Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• US establishing new military base in Hasaka: Report Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- The US occupation forces have begun to build a new military base in al-Yaroubia area in Hasaka, Syria, deploying logistic materials and military equipment there, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
• Pakistani Militant Leader Killed In Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jan 2021 -- The leader of the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e Islam has been killed in a mine blast in neighboring Afghanistan, according to Afghan and Pakistani security sources.
• U.S.-Taliban Deal Hangs In The Balance RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jan 2021 -- A week after U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said it would review Washington's peace deal with the Afghan Taliban, the fate of the nearly year-old agreement is in the balance.
• Taliban Delegation Discusses Afghan Peace Talks With Russian Officials RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jan 2021 -- A Taliban delegation has held talks with Russian officials in Moscow amid ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the militant group.
• U.S. Afghan Envoy Asked To Stay And Continue 'Vital' Work, Blinken Says RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jan 2021 -- The U.S. envoy who brokered a deal with the Taliban last year has been asked to stay in his position, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on January 27.
• Press release on a visit by a Taliban delegation Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28 Jan 2021 -- On January 28, Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan and Director of the Foreign Ministry's Second Asia Department Zamir Kabulov held consultations with a delegation of the Taliban Movement.
• Over 5,000 National Guard troops to remain in Washington through mid-March over security concerns People's Daily 28 Jan 2021 -- More than 5,000 National Guard troops will remain in Washington, D.C. through mid-March amid security concerns, acting Secretary of the Army John Whitley said on Monday.
• WVNG helps state increase COVID-19 vaccinations Army News 28 Jan 2021 -- West Virginia, with the help of the National Guard, set a new benchmark this past week by administering 106% of the federally allotted COVID-19 vaccine.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New US Defense Secretary Says Germany 'Highly Valued' as Host for US Troops VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said Wednesday he values Germany as a station for U.S. troops, leading to speculation he may reverse a decision by the Trump administration to pull troops out of the country.
• DOD Personnel Must Do More to Win Fight Against COVID-19, Special Advisor Says DoD News 28 Jan 2021 -- While the personnel of the Defense Department have already done incredible work to combat the coronavirus, they must do more, said Max Rose, a special advisor on COVID-19 to the defense secretary.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin "Benny" Gantz DoD 28 Jan 2021
• DOD Official Hopes For Quick Confirmation of Deputy Secretary DoD News 28 Jan 2021 -- The Defense Department has witnessed a lot of progress in the past week with 30 appointees arriving under the new Biden administration and 12 more expected next week, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said at a briefing today.
• U.S. Navy, Partner Nation Navies Conclude Submarine-Tracking Exercise US Navy 28 Jan 2021 -- The U.S. Navy and several maritime partner nations successfully completed operations for the multilateral exercise Sea Dragon 2021 in Guam on Jan. 27.
• Second U.S. Destroyer Enters Black Sea, Operates Alongside NATO Air Command US Navy 28 Jan 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) entered the Black Sea on a routine patrol, Jan. 28, while conducting multidomain operations with a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft from Patrol Squadron VP-46 and NATO Air Command aircraft E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
• U.S. Africa Command senior leaders strengthen foundation of partnership with African countries AFRICOM 28 Jan 2021 -- A U.S. Africa Command delegation arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Jan. 27. The delegation's visit, led by U.S. Africa Command's Deputy for Civil-Military Engagement, Ambassador Andrew Young, and Director of Intelligence, Rear Adm. Heidi Berg, follows U.S. Africa Command's historic visit to Sudan Jan. 25-27. The trip to Sudan provided critical insight into areas of mutual interest with this new partner and identified concerns in the region.
• NATO Allied ships, aircraft patrol the Black Sea NATO 28 Jan 2021 -- United States Navy destroyer USS Porter entered the Black Sea on Thursday (28 January 2021) to conduct routine maritime security operations and to train with Allies and partners in the region. Porter is the third US navy ship to enter the Black Sea in recent days, joining guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook and replenishment oiler USNS Laramie.
• U.S.-Russia Arms-Treaty Agreement Is 'Reason For Optimism' About Opening Dialogue, Envoy Says RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- Russia hopes the extension of the last remaining U.S.-Russian arms-control treaty will give a new boost to restarting a strategic dialogue between Moscow and Washington, Russia's deputy UN ambassador has said.
• To promote China-DPRK military exchanges at all levels: Defense spokesperson PLA Daily 28 Jan 2021 -- "Mil-to-mil relations play an important role in China-DPRK relationship. China will continue to conduct friendly exchanges between the two militaries at all levels," said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday.
