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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• At Least 3 Killed, Over a Dozen Injured as Afghanistan's Paktia Province Rocked by Two Blasts Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- The second explosion came just hours after another blast in the same area that hit the central square of the Afghan town of Gardez.
• Pentagon approves troops drawdown plan in Afghanistan, but keeps larger bases Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- The Pentagon has approved plans for partial withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, under which the US will remain in control of two larger bases in the war-ravaged country.
• Afghanistan counts days for milestone opening of Iran railway link Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- A 200 km railway line, long touted as the sole viable option to build Afghanistan's economy, will come to operation in the next couple of weeks, connecting the Afghan city of Herat to Mashhad in Iran and on to Turkey.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Estonia, U.S. Conduct Joint Defensive Cyber Operation DoD News 03 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Cyber Command conducted a joint defensive cyber operation with the Estonian Defense Forces' cyber command on EDF networks, Sept. 23-Nov. 6. The operation was designed to counter malicious cyber actors and strengthened the cyber defense capability of both nations' critical assets.
• DOD Awards $2.5 Million Contract to Hollingsworth & Vose to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of Filtration Media DoD 03 Dec 2020 -- On Dec. 2, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $2.5 million contract to Hollingsworth & Vose, to increase domestic production capability of filter media.
• Operation Warp Speed Leaders Say 20 Million COVID-19 Vaccines May Be Available This Month DoD News 03 Dec 2020 -- Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II said that key officials with Operation Warp Speed report that 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine could be distributed this month.
• DOD Releases List of Additional Companies, In Accordance With Section 1237 of FY19 NDAA DoD 03 Dec 2020 -- Today, the Department of Defense released the names of additional "Communist Chinese military companies" operating directly or indirectly in the United States in accordance with the statutory requirement of Section 1237 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, as amended.
• TRADOC delivers new doctrine to equip unit leaders Army News 03 Dec 2020 -- Training and Doctrine Command's Combined Arms Center kicked off the new decade prioritizing equipping the Army's troop-level formations with new doctrine as the Army continues to modernize its formations and the way it fights.
• Defense Department Committed to Cleaning Up the Environment DoD News 03 Dec 2020 -- The Defense Department faces an environmental cleanup liability of around $33 billion, which is the second largest liability behind personnel benefits, the assistant secretary of defense for sustainment said.
• Chairman Discusses Future Defense Budgets DoD News 03 Dec 2020 -- Army Gen. Mark A. Milley is a realist, and he sees future defense budgets, at best, remaining flat or possibly going down significantly in the years ahead.
• Miller Seeks to Strengthen Hemispheric Partnership DoD News 03 Dec 2020 -- Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller stressed the need to strengthen partnerships in the Western Hemisphere during the virtual Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas.
• 3rd MAW advances air superiority with F-35C USMC News 03 Dec 2020 -- In a time characterized by rapidly evolving tactics and modernized equipment, the Marine Corps has taken the next step in maintaining air superiority as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 declares their initial operational capability for the F-35C Lightning II.
• Exercise Coastal Caribbean Warrior USMC News 03 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Marines with Charlie Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division recently traveled nearly 1,600 miles to conduct open-water and dive training with Netherlands Marines from the 32nd Raiding Squadron in Savaneta, Aruba, on November 7.
• Eglin AFB hosts Emerald Flag US Air Force 03 Dec 2020 -- Emerald Flag, Eglin Air Force Base's first native multi-domain test exercise, began Dec. 1 on the Eglin AFB Test and Training Range.
• C-130J refuels F-22s using Aerial Bulk Fuel Delivery System US Air Force 03 Dec 2020 -- A C-130J Super Hercules conducted a hot-pit refuel of a pair of F-22 Raptors Nov. 24 at Koror Palau International Airport using an Aerial Bulk Fuel Delivery System.
• Remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the public launch of the NATO 2030 Expert Group's Report NATO 03 Dec 2020
• NATO Addresses Russian 'Military Buildup,' Situation In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 03 Dec 2020 -- NATO foreign ministers concluded a two-day meeting on December 2 that paves the path for reforms within the transatlantic alliance as it faces twin challenges from Russia and China, as well as key decisions about the situation Afghanistan.
• Belarus raises alarm about US, NATO military build-up in region Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko says military build-ups by the United States and NATO near the western borders of his country, Russia, and a number of other states in the region is cause for "serious concern."
• China's first vessel-borne lightweight helicopter drone makes maiden flight Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- China's first domestically developed vessel-borne lightweight helicopter drone has recently made its maiden flight, its maker announced. It is designed to conduct maritime monitoring and identification tasks, and is expected to be used on board smaller vessels including corvettes and coast guard ships for missions like patrol and search and rescue, analysts predicted.
