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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Deputy Head Of Breakaway Taliban Faction Dies Following Attack RFE/RL Gandhara 15 May 2021 -- Abdul Manan Niazi, deputy head of a breakaway Taliban faction in Afghanistan, has died in a Kabul hospital of wounds sustained in a shooting earlier this week by unknown gunmen in Herat Province.
• Afghanistan peace talks resume in Doha Press TV 15 May 2021 -- The Taliban and the Afghan government have resumed negotiations as their representatives once again met in Qatar to find a way out of decades of war in the country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• USS Ross Visits Faroe Islands US Navy 15 May 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) arrived in the Faroe Islands for a scheduled brief stop for fuel, May 15, 2021.
• AGILE FLAG 21-2: Airpower from anywhere US Air Force 15 May 2021 -- Air Force Airmen and Space Force Guardians from across the country recently came together to participate in Air Combat Command's Agile Flag 21-2 experiment at Naval Outlying Landing Field Choctaw, April 26 – May 7.
• US to Temporarily Deploy 2 Triton Drones in Japan for First Time, Reports Say Sputnik 15 May 2021 -- The United States is set to deploy two Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton drones at Misawa air base in Japan's Aomori prefecture for five months, the first drone was put into service earlier in the day, Kyodo new agency reported on Saturday.
• Former NATO Chief Calls for Common Front to Counter Trade Aggression VOA 15 May 2021 -- The Alliance of Democracies, headquartered in Copenhagen, was sanctioned by Beijing earlier this year, but that has not stopped it from carrying out its self-proclaimed mission of acting as a "megaphone for democracy."
• Former NATO Secretary General Talks to VOA about the China Challenge, Changing Security Landscape VOA 15 May 2021 -- Below is a transcript of VOA's recent interview, conducted in writing, with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who served as prime minister of Denmark from 2001-09 and NATO secretary-general from 2009-14. Rasmussen founded the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in 2017. One of the foundation's signature initiatives is the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which concluded its 4th annual conference earlier this week.
• NATO Secretary General highlights the Atlantic Alliance's values and contributions to global peace and security at the German ecumenical church days NATO 15 May 2021 -- Today (15 May 2021), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg spoke virtually at the 3rd German Ecumenical Church Days.
• NATO warships start major air and missile defence exercise NATO 15 May 2021 -- Europe's biggest and most complex air and missile exercise gets underway on Saturday (15 May 2021) with ships and aircraft from across NATO defending against a variety of missiles.
• China's new naval fleet embarks on escort mission PLA Daily 15 May 2021 -- The 38th escort fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on Saturday left a military port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somali to escort civilian ships.
• Azerbaijani Air Force Starts Drills Involving Turkey's Bayraktar Drones Sputnik 15 May 2021 -- Azerbaijan's air force has begun holding training flights with the participation of Turkish drones Bayraktar, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence said on Saturday.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• UN Human Rights chief appeals for de-escalation in Israel-Palestine crisis UN News 15 May 2021 -- Amid increasing bloodshed and volatility in Gaza and Israel, UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet on Saturday appealed for a de-escalation in tensions and urged all sides to respect international law.
• Children bearing brunt of escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians: UNICEF UN News 15 May 2021 -- More than 40 children have been killed in the current crisis in the Middle East, a senior official with the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, said on Saturday.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin "Benny" Gantz DoD 15 May 2021
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel The White House 15 May 2021
• Israeli Missiles Destroy Gaza Building Housing Foreign Media Outlets VOA 15 May 2021 -- A high-rise building in Gaza City where Associated Press and Al-Jazeera are based was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes Saturday, as the worst violence between Israel and Palestinian militants since 2014 continues to escalate.
• Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas The White House 15 May 2021
• Continuing Atrocities and Denial of Humanitarian Access in Ethiopia's Tigray Region US Dept. of State 15 May 2021 -- The United States is gravely concerned by the increasing number of confirmed cases of military forces blocking humanitarian access to parts of the Tigray region.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Gary Pruitt, President and CEO of the Associated Press US Dept. of State 15 May 2021
• Israel-Gaza violent tension continues for 5th day with no sign of cease-fire People's Daily 15 May 2021 -- Tension between Israel and the Islamic Hamas movement continued for the fifth day on Friday in the Gaza Strip with no sign of any truce.
• Hamas vows to target Israel with more rockets after Gaza tower razed to ground Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Hamas' military wing has vowed to continue to fire rockets at central Israeli-occupied territories after the Israeli military destroyed Al Jalaa tower in Gaza, which housed a number of media outlets.