• To contain china, mission impossible: Defense spokesperson PLA Daily 28 Jan 2021 -- The mil-to-mil relations between China and the US have come to a new starting point, and China hopes the new US administration will work with the Chinese side to promote the healthy and steady development of bilateral ties, said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND), at a regular press conference on Thursday, when asked to comment on China-US mil-to-mil relationship during the Trump administration and the future development of bilateral military relations during the Biden administration.
• China-US military relations at 'new starting point' Global Times 28 Jan 2021 -- In a move analysts said China sent a signal of communication and cooperation to manage risks, militaries of China and the US recently held a meeting over the search for the remains of US prisoners of war and missing-in-action personnel, as the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Thursday that China-US military relations are at a new starting point with the Biden administration, but warned it is impossible for the US to contain China if it remains determined to do so, and "Taiwan independence" will lead to war.
• No notification from U.S. on suspension of arms deals to Taiwan: MOFA CNA 28 Jan 2021 -- The government has not received any notification from the U.S. that it will put a hold on its weapons sales to Taiwan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said Thursday.
• Defence Secretary visits Kenya and Somalia to discuss Al Shabaab UK MOD 28 Jan 2021 -- Ben Wallace travelled to the two East African nations to enhance security cooperation in the battle against terror group Al Shabaab and other shared threats.
• Secretary Blinken's First Call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrell US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Afghan President Ghani US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with South African Minister of Foreign Relations and Cooperation Pandor US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021
• Secretary Blinken's First Call with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hussein US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Call with Head of Cabinet Bjoern Seibert of the European Commission The White House 28 Jan 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Jan. 28, 2021
• MBDA and Rheinmetall win contract for high-energy laser system MBDA 28 Jan 2021 -- Germany's Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has awarded a consortium, or ARGE, consisting of MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH a contract to fabricate, integrate and support testing of a laser weapon demonstrator in the maritime environment. The order value is in the low double-digit million euro range.

Other Conflicts

• China Builds New Housing on Key South China Sea Island to Support Growing Population Radio Free Asia 28 Jan 2021 -- China is set to construct new housing to accommodate nearly 400 people on Woody Island, a sign of its effort to support a growing population on this key outpost in the disputed South China Sea, Chinese government documents and satellite imagery show.
• Escalating hostilities in Yemen's Hudaydah put thousands of civilians at risk UN News 28 Jan 2021 -- Civilians in Yemen's Hudaydah Governorate, face a growing threat from escalating clashes, with shelling of residential areas ongoing, endangering thousands.
• Iran, Russia, Turkey reaffirm commitment to Syria sovereignty, territorial integrity Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- Iran, Russia, and Turkey that act as the guarantors of an all-Syria ceasefire have issued a joint statement in support of the resolution of the Arab country's conflict on the sidelines of a gathering aimed at devising a new constitution for the war-weary nation.
• Syrian troops kill Daesh terrorists attacking civilian, military buses Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- Syrian government forces have killed at least eight militants, who were involved in attacks on civilian and military buses in a desert area of the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, local media reports say.
• US Condemns Killing of Two Women by IS in Syria VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- The United States has condemned the killings of two local female officials who were recently kidnapped by militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) terror group in northeastern Syria.
• Security forces kill Daesh self-proclaimed leader in Iraq: PM Kadhimi Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces Mustafa al-Kadhimi says the country's security forces have managed to eliminate a high-profile member of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group during a counter-terrorism operation.
• Iraq's Prime Minister Announces Elimination of Daesh 'Deputy Caliph and the Governor of Iraq' Sputnik 28 Jan 2021 -- In late 2020, official Baghdad said that the Daesh* terrorist group had scaled up its operations in the country. Iraq previously declared victory over the group in 2017.
• National elections as the path to a stable Libya UK FCDO 28 Jan 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador Jonathan Allen at the Security Council briefing on Libya
• Hundreds of Rohingya go missing from Indonesian refugee camp Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- Hundreds of Rohingya Muslim refugees have gone missing from a makeshift camp in Indonesia's Aceh Province, raising fears that they may have been smuggled to neighboring Malaysia.
• Bangladesh Moves About 2,000 More Rohingya Refugees to Remote Island Radio Free Asia 28 Jan 2021 -- Close to 2,000 more Rohingya left refugee camps in Cox's Bazar on Thursday as Bangladeshi authorities moved them to a remote island in the Bay of Bengal that international humanitarian organizations have said is inhabitable.
• UNRWA: US aid too little after Biden resumes funding Palestinians Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) welcomes the new US administration's decision to resume aid to Palestinian refugees, but says the contribution is too little to cover all their needs.
