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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• New Pentagon Chief Poised to Rush Troop Withdrawals Ahead of Trump's January Exit - Report Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- A senior adviser brought on by acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller could mean the administration wants to accelerate its planned troop withdrawals before US President Donald Trump's tenure ends on January 20, 2021.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Slew of Pentagon officials resigning after Trump's dismissal of defense secy Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- The US Defense Department is facing a flurry of resignations after lame-duck President Donald Trump fired Pentagon chef Mark Esper.
• Esper's Termination Sets Off String of Resignations at US Defenсe Department Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- The Pentagon announced more resignations a day after President Donald Trump's firing of US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper.
• 21 more U.S. soldiers, civilians in S. Korea test positive for COVID-19 People's Daily 11 Nov 2020 -- Sixteen more U.S. soldiers and five other individuals in South Korea tested positive for COVID-19, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has said.
• U.S. Navy conducts multinational gunnery exercises in Indian Ocean, Philippine Sea US Navy 11 Nov 2020 -- Two U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers participated in separate, multinational live-fire gunnery exercises on the same day, Nov. 5, in both the Indian Ocean and international waters off the coast of Japan.
• Photo: US Army Tests New Low-Cost Anti-Air Missile as Alternative to Costly Patriots Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- The US Army has tested a new surface-to-air missile (SAM) designed to fill the gap between shoulder-fired weapons and large truck-mounted air defense batteries in both range and cost.
• Spain Plans to Extend Military Agreement With US, Reports Say Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- The Spanish government plans to extend the military agreement with the US that expires on 21 May 2021, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Wednesday.
• Philippines Delays Decision on Defense Pact With US by Another Six Months Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- The Philippines gave itself another six months to decide whether to keep a key military pact with the United States intact because bilateral efforts have brought "the renewal of stability" in the South China Sea, Manila's top diplomat said Wednesday.
• Philippines delays termination of US military pact for 6 more months Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- The Philippines has suspended a decision to end a two-decade military agreement with its ally the United States for another six months.
• Coronavirus response: NATO Allies deploy military medics to the Czech Republic NATO 11 Nov 2020 -- The United Kingdom has deployed medics from the Royal Army Medical Corps to the Czech Republic, in support of efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The deployment follows a request for assistance by the Czech Republic to NATO's Euro Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC).
• S-400 Maker Delivers Batch of Advanced Air Defence System to Russian Military Ahead of Schedule Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- The Russian military is equipped with hundreds of S-400 launchers across dozens of battalions, with the advanced road-mobile air defence system deployed across every one of Russia's military districts, as well as the Russian military airbase in northwestern Syria.
• Putin Unveils New Command Post for Russia's Strategic Nukes as New START's Fate Hangs in Balance Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- In October, the Russian President proposed extending the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, for one year without any preconditions. US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien shot the idea down out of hand. The arms treaty will expire in February 2021 unless Moscow and Washington can agree to renew it.
• Russian Il-76 Refitted to Lift More Cargo Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- The Russian upgraded heavy military transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A will be able to lift 12 tonnes more, according to the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).
• Air Force video reveals Chinese fighter jet's mysterious new missile Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- Chinese fighter jets are apparently getting a mysterious new type of missile, a recent recruitment video of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force shows. The unidentified missile could be an advanced anti-radiation missile or a new long-range air-to-air missile, and either possibility could significantly increase the PLA's capabilities in destroying hostile early warning aircraft, analysts said on Wednesday.
• China, US military exchanges continue following change in US defense secretary Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- A research seminar on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief jointly held by the Chinese and US militaries was held as scheduled on Wednesday following the dismissal of US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, which experts take as a sign that the two militaries are still determined to maintain stability even at a sensitive period.
• China, US militaries hold HADR seminar via video link PLA Daily 11 Nov 2020 -- The Chinese and US militaries started a three-day-long video seminar on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) on November 11th, according to a written statement released by the Ministry of National Defense of China.
• PLA Air Force progresses on road to become world-class PLA Daily 11 Nov 2020 -- President Xi Jinping stressed "fully building the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force into a world-class air force" when attending an event celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the PLA Air Force(PLAAF) on November 8 last year. According to the magnificent blueprint, the PLAAF is striding forward to the goal of fully building a world-class air force.
