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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Analysis: What Happened When The Taliban Visited Turkmenistan? RFE/RL Gandhara 11 Feb 2021 -- Neither Taliban nor Turkmen officials are giving any details about their talks after a delegation from the Muslim extremist group arrived in Turkmenistan on February 6.
• Attack on UN Convoy Near Kabul Kills 5 Afghan Security Force Members VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- The United Nations confirmed Thursday an attack on its convoy in Afghanistan killed at least five members of the local security force escorting it.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary and China Task Force Director Update Reporters on Department of Defense Operations DoD 11 Feb 2021 -- Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby; Dr. Ely Ratner, Senior Fellow And Deputy Director, Asia-Pacific Security Program, Center For A New American Security
• Task Force Looks to Prioritize, Synchronize DOD Response to China DoD News 11 Feb 2021 -- DOD's China Task Force will examine all the DOD activities relating to what Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III calls America's "pacing challenge" to ensure they are synchronized, prioritized and coordinated to the greatest extent possible, the leader of the review told Pentagon reporters today.
• F-15EX completes first flight US Air Force 11 Feb 2021 -- The first F-15EX completed its initial flight in St. Louis Feb. 2. The fighter jet took off and landed from St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Missouri.
• USS Donald Cook Concludes Black Sea Operations US Navy 11 Feb 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) transited from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, concluding its recent Black Sea operations, February 10, 2021.
• Fleet Readiness Center Southeast returns first T-6 aircraft to the United States Air Force US Navy 11 Feb 2021 -- Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) has completed its first aircraft condition inspection (ACI) on an Air Force T-6, marking another historic first for the depot in its long history of unwavering service to the nation's military forces.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's Call With Polish Minister of Defence Mariusz Błaszczak DoD 11 Feb 2021
• Biden Administration Purchases Additional Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines From Pfizer and Moderna DoD 11 Feb 2021 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) have purchased an additional 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from both Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. to help meet demand for COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.
• Secretary General praises North Macedonia for contributions to NATO NATO 11 Feb 2021 -- Today (11 February 2020), the Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO Headquarters. They discussed issues related to euro-atlantic security, including the Alliance's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, developments in the Western Balkans, resilience against hybrid and cyber attacks, and the NATO 2030 initiative to strengthen the Alliance, as part of preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Brussels.
• NATO Secretary General and the Belgian Defence Minister discuss Afghanistan and NATO priorities NATO 11 Feb 2021 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Belgian Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (11 February), ahead of the next week's meeting of the defence ministers that will take place by secure video conferencing. This was the first meeting between Mr. Stoltenberg and Ms. Dedonder.
• Russian Deputy FM: Any Agreement to Replace New START Treaty Requires Discussing US Missile Defence Sputnik 11 Feb 2021 -- A five-year extension of the arms reduction treaty came into force earlier this month, as Moscow and Washington managed to find common ground before the deal expired to preserve global peace and security.
• Chinese naval fleet heads for joint exercise in Pakistan PLA Daily 11 Feb 2021 -- A fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy on Thursday set off for Pakistan to attend a multilateral joint naval exercise at the invitation of the Pakistani navy, China's Ministry of National Defense said.
• Iran reacts to Israeli rhetoric: Crushing response awaits all threats Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- Iran's defense minister reacts to the Israeli regime's renewed aggressive rhetoric against the Islamic Republic, saying the country will serve a crushing response to whatever threat.
• IRGC Ground Force launches military drill in SW Iran Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force has launched a drill in southwestern Iran at the onset of the Islamic Revolution's 43rd year.
• Iran's Revolutionary Guards Kick Off Drills Near Iraq Border RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has launched ground forces drills in the southwest of the country near the Iraqi border.
• Pakistan Army Conducts Successful Test Launch of Surface-to-Surface Babur Cruise Missile SPA 11 Feb 2021 -- Pakistan Army on Thursday successfully test-fired a short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of hitting land and sea targets with 'high precision' up to 450 kilometers away, a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations said.
• U.S. Renews Call On Turkey To Scrap Russian Missile System RFE/RL 10 Feb 2021 -- The United States has renewed its call on Turkey to renounce an advanced Russian air-defense system, rejecting a proposal by Ankara to resolve the dispute.
• Turkey Refuses to Ditch Russian S-400s After Biden Cabinet Confirms It Will Maintain Sanctions Sputnik 11 Feb 2021 -- Previously, the Democrat's team revealed that he is not planning to overturn the policy of punishing Turkey over the acquisition of Russian air defence systems initiated under Republican Donald Trump. Biden's administration accused Turkey of not acting like a NATO ally by buying weapons from Moscow.