• India-China Ties at a Crossroads, Their Choices Will Have Global Repercussions, FM Jaishankar Says Sputnik 28 Jan 2021 -- The troops of India and China had a "minor" face-off on 20 January at the Line of Actual Control, with several soldiers sustaining injuries. Nevertheless, the two sides are working on a consensus to avoid fresh clashes, with the ninth round of talks concluding last week.
• Departing US Envoy Warns Ethiopia Against Violence VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- Calling Ethiopia "the critical actor in Horn of Africa stability," outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor voiced confidence in a strengthened bilateral relationship but warned that violence – especially in the northern Tigray region – threatens the country's progress.
• Kenya Denies Role in Somalia's Internal Conflict VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- Kenya has denied accusations by Somalia that it is stirring up a conflict between the Somali federal government and Jubaland state, where fighting killed more than 20 people this week. Somalia insists its neighbor is behind the political tension and insecurity.
• Impunity for Past Crimes in Sri Lanka Could Trigger Renewed Conflict VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- U.N. human rights officials are alarmed by Sri Lanka's lack of accountability for past crimes, warning it could result in a resurgence of the same kind of violations and abuse that triggered past armed conflict.
• Sudanese Journalists Accuse Military of Blocking Access to Troubled Darfur VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- The Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) has accused Sudan's military of blocking journalists from the troubled Darfur region. Recent clashes there left hundreds of people dead and more than 100,000 displaced. Sudan's military initially cited the security situation for the ban, but in a statement Wednesday denied any such ban exists.

News Reports

• U.S. Homeland Security Dept. issues domestic terrorism alert People's Daily 28 Jan 2021 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday issued a domestic terrorism alert, warning that the country may face heightened threats from domestic violent extremists in the wake of the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
• US faces heightened threat of politically-motivated violence from Trump supporters, DHS warns Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned that the country faces a growing threat of politically-motivated domestic violence from people angry at former President Donald Trump's election loss.
• Ukraine Launches Criminal Probe Into Meddling In 2020 U.S. Election RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- Ukraine has launched a criminal investigation into attempts to interfere in the November 2020 U.S. presidential election.
• United States Trains Republic of Estonia to Identify and Respond to Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction for Assassination US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021 -- This week, the United States conducted virtual training with partners from Estonia to help national security policy-makers, first responders, and scientific leaders counter, respond to, and investigate assassinations involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This is part of a series of initiatives the Department of State plans to hold across Europe.
• Impact of Canadian Spy Case Resonates 10 Years Later VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- Ten years ago, a police raid occurred in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that would permanently change the way Canada deals with national security and intelligence — and send long-lasting ripples through its relations with major allies.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, January 28, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28 Jan 2021
• Court Keeps Navalny In Jail As Russian Authorities Step Up Campaign Against Allies RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- A Russian court has rejected opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's appeal against his arrest as authorities stepped up their campaign against the Kremlin critic with new detentions of his associates and warnings by police they will crack down on protesters expected to take to the streets this weekend in support of the 44-year-old lawyer.
• Russian Court Finds 30-Day Arrest for Navalny is Legal Sputnik 28 Jan 2021 -- A district court in the Moscow Region found on Thursday that the 30-day arrest for Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who was detained at an airport on 17 January upon his return from Germany, is legal. A Sputnik correspondent reported from the courtroom.
• Russian Court Rejects Navalny's Arrest Appeal VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- A Russian court has ordered opposition leader Alexei Navalny to remain in jail, rejecting his appeal for release as authorities detained several of his associates following massive anti-Kremlin street protests in scores of Russian cities last weekend.
• Report Outlines Corruption, Russian Cover-Ups By Ex-Biathlon Bosses RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- An independent report commissioned by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) says there is evidence of "systematic corrupt and unethical conduct" by the former leadership of the sport's governing body in a decade-long cover-up of Russian doping cases.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on January 28, 2021 PRC MofA 28 Jan 2021
• 'US can't partner, confront China at the same time' Global Times 28 Jan 2021 -- Senior US officials' most recent remarks on China, which showed a puzzled stance mixed with hostility, bias and demands of cooperation, have brought no surprise to China, said Chinese experts on Thursday, adding that the US can't partner and confront with China at the same time.
• China, US envoys urge cooperation, not confrontation under Biden administration Global Times 28 Jan 2021 -- The day ahead of the 42nd anniversary of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's visit to the US – a historical move that broke the ice of the Cold War and led to the establishment of diplomat relations between the two countries – diplomats and experts from both countries exchanged views on bilateral ties under Biden administration, urging cooperation instead of confrontation on Thursday.
