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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Hopes Dim That Intra-Afghan Talks Will Be Successful VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- A U.S. government watchdog is expressing increased skepticism about the prospects for peace in Afghanistan, warning the United States-led push to reconcile Afghanistan's Western-backed government with the Taliban are failing short.
• Taliban Increasing Attacks In Kabul, U.S. Watchdog Says RFE/RL Gandhara 01 Feb 2021 -- Taliban attacks in Kabul are rising and government officials, activists, and journalists are increasingly the target, a fresh report by a U.S. watchdog said.
• Iranian talks with Taliban were on prior knowledge of Afghan Gov't IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Iranian negotiations with Taliban were held on prior knowledge of Afghan Government, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday.
• Senior Afghan official survives bomb attack in Kabul: Police Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- An Afghan Peace Ministry official has survived a bomb blast in the capital Kabul with light injuries, police say, the latest in a series of attacks on civilian targets.
• NATO to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond May deadline agreed with Taliban: Sources Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- The US-led military alliance of NATO plans to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond the May deadline -- a move that is expected to escalate tensions with the Taliban demanding a full implementation of the Doha agreement with the United States.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD Announces $1.1 Million Defense Production Act Title III Agreement With American Apparel, Inc. to Strengthen the Domestic Clothing and Textile Industrial Base DoD 01 Feb 2021 -- As part of the national response to COVID-19, the Department of Defense entered into a $1.1 million agreement with American Apparel, Inc. to sustain critical industrial base production of U.S. military uniforms.
• DOD Awards $231.8 Million Contract to Ellume USA LLC to Increase Domestic Production Capacity and Deliver COVID-19 Home Tests DoD 01 Feb 2021 -- On Feb. 1, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded $231.8 million to Ellume USA LLC to onshore production capacity of the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test for the United States.
• AFRICOM forces conduct first engagements in Somalia since repositioning AFRICOM 01 Feb 2021 -- U.S. Africa Command forces completed the first engagement into Somalia since the successful repositioning of U.S. forces under Joint Task Force - Quartz Jan. 30.
• U.S. Africa Command visit concludes, sparks key discussions with Sudan, DRC AFRICOM 01 Feb 2021 -- A U.S. Africa Command delegation visit led by Ambassador Andrew Young, deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement, and U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Heidi Berg to Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo concluded Jan. 30. The engagements occurred Jan. 25-30.
• USAF, U.S. Army train with Royal Saudi Air Force during air defense exercise CENTCOM 01 Feb 2021 -- U.S. Air Force personnel assigned to the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and 77th Fighter Generation Squadron trained with the U.S. Army and Royal Saudi Air Force to execute the joint force and partner nation exercise Desert Mirage II, Jan. 19-20, 2020.
• DOD Announces Rare Earth Element Award to Strengthen Domestic Industrial Base DoD 01 Feb 2021 -- Lynas Rare Earths Ltd, the largest rare earth element mining and processing company outside of China, has been awarded a Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III technology investment agreement to establish domestic processing capabilities for light rare earth elements (LREE).
• Joint training forges winning warfighters US Air Force 01 Feb 2021 -- It's one hour before their first Red Flag 21-1 mission, and U.S. Navy Airmen from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 132 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, pour out of their building onto the Nellis Air Force Base flightline to prepare their jets for launch.
• B-52s arrive at Andersen AFB for Bomber Task Force deployment US Air Force 01 Feb 2021 -- Four U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress returned to the Indo-Pacific region Jan. 28 for a Bomber Task Force deployment, conducting operations out of Andersen Air Force Base.
• Reserve, Guard ready to take force-shaping troops US Air Force 01 Feb 2021 -- The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard to benefit from active-duty Air Force force-shaping actions made necessary by record Air Force retention levels.
• Coronavirus response: NATO delivers equipment to Montenegro NATO 01 Feb 2021 -- On February 1st, the Ministry of Health of Montenegro received 20 sets of ventilator equipment from the NATO Pandemic Response Stockpile. The donation was coordinated by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and made possible with financial contributions by the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, the United Kingdom as well as the United States. Next week, the sets will be distributed to local hospitals.
• PLA Xinjiang Military Command commissions first Type 15 light tanks Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Xinjiang Military Command recently received delivery of and commissioned its first batch of China's newly developed Type 15 light tanks, which excels at rapid reaction combat in plateau regions, a Chinese expert said on Monday.