• Jordan - F-16 Air Combat Training Center DSCA 11 Feb 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Jordan of an F-16 Air Combat Training Center and related equipment for an estimated cost of $60 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, February 11, 2021 The White House 11 Feb 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with ROK Foreign Minister Chung US Dept. of State 11 Feb 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Brazilian Foreign Minister Araujo US Dept. of State 11 Feb 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres US Dept. of State 11 Feb 2021
• Department Press Briefing – February 11, 2021 US Dept. of State 11 Feb 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Feb. 11, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 11 February 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Feb 2021
• China's Move to Empower Coast Guard Stirs Tensions VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- China's new law allowing its coast guard to "open fire" on foreign vessels is causing serious anxiety in the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan. The move may help China to create a quasi-military presence even in sea areas where its navy is absent, analysts say.
• Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Bomb-Laden UAV Launched Toward the Kingdom SPA 11 Feb 2021 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki "Joint Coalition Forces have intercepted and destroyed this evening (Thursday) a bomb-laden UAV launched systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in the Southern Region.
• Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of A Ballistic Missile Launched by the Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward the Kingdom SPA 11 Feb 2021 -- Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki said, in a statement today, that "Joint Coalition forces have intercepted and destroyed this evening (Thursday) a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia from (Sa'dah) Governorate in a deliberate, systematic manner to target civilians and civilian objects in (Khamis Mushait).
• Attack on Abha International Airport, Saudi Arabia: E3 statement UK FCDO 11 Feb 2021 -- The governments of France, Germany and the UK have strongly condemned the attack claimed by the Houthis on Abha International Airport on 10 February.
• Three Turkish soldiers killed in northern Iraq Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- At least three Turkish soldiers have been killed during a new offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, Turkey's Defense Ministry says.
• Roadside bomb hits US-led coalition convoy south of Iraq's capital Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- A roadside bomb explosion has hit a convoy of trucks carrying equipment belonging to the US-led military coalition south of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
• Standoff Eases After India, China Withdraw Troops From Himalayan Border VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- India and China are pulling back troops from a disputed border in the Himalayas marking a key breakthrough in easing their worst military standoff in decades.
• India, China Agree to Suspend Patrols at Contested Lake Pangong Tso as Disengagement Begins: Rajnath Sputnik 11 Feb 2021 -- After an intense nine-month border standoff, India and China began de-escalation in the contested Ladakh region on 10 February, the Chinese Defence Ministry said. The two Asian giants have deployed thousands of troops in the eastern Ladakh region since a deadly clash on 15 June 2020 in the Galwan Valley over border infrastructure.
• China, India start disengaging border troops People's Daily 11 Feb 2021 -- The Chinese and Indian frontline troops at the south and north bank of the Pangong Tso Lake began a synchronized and organized disengagement on Wednesday, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense.
• India, China agree to demilitarize border area Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- India and China have agreed to withdraw their troops from an area on their contested Himalayan border, as part of efforts to ease tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors since a deadly clash last June.
• UN political affairs chief warns against 'backsliding' in Ukraine UN News 11 Feb 2021 -- Although a ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine has led to a significant decrease in civilian casualties, the overall situation remains fragile unless progress is made on the security and political fronts, the UN's political affairs chief told the Security Council on Thursday.
• Respecting Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity UK FCDO 11 Feb 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on the Minsk Agreement
• Rights Group Calls For Independent Investigation of Shelling in Ethiopia's Tigray Region VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- A new Human Rights Watch report calls for an independent investigation into alleged shelling of civilian areas in the Tigray region by Ethiopia's federal forces.
• 'Tens of thousands' could starve to death in Ethiopia's Tigray: Red Cross Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- The Ethiopian Red Cross Society says 80 percent of Ethiopia's northern, conflict-torn Tigray region has been completely cut off from humanitarian aid, warning that tens of thousands could starve to death as a result of the alarming situation there.

News Reports

• Prosecutors: There's 'Clear, Overwhelming' Evidence Trump Incited Insurrection VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- Impeachment prosecutors contended Thursday that there was "clear and overwhelming" evidence that former President Donald Trump incited insurrection by sending a mob of his supporters to the U.S. Capitol last month to confront lawmakers as they were certifying that he had lost the November election to Democrat Joe Biden.
• Biden Ends US-Mexico Border Emergency VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has rescinded a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and halted the diversion of more federal funds for constructing a wall along the boundary.