• 18 F-16A/B jet fighter upgrades completed CNA 03 Dec 2020 -- Eighteen 16A/B jet fighters belonging to Taiwan's Air Force had been upgraded in the first 11 months of the year, under a joint Taiwan-United States program to help Taiwan boost its air defense capabilities and meet the needs of advanced warfare, the military said on Thursday.
• UAE seeking to purchase Israel's Iron Dome missile system: Report Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- More than two months after the United Arab Emirates signed a US-brokered agreement at the White house to normalize relations with the Tel Aviv regime, Abu Dhabi's crown prince and de facto ruler of the Persian Gulf country is now interested in purchasing Israeli Iron Dome missile system.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Dec. 3, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 3 December 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 03 Dec 2020
• Amid 'unprecedented' needs, UNICEF asks for $6.4 billion to help 190 million children UN News 03 Dec 2020 -- The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday, launched a $6.4 billion emergency funding appeal to reach more than 190 million children affected by humanitarian crises amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
• UK pledges urgent aid for people facing starvation in Yemen UK FCDO 03 Dec 2020 -- Foreign Secretary calls for international action and announces new UK aid as report shows thousands of Yemenis are facing starvation, death, and destitution.
• Almost half of Yemen's population experiencing high levels of food insecurity: UN Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- The United Nations has warned that malnutrition in conflict-hit Yemen has reached record levels, saying almost half of the population is experiencing high levels of food insecurity, as time is running out to prevent mass starvation.
• Yemen: Unchecked violations 'may amount to war crimes', Security Council hears UN News 03 Dec 2020 -- UN experts called on the Security Council on Thursday, along with the international community at large, to put an end to the "surreal and absurd dimension" of human rights violations engulfing war-torn Yemen, where abuses continue unchecked.
• 20,000 foreign combatants causing serious crisis in Libya: UN Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- The United Nations (UN)'s acting Libya envoy has warned that the presence of at least 20,000 foreign combatants and mercenaries in war-torn Libya is causing a "serious crisis" there and constitutes a "shocking violation" of the North African country's sovereignty.
• More Than 50 People Go On Trial In Kazakhstan After Ethnic Clashes RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- More than 50 people have gone on trial in Kazakhstan's southern Zhambyl region after deadly ethnic clashes in February that shocked the Central Asian country.
• Rohingya refugees coerced into going to remote Bay of Bengal island: Aid workers Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- Rights groups and humanitarian workers say some of the thousands of Rohingya refugees being shipped to a Bangladeshi island have been coerced into going to the remote, flood-prone place.
• Rights groups urge Bangladesh to halt relocation of Rohingya Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- Human rights groups have urged Bangladesh to immediately stop its plan to relocate thousands of Muslim Rohingya refugees to a remote, flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal.
• Bangladesh Roundly Criticized as it Begins Moving Rohingya to Remote Island Radio Free Asia 03 Dec 2020 -- International criticism grew louder as Bangladesh began moving more than 1,000 Rohingya refugees to a flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday.
• 300 British troops deploy to Mali on UN Peacekeeping Mission UK MOD 03 Dec 2020 -- A UK task force has arrived in Mali to join the UN peacekeeping mission where they will provide a reconnaissance capability
• China's Tibetan Hydropower Plan Sparks Worries Among Downstream Countries Radio Free Asia 03 Dec 2020 -- Plans by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to begin construction of a new dam and hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which becomes the Brahmaputra River in India and Bangladesh, have sparked concerns over massive environmental destruction, social impact and downstream water shortages, experts have told RFA.
• China has right to develop Yarlung Zangbo River, to stay in touch with India, Bangladesh: Chinese FM Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- It is China's legitimate right to develop the hydropower of Yarlung Zangbo River, Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday, noting that China will stay in touch with India, Bangladesh through existing channels.
• Azerbaijan says nearly 2,800 of own soldiers killed in Karabakh war Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- Azerbaijan says it has lost nearly 2,800 of its soldiers in the recent war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the first details Baku has released about its military losses during the weeks-long clashes.
• Azerbaijan Says Almost 3,000 Troops Killed In Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- Nearly 2,800 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in fighting with ethnic Armenian forces over Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani officials said, the first time Baku has published casualty figures from the 44-day conflict.
• HRW: Azerbaijan Mistreats Armenian Prisoners of War RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- Ethnic Armenian troops captured in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh fighting have been treated inhumanely on many occasions by Azerbaijani forces, being subjected to physical abuse and humiliation, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in a new report.