• China-US cooperation in specific areas affected by overall ties: FM on climate cooperation Global Times 28 Jan 2021 -- Neither side should expect to wantonly interfere in China's internal affairs and undermine China's interest, while at the same time demanding China's support in bilateral and global affairs, said China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
• Beijing Signals Much Larger Role in Hong Kong Affairs Radio Free Asia 28 Jan 2021 -- Beijing has signaled it will step up direct political control over Hong Kong, as ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Xi Jinping said the city must be ruled by "patriots."
• 'China has no genocide,' FM spokesperson repeats three times, urges prudence from Biden admin on Xinjiang issues Global Times 28 Jan 2021 -- "The most important thing should be repeated three times - China has no genocide; China has no genocide; China has no genocide, period," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at the daily press conference on Thursday.
• CPC leadership meets to review reports PLA Daily 28 Jan 2021 -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting Thursday to review multiple reports.
• China's Diversion of Upstream Mekong Flows Seen Drying Up Southeast Asia VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- Analysts say Chinese officials are diverting so much water from dams along the upper Mekong River system that Southeast Asian countries are going dry during prime agricultural seasons and turning to other powers for help.
• Turkish Opposition Challenge Erdogan Over Uighur Silence VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- The fate of tens of thousands of Uighur refugees in Turkey faced with possible deportation to China is threatening to become an embarrassing political debacle for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has long positioned himself as an avowed defender of Muslim rights globally.
• U.S. must help Taiwan stave off China aggression: Biden's U.N. pick CNA 28 Jan 2021 -- The United States must help Taiwan push back against Chinese efforts to compromise its security, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Wednesday.
• Six Chinese warplanes enter Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 28 Jan 2021 -- Six Chinese fighter jets entered Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Thursday, the fifth day Beijing has sent at least four aircraft into the airspace since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.
• "Taiwan Independence" bubble will not make any wave : Defense Spokesperson PLA Daily 28 Jan 2021 -- "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the Taiwan question is China's internal affair, which allows no interference from the outside," Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND), said in a monthly regular press conference on Thursday.
• 'Independence means war', China warns self-ruled Taiwan Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- The Chinese government has sternly warned Taiwan over its secessionist activities, saying "independence means war" and that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.
• North Korea Keeps Kim Dynasty Statues Lit During Energy Shortage Radio Free Asia 28 Jan 2021 -- As the North Korean people shiver in darkness during a severe energy shortage this winter, many are angry that authorities are keeping statues of the country's dynastic leaders illuminated through the night, sources living near the border with China told RFA.
• Iran's 20 % uranium stockpile reached 17 kg: Official IRNA 28 Jan 2021 -- Spokesman for Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Thursday that after the implementation of the strategic law on lifting sanctions, the stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium in the country has reached to about 17 kilograms.
• Iran's parliament speaker: 20% uranium enrichment ahead of schedule IRNA 28 Jan 2021 -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Thursday that the country's 20 percent uranium enrichment in Fordow is ahead of the planned schedule.
• Parliament speaker: Iran ahead of schedule in producing 20% enriched uranium Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf says Iran is ahead of schedule in enriching uranium to a purity level of 20 percent, almost a month after the country began to scale up its uranium enrichment program.
• Iran Enriched '17 Kilograms' Of 20 Percent Enriched Uranium, Exceeding Goals RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- Iran's parliament speaker says the country has produced 17 kilograms of 20 percent-enriched uranium within a month, as Iranian officials continue to dismiss international calls for Tehran to return to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement.
• Iran Unveils Plans to Install 1,000 Advanced Uranium Enrichment Centrifuges in Natanz Sputnik 28 Jan 2021 -- Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stressed that Tehran resuming 20 percent uranium enrichment is fully in line with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• FM Zarif: 6-way mechanism important as one of methods in regional cooperation IRNA 28 Jan 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday that he will discuss the results of the six-way mechanism with the Turkish authorities.
• Iran may change cooperation level with IAEA: Envoy IRNA 28 Jan 2021 -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Kazem Gharibabadi warned about a possible change in the level of cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• Russia opposed to revision of JCPOA IRNA 28 Jan 2021 -- Russia is opposed to any revision of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – JCPOA – or any changes in the terms of the nuclear deal, Russian Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday night.
• Iran's Zarif: US carrot-and-stick policy not effective anymore Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the United States' former means of trying to bend other nations to its will is not effectual anymore due to the unreliability of the course of action.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Explains Why US Should Make First Step in Returning to Nuclear Deal Sputnik 28 Jan 2021 -- The new US administration earlier indicated its interest in returning to the Iran nuclear deal, but newly sworn-in Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the Islamic Republic, which had been suffering from US sanctions over the past three years, should be the party to make the first step in reaching the agreement.