• Nigeria receives China-made armed reconnaissance drones: reports Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- The Nigerian air force has reportedly received a batch of China's Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drones, once again showcasing China's advantages in the international drone market, including mature technologies, combat-proven results and reasonable prices, analysts said.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• 11 November 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Nov 2020
• Ending statelessness 'a matter of political will', says UN refugee agency chief UN News 11 Nov 2020 -- The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called on world leaders to take bold and swift action to eradicate statelessness by 2024.
• UN envoy urges Yemen's warring parties to place 'a firm bet on peace', as famine threat continues UN News 11 Nov 2020 -- The plight of Yemenis demands "nothing less than a firm bet on peace", the UN Special Envoy told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• UN envoy urges Yemen's warring parties to place 'a firm bet on peace', as famine threat continues UN News 11 Nov 2020 -- The plight of Yemenis demands "nothing less than a firm bet on peace", the UN Special Envoy told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• Assad says US hampering return of Syrian refugees Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has blamed the United States for hampering the return of refugees to Syria.
• Bashar al-Assad: Western Sanctions Create 'Big Obstacles' for Return of Refugees to Syria Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- Over 5 million people are believed to have fled Syria following the military conflict in the country that has been ongoing since 2012.
• Libyan Dialogue Participants Agree on Plan to Unite Authorities - UN Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- According to the UN diplomat, the parties reached a preliminary agreement on the roadmap to parliamentary and presidential elections in the country, as 18 months are left before the voting takes place.
• Armenia PM says agreed to Karabakh truce to avoid 'full collapse' Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says he agreed to a Russian-brokered peace deal with Azerbaijan to avoid further losses in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, adding that the continuation of fighting would have resulted in "full collapse."
• Thousands Of Armenians Defy Martial Law, Demand Government Resignation Over Karabakh Peace Deal RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- Thousands of demonstrators have demanded Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's resignation, as they took to the streets in protest at a peace agreement ending more than six weeks of fighting with Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Russia, Turkey Sign Memorandum on Creation of Joint Centre to Control Ceasefire in Karabakh Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, signed a memorandum on the establishment of a joint centre to control the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Russia Calls Nagorno-Karabakh Truce Win for All, But Armenians Protest VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- Armenia's opposition parties have reacted with fury to a Kremlin-brokered cease-fire aimed at ending weeks of fighting with Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• UN refugee agency: Keep borders open for fleeing Ethiopians UN News 11 Nov 2020 -- The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday that it is working with Sudanese authorities to help more than 7,000 refugees who have fled Ethiopia over the past two days, following major clashes in the Tigray region of the country.
• Thousands Flee to Sudan After Clashes in Ethiopia's Tigray Region VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- The U.N. refugee agency said Wednesday it is working with Sudan's government to assist more than 7,000 Ethiopian refugees, who have crossed the border, fleeing clashes between forces of the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray regional government.
• Ethiopia's Instability Threatens to Engulf Region VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- In a country plagued by years of ethnic violence, analysts fear the latest fighting between government troops and regional paramilitary forces in Ethiopia could be the breaking point.
• Swiss, Canadian Ambassadors to China Make Rare Visit to Tibet Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- Ambassadors to China from Canada and Switzerland made rare official visits to Tibet in September and October, observing local conditions and raising issues of concern with their Chinese hosts, but have remained largely silent so far on what they observed there.
• India, China Chalk Out Three-Step Disengagement Plan to Resolve Border Conflict, Media Reports Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- Over seven months into a border conflict, and following half a dozen rounds of military commander-level and diplomatic-level talks, Asian rivals India and China are nearing a consensus on de-escalation in the contested Ladakh region.
• Joint Statement on the Israel-Lebanon Maritime Talks US Dept. of State 11 Nov 2020
• Hezbollah has full confidence in Aoun's handling of maritime talks with Israel: Nasrallah Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says it has complete confidence in President Michel Aoun's management of the ongoing maritime talks with the Israeli regime.
• UN chief shocked at 'wanton brutality' in northern Mozambique UN News 11 Nov 2020 -- The United Nations Secretary-General has called on the authorities in Mozambique to investigate brutal killings this past weekend, in the country's northern Cabo Delgado province, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
• Displaced in Nigeria's restive northeast tell UN deputy chief they're 'impatient' for home UN News 11 Nov 2020 -- The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General is on a trip to West Africa and the Sahel region, and on Tuesday, she travelled to Borno state in northeastern Nigeria, a region badly affected by conflict and where many continue to live under the threat of Boko Haram insurgency.