• End of Karabakh War Marks Cessation of Azerbaijani Territories' 'Occupation', Turkish FM Says Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu onThursday said that the "occupation of Azerbaijani territory" in Nagorno-Karabakh had proved unsustainable, adding that Turkey had always backed resolving the conflict in compliance with international law.
• Relief Agencies Prepare Aid for Ethiopia's Tigray Region VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- Relief agencies in Ethiopia are preparing to transport aid to the country's disputed northern Tigray region, where a month of war may have killed thousands and worsened an existing humanitarian crisis.
• Displaced Nearing 400,000 in Mozambique's Islamist Insurgency VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- Aid groups in northern Mozambique say attacks on civilians have displaced close to 400,000 people during three years of Islamist terrorism.

News Reports

• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, December 3, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 03 Dec 2020
• At OSCE Meeting, Russia Blasted For Undermining Europe's Security RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has used a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to slam Russia for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, of seeking to undermine the democratic processes in the region, and of committing human rights abuses against its own people.
• Russia's Next Economic 'Shock' Likely To Come From Impoverished Regions, Experts Say RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- The Russian economy's next shock is more likely to come from its struggling regions than from external factors such as Western sanctions or low oil prices, according to a panel of experts.
• US Lawmakers Include Expanded Nord Stream-2 Sanctions in 2021 Defense Bill Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- Negotiating teams from both chambers of the US Congress said in a joint statement that they had included expanded sanctions against Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the final version of the 2021 US defense spending bill.
• EU Executive Plan Proposes Sanctions On Spreaders Of Fake News, Such As Russia RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova says the EU's executive arm will propose sanctioning entities who spread disinformation -- especially "foreign actors" from such countries as Russia and China -- in an effort to "impose a cost" on those putting out fake news.
• Moldova's Parliament Strips President-Elect Of Control Over Intelligence Service Amid Protests RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- Moldova's Socialist-controlled parliament has approved legislation stripping President-elect Maia Sandu of control over the country's intelligence service and moving it back under lawmakers' jurisdiction just weeks before she takes office.
• China is pushing forward with export control law: MOFCOM Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- China is actively advancing legislative work relating to enforcement measures of the country's new export control law, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on December 3, 2020 PRC MofA 03 Dec 2020
• Outgoing US Intel Chief Warns China Seeking Global Domination VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's top intelligence official is calling out China, describing the government in Beijing as the most pressing threat to freedom and democracy since the Second World War.
• US should not treat everyone as a spy; 'presumption of guilt' absurd: Chinese FM Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- The US should abandon its narrow, extreme mentality and stop treating everyone as a spy. China hopes the US will adopt a rational and objective attitude, correct its mistakes and create favorable conditions for normal personnel exchanges between the two countries, China's Foreign Ministry said at Thursday's media briefing.
• US Adds Four Chinese Companies to Defense Blacklist Over Alleged Military Ties Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- Days after the US media called the election for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, US President Donald Trump revealed he'd signed an executive order that would bar Americans from investing in nearly three dozen firms that allegedly do business with the Chinese military.
• US Tightens Visa Limits on Chinese Communist Party Officials Amid Spike in US-China Trade Tensions Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- The measures come after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in November the US was "not finished yet" with China, calling the nation's ruliing party a "Marxist-Leninist monster" that was "authoritarian, brutish and antithetical to human freedom".
• China denounces new US visa 'restrictions' for members of Chinese Communist Party Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- China has lambasted the outgoing administration of US President Donald Trump for imposing travel restrictions on members of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and their families.
• Aussie foreign relations bill could further worsen China ties Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- Australia's parliament on Thursday passed legislation empowering its federal government to veto any agreement struck with foreign states, a move likely to further worsen China-Australia ties which are already extremely tense, as Chinese experts warned that Canberra should be careful and avoid any escalation to cause non-repairable damage.
• US Bans Cotton Imports from Chinese Company Over Allegations of Human Rights Violations VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- The Trump administration has imposed a ban on imports of cotton products manufactured by a Chinese state-controlled firm because of its reliance on the forced labor of detained ethnic minorities.
• China Denounces US Claim About Forced Labour of Uyghurs at Cotton Facility in Xinjiang Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- The United States' allegation that a cotton producing facility in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region uses forced labour is fabricated and is aimed at containing the Asian country's economic development, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Thursday.
