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Current Operations

• Watchdog Says Violence Surges In Afghanistan Despite Peace Talks RFE/RL Gandhara 04 Nov 2020 -- Violent attacks on Afghan forces and civilians spiked by 50 percent in the third quarter of the year even as the government and the Taliban launched unprecedented peace talks in September, a U.S. government watchdog said on November 5.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transportation Command considers next steps for potential space logistics Army News 04 Nov 2020 -- Transporting cargo in the cosmos may seem unimaginable now, but the innovative capability could become a reality in the not too distant future.
• Fast, fluid, together: Japan, U.S. Marines exercise amphibious capabilities during Keen Sword 21 USMC News 04 Nov 2020 -- In the early hours of November 1, the silence is broken by the sound of an amphibious assault featuring Japan Self-Defense Force CH-47JA Chinooks touching down and delivering streams of Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade troops while U.S. Marines hit the beach via small boats briskly navigating over the horizon from the USS Ashland to Gaja-Jima.
• USS Gabrielle Giffords Aids in 4th Fleet Drug Seizures, Replenishment at Sea, International Exercise, More US Navy 04 Nov 2020 -- The Independence Class Littoral Combat Ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) is conducting enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations (AOO), and has seen great success since arriving on station in October. The ship has proven to be an invaluable asset through strengthening partnerships while also improving interoperability with U.S. forces in the region.
• Donald Cook Completes Joint Air Defense Exercise with Italian Naval Air Squadron US Navy 04 Nov 2020 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) successfully completed an Air Defense Exercise (ADEX) with an Italian naval air squadron, Nov. 4, 2020.
• Military Sealift Command Ships in Southeast Asia Participate in Valiant Shield US Navy 04 Nov 2020 -- Several Military Sealift Command Far East ships took part in exercise Valiant Shield 2020 on Guam and around the Mariana Island Range Complex.
• U.S., Bangladesh Navies Join for CARAT Exercise in Bay of Bengal US Navy 04 Nov 2020 -- The U.S. and Bangladesh navies will expand relationships and broaden maritime awareness during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh 2020, commencing Nov. 4.
• NATO delivers ventilators to Montenegro NATO 04 Nov 2020 -- On 4 November 2020 health authorities in Montenegro received 20 ventilators donated by the NATO stockpile in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Type 075 amphibious assault ship spotted on doorstep of South China Sea, near Taiwan island: report Global Times 04 Nov 2020 -- The Chinese mainland's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship was recently spotted on the doorstep of the South China Sea, close to the island of Taiwan, Taiwan media reported, leading Chinese mainland military experts to say that the vessel could be conducting another sea trial session in the more challenging sea region of the South China Sea.
• China to accelerate modernization of national defense, armed forces People's Daily 04 Nov 2020 -- China will accelerate the modernization of its national defense and armed forces, according to the full text of the Communist Party of China Central Committee's proposals for formulating a new five-year development plan and long-range objectives.
• Guilin Joint Logistic Support Center deploys drones to improve battlefield support PLA Daily 04 Nov 2020 -- A logistic support exercise was conducted by the Guilin Joint Logistic Support Center in southwest China at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters above sea level in the autumn of 2020.
• New armored assault vehicles deployed to troops in Xizang PLA Daily 04 Nov 2020 -- According to news on November 2 published by "Plateau Warrior", the official WeChat account of the PLA Tibet Military Command, a battalion under the command held a ceremony for the recent receiving of new-type armored assault vehicles. Commanding officer of the battalion emphasized that it is necessary to get familiar with the new equipment and develop combat effectiveness as soon as possible.
• Maritime drones to boost Taiwan's surveillance capabilities CNA 04 Nov 2020 -- A proposed maritime drone sale approved by the U.S. Tuesday will boost the Taiwan military's surveillance capabilities and serve as evidence of increased mutual trust between Washington and Taipei, local military experts said Wednesday.
• Taiwan's defense chief links Beijing's incursions to ADIZ plan CNA 04 Nov 2020 -- The frequent incursions of Chinese military planes into Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) could be part of China's plans to set up an ADIZ in the South China Sea, according to Taiwan's defense chief.
• Chinese military firmly opposes US arms sales to Taiwan: Spokesperson PLA Daily 04 Nov 2020 -- The Chinese military has voiced strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to US approval of selling MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to Taiwan.
• US administration approves drones deal with Taiwan Press TV 04 Nov 2020 -- The United States administration has approved the sale of advanced drones to Taiwan, in yet another attempt to boost the self-ruled island against mainland China.
• Enhanced version of PINAKA Rocket System successfully Flight Tested India PIB 04 Nov 2020 -- Enhanced PINAKA rocket, developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been successfully flight tested from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha today, 04 November 2020.