• A Letter to the Speaker Of The House And President Of The Senate Regarding the Termination of the National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border The White House 11 Feb 2021
• DHS Announces Process to Address Individuals in Mexico with Active MPP Cases DHS 11 Feb 2021 -- Building on a series of Executive Orders last week, the Biden Administration is announcing another step in our phased strategy to reform the nation's immigration system. Beginning on February 19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin phase one of a program to restore safe and orderly processing at the southwest border. DHS will begin processing people who had been forced to "remain in Mexico" under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). Approximately 25,000 individuals in MPP continue to have active cases.
• Report: Trust in US Soars Among Southeast Asians, Wanes Toward China Radio Free Asia 11 Feb 2021 -- Southeast Asian professionals are concerned that Beijing could use its financial and military might to threaten their countries' sovereignty, which is why more of them trust the United States over China to work toward world peace, according to a new report by a Singaporean think-tank.
• Myanmar Junta Arrests Target Election Officials Amid Growing Protests Radio Free Asia 11 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar's junta arrested 40 election officials Thursday and put pressure on others to back the army's unsubstantiated voting fraud claims, relatives of the detained said, as mass protests around the country against the coup swelled with increasing support from white-collar government workers.
• Executive Order on Blocking Property with Respect to the Situation in Burma The White House 11 Feb 2021
• A Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate The White House 11 Feb 2021
• U.S. Commerce Department Restricts Licensing of Sensitive Exports to Burma's Military and Security Services in Response to the Recent Military Coup US Dept. of Commerce 11 Feb 2021 -- The Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) implemented a series of restrictions on exports of sensitive items to Burma's Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, armed forces, and security services in response to the Burmese military's actions to overthrow the democratically elected civilian government of Burma.
• Designating Officials and Entities in Connection with the Military Coup in Burma US Dept. of State 11 Feb 2021 -- "On February 1, prior to the scheduled seating of Burma's newly elected Parliament, the Burmese military detained a broad cross-section of civilian government leadership, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, civil society leaders, journalists, and human right activists. We have been clear: this was a coup, and we will not sit idly by."
• United States Targets Leaders of Burma's Military Coup Under New Executive Order US Treasury 11 Feb 2021 -- "Today, the Biden administration launched a new sanctions regime in response to the Burmese military's coup against the democratically elected civilian government of Burma. In coordination with the issuance of a new Executive Order (E.O.), the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated, pursuant to that E.O., 10 individuals and three entities connected to the military apparatus responsible for the coup."
• US Sanctions Myanmar Military Leaders Involved in Coup VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- The United States on Thursday announced new sanctions against Myanmar, also known as Burma, more than a week after the country's military overthrew the democratically elected government.
• U.S. announces sanctions against Myanmar's military leaders Global Times 11 Feb 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced sanctions against military leaders in Myanmar.
• Biden sanctions Myanmar military leaders over coup Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- US President Joe Biden has levied sanctions on a number of military leaders in Myanmar following the February 1 coup which overthrew the country's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
• US Imposes Myanmar Sanctions on 8 Individuals, 3 Entities Sputnik 11 Feb 2021 -- The Myanmar coup unfolded on 1 February as the military arrested senior members of the newly-elected parliament right before it was due to convene for an inaugural session. State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other officials were put under house arrest.
• Myanmar junta threatens civil servants, protesters with 'actions' Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- Myanmar's ruling general has ordered demonstrators to return to work or face "effective actions" as a civil disobedience campaign and nationwide protests continue to grow over the last week's military coup.
• Myanmar's Military Detains More Government Officials as Protests Continue VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- Members of Myanmar's often persecuted ethnic minorities Thursday joined a sixth day of growing nationwide protests against the military's overthrow of the civilian government.
• Media Covering Myanmar Coup Face Harassment, Restrictions VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- Censorship, threats and internet blocks have created a climate of uncertainty in Myanmar since the military coup and could set press freedom back 10 years, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said.
• Myanmar Activist Leader Vows to Resist Military Coup VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- As Myanmar is left reeling after a military coup rocked the Southeast Asian country at the beginning of February, one activist leader is determined to make sure that his nation's future will lie in the hands of the people.
• New Zealand Imposes Sanctions on Myanmar's Military After Coup VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- New Zealand has imposed a travel ban and cut ties with military leaders in Myanmar who ousted the Southeast Asian nation's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
• Myanmar Opium Production Drops as Meth Surges, UN Says VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- Opium production in Myanmar, the world's second-largest cultivator of the poppies that are the base ingredient for heroin, has dropped, according to a United Nations study released Thursday, as "Golden Triangle" drug lords focus on the more lucrative synthetic drug trade.