• Is US trying to create 'forced unemployment, poverty' in Xinjiang? Chinese FM asks Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- Helping people get a job and "forced labor" are two different concepts. Does the US want to create "forced unemployment" and "forced poverty" in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by cracking down on local enterprises through sanctions?
• US Blocks China Cotton at Border Claiming Use of Convict Labor Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- The US government issued an order to block cotton imports from a Xinjiang governmental organization in China, claiming that they were produced through the use of convict labor, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in a press release.
• On the Political Persecution of Hong Kong Democracy Advocates US Dept. of State 03 Dec 2020 -- The United States is appalled by the Hong Kong government's political persecution of Hong Kong's courageous pro-democracy advocates.
• US Lawmakers Denounce Sentencing of Hong Kong Activists VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- The Hong Kong government's decision to sentence three prominent activists to prison for organizing an unauthorized assembly drew fire from several key member of the U.S. Congress.
• Hong Kong Publishing Tycoon, Pro-Democracy Activist Arrested Again VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai has been arrested and charged with fraud.
• Jimmy Lai denied bail, may be detained till April given risks of fleeing HK Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- Jimmy Lai, founder of Hong Kong media group Next Digital, was denied bail in his fraud case on Thursday and may be detained until his next trial — scheduled for April — while his violation of the national security law for Hong Kong is still in the legal process. Observers familiar with Hong Kong affairs suspected the denial was due to risks that Lai may flee Hong Kong.
• Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Media Magnate Jimmy Lai Behind Bars Over 'Fraud' Charge Radio Free Asia 03 Dec 2020 -- A court in Hong Kong on Thursday denied bail to pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai after charging him with "fraud," in a decision that will see Lai remain behind bars until his next court appearance on April 16.
• Trends of Major Power Relations heatedly discussed at Beijing Xiangshan Forum PLA Daily 03 Dec 2020 -- A panel focused on "Trends of Major Power Relations" of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum video workshop was held on December 2. Experts and scholars from countries, including China, the US, Australia, and Singapore had a deep exchange of views. Yuan Peng, President of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), chaired the panel.
• Chang'e-5 probe unfolds Chinese national flag, takes off from moon with lunar surface samples Global Times 03 Dec 2020 -- The Chinese national flag shines an even brighter red from moon, and from now on it will be a grand reminder for stargazers from all over the world of the excitement and inspiration we felt from Apollo missions more than half a century ago.
• South Korean Unification Minister Urges Pyongyang Not to Provoke Biden's Administration Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young on Thursday has called on North Korea to refrain from provoking the future administration of US President-elect Joe Biden, as reported by Yonhap.
• Rouhani: Assassination of Iranian scientist out of enemies' desperation IRNA 03 Dec 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday described assassination of the Iranian scientist by the Zionists a big inhuman crime, saying that undoubtedly, this terrorist incident is a sign of the helplessness and inability of the sworn enemies against the scientific and research movements of the Iranian scientists.
• Rouhani: Scientist's assassination sign of enemies' failure to stop Iran's scientific march Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says the recent assassination of a senior Iranian nuclear scientist by Zionist elements was a grave and inhumane crime aimed at curbing the nation's march toward scientific progress.
• Who was Mohsen Fakhrizadeh? Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- On November 27, 2020, at around 14:30 local time, one of Iran's most senior nuclear scientists was assassinated in the city of Absard, east of Tehran, in a well-organized terrorist operation apparently linked to the regime in Israel.
• Iran Says Could Reverse Nuclear Law If Sanctions Scrapped RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says a law passed by parliament to expand and accelerate the country's nuclear program will not be implemented if international sanctions on Tehran are dropped.
• Iran's legislative body approves bill urging suspension of nuclear inspections People's Daily 03 Dec 2020 -- Iran's Guardian Council of Constitution, the highest legislative body of the country, on Wednesday approved a parliament's bill which urges suspension of UN inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities if signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal do not take steps to remove U.S. sanctions against Iran.
• Zarif: Iran proved its bona fides in 15 IAEA reports IRNA 03 Dec 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message referred to Iran's good faith in IAEA reports, saying Iran will reverse its remedial actions under JCPOA if US abides by UNSCR2231.
• Nuclear deal won't be renegotiated, US must respect UN Resolution endorsing accord, Zarif tells Rome forum Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reasserts Iran's position that its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers is not open to renegotiation and that the US has to observe the agreement and the UN resolution that endorses it.