• Satellite Photo Purports to Show First Hint of China's New Submarine Class Under Construction Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- China's naval fleet is already larger than the US Navy, but its quick pace of shipbuilding has strained existing assembly facilities, spurring a major construction boom as advanced new classes of warship are introduced.
• Taiwan retires first locally designed guided-missile corvette CNA 01 Feb 2021 -- The Navy on Monday retired the ROCS Ching Chiang, the first of Taiwan's 12 locally designed guided-missile corvettes that has defended the country's territorial waters for more than two decades.
• BUDGET 2021-22 India PIB 01 Feb 2021 -- Union Budget for the Financial Year 2021-22, presented by the Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on February 01, 2021 has given historic push to defence modernisation by increasing defence capital outlay by 18.75 per cent.
• Iranian armed forces more united than before: Cmdr IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major-General Mohammad Baqeri said on Monday that the Iranian armed forces now are like one hand, as late Imam Khomeini expected and as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei expects.
• Israel Reportedly Rejects US Pressure to Inspect Haifa Port Over Chinese Links Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- In 2018, the US Navy said it may end its operations in Haifa Port this year due to a Chinese company becoming involved in the port's development and expansion after a contract included handing a Chinese firm control over the project.
• Second China-made Type 054A/P frigate for Pakistan is launched PLA Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- The second Type-054A/P frigate for the Pakistani Navy, made by China, was launched at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on January 29. Commodore Azfar Humayun, Chief Naval Overseer of the Pakistani Navy, attended the launch ceremony.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, February 1, 2021 The White House 01 Feb 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba US Dept. of State 01 Feb 2021
• Blinken Slams Putin For Crackdown On Navalny Supporters, Warns On Iran, China RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the Biden administration is considering possible action against Russia, a day after police used batons and tasers against protesters demanding the release of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Feb. 1, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 1 February 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Feb 2021
• China Accuses Philippines of Spreading Fake Info in Maritime Disputes Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Beijing's embassy here hit out at the Philippines on Monday for what it called "false accusations" about a new law allowing the Chinese coast guard to use force in South China Sea waters claimed by the Asian superpower.
• Saudis, allies dropped over 3,000 cluster bombs on Yemen since 2015: Official Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- The director-general of the Yemen Executive Mine Action Center (YEMAC) has said the Saudi-led coalition has dropped 3,179 cluster bombs on Yemen since the beginning of its aggression against the defenseless Yemeni people in 2015.
• Lebanon army arrests 18 members of Daesh-linked cell near Syria border Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- The Lebanese army says it has arrested 18 people linked to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the town of Arsal on the border with Syria.
• Attacks on Civilians in Syria US Dept. of State 01 Feb 2021 -- "The United States condemns the terrorist attacks this past weekend in Azaz, al-Bab, and Afrin that resulted in the deaths of at least 20 civilians, including children."
• Libyan delegates start talks in Geneva for transitional leaders Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Libyan delegates have come together for UN-backed talks in Switzerland to choose new interim leaders who will oversee preparations for elections scheduled to take place by the end of the year.
• Libya vote offers renewal and reconciliation chance, says veteran UN negotiator UN News 01 Feb 2021 -- All Libyans have a chance at national reconciliation and renewal once the country's representatives, who have begun meeting in Switzerland, vote on a new executive, UN negotiator Stephanie Williams said on Monday.
• Bangladesh sends Rohingya Muslim refugees to deserted islands Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- The government of Bangladesh has sent Rohingya Muslim refugees to remote and deserted islands in the Bay of Bengal.
• Hezbollah fighters intercept, shoot down Israeli reconnaissance drone in southern Lebanon Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah says it has intercepted and shot down an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle as it crossed into Lebanon's airspace near the border village of Blida in the south of the Arab country.
• Fugitive leader of Ethiopia's Tigray issues new call for arms: Audio Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- The fugitive leader of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region has reportedly issued a fresh call to his supporters to pick up arms against the federal government, according to an audio message posted online.
• Curfew Imposed in Tibetan Areas of Qinghai Ahead of Lunar New Year Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Authorities in northwest China's Qinghai province are restricting travel in Tibetan-populated areas ahead of the start of Lunar New Year, called Losar by Tibetans, later this month, Tibetan sources say.