• IRGC unveils smart ballistic missile launcher IRNA 04 Nov 2020 -- Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) unveiled the smart and automatic system for launching long-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday.
• Iran's IRGC unveils smart, automated system capable of launching long-range ballistic missiles Press TV 04 Nov 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled a new domestically-built ballistic missile launcher.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Nov. 4, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 4 November 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Nov 2020
• UN Police 'vital' across spectrum of peacekeeping, Security Council hears UN News 04 Nov 2020 -- The Security Council on Wednesday was briefed on the "vital role" UN Police play across the whole spectrum of the world body's work, from "conflict prevention to peacekeeping to peacebuilding".
• Philippines: South China Sea Exploration Can Proceed Without Beijing Radio Free Asia 04 Nov 2020 -- Oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea can proceed immediately even without Beijing as a partner, the Philippine energy chief said Wednesday, after President Rodrigo Duterte recently lifted a six-year ban on such activity in the contested waterway.
• Heralding Deal with China, Philippines Restarts Offshore Oil-Gas Exploration in Disputed Sea VOA 04 Nov 2020 -- The Philippine government's lifting of a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration reopens the door to joint energy development with China, the erstwhile biggest player in a regional maritime sovereignty dispute, analysts believe.
• Albanian IS Repatriation From Syria Will Be Long Journey, Experts Say VOA 04 Nov 2020 -- The recent repatriation of an Islamic State (IS) woman and four children from the Kurdish-controlled al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria is being applauded as an important step by Albania to deal with its citizens abroad who have been affiliated with the terror group.
• Libyan sides agree plan on implementing ceasefire deal UN News 04 Nov 2020 -- Military officers from Libya's warring parties have agreed practical steps towards implementing a ceasefire agreement, following the signing of an historic accord in Geneva last month, the UN mission in the country, UNSMIL, has reported.
• Azerbaijan praises Iran Leader's comments on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Press TV 04 Nov 2020 -- Azerbaijan has expressed gratitude to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for his stance on the conflict with Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Fresh Fighting In Nagorno-Karabakh As Russia Calls For Cease-Fire Control Mechanisms RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- The warring Azerbaijani and ethnic Armenian sides reported continued fighting in and around the breakaway Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh early on November 4, with each side claiming the upper hand along the front line.
• Ethiopia Declares Emergency After Attack on Federal Military Base VOA 04 Nov 2020 -- Ethiopia's government has ordered the army into the Tigray region and declared a six-month state of emergency after the prime minister accused the Tigray government of attacking a federal military base.
• Escalating Violence in Ethiopia's Tigray Region US Dept. of State 04 Nov 2020 -- The United States is deeply concerned by reports that the Tigray People's Liberation Front carried out attacks on Ethiopian National Defense Force bases in Ethiopia's Tigray region on November 3.
• Ethiopia deploys military to volatile northern region, declares emergency Press TV 04 Nov 2020 -- Ethiopia has deployed the military to the northernmost region of Tigray, in response to a deadly attack on an army base over the weekend that escalated a long-running dispute between ethnic groups in the African country.
• Railway Planned For Tibet Will Strengthen China's Regional Control: Experts Radio Free Asia 04 Nov 2020 -- A new railway linking western China's Sichuan province with central Tibet's Nyingtri prefecture will boost tourism and trade along a previously unconnected southern route, but will also strengthen Beijing's control over a disputed region bordering India, state media and other sources say.
• War Crimes Prosecutors, EU Mission Detain Former Kosovar Parliament Speaker RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- The Hague-based war crimes prosecutors in cooperation with local police and the EU's rule-of-law mission have arrested a former guerrilla leader and ex-speaker of Kosovo's parliament during a special operation that began before dawn in Pristina.
• UN brings Cyprus leaders together, mulling future talks on divided island UN News 04 Nov 2020 -- The leaders of the divided island of Cyprus have met in the capital Nicosia, in an encounter convened by the United Nations, the Secretary-General's Good Offices Mission in Cyprus said on Tuesday.

News Reports

• No Foreign Meddling Detected in Presidential Vote, US Officials Say VOA 04 Nov 2020 -- U.S. election security officials say no matter who emerges as the winner of the country's presidential election, it will be American voters, not foreign adversaries, who determined the outcome.
• World Watches Warily As U.S. Counts Ballots In Razor-Thin Presidential Vote RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- Countries around the globe are watching warily - and often silently - as a marathon presidential race nears the finish line in the United States.
• Who Wants To Be A Mayor? Remote Russian City Of Magadan Has No Applicants RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- While U.S. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are fighting tooth-and-nail to lead the United States, the frozen Russian Far Eastern port city of Magadan faces a completely different problem: Nobody wants to run it.