• Zarif: US, Europe should live up to JCPOA commitments IRNA 03 Dec 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif on Thursday said that the United States and Europe should abide by their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• United States Imposes Sanctions on Shahid Meisami Group in Iran, Treasury Department Says Sputnik 03 Dec 2020 -- The move is another attempt by the White House to put pressure on the Tehran. Reports say President Donald Trump wants to drown Tehran in sanctions in order to make it difficult for Democrat Joe Biden, who is projected to win the 2020 presidential election, to return the United States to the JCPOA agreement, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.
• Sanctions on Iranian Entities Involved in Chemical Weapons Activities of Concern US Dept. of State 03 Dec 2020 -- The United States condemns any Iranian regime involvement in a chemical weapons program and will sanction those involved in any such activity.
• Treasury Designates Entity Subordinate to Iran's Military Firm US Treasury 03 Dec 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Shahid Meisami Group and its director. Shahid Meisami Group is involved in Iran's chemical weapons research and is subordinate to the Iranian Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, also known as SPND. The United States designated SPND in 2014 in connection with the Iranian regime's proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) or their means of delivery.
• US imposes more Iran-related sanctions targeting individual, entity Press TV 03 Dec 2020 -- The outgoing administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed more Iran-related sanctions on an entity and an individual, as Iran reasserts its position that the 2015 nuclear deal is not open to renegotiation and that the next US administration has to observe the agreement and the UN resolution that endorses it.
• President Rouhani opens several energy projects across Iran IRNA 03 Dec 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani officially inaugurated 25 energy projects in three Iranian provinces through video-conferencing Thursday.
• Iran's IRGC arrests 3 "terrorists": statement People's Daily 03 Dec 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced on Wednesday that its forces have arrested three "terrorists" in the northwestern region of the country.
• Israel Urges Citizens To Avoid Georgia, Azerbaijan, Citing Iran Threat RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- Israel's government is warning that Israeli targets abroad could come under attack by Iran, citing threats issued by Tehran following the killing of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist last week.
• Pakistan Political Battle Heats Up In Heartland Province RFE/RL Gandhara 03 Dec 2020 -- The battle for Pakistan's political future is heading toward a major showdown in the country's most populous province, which has historically shied away from confronting Pakistan's powerful generals, many of whom come from the region.
• Border fencing project with Iran to be completed by December 2021: Pakistan Army IRNA 03 Dec 2020 -- A spokesman for the Pakistani army says fencing work of border with the Islamic Republic of Iran is going on at a fast pace and will be completed by December 2021.
• Former French President Giscard D'estaing Dies of COVID VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- France is mourning the death of its former president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, as a result of contracting the COVID-19 virus. Giscard led France for seven years, from 1974 to 1981 and many now remember him as a reformer and a champion of European unity.
• Former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing dies at 94 People's Daily 03 Dec 2020 -- Valery Giscard d'Estaing, president of France from 1974 to 1981 and a key actor in European integration, has died on Wednesday at the age of 94, French media reported.
• Report: Son-In-Law Of Ex-Kazakh President Profited From Secret Pipeline RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- The son-in-law of former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev raked in tens of millions of dollars as part of a secret project linked to the construction of a natural-gas pipeline from Central Asia to China, the Financial Times reported.
• Will Erdogan Complaint About Anti-Turkish Conspiracy Become Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? VOA 03 Dec 2020 -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has complained about an international conspiracy forming against Turkey, and he says it's attempting to frustrate his projection of Turkish power and influence abroad.
• UAE launches satellite Falcon Eye into space People's Daily 03 Dec 2020 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched Wednesday its fourth reconnaissance satellite, named Falcon Eye 2, aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket that lifted off from Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.
• Thailand Threatens to Reject Electricity from Laos' Sanakham Dam Over Environmental and Security Concerns Radio Free Asia 03 Dec 2020 -- Thailand might not purchase electricity from a large-scale Mekong River dam project in next-door Laos due to a lack of clarity on its potential impact, a Thai government representative said.
• Final Election Results Announced In Georgia As Opposition Cries Foul RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- The ruling Georgian Dream party will hold a large majority in the incoming parliament -- 90 seats out of 150 -- according to the final results of a general vote that the opposition claims was rigged.
• Armenian Opposition Names Joint Candidate In Bid To Pressure PM RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- Armenian opposition groups angry over Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian's handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have united by naming a single candidate they want to head a transitional government until new elections can be held.
• Hungary 'Can't Accept' Current EU Budget Proposal RFE/RL 03 Dec 2020 -- The European Union's next budget and its massive pandemic relief fund cannot come into force without Hungary's approval and Budapest cannot accept it in its proposed form, which ties the disbursal to observing the rule of law in member countries, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff has said.