• UN Human Rights Experts Call For Release Of Captives From Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- Human rights experts at the United Nations have called for the "prompt" release of prisoners of war and other captives by Armenia and Azerbaijan from their recent conflict in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• UN independent experts call for 'justice, accountability and reparation to victims' in Sudan UN News 01 Feb 2021 -- Recent intercommunal violence and deadly attacks in Darfur have prompted two independent UN human rights experts on Monday to urge the Government of Sudan to urgently implement strong measures to ensure the safety of civilians, including the internally displaced.
• UN Officials Call for Protection, Justice for Victims of Darfur Violence VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Two U.N. human rights experts are calling on Sudan to protect victims of intercommunal violence in the volatile Darfur region and for the perpetrators of the violence to be brought to justice.
• South Sudan: UN rights commission welcomes 'first steps' towards transitional justice institutions UN News 01 Feb 2021 -- A UN human rights commission on South Sudan has welcomed developments towards the establishment of long-awaited transitional justice mechanisms to address violations committed during conflict, as required under the 2018 peace agreement.
• UN envoy condemns terrorist attack on hotel in Somalia UN News 01 Feb 2021 -- The United Nations envoy for Somalia has strongly condemned Sunday's terrorist attack on a hotel near the international airport in capital Mogadishu that left at least five people dead and dozens more wounded.
• Mogadishu Hotel Attack Death Toll Rises to 15 VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- The death toll from Sunday's assault on a hotel in Somalia's capital has risen to 15, with at least 20 others injured, according to a police spokesman and medical officials in Mogadishu.

News Reports

• White House Says Reviewing Whether Trump Will Have Access to Classified Briefings Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- The White House is reviewing whether former President Donald Trump should have access to the US president's intelligence briefings amid concerns he may misuse it, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.
• Myanmar military to hold new elections after 1-year state of emergency People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- The Myanmar military said on Monday that it will rerun the multi-party general elections after a one-year state of emergency declared earlier in the day.
• Myanmar's Suu Kyi urged people to 'resist' military coup before arrest Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called on people to reject the coup, before she was arrested by the military which has now taken over the country.
• Aung San Suu Kyi Urges Protests to Reject Myanmar Military Coup, 1-Year State of Emergency Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi urged her country to "to protest against the coup by the military" in a message released Monday after the army arrested her and dozens of ruling party officials and declared a one-year state of emergency to deal with unproven voting fraud allegations from 2020 elections.
• Who's Who in Myanmar's Coup Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, has been Myanmar's civilian leader since March 2016 after her National League for Democracy (NLD) won 2015 elections by a landslide. Prohibited by a military-drafted constitution from becoming president because her two sons are foreign nationals, she was installed in the custom-made position of state counselor.
• Myanmar in Turmoil: Current Leadership Detained, Army Declares State of Emergency, Seizes Control Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung Suu Kyi, along with the president and other top politicians were detained in the early hours of Monday, with the country's military declaring a one-year state of emergency after weeks of escalating tensions over allegations of vote-rigging in a November election.
• Myanmar gov't leaders detained by military, state-run radio, television channel cut off People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) had been detained by the military early on Monday, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua.
• Myanmar's coup leaders purge Suu Kyi govt., names 11 new ministerial replacements Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar's ruling junta, which detained the country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi through a coup, has announced a purge against her government, removing two dozen ministers and deputies and naming 11 replacements.
• Myanmar Military Seizes Power, Hobbling Emerging Democracy VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- A Monday morning power grab by Myanmar's military has set the country's nascent democratic reform drive back at least a decade and will likely bolster what were already growing ties with China and Russia, analysts say.
• Myanmar Public Figures Speak with VOA After Military Takes Control VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Hours after Myanmar's army declared a state of emergency Monday, there are still few details about what is going on and why.
• Q&A: Power Grab by Myanmar Military Changes China Relations VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- For insight into how China's relationship with Myanmar may change after the military seized power Monday, VOA Mandarin reporter Adrianna Zhang spoke with Yun Sun, a senior fellow and co-director of the East Asia program and director of the China program at the Stimson Center. Here is their conversation, edited for clarity and concision.
• Timeline of Recent Events in Myanmar VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Here is a timeline of some key events in Myanmar's recent turbulent history:
• Myanmar Under State of Emergency, Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Detained VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar's military seized control of the country Monday under a state of emergency set to last one year, and detained senior politicians including the country's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
• Myanmar gov't leaders detained, military declares 1-year state of emergency People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials have been detained by the military early on Monday, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), told Xinhua.
• Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Situation in Burma The White House 01 Feb 2021
• Biden Vows 'Appropriate Action' After Myanmar Military Takeover VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- President Joe Biden said Monday the U.S. would review sanction laws and take "appropriate action" against Myanmar following the military takeover of the country.
• Arrests, military control 'a serious blow' to democratic reforms in Myanmar: UN chief UN News 01 Feb 2021 -- The United Nations Secretary-General has strongly condemned the detention of Myanmar's top political leaders and government officials, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, by the country's military.
• United Nations, Governments Around World Concerned About Myanmar Military Takeover VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- The United Nations and many governments around the world expressed serious concern over the Myanmar military's takeover of the country and called for the release of detained political leaders.
• UN chief strongly condemns detention of Myanmar leaders People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the detention of Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmar's new parliament.
• Myanmar Ambassador summoned in response to military coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians UK FCDO 01 Feb 2021 -- The Myanmar Ambassador to the UK was summoned to the FCDO today (1 February 2021).
• UK government statement - state of emergency in Myanmar UK FCDO 01 Feb 2021 -- The UK government has issued a statement condemning the state of emergency imposed by the Myanmar military on 1 February.e
• Taiwan calls for peaceful resolution of political strife in Myanmar CNA 01 Feb 2021 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) called on Monday for a peaceful resolution of political unrest in Myanmar following reports of a suspected coup in the Southeast Asian country.
• China hopes for a stable, peaceful Myanmar through domestic negotiations, not external interference Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- The Myanmar military on Monday announced that new elections will be held when a one-year state of emergency ends, and it will return the state power to the new government. The military said that during the state of emergency, the Union Election Commission will be reformed and the parliamentary elections results will be reviewed.
• China hopes all sides in Myanmar properly manage differences People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- China hopes all sides in Myanmar will properly manage their differences and uphold political and social stability, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily press briefing on Monday.
• Myanmar Military Coup Strands Tens of Thousands of Chinese Nationals Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- China's foreign ministry said on Monday it had no current plans to evacuate its nationals from Myanmar following the military coup in the country.
• Southeast Asia: Scant Condemnation of Myanmar Coup Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Neighboring countries gave a tepid response to a coup in Myanmar on Monday, with no nation coming forward to condemn the military's seizure of power, amid a general erosion of democracy in the region.
• Myanmar's military says has 'detained' Aung San Suu Kyi Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy said on Monday.
• US Man Charged With Attempting to Provide Support to IS VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- A U.S. citizen has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS) terror group, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday.
• France urges Germany to scrap massive gas pipeline project with Russia Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- France has called on Germany to scrap a massive nearly-finished gas pipeline from Russia in protest over the detention of Western-backed opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
• Russia Considers Jail Term for Navalny VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- The Russian general prosecutor's office said Monday that that it supports a request by the federal prison system to impose a jail term on opposition leader and Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, instead of a suspended sentence.
• Russian Authorities Put A Target On Journalists As Opposition Protests Continue RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- On the eve of a second wave of national mass protests in support of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, Russian police detained Sergei Smirnov, editor in chief of the independent news outlet Mediazona, outside his Moscow home as he left to take a walk with his small son.
• With Huge Show Of Force, Echoes Of Belarus In Russia's Protest Crackdown RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- As Russia braced for a second weekend of protests on January 31 and the opposition reeled from consecutive days of law enforcement raids and arrests, a pro-Kremlin YouTube channel published a dispatch from inside a Moscow training base for riot police officers tasked with dispersing demonstrators on the streets of Russia's capital.
• Navalny Allies Call For Gathering At Moscow Court Hearing On Possible Jail Term RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- Allies of Aleksei Navalny are calling on his supporters to gather at a Moscow courthouse on February 2 where the jailed opposition politician has a hearing looking at converting a suspended sentence he served into real jail time in a case widely considered to be politically motivated.
• European Court To Consider Navalny Poisoning Case Against Russia RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- The European Court of Human Rights on February 1 announced it has informed Russia that it will consider a complaint filed to the court by the opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.
• Russian Court Orders House Arrest Of Navalny Spokeswoman Until March 23 RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- A Russian court has placed Kira Yarmysh, the press secretary of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, under house arrest until March 23 as a "restraining measure."