News Reports

• 'No Laughing Matter': Pompeo's Comment On Legitimacy Of U.S. Election Raises Eyebrows At Home And Abroad RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- In his post as the senior U.S. diplomat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is charged with promoting democratic values.
• Siberian Court Orders Falun Gong Movement Banned RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- A Siberian regional court has banned Falun Gong, the Chinese spiritual movement that China's Communist Party has sought to stamp out since the late 1990s.
• Statement from National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien The White House 11 Nov 2020 -- "Beijing's recent actions disqualifying pro-democracy legislators from Hong Kong's Legislative Council leave no doubt that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has flagrantly violated its international commitments under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and its promises to the people of Hong Kong, including those under the Basic Law."
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on November 11, 2020 PRC MofA 11 Nov 2020
• Hong Kong disqualifies 4 lawmakers for threatening national security Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- Hong Kong has disqualified four opposition lawmakers after the Chinese parliament adopted a resolution authorizing the city to expel legislators deemed dangerous to national security.
• China Ousts Four Hong Kong Lawmakers, Prompting Mass Resignations Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- Fifteen pro-democracy lawmakers announced their resignations from Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) on Tuesday in protest at the ouster of four of their colleagues following an edict from Beijing.
• Foreign Secretary statement on the expulsion of pro-democracy legislators in Hong Kong UK FCDO 11 Nov 2020 -- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab comments on the disqualification of four pro-democracy lawmakers in Hong Kong.
• 15 Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Lawmakers Quit After Colleagues Expelled VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- Hours after four Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers were expelled from the city's legislature, 15 of their colleagues followed through on a pledge and resigned en masse Wednesday.
• Four Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Lawmakers Disqualified VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- Four Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers were expelled from the city's legislature Wednesday.
• Reshaping Hong Kong Continues With Pro-Democracy Lawmaker Crisis: Analysis VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- From a distance, it might seem Hong Kong's turmoil and chaos have lessened as the National Security Law and the global pandemic put a lid on mass pro-democracy protests that rocked the city last year. In reality, since coming into effect, the security law has been a catalyst for sweeping internal changes within the semi-autonomous city.
• HK opposition lawmakers' mass resignation 'political maneuver,' central govt prepared for all scenarios Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- After four opposition lawmakers were disqualified from the legislature in Hong Kong on Wednesday, which was in line with the latest legal opinion given by China's top legislature, the remaining 15 opposition members of LegCo announced they were resigning en masse. Such a political maneuver, as some observers said, won't affect LegCo operations.
• Opposition lawmakers' resignations will not affect others in fulfilling their duties: Lam Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- Lawmakers in the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Administrative Region (HKSAR) should fulfill their responsibilities and pro-establishment lawmakers will not be a rubber stamp, HKSAR Executive Chief Carrie Lam told a press conference, in response to 15 lawmakers reportedly vowing to resign en masse after four lawmakers from their group were disqualified.
• Patriots governing HK a political rule to be guarded, top legislature's decision on LegCo unchallengeable: liaison office Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- China's top legislature's decision on the qualification of members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the HKSAR has drawn a bottom line and set rules for Hong Kong officials' constitutional responsibility to pledge allegiance to the country and the HKSAR, said the central government body, noting that patriots governing Hong Kong is a political rule that much be guarded.
• China condems US "sanctions" against officials over Hong Kong Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- China on Tuesday strongly condemned the so-called sanctions imposed by the United States on officials of Chinese central government agencies responsible for Hong Kong affairs and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.
• Why these four Hong Kong lawmakers were first disqualified? Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- Four infamous Hong Kong opposition lawmakers - Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung Kai-cheong - falls first to be disqualified right after China's top legislature set detailed measures to disqualify unpatriotic Legislative Council (LegCo) lawmakers. Why it has to be these four?
• Four LegCo members disqualified after China's top legislature sets HK lawmaker criteria Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- Shortly after China's top legislature adopted a decision on the qualifications of members of LegCo, four opposition lawmakers — Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Kwok Ka-ki, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Kenneth Leung Kai-cheong — who have notorious records for creating trouble and are deemed unfit from their LegCo duties, were disqualified from the local legislature in Hong Kong with immediate effect .
• 10,148 people arrested over social unrest in Hong Kong People's Daily 11 Nov 2020 -- The Hong Kong police announced on Tuesday that a total of 10,148 people were arrested between June 9, 2019 and Oct. 31, 2020 over social unrest, among whom, 2,325 have been prosecuted.
