping Avoids Hotspots in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 28 Sep 2020 -- Data shows China's militarization of the South China Sea appears to be having significant effects on commercial shipping in the region. Experts say that Beijing's bases and naval build-up are ultimately meant to police the disputed waters and secure China's own trade routes.
• Myanmar Fights COVID-19 in Biggest City And in War Refugee Camps Radio Free Asia 28 Sep 2020 -- Health workers fighting a coronavirus resurgence across Myanmar face serious sanitation problems in the country's largest city and a military conflict that is pushing fresh waves of refugees into overcrowded refugee camps in Rakhine state, straining threadbare resources, doctors and relief workers said.
• UN chief extremely concerned over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict People's Daily 28 Sep 2020 -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed his great concern over the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling on both sides to immediately stop fighting.
• Azerbaijan declares martial law amid clash escalation People's Daily 28 Sep 2020 -- Azerbaijan's Parliament accepted a decree by the country's president to impose a martial law on Sunday in the wake of the escalation of clashes along the Nagorno-Karabakh frontline earlier in the day.
• UN Chief Calls On Armenia, Azerbaijan To Cease Hostilities As Death Toll Reaches At Least 65 RFE/RL 28 Sep 2020 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to immediately halt hostilities over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh after at least 65 people were killed in the deadliest outbreak of fighting in years.
• Kremlin Calls For Immediate Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh Amid Clashes Between Armenia, Azerbaijan Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- Clashes between the two countries erupted on Sunday, with both Yerevan and Baku accusing each other of starting the hostilities. Azerbaijan has declared a partial mobilisation while Armenia has ordered a full one amid the escalating tensions.
• Macron Expresses Concern Over Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis in Phone Talks With Azerbaijani President Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concerns over the growing tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh in phone talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, the press service of the latter said on Monday.
• Nagorno-Karabakh violence: UK and Canada Foreign Ministers' joint statement UK FCDO 28 Sep 2020 -- The Foreign Secretary and Canadian Foreign Minister have issued a joint statement in response to clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh.
• 'Xi Jinping Thought' Now Required Learning For Young Tibetans Radio Free Asia 28 Sep 2020 -- In a job sector already marked by limited opportunities, young Tibetans seeking government work are being required to join the ruling Chinese Communist Party and to closely study the political thought of party chief Xi Jinping, sources in Tibet say.
• Mustafa Appears Before Kosovo War Crimes Court RFE/RL 28 Sep 2020 -- The former head of the intelligence service of the Kosovo Security Force has made his initial appearance on charges of war crime at a court in The Hague.
• Bangladesh Deploys Artillery, Troops Along Myanmar Border Amid Simmering Tensions: Report Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- Relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar dipped to a new low after the mass exodus of ethnic Rohingyas in 2017 as a result of violence that erupted between local militants and government forces. Tension between the two countries further increased after repatriation efforts failed, resulting in trade, transport, and security concerns between them.

News Reports

• China punishes over 16,000 officials for frugality violations People's Daily 28 Sep 2020 -- A total of 16,731 Chinese officials were punished in August for violating frugality rules, according to the top anti-graft body on Sunday.
• Definition amending of "media representatives" no harm to press freedom: HKSAR gov't official Global Times 28 Sep 2020 -- The Hong Kong police's amending of the definition of "media representatives" under the Police General Orders will not harm freedom of the press, Matthew Cheung, chief secretary for administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said Sunday.
• PLA Hong Kong Garrison holds joint sea-air patrol drill PLA Daily 28 Sep 2020 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison staged an air-sea joint patrol exercise involving troops of army, navy and air force of the Garrison in waters and airspace near Hong Kong on Saturday. The drill was aimed to test and improve the troops' capabilities of fulfilling emergency missions, making quick response and carrying out joint operations.
• Journalists Hit Out at Fresh Probe Into Outspoken Hong Kong TV Anchor Radio Free Asia 28 Sep 2020 -- An ongoing investigation into a hard-hitting journalist with Hong Kong's government broadcaster RTHK will have a "chilling effect" on the city's news organizations, the Hong Kong Journalists' Association (HKJA) warned on Monday.
• Xi stresses building Xinjiang featuring socialism with Chinese characteristics in new era PLA Daily 28 Sep 2020 -- President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to build Xinjiang featuring socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
• Anger as Xi Jinping Doubles Down on Repressive Xinjiang Policies Radio Free Asia 28 Sep 2020 -- President Xi Jinping has vowed to carry on what he called China's "totally correct" strategy in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, drawing sharp criticism from a Uyghur group and from experts who point to the growing international outcry at Chinese policies that some say amount to genocide.
• Beijing Ramps Up Investment Push In Pakistan, Afghanistan, Despite Risks RFE/RL 28 Sep 2020 -- China is cautiously increasing its role in South Asia by rejuvenating economic interests in Pakistan and forging closer ties to Afghanistan with peace talks between Afghan officials and the Taliban under way.
• DPP 'self-deceiving' in seeking secessionist presence of Taiwan in intl organizations Global Times 28 Sep 2020 -- The separatist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on the island of Taiwan protested against an international organization that listed the island in "China," and urged a separate category of Chinese Taipei, but analysts noted such self-deception will not change the fact that it is an inalienable part of Chinese territory.
• North Korea Fires Local Officials Over Typhoon Damage Radio Free Asia 28 Sep 2020 -- North Korea has fired the top three leaders of a city slammed by two typhoons this month for failing to prevent damage and death, a decision drawing criticism from colleagues who said the men were scapegoats for a central government that issues orders but sends no resources, RFA has learned.
• Khamenei's Close Ally Shariatmadari Blasts Grand Ayatollah Sistani Radio Farda 28 Sep 2020 -- Iraq's top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani is facing criticism for his comments during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General's representative for Iraqi affairs.
• Belarus Interior Ministry Says Over 350 People Detained at Sunday's Unsanctioned Protests Sputnik 28 Sep 2020 -- More than 350 people were detained at unsanctioned protests throughout Belarus on Sunday, the country's Interior Ministry said on Monday.
• Addition to the Cuba Restricted List US Dept. of State 28 Sep 2020 -- "Today, the Department of State is adding American International Services (AIS) to the Cuba Restricted List. AIS is a financial institution controlled by the Cuban military that processes remittances sent to the Cuban people."
• Cambodian Former Political Prisoner Files Complaint with UN Over Government Surveillance Radio Free Asia 28 Sep 2020 -- A recently released political prisoner in Cambodia has submitted a complaint to the United Nations, saying that even though he has completed his 18-month sentence, government agents are closely watching him, he told RFA.
• Owner of Bitcoin Exchange Convicted of Racketeering Conspiracy for Laundering Millions of Dollars in International Cyber Fraud Scheme US Dept. of Justice 28 Sep 2020 -- A Bulgarian national was found guilty today for his role in a transnational and multi-million dollar scheme to defraud American victims through online auction fraud.