• Russia is Not Ready to Take Into Consideration US Statements on Rallies, Kremlin Says Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- Russia is not ready to take into consideration Washington's statements on the unauthorized rallies ongoing in the country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
• Most pro-Navalny protesters in Russia 'hooligans, provocateurs': Kremlin spokesman Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Moscow has described as "hooligans and provocateurs" a large number of people who took to the streets in the Russian capital and dozens of other cities across the country on Sunday demanding the release of Western-backed opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
• Hospital Researcher Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets, Sell Them in China US Dept. of Justice 01 Feb 2021 -- A former Dublin, Ohio, woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to steal exosome-related trade secrets concerning the research, identification and treatment of a range of pediatric medical conditions.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on February 1, 2021 PRC MofA 01 Feb 2021
• Xiplomacy: Chinese president's "cloud diplomacy" in new year People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- As the world heads into the second month of 2021, it is still struggling to handle a ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, a deep economic recession, as well as a turbulent and shifting global order.
• China to send 'friendly message but draw bottom line' to US via senior diplomat's speech Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- Senior Chinese diplomats including a vice foreign minister and ambassador to the US have been sending a message of cooperation to the US in recent days, and on Tuesday morning (Beijing time), a highly anticipated speech will be delivered by senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi to a US audience, and Chinese experts said China will deliver its sincerity for cooperation but will also draw clear bottom lines.
• Lai's bail appeal tests HK national security law interpretation: observer Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- As the detained anti-government figure and secessionist Jimmy Lai appeared before the Court of Final Appeal on Monday for his bail hearing for violating the national security law for Hong Kong, legal experts considered the case as a test of how Hong Kong's legal system interprets bail conditions under the national security law.
• Hong Kong Families Apply to Emigrate After Launch of UK Visa Scheme Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- A U.K. visa center in Hong Kong has extended its opening hours to cope with increased demand after the British government launched a new pathway to residency and citizenship for some five million residents of the city, amid a citywide crackdown on public dissent and political opposition.
• China opposes Ukrainian government's sanctioning Chinese companies: FM Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- China is against any government imposing unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday in response to Ukrainian government's decision to sanction four Chinese companies and three Chinese citizens who participated in the Motor Sich deal.
• Xinjiang official refutes allegations, welcomes visits People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- A senior official of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Monday denounced former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's allegations of "genocide" and a "crime against humanity" as the biggest setup in human history and welcomed foreigners to visit the region to discover the real situation themselves.
• China Retaliates Against Uighur Activists by Imprisoning Relatives, US Officials Say VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- U.S. officials say China is targeting relatives of some Uighur activists with terrorism charges, while intimidating others who raise awareness about the plight of the Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region.
• Another Chinese military aircraft enters Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 01 Feb 2021 -- A Chinese aircraft entered the southwestern section of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday following frequent incursions in January, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
• A New Weapon? Chinese Ships Dredge in Waters Claimed by Taiwan VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Chinese civil aviation authorities are working on a new civilian airport on Dadeng Island, less than 10 kilometers from the Taiwanese-held island of Kinmen, and Chinese ships can be spotted in sea tracts uncomfortably close to Taiwan's turf, dredging for gravel.
• North Korea Mobilizes Citizens for Kim Jong Il Birth Celebration Amid Covid-19, Cold Temperatures Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Citizens in North Korea are resentful at being forced to practice singing and dancing for the annual birth anniversary celebration of late former leader Kim Jong Il amid harsh winter weather and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, residents of the border regions told RFA.
• Iran successfully launches 'Zol-Janah' satellite carrier into space IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Iran has successfully sent 'Zol Janah' satellite carrier into space, Spokesman for Iran Aerospace Organization Ahmad Hosseini on Monday announced.
• Defense Minister: Iran's spatial progress continues with strong determination IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Iran's Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami in a message on the occasion of the National Space Technology Day on Monday said that Iran proved its domestic capability in advanced science and technology monopolized by the world's major scientific and technological powers.
• Iran test-launches new domestically-manufactured satellite satellite launch vehicle Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Iran's Defense Ministry has unveiled a new domestically-designed and manufactured satellite launch vehicle capable of putting satellites into an orbit of 500km above the ground.