• China sets up international anti-corruption network, signs treaties with 81 countries Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- China has established 169 extradition treaties and mutual legal assistance treaties with 81 countries as of November, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China's top disciplinary watchdog.
• Xi stresses comprehensively raising Peaceful China levels PLA Daily 11 Nov 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged efforts to comprehensively promote the implementation of the Peaceful China initiative.
• China's Shiny New Press Card Means Total State Control of Media: Journalists Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is "re-educating" its already tightly controlled state media, requiring hundreds of thousands of journalists to sit an exam in the political thought of general secretary Xi Jinping to be issued with a new generation of official press cards.
• Xinjiang Authorities Detain Vocalist, Dozens of Others For Watching Turkish TV Series Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- Authorities in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have detained a young amateur singer from Ghulja (in Chinese, Yining) city for viewing a Turkish television series, according to officials, who said dozens of others are also in custody for the same reason.
• China calls on US to halt expansion of ties with Taiwan Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- China has called on the United States to halt its expansion of ties with Taiwan, after Washington and Taipei declared they would hold economic talks later this month.
• Beijing Calls on US to Stop Elevating Ties With Taiwan Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- Last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry warned that Beijing would deliver a "proper and necessary response" after Washington had approved the potential sale of four MQ-9B Reaper drones and associated hardware to Taiwan.
• Biden Expected to Uphold Staunch US-Taiwan Ties But Not Like Trump VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- Taiwanese officials and analysts expect U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to sustain most of the heightened political support that President Donald Trump's administration has offered the Asian island, but with less taunting of Taiwan's increasingly powerful rival China.
• DPP returning to right track key to improving cross-Straits ties: Taiwan Affairs Office Global Times 11 Nov 2020 -- Cross-Straits ties will only be improved when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) returns to the right track of the 1992 Consensus and stops provoking the Chinese mainland by seeking "independence," said the spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, when asked to comment on whether the US election result will affect cross-Straits relations.
• Interview: 'North Korean Refugees in China Are Not Protected by Anyone,' Says Refugee-Turned-Lawmaker in South Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- Coronavirus-related travel restrictions have led to a sharp decrease in North Koreans settling in South Korea this year, and rights organizations are concerned that hundreds of thousands of refugees may be stranded in China in precarious circumstances.
• Iran's Enriched Uranium Stockpile 12 Times Higher Than 2015 Limit, Says UN Watchdog RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- Iran keeps increasing its stockpile of low-enriched uranium far beyond the limits set in a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers and continues to enrich it to a higher purity than allowed, the UN's atomic watchdog agency said on November 11.
• Iran does not care whether Trump stays, nor gets excited with incoming Biden IRNA 11 Nov 2020 -- Iran does not care whether Trump stays, nor gets excited with incoming Biden," said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday.
• Iran to make decisions based on its own interests: Araghchi ISNA 11 Nov 2020 -- Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi stressed that Tehran will be neither intimidated by the re-election of Donald Trump nor overjoyed by Joe Biden's coming to power as the US President.
• Fate of Iran deal rests on new US administration's behavior: Zarif Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the future of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal depends on the course of action and behavior of the new US administration.
• Designation of Iranian Procurement Networks US Dept. of State 11 Nov 2020 -- On November 10, 2020 the Department of the Treasury designated an international network of six companies and four individuals for facilitating the procurement of sensitive goods, including U.S.-origin electronic components, for Iran Communications Industries (ICI).
• Macron calls for EU-wide coordination in response to terrorism People's Daily 11 Nov 2020 -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called for enhanced efforts across the European Union (EU) to fight terrorism in a "rapid, coordinated and joint" approach, noting many European cities have been troubled by the problem.
• Will Border Security Solve Europe's Terror Threat? VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- France and Germany have called for much stronger external border security following recent terror attacks in Europe. Experts say, however, that such measures alone are unlikely to solve the problem.
• U.S. Condemns 'Arbitrary' Expulsion Of U.K. Diplomats From Belarus RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- The United States has condemned the "harassment" and expulsion of two British diplomats from Belarus this week amid a deterioration in relations between Minsk and Western capitals over a disputed presidential election and authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka's violent crackdown on postelection protests.
• Expulsion of UK Diplomats from Belarus US Dept. of State 11 Nov 2020 -- The United States expresses solidarity with the United Kingdom and condemns the harassment and expulsion of two UK diplomats from Belarus on November 9.
