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Current Operations

• Leading Afghan Peace Negotiator Urges Fresh Start In Relations With Pakistan RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- Afghanistan's top peace negotiator says Afghanistan and Pakistan are on the threshold of a new relationship characterized by "mutual respect, sincere cooperation, and shared prosperity."

Defense Policy / Programs

• Message to the Congress on Addressing the Threat to the Domestic Supply Chain from Reliance on Critical Minerals from Foreign Adversaries The White House 30 Sep 2020
• 28th ECAB digging in for Mideast mission Army News 30 Sep 2020 -- Soldiers with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade have arrived in the U.S. Central Command region and are settling into their respective roles.
• Army tests aluminum foam for protection against blasts Army News 30 Sep 2020 -- Forward Operating Bases are typically surrounded by barbed wire, concrete barriers, gates, watchtowers and other infrastructures. A new material – aluminum foam – may be a possible solution for additional force protection, due to its ability to absorb energy from blasts.
• International Coalition Protects Vital Shipping Lanes CENTCOM 30 Sep 2020 -- The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) was created July 2019 as a way to deter unprofessional behavior in the waters of the Middle East region through its operational arm, Coalition Task Force (CTF) Sentinel.
  The IMSC comprises eight nations – Albania, Australia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States – who deploy personnel, ships and aircraft throughout the region as part of the international surveillance and detection effort.
• Secretary Esper's Remarks at the North Africa American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia DoD 30 Sep 2020
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Tunisian President Kais Saied DoD 30 Sep 2020
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Tunisian Minister of Defense Ibrahim Bartagi DoD 30 Sep 2020
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With President of the Republic of Malta Dr. George Vella DoD 30 Sep 2020
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper's Meeting With Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta Dr. Robert Abela DoD 30 Sep 2020
• New Policy Makes U.S. More Competitive Partner DoD News 30 Sep 2020 -- A new "term of sale" opens the doors to more nations that want to approach the United States about foreign military sales, and that makes the U.S. more competitive in seeking partnerships, the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.
• America Looks to Build, Strengthen Partnerships in Africa DoD News 30 Sep 2020 -- America will maintain partnerships with like-minded nations in Africa, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said today at the North Africa American Cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia.
• U.S. Seeks to Increase Engagements With African Nations DoD News 30 Sep 2020 -- Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper's visit to Malta and North African countries highlights America's long-term involvement in the region and the importance the United States places on relations with the nations.
• US Army Wants Electronic Jammer Weapon With Missile Defense Capabilities Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- US Army officials unveiled plans on Tuesday for a vehicle-mounted electronic jamming system that will uniquely have the ability to jam incoming projectiles, fouling their targeting in the moments before impact.
• Spartan Warrior 20-9: NATO strengthens air power through distributed training US Air Force 30 Sep 2020 -- In an effort to strengthen distributed training capabilities, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Warfare Center hosted a multinational exercise at their facility and various facilities around the world, Sept. 22 - 28.
• B-1B Lancers cross Arctic Circle to train with Nordic allies US Air Force 30 Sep 2020 -- B-1B Lancers assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron conducted training with the Norwegian air force on Sept. 25, in a 16-hour sortie that crossed directly over the North Pole as part of a Bomber Task Force mission here.
• U.S. Navy, NATO Participate in Exercise Dynamic Mariner 2020 US Navy 30 Sep 2020 -- U.S. Sailors from EOD Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8) and Commander, US 6th Fleet (C6F) Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Detachment (Det.) Rota, joined service members from Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) for NATO exercise Dynamic Mariner/Olives Noire on Sept. 25, 2020.
• USS Paul Hamilton commemorates the Battle of Leyte Gulf US Navy 30 Sep 2020 -- As USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) transited the waters of the Surigao Strait on Sept. 27, the ship's crew took a pause from the busy routine of deployment to honor those who served in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
• Exercise Northern Challenge 2020 Concludes US Navy 30 Sep 2020 -- Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technicians attached to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8, assigned to Commander Task Force (CTF) 68, participated in the Icelandic Coast Guard-led multinational EOD exercise Northern Challenge Sept. 6-14, 2020.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams Conducts Tracking Exercise with Ghanaian, Italian Navies US Navy 30 Sep 2020 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) conducted a tracking exercise with the Ghanaian and Italian navies in the Gulf of Guinea, Sept. 28, 2020.
• Nation's largest marine patrol vessel launched PLA Daily 30 Sep 2020 -- China's largest maritime patrol vessel, which was launched in a shipyard in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday, is destined to help improve maritime traffic governance, officials said.
• India - C-130J Follow-on Support DSCA 30 Sep 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India of items and services to extend follow-on support for their fleet of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $90 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• India Test Fires Extended Range BrahMos Cruise Missile Amid Deployment Near China Border Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- The Indian military has deployed 450 km-range BrahMos cruise missiles and 800 km-range Nirbhay cruise missiles in the Ladakh region, as tensions with China continue simmering despite several rounds of talks.
• Commander: Iran not relying on others in supplying military equipment IRNA 30 Sep 2020 -- Iran does not rely on the assistance of others in the production and renovation of its military equipment, Deputy Commander of Iran's Army for Coordination Affairs Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Wednesday.
• Revolutionary Guards Commander Gives Rare Estimate Of Money Iran Spent On Proxies, Military Aid In Region Radio Farda 30 Sep 2020 -- Iran has spent nearly $20 billion pushing its controversial foreign policy objectives in the region, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in an interview on state television.
• Revolutionary Guards Commander Gives Rare Estimate Of Money Iran Spent On Proxies, Military Aid In Region RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- Iran has spent nearly $20 billion pushing its controversial foreign policy objectives in the region, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in an interview on state television.
• Taiwan military mulls increasing frequency of reservist call-ups CNA 30 Sep 2020 -- Taiwan's military is considering increasing the frequency of calling up reservists to beef up the combat readiness of the country's reserve forces, a source told CNA on Wednesday.
• India Hands Over Surveillance Aircraft to Maldives Amid Strategic Tussle with China Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- The requirement for a Dornier Maritime Surveillance aircraft was raised during the visit of former President Abdulla Yameen to India in 2016. While it could not get implemented earlier, the present Ibrahim Solih government has been able to see it through.
• Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter launches the Integrated Operating Concept UK MOD 30 Sep 2020 -- Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter delivers a speech on the Integrated Operating Concept at Policy Exchange
• MOD extends contract for NATO submarine rescue missions UK MOD 30 Sep 2020 -- A three-year contract extension to ensure NATO submariners are backed up by world-class rescue operations has been awarded to Scotland-based firm, JFD.
• Switzerland - Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units and Weapons DSCA 30 Sep 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Switzerland of five (5) Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.2 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Switzerland - F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft and Weapons DSCA 30 Sep 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Switzerland of forty (40) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $6.58 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Switzerland - F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Aircraft and Weapons DSCA 30 Sep 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Switzerland of forty (40) F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $7.452 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 30 Sep 2020
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo and Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio at a Press Availability US Dept. of State 30 Sep 2020
• Moral Witness and Religious Freedom US Dept. of State 30 Sep 2020 -- Speech by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 30, 2020

Other Conflicts

• Russia proves strong military capability in anti-terror operations in Syria People's Daily 30 Sep 2020 -- Russia's anti-terrorist operations in Syria have demonstrated the country's high military capability, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in an article published Wednesday.
• US Targets 3 Persons, 13 Entities in New Syria Sanctions Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- The United States has targeted three people and 13 entities, including the Syrian Tourism Ministry, in new round of Syria-related sanctions, the US Department of the Treasury announced in a release on Wednesday.
• Syria Sanctions Designations on the Anniversary of Assad's Attack Against the People of Armanaz, Syria US Dept. of State 30 Sep 2020 -- Three years ago yesterday, on September 29, 2017, Assad regime forces, backed by Russia, killed at least 34 Syrians in the town of Armanaz. Since then, thousands of Bashar al-Assad's bombs have been dropped on schools, hospitals, and markets across Syria. Too many lives have been lost in Assad's futile search for a military conquest over his own people.
• Treasury Continues Targeting Facilitators of Assad Regime US Treasury 30 Sep 2020 -- Today, as part of the U.S. government's continued effort to achieve a peaceful, political resolution of the Syrian conflict, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is taking action against key enablers of the Assad regime that are associated with the Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Army, the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate, and the Central Bank of Syria.
• Iran-Backed Militia Behind Irbil Rocket Attack, Says Iraqi Kurdish Security Agency RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- A suspected Iran-backed militia launched at least six rockets near U.S. troops stationed at Irbil airport in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
• Libyan rivals conclude talks on key security and military issues UN News 30 Sep 2020 -- Delegations from Libya's warring sides meeting in Egypt have concluded two days of security and military talks in efforts towards a lasting ceasefire, the UN political mission for the country, UNSMIL, has reported.
• Myanmar Arrests 14 For Anti-War Protests, While 30 More Remain in Hiding Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- Myanmar police have arrested 14 university student activists for protesting over the armed conflict in western Rakhine state, while about 30 others have gone into hiding to avoid arrest, an official from a student union umbrella organization said Tuesday.
• Armenia, Azerbaijan In War Of Words Over Turkey's Alleged Deployment Of Syrian Rebels In Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- As the heaviest fighting in years flares between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a war of words has erupted over reports that Turkey has sent thousands of Syrian fighters to Azerbaijan to support its Muslim-majority ally, Baku.
• Nagorno-Karabakh Clashes Enter Fourth Day Despite UN Call For De-Escalation RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- Troops from Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces engaged in a fourth day of intense fighting around the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 30 that threatens to draw Russia and regional power Turkey into a wider conflict.
• In South Caucasus, Familiar Drumbeat Gave Way To Urgent Pounding Over Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- The UN Security Council has "strongly condemned" the violence between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces along the Line Of Contact after three days of fighting this week over the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• In Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Turkey's Involvement Could Be Russia's Nightmare RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- As heavy fighting broke out this week between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, reigniting a bitter conflict that has simmered since a war in the early 1990s, Moscow reiterated a long-standing commitment to its traditional role as mediator.
• Azerbaijani, Armenian Civilians Under Fire As Conflict Flares Over Nagorno-Karabakh RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- Aleksandr Melkumian is standing on bloodied ground outside his house in the village of Martuni in Nagorno-Karabakh -- the spot where his ethnic Armenian family was hit by shrapnel from an artillery shell early on September 27.
• President Rouhani voices Iran's readiness to resolve Armenia-Azerbaijan dispute IRNA 30 Sep 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani voiced Iran's readiness to resolve the ongoing dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Putin, Macron Express Serious Concern Over Ongoing Full-Scale Hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- The presidents discussed the tense situation in the region in a phone call initiated by the French side, calling on the parties to the conflict to immediately down arms.
• Russia Warns Against Use of Mercenaries in Karabakh Conflict, Calls for Their Immediate Withdrawal Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- The Armenia-Azerbaijani standoff on Nagorno-Karabakh has grown worse since Sunday, with the two sides engaging in a mutual blame game over who is responsible for the aggression.
• Turkey Responsible for 'Escalation' of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Syrian President's Adviser Says Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- Bouthaina Shaaban, a political and media adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad, has given Sputnik a wide-ranging interview on Middle Eastern politics. She spoke on issues such as Turkey's alleged involvement in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, anti-terror efforts in Syria, sanctions pressure against the Arab Republic, and other matters.
• Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: President Aliev Says Azerbaijan Will Restore its 'Territorial Integrity' Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- The clashes between Baku and Yerevan have been escalating since Sunday, as both sides accuse each other of aggression, and share numerous pieces of footage of the opponent's destroyed military vehicles.
• Armenian Military Says Nagorno-Karabakh Forces Destroy Azerbaijani Heavy Flamethrower Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- Armenia's Defence Ministry Spokeswoman said on Wednesday that the military of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, also referred to as the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh, have destroyed an Azerbaijani multiple rocket launcher among other equipment in ongoing fighting.
• Macron Calls Turkey's 'Warlike' Statements on Nagorno-Karabakh Escalation 'Dangerous' Sputnik 30 Sep 2020 -- Ankara previously stated that it would support Baku both in negotiations and in combat, also warning that any attack against Azerbaijani territories is an attack against Turkey itself.
• China, India hold 19th meeting on border issues: Chinese FM Global Times 30 Sep 2020 -- China and India are holding the 19th meeting on the consultation and coordination mechanism on the border issue, and the meeting is focusing on the implementation of the five-point consensus that the foreign ministers of the two sides reached in Moscow to deescalate border tensions, Chinese foreign ministry said.
• China Language Policies, Travel Restrictions in Tibet Condemned at US Panel Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- The Chinese government is guilty of gross human rights violations in Tibet, particularly in the manner that Beijing restricts access to the region and its push to replace Tibetan language instruction in schools, human rights organizations and Tibetan activists said during a U.S. hearing Wednesday.

News Reports

• Ex-FBI Director Defends Trump-Russia Probe Amid Harsh Republican Criticism RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- Former FBI Director James Comey defended his leadership of the bureau amid persistent criticism from Republican senators who attacked the bureau's Russia investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump.
• Release of U.S. Department of State Guidance on Implementing the UN Guiding Principles for Transactions Linked to Foreign Government End-Users for Products or Services with Surveillance Capabilities US Dept. of State 30 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of State released guidance to assist U.S. companies seeking to prevent their products or services with surveillance capabilities from being misused by foreign government end-users to commit human rights abuses.
• Pulling Back The Curtain On China's 'Project Of The Century' RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- From building strategic seaports in Pakistan to connecting railways across Central Asia, perhaps no foreign-policy topic has received more attention in recent years than China's global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• Hong Kong Court Extends Travel Ban on Activist Joshua Wong Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- A court in Hong Kong on Wednesday extended a travel ban on pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong in connection with an "illegal" protest last year, and for defying a government ban on mask-wearing in public.
• Families of Hong Kong 12 Protest Outside China's Liaison Office Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- As 12 Hong Kong activists face the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival of moon gazing and poetry behind bars in mainland China after they tried to flee to democratic Taiwan, their families are calling for the release of records that would show where their speedboat was when it was intercepted by the China Coast Guard.
• Uyghur Welfare Recipients Barred From Prayer in New Restriction on Religion Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- Authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwestern China are barring recipients of state welfare payments from performing the daily prayers required of devout Muslims, adding to restrictions already in place allowing only those 65 years or older from praying, sources say.
• Seeking 'independence' via 'constitutional amendment' will get Taiwan secessionists burned: Taiwan Affairs Office Global Times 30 Sep 2020 -- A small group of Taiwan secessionists shouldn't underestimate Beijing's resolution in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and should not go further in the evil road of seeking independence through "constitutional amendments," the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said Wednesday at a regular press conference.
• 18th Meeting of Political Bureau of 7th Central Committee of WPK Held KCNA 30 Sep 2020 -- The 18th meeting of the Political Bureau of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) took place at the office building of the Central Committee of the WPK on Sept. 29.
• Handwriting Checks for Whole Neighborhoods After 'Down with Party Officials' Graffiti Appears in North Korea Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- Authorities in North Korea have begun an invasive investigation into citizens' handwriting as they try to find the culprit who defaced a fence in a public gathering place with anti-government graffiti, sources in the country told RFA.
• IAEA confirms visiting second location in Iran IRNA 30 Sep 2020 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency in a statement on Wednesday confirmed that the IAEA's experts have gained access to the second location in Iran as per an agreement.
• Spokesman: Iran's right over three Persian Gulf islands not disputable IRNA 30 Sep 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh slammed the United Arab Emirates for repeating baseless territorial claims by UAE's senior officials about the three islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb and the Lesser Tunb in the Persian Gulf.
• Minister says gas output in South Pars makes almost three-fold growth in 7 years IRNA 30 Sep 2020 -- Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh announced Wednesday that gas output in South Pars gas field has reached 700 million cubic meters a year from annual 280 mcm seven years ago.
• Iran reaffirms Iran's sovereignty over trio Persian Gulf islands ISNA 30 Sep 2020 -- Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran has dismissed the claims raised by the foreign minister of the UAE on three Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf, saying such "groundless" comments would not change anything about Iran's sovereignty over the trio islands.
• IAEA Inspects Second Suspected Nuclear Site In Iran RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- The UN's nuclear watchdog says it has gained access to a second site in Iran where nuclear activities are suspected to have taken place in the past, as agreed with Tehran last month.
• Tsikhanouskaya Starts Naming Shadow Cabinet For Belarus While In Exile RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition candidate who supporters say won a presidential election that was instead stolen by long-ruling strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has begun creating a shadow cabinet as she takes refuge in neighboring Lithuania.
• Two ISIS Members Charged with Material Support Violations US Dept. of Justice 30 Sep 2020 -- Two United States citizens who were detained by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and recently transferred to the custody of the FBI have been charged with material support violations relating to their support for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
• Addition to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List US Dept. of State 30 Sep 2020 -- "Today, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Cuban national Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja (also known as López-Callejas) to OFAC's list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. Rodríguez López-Calleja is the head of the Cuban military-owned conglomerate Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA)."
• U.S. Judge Sentences Russian Hacker Nikulin To Seven Years In Jail RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- Yevgeny Nikulin, the Russian man dubbed the "Putin" of the Russian hacking world by a colleague, has been sentenced to just over seven years in jail after being convicted of hacking LinkedIn, DropBox, and other Internet companies.
• Suspect In Paris Stabbing Attack To Be Investigated By Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- A Pakistani man accused of wounding two people with a meat cleaver in front of the former offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris on September 25 is being formally investigated by the anti-terrorism prosecutor.
• Bangladesh Officials Blame Myanmar Minister for 'Disinformation Campaign' Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- Bangladesh officials on Wednesday accused a Myanmar government minister of conducting a "disinformation campaign" to hamper Rohingya repatriation when he told the United Nations that militant groups including ARSA and the Arakan Army had found sanctuary in neighboring Bangladesh.
• Myanmar Censorship of Party Messages on State Media Draws Fire Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- One of Myanmar's newest political parties has withdrawn its election pitch from its allotted state media broadcast airtime because the national election commission censored statements on poverty and other key issues, the party leader said Wednesday.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 30 Sep 2020 -- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, chaired today the Cabinet's virtual session.
• Top Cambodian General's Family Tied to $100 Million Australian Fraud Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- A pair of dodgy investment schemes link an Australian businessman to the upper echelons of the Cambodian People's Party.
• Laos Grilled on Disappearances, Speech Curbs at UN Rights Meeting Radio Free Asia 30 Sep 2020 -- UN members and NGOs called on Laos this week to resolve the forced disappearance case of a prominent rural development expert and stop censoring and jailing peaceful critics, as the Southeast Asian nation faced a review of its rights record in Geneva.
• Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania Criticized In EU Rule-Of-Law Report RFE/RL 30 Sep 2020 -- The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, has criticized judiciary reforms by the Hungarian and Polish governments as a "major source of controversy" and "serious concern."
• Department of State Offers Rewards for Information to Bring Former Venezuelan Public Officials to Justice US Dept. of State 30 Sep 2020 -- Today the U.S. Department of State announces reward offers of up to $5 million each for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Luis Alfredo Motta Dominguez and Eustiquio José Lugo Gómez.