• Iran Tests New Solid Fuel Satellite Launch Vehicle - Video Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- Tensions between the US and Iran have been especially high ever since Trump in 2018 withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reinstated harsh sanctions against Iran. The JCPOA stipulated that Iran would receive waivers from sanctions if it agreed to limit its nuclear programme.
• Nuclear Deal Hangs in Balance as Iran Intensifies Uranium Enrichment VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- The 2015 Iran nuclear deal was hailed by its signatories at the time as a triumph of global diplomacy. The elation was short-lived.
• "Iran won't have bilateral negotiations with US": Khatibzadeh ISNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed, Iran would advise the new US administration to learn lessons from the four years of resistance by Iranian nation and the failure of Trump's maximum pressure on Iranian people and to take the path of interaction.
• US must make up for past wrongdoings before returning to JCPOA: Iran FM Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Iran's foreign minister says the new US administration must first make up for the past wrongs done to the Iranian nation after Washington's unilateral withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal with Iran and reinstitution of sanctions on Tehran before being able to return to the deal.
• Iran rules out bilateral talks with US, urges Washington to lift sanctions Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Tehran has ruled out the possibility of bilateral negotiations with the United States, saying Washington needs to change course and begin to honor its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action (JCPOA).
• Energy minister hails 12-fold refinery capacity growth IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said on Monday that capacity of gas-fueled refineries has increased from 7,000 MW to 85,000 MW indicating 12-fold growth.
• Six percent increase in Iran's petrochemical products: Official IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Petrochemical products are at satisfactory level making six percent growth over the past 10 months from March to December 2020 and January 2021, Petrochemical industry official, Jalal Mirhashemi said on Monday.
• Kosovo Formally Establishes Ties With Israel, To Open Embassy In Jerusalem RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- Kosovo and Israel have formally established diplomatic relations under a U.S.-brokered agreement that includes a pledge by the Muslim-majority Balkan country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
• Pakistan's Opposition At A Crossroads After PM Refuses To Step Down RFE/RL Gandhara 01 Feb 2021 -- In September, 11 leading Pakistani political parties launched an alliance to demand Prime Minister Imran Khan's resignation. They claimed he had assumed power after the country's powerful military rigged parliamentary elections in favor of his Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) political party in July 2018.
• US Reviewing Relations With Saudi Arabia for Consistency With American Values, Blinken Says Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- The United States is reviewing its partnership with Saudi Arabia to make sure that it is consistent with US interests and values, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.
• Erdogan: 'It Is Perhaps Time to Debate New Constitution' Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested on Monday that the time has come for Turkey to have a new constitution.
• Ankara May Be Poised for Pivot From Middle East to Central Asia VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Turkey and Azerbaijan are continuing to deepen ties by starting a major joint military exercise Monday. The display of force comes as some analysts suggest Ankara could be on the verge of a foreign policy pivot away from the Middle East to Central Asia.
• Brexit fallout: Trade between UK and Republic of Ireland reduced by half Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- According to the latest figures released by the Irish government, trade flowing along the Republic of Ireland and the UK routes has fallen by 50 percent in comparison to the same period last year.
• Cambodia's Hun Sen Asks Washington for Money, Not Vaccine Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday that the country is unable to use coronavirus vaccines from the United States because storage of the vaccine requires an ultra-cold freezer.
• Vietnam's Communist Party Chief Keeps His Job in 'Rule-Breaking' Leadership Meeting Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong was named in a top leadership meeting on Sunday to a third term as the Party's general secretary, breaking Party rules that would normally have limited him to two terms in office.
• Sudan's Political Forces Distribute Portfolios in Future Government - Coalition Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- Political forces in Sudan have reached an agreement on the composition of the new transitional government, Al-Tijani Mustafa, a senior member of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) alliance, told Sputnik on Monday.
• UK announces sanctions against Zimbabwe security chiefs UK FCDO 01 Feb 2021 -- UK announces first set of designations of individuals under the UK's Zimbabwe sanctions regime for human rights violations.
• Uganda Opposition Leader Asks Court to Nullify Museveni's Reelection VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Uganda's opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, best known as Bobi Wine, filed a petition on Monday contesting the January 14 reelection of President Yoweri Museveni.
• Ukraine's Ruling Party Expels U.S.-Sanctioned Lawmaker RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's party has voted to expel a lawmaker after he was put under U.S. sanctions over alleged U.S. election interference.