• Rouhani says Iran exported some $28bn non-oil commodities despite sanctions IRNA 28 Jan 2021 -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday that despite all the US tough sanctions, Iran exported some $28 billion non-oil commodities over the past 10 months of the current Iranian year (started on March 20).
• Belarus Media Crackdown Intensifies, Rights Groups Say VOA 28 Jan 2021 -- The Belarusian government is escalating its clampdown on the media that began after Alexander Lukashenko won a disputed presidential election in August, according to two news freedom rights groups.
• Ex-Saudi top intelligence agent accused in retributory countersuit of embezzling billions of dollars Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- As fighting among former and present members of Saudi government intensifies, a number of Saudi state-owned companies sue Saad al-Jabri, the kingdom's former top intelligence officer, in a Canadian court, accusing him of embezzling billions of dollars.
• Myanmar Election Authority Rejects Military Claims of Election Fraud Radio Free Asia 28 Jan 2021 -- Myanmar election authorities broke weeks of silence on Thursday to reject the military's claims of widespread election fraud in the 2020 elections, weighing in a day after the army chief issued a threat to abolish the country's constitution amid rising political tensions over the electoral dispute.
• Statement by Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson on the Pakistani Supreme Court's Ruling Relating to the Abduction and Murder of Daniel Pearl US Dept. of Justice 28 Jan 2021
• U.S. 'Outraged' By Pakistan Decision To Release Men Accused In Daniel Pearl Murder RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jan 2021 -- The White House has expressed outrage that Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the release of a British-born man convicted for the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
• Seeking Justice for the Kidnapping and Murder of Daniel Pearl US Dept. of State 28 Jan 2021 -- "The United States is deeply concerned by the Pakistani Supreme Court's decision to acquit those involved in Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder and any proposed action to release them."
• Emotet Botnet Disrupted in International Cyber Operation US Dept. of Justice 28 Jan 2021 -- Emotet Malware Infected More than 1.6 Million Victim Computers and Caused Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in Damage Worldwide
• Businessman Sentenced for Foreign Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Involving PetroEcuador Officials US Dept. of Justice 28 Jan 2021 -- An Ecuadorian businessman living in Miami was sentenced today to 35 months in prison for his role in a $4.4 million bribery and money laundering scheme that funneled bribes to then-public officials of Empresa Pública de Hidrocarburos del Ecuador (PetroEcuador), the state-owned and state-controlled oil company of Ecuador.
• DR Congo parliament votes to remove PM in win for president Press TV 28 Jan 2021 -- Lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have voted to remove Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba from office, handing President Felix Tshisekedi a key victory in his bid to sideline the allies of his predecessor.
• US Ambassador Calls For Expedited Trial, Restoration of Rights For Cambodia's Opposition Chief Radio Free Asia 28 Jan 2021 -- Cambodia should expedite the trial of Kem Sokha and restore his political rights ahead of upcoming elections, the top U.S. diplomat in the country said Thursday following a meeting with the opposition party chief facing charges of "treason" widely seen as politically motivated.
• Completing Transformation From Prisoner To Kyrgyz President, Japarov Sworn In RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- Sadyr Japarov, in jail on hostage-taking charge just three months ago, has been sworn in as Kyrgyzstan's president after his landslide election victory earlier this month.
• Kyrgyz Ex-President Atambaev Denied House Arrest RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- A court in Bishkek says it has rejected a request to transfer jailed former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev to house arrest.
• Justice Or Revenge? The Case Of Kyrgyzstan's Abdil Segizbaev RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- In the days leading up to Sadyr Japarov's inauguration as Kyrgyzstan's newly elected president, three former high-ranking officials were detained - including two who competed against Japarov in the January 10 election.
• Tajik Opposition Politician Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- Tajik opposition politician Mahmurod Odinaev has been sentenced to 14 years in prison on charges of hooliganism and "calling for extremism."
• Tashkent Mayor's Decisions On Land Linked To President's Son-in-Law Ruled Illegal RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- A court in Tashkent has found the Uzbek capital's mayor, Jahongir Ortiqhojaev, guilty of breaking the law over decisions to hand city land to a company affiliated with the president's son-in-law.
• Armenian Ex-President Kocharian Plans To Take Part In Early Elections RFE/RL 28 Jan 2021 -- Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian, currently on trial on charges stemming from his alleged role in a 2008 crackdown on the opposition, says he will participate in early parliamentary elections if they are called.