• Production, Demand for Opium in Myanmar Tanks on Rise of Synthetics in SE Asia: Report Radio Free Asia 11 Feb 2021 -- The expansion and diversification of Southeast Asia's synthetic drug market last year has led to a further decline in the production and demand for opium in Myanmar, although crime rings that traffic heroin continued to generate substantial profits, fueling conflict, a United Nations report said Thursday.
• Haiti Supreme Court Judge Linked to Coup Plot Released from Detention VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- Supreme Court Justice Yvickel Dabresil was released from detention Thursday, a day after a civilian court in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Croix des Bouquets ordered his release.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, February 11, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11 Feb 2021
• Bellingcat: Alleged Navalny Assailant Tailed Another Poisoned Kremlin Critic RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- Russian security agents -- including one allegedly linked to the poisoning of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny -- tailed another Kremlin critic in the days and weeks before his two near-fatal poisoning illnesses, the investigative group Bellingcat said in a new report.
• Russian Students Sue After University Expels Them For Joining Protests RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- It was with "pain in my heart," rector Konstantin Markelov said on January 29, that he announced the expulsion of three Astrakhan State University students for attending opposition protests.
• Russian Opposition Beset by Infighting as Country Expects More Turmoil VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- A storied Russian liberal politician has sparked an outbreak of infighting among the country's opposition groups after mounting a scathing attack on Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, arguing the path he would take the country down wouldn't lead to a life free of repression.
• US Has Ongoing Concerns Over China's Activities With Confucius Institutes - State Department Sputnik 11 Feb 2021 -- The Biden administration shares the concerns of its predecessors regarding China's activities involving Confucius institutes in the United States, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing.
• Biden Brings Human Rights, Military Threats to Fore in Phone Call With Xi Jinping Radio Free Asia 11 Feb 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has criticized China's human rights violations and military aggression against the democratic island of Taiwan, in his first phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations on Thursday.
• US-China Confrontation is Disaster for Entire World, Xi Jinping Tells Joe Biden Sputnik 11 Feb 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden, said cooperation was the only choice for the two countries because a clash would lead to a disaster for the entire world.
• China-US conflict would be 'disaster:' Xi tells Biden in first call Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has told US President Joe Biden that a confrontation between China and the United States would be a "disaster" and that the two countries should resolve matters between them peacefully.
• Xi, Biden phone call on Chinese New Year's Eve 'tone-setter' for future bilateral ties Global Times 11 Feb 2021 -- The phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden on Chinese New Year's Eve serves as a tone-setter for future bilateral relations in short term and shows that the two sides are willing to push bilateral ties forward in a more positive direction that can manage ties through constructive dialogue and cooperation. Chinese observers said the phone call, arranged on Chinese New Year's Eve, shows the Biden administration's goodwill toward the Chinese government and the Chinese people.
• Xi speaks with Biden on phone PLA Daily 11 Feb 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning took a phone call from U.S. President Joseph R. Biden on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
• Hong Kong's Political Prisoners Spend Lunar New Year Behind Bars Radio Free Asia 11 Feb 2021 -- Hong Kong began its traditional Lunar New Year celebrations on Thursday with nearly 200 people in prison for their role in the 2019 protest movement.
• Uyghur Group Defends Detainee Database After Xinjiang Officials Allege 'Fake Archive' Radio Free Asia 11 Feb 2021 -- The expansion and diversification of Southeast Asia's synthetic drug market last year has led to a further decline in the production and demand for opium in Myanmar, although crime rings that traffic heroin continued to generate substantial profits, fueling conflict, a United Nations report said Thursday.
• China's decision to ban BBC World: Foreign Secretary's statement UK FCDO 11 Feb 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab comments on the Chinese decision to ban the broadcasting of BBC World News.
• BBC Banned from Broadcasting in China VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- China's broadcasting regulator says it has taken the BBC World News off the air for what it called "serious content violations."
• China bans BBC World News over content violations Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- China's broadcasting regulator has banned the British television channel, BBC World News, from airing in the Asian country for violating regulations.
• Taiwan thanks Biden after he raises concerns in call with Xi CNA 11 Feb 2021 -- Taiwan's government expressed its thanks to U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday after Biden, in his first phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) since taking office, raised concerns about Beijing's increasing pressure against Taiwan.