• Kazakh Activist Demands Registration Of Party Before Parliamentary Vote RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- An activist in Kazakhstan's southern city of Shymkent has held a single-person picket to demand the registration of the opposition Democratic Party ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for January 10, 2021.
• Myanmar Election Authorities Reject Opposition Complaints About Vote Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- Myanmar's general elections were conducted "freely and fairly" and accepted by most parties, the country's electoral authorities said Wednesday — rejecting calls from the military-backed opposition for a new vote as partial tallies showed a big victory for leader Aung San Su Kyi's ruling party.
• Myanmar's opposition wants 'new, disciplined election' in cooperation with the military Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- Myanmar's main opposition has called for a re-run of the parliamentary elections under the supervision of the military amid Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party victory in what has been called "unfair" polls.
• Saudi Labor Reforms Still Leave Millions Exposed To Abuse, Exploitation RFE/RL Gandhara 11 Nov 2020 -- Saudi Arabia has boasted of its "huge" reforms of the labor market aimed at restructuring the harsh sponsorship rules that are often blamed for the exploitation and abuse of millions of foreign workers in the oil-rich kingdom.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 11 Nov 2020 -- Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prime Minister, chaired today the Cabinet's virtual session.
• Irish foreign minister Coveney rules out Brexit trade deal this week Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- As post-Brexit trade continue to unfold at a glacial pace the Irish foreign minister has ruled out a speedy breakthrough.
• Deadly post-election violence breaks out in Ivory Coast Press TV 11 Nov 2020 -- At least three people have been killed and some 30 injured in new clashes in Ivory Coast following the contested re-election of President Alassane Ouattarare for a third term.
• Merkel Calls On Balkans To Overcome Differences As Bulgaria Holds Up North Macedonia EU Talks RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on Balkan states to bury historical tensions as she expressed optimism EU accession talks could be launched with North Macedonia and Albania by the end of the year.
• Kyrgyzstan's Acting President Signs Amendments To Election Law RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- Kyrgyzstan's acting President Sadyr Japarov has signed amendments changing the law on elections that lower the threshold for political parties to enter parliament from 7 percent to 3 percent, while also reducing the registration fee for candidates from 5 million soms ($62,000) to 1 million soms.
• Atambaev's Trial Resumes In Bishkek, Case To Be Handed To Another Judge RFE/RL 11 Nov 2020 -- The high-profile trial of former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has resumed in Bishkek with Judge Marat Sadykov agreeing with a defense team motion to hand the case to another judge.
• Kyrgyz Ex-President Asks Court to Keep Him in Custody, Release His Supporters, Adviser Says Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has requested that the court keep him in custody but release his bodyguard, Kanat Sagynbaev, and ex-head of the presidential administration Farid Niyazov, who were both detained on suspicions of staging mass riots in 2019, the detainee's advisor, Kunduz Joldubaeva, said on Wednesday.
• Bahrain's Prime Minister Dies VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- Bahrain's Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has died at the age of 84.
• Bahrain's Crown Prince Appointed New Prime Minister, Replacing Late Uncle Sputnik 11 Nov 2020 -- King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain appointed Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa as the kingdom's prime minister, according to a royal order published by the Bahraini official news agency BNA on Wednesday.
• ASEAN Members, Other Nations Ready to Sign Massive Trade Deal Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- The 10 ASEAN member states and five other countries are expected to sign a massive China-backed trade deal on Sunday aimed at cutting tariffs and establishing common rules for trade, e-commerce, and intellectual property, officials and media reports said Wednesday.
• Cambodian PM Hun Sen's Son Attributes Government Flood Aid to Parents Radio Free Asia 11 Nov 2020 -- The son of Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen drew sharp criticism from citizens and the country's banned opposition party Wednesday after he distributed government aid to flood victims and soldiers, claiming it had come from his parents.
• Disputes Threaten Somali National Elections Time Frame VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- The International Crisis Group says Somalia is getting behind schedule on conducting parliamentary and presidential elections. The Brussels-based research organization says the process is threatened by disagreements and the lack of a mechanism to handle disputed election results. It's calling for term extensions to avoid political conflict.
• Tanzania Opposition Leader Flees Country After Election VOA 11 Nov 2020 -- Tanzania opposition politician and former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu has left the country for Belgium a week after a failed nationwide protest to reject a presidential election that he claims was marred by widespread irregularities. His departure for Europe comes after he took refuge for more than a week at the German ambassador's residence, citing threats to his life.