• Amid Gaza bombardment, Israeli minister seeks Facebook, TikTok blackout Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Israel has asked Facebook and TikTok to ditch what it calls posts that incite violence on the platforms as the regime's war machine breathes fire on the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Red alert Sirens blare in occupied territories as Hamas rocket lands in Ramat Gan Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Rocket sirens blare throughout Tel Aviv and central occupied territories as Hamas says it fired dozens of rockets at Israel in response to the killing of a Palestinian family of 10, including eight children.
• Hamas unveils 'equation': Shelling for shelling, city for city, missile for missile Press TV 15 May 2021 -- A spokesman for the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, says his group has well laid down the law of retaliation for bloody Israeli airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip by launching missile attacks on Tel Aviv, emphasizing that his fellow fighters will respond to any act of aggression to the coastal enclave.
• Israeli airstrike kills 8 children, 2 women from same family in Gaza Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Eight children of a Palestinian family have been killed in an Israeli airstrike against a refugee camp in the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Over 350 Palestinians Injured Amid Clashes With Israeli Forces, Red Crescent Says Sputnik 15 May 2021 -- At least 360 Palestinians have been injured amid ongoing unrest in East Jerusalem, the Palestinian Red Crescent said in its latest report.
• Iran will continue to support Palestine in face of Israeli aggression, crimes: IRGC Quds commander Press TV 15 May 2021 -- The commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the Islamic Republic will continue to render support for the Palestinian people and their resistance in the face of relentless acts of aggression and crimes by the Zionist enemy in the Holy Quds and the Gaza Strip.
• Turn West Bank into absolute hell for Israelis, al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades directs fighters Press TV 15 May 2021 -- The military wing of the Palestinian Fatah movement has ordered its fighters to turn the occupied West Bank into sheer hell for Israeli military forces and settlers in the wake of the Tel Aviv regime's violent crackdown in the Jerusalem al-Quds as well as bloody airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
• Venezuelan Defence Minister Says Eight Troops Captured During Fighting With Colombian Irregulars Sputnik 15 May 2021 -- Diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Colombia have been strained for decades, with the two countries accusing one another of providing funding and support to insurgents or terrorists seeking to topple one another's government.
• UK troops seize Daesh arms cache in Mali peacekeeping operation UK MOD 15 May 2021 -- British peacekeepers seized AK47s, ammunition, fuel and radios hidden by a jihadist cell intimidating civilians, after conducting a search in a sandstorm.

News Reports

• Fuel Shortages Spread To U.S. Capital After Pipeline Cyberattack RFE/RL 15 May 2021 -- Gasoline shortages have spread from the southern United States to the U.S. capital as a large pipeline works to recover from a cyberattack that U.S. officials say originated in Russia.
• Ex-Green Beret Who Spied For Russia Sentenced To More Than 15 Years RFE/RL 15 May 2021 -- A former U.S. Army Green Beret who pleaded guilty last year to providing classified information to Russian military intelligence agents over a long period of time has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.
• Russia calls US, Czech Republic 'unfriendly' states, limits embassy hires Press TV 15 May 2021 -- The Russian government says it has officially deemed the United States and the Czech Republic "unfriendly" countries, imposing restrictions on hiring local staffers by their diplomatic missions.
• Russia's Designation Of U.S., Czech Republic As 'Unfriendly' Draws Criticism From Brussels RFE/RL 15 May 2021 -- The European Council has criticized Russia's decision to designate the United States and the Czech Republic as "unfriendly," a move by Moscow that will limit the two Western countries in their hiring of staff for embassy operations in Russia.
• EU Urges Russia to Revise Decision on 'Unfriendly States' List, Borrell Says Sputnik 15 May 2021 -- The European Union has called on Moscow to revise its decision regarding Russia's list of unfriendly countries, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday.
• National five-year plan to bring enormous opportunities to Hong Kong: Carrie Lam People's Daily 15 May 2021 -- The national five-year development plan will bring great opportunities to Hong Kong, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Friday.
• New Allegations Made of Forced Labor at Chinese Solar Manufacturers VOA 15 May 2021 -- A report Friday about China's solar energy industry alleges that Beijing is using forced labor in factories that export products to the rest of the world.
• US Calls on Beijing to Respect Rights of Lawyer Barred From Leaving China VOA 15 May 2021 -- The U.S. State Department is calling on China to respect the freedom of a Chinese rights lawyer linked to the defense of one of 12 pro-democracy activists who attempted to flee Hong Kong for Taiwan in a small boat.
• Zhurong sends back signals, marking success of Tianwen-1's landing on Mars Global Times 15 May 2021 -- Tianwen-1, China's first interplanetary expedition, has spectacularly conquered a new major milestone, with its lander