• U.S. tweet signals level of engagement with Taiwan seen under Trump CNA 11 Feb 2021 -- A meeting between Taiwan's top envoy to the United States and a senior State Department official on Wednesday and its public announcement may indicate continuing contacts with Taiwan at a high level under President Joe Biden's administration.
• North Korea Cracks Down on Illegal Gold Mining After Three Die in Mine Collapse Radio Free Asia 11 Feb 2021 -- North Korea has begun a crackdown on illegal gold mining after three people died last month when an abandoned mine collapsed, sources in the country told RFA.
• Let Us Adorn First Year's Advance for Implementing Decisions Made at Party Congress with Proud Innovation and Progress KCNA 12 Feb 2021 -- Amid the great expectations and interest of all the Party members and the people who have turned out in the new revolutionary advance upholding the programme for struggle set forth at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the 2nd Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the WPK was held from February 8 to 11, Juche 110 (2021).
• Press Release of 2nd Plenary Meeting of 8th Central Committee of WPK Issued KCNA 12 Feb 2021 -- Members and alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) who were by-elected and secretary of the Party Central Committee who was elected at the 2nd Plenary Meeting of the 8th WPK Central Committee are as follows:
• Third-day Sitting of 2nd Plenary Meeting of 8th WPK Central Committee Held KCNA 11 Feb 2021 -- The news of the plenary meeting of the Party Central Committee indicating the most correct and detailed fighting strategies for implementing the decisions made at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is exciting the revolutionary spirit and enthusiasm of members of the entire Party and the Korean people across the country who are devoting themselves to make a fresh innovation and progress while overcoming all obstacles and difficulties.
• President: Iran observed no goodwill from new US Administration IRNA 11 Feb 2021 -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday that Iran has observed no sign of goodwill from the new US Administration yet.
• Russia hopes for JCPOA compromise before Iran's February 21 deadline Press TV 11 Feb 2021 -- Russia hopes for the US to abandon its illegal stance of staying out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and retaining its sanctions against the Islamic Republic in order not to prompt Tehran to further reduce its obligations under the agreement.
• Russia Calls On Iran For 'Restraint' After New Nuclear Accord Violation RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has called on Iran to "show restraint" after UN inspectors confirmed the country has started producing small amounts of uranium metal in the latest breach of Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
• Lukashenka Opens Soviet-Style 'People's Assembly' In Bid To Weather Crisis RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- Alyaksandr Lukashenka has opened a Soviet-style "All-Belarusian People's Assembly" to discuss reforms and the country's development for the next five years, including possible amendments to the constitution, in an apparent move to survive ongoing mass protests against his rule, which the authoritarian ruler has blamed on the West.
• With Few Job Options, Balochistan Residents Turn To Smuggling RFE/RL Gandhara 11 Feb 2021 -- Nabeel Sasoli spent months searching for a job after graduating three years ago in Pakistan's restive southern province of Balochistan.
• Ukrainian Supreme Court To Hear Appeal Against Sanctions On Three Opposition TV Stations RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- The Cassation Administrative Court of the Ukrainian Supreme Court next month will hear an appeal against President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's decree to block three TV channels linked to Russia.
• Moldova's Parliament Rejects Government Lineup Put Forward By President RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- Moldovan lawmakers rejected President Maia Sandu's choice of a new government on February 11, paving the way for an early election that pro-Western Sandu has welcomed as an opportunity to consolidate her power against the Moscow-leaning Socialist party.
• Kyrgyz Tycoon Fined $3,000 After Pleading Guilty To Corruption In Funneling Hundreds Of Millions Abroad RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- The former deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan's Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov, who was placed on the U.S. Magnitsky sanctions list for his involvement in the illegal funneling of hundreds of millions of dollars abroad, has been fined just over $3,000 after pleading guilty to corruption charges.
• Kyrgyzstan's Grand Mufti Detained Amid Corruption Scandal RFE/RL 11 Feb 2021 -- Kyrgyzstan's top Muslim cleric, Grand Mufti Maksatbek Hajji Toktomushev, has been detained by police amid a corruption scandal.
• Egypt urged to remove activists from 'terrorist' list UN News 11 Feb 2021 -- UN independent human rights experts appealed on Thursday for authorities in Egypt to remove two activists from a "terrorist" list and to stop systemic use of terrorism powers.
• Haiti Civilian Court Orders Release of Supreme Court Justice Accused in Coup Plot VOA 11 Feb 2021 -- The head of the Civilian Tribunal of Croix-des-Bouquets has ordered the release of Supreme Court Justice Yvickel Dabresil.