• Russian TV Backed Trump In 2016. In 2020, It's Zeroing In On Tensions In A Tight Race RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- November 4 in Russia is Unity Day, a state holiday filled with official events that celebrate the country's multiethnic makeup. This year, it coincides with the nail-biting vote count in a hotly contested U.S. presidential election that has thrown American political divides into sharp relief.
• Xi expounds on CPC proposals for China's new development plan Global Times 04 Nov 2020 -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Tuesday unveiled in full text the Party leadership's proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan and long-range goals.
• Xi to announce achieving moderately prosperous society in H1 of 2021 Global Times 04 Nov 2020 -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee released Tuesday the full text of proposals for mapping out a blueprint for China's development in the next 15 years, on which the top leader said the CPC Central Committee will announce the achievement of building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects after a systematic assessment and review in the first half of 2021.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on November 4, 2020 PRC MofA 04 Nov 2020
• China Pulls Plug on Ant Listing After Summoning Jack Ma Radio Free Asia 04 Nov 2020 -- China on Wednesday unceremoniously pulled the plug on the U.S.$37 billion listing of Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma's Ant financial group, after its financial regulators hauled Ma and other senior executives in for a meeting on Monday.
• China Intensifies Crackdown on Officials Who Bring Banned Books Back Home Radio Free Asia 04 Nov 2020 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is stepping up a crackdown on high-ranking officials found in possession of banned books and magazines with "sensitive" political content.
• Border Reopening Rumors Follow North Korean Repatriation of Stranded Chinese Radio Free Asia 04 Nov 2020 -- Authorities in North Korea and China have temporarily reopened customs offices on their border to allow a group of Chinese stranded since the frontier was closed over coronavirus fears in January to return home, sources on the Chinese side of the border told RFA.
• United States Seizes 27 Additional Domain Names Used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Further a Global, Covert Influence Campaign US Dept. of Justice 04 Nov 2020 -- The United States has seized 27 domain names that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unlawfully used to further a global covert influence campaign.
• Essential Goods' Prices To Drop Next Week, Minister Promises Radio Farda 04 Nov 2020 -- Hours after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commented on the high cost of goods in Iran, the newly appointed Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade (MIMT), Alireza Razm Hosseini, claimed that the prices of essential goods in the country "will change significantly next week."
• Iran, Venezuela Look To 'Deepen' Ties RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Venezuela at the start of a Latin American tour that will also take him to Cuba and Bolivia.
• EU Agrees To Extend Sanctions To Lukashenka, 14 Others Over Crackdown In Belarus RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- European Union member states have agreed to slap sanctions on Alyaksandr Lukashenka, along with 14 other Belarusian officials, in response to a brutal crackdown on postelection protests.
• Myanmar Military-Government War of Words in Run-up to Vote Raises Concerns Radio Free Asia 04 Nov 2020 -- Myanmar's civilian government pushed back Wednesday at blunt criticism from the powerful military chief over preparations for weekend elections, with the office of the president saying Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had created "instability" and broken a law banning partisanship by public officials.
• Hate Speech Among Military Party's Supporters on The Rise Ahead of Myanmar Election Radio Free Asia 04 Nov 2020 -- Supporters of Myanmar's military-aligned opposition party have been spreading hate speech at increasing levels on the campaign trail leading up to the country's general election this weekend, a London-based rights group alleged Wednesday.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 04 Nov 2020 -- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, chaired today the Cabinet's virtual session.
• Turkey vows 'firm' response to France ban on 'Grey Wolves' Press TV 04 Nov 2020 -- Turkey has vowed to 'respond in the firmest way' to France's decision to dissolve the Turkish Grey Wolves group.
• Kyrgyz Parliament Speaker Steps Down To Join Growing Field Of Presidential Hopefuls RFE/RL 04 Nov 2020 -- The recently elected chairman of the Kyrgyz parliament said on November 4 that he would step down and indicated that he planned to take part in the country's early presidential election in January, throwing more confusion into one of Central Asia's most turbulent political scenes.
• More Arrests Made in Vienna Terror Attack as Authorities Admit Errors VOA 04 Nov 2020 -- The Islamist militant who killed four people and wounded more than a dozen during a shooting rampage Monday in Vienna had told officials he had been deradicalized, which helped secure him an early release from prison and lighter surveillance.
• Daesh claims responsibility for Vienna attacks Press TV 04 Nov 2020 -- The Takfiri Daesh terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the recent deadly shooting attacks in the Austrian capital of Vienna, which left four people dead and nearly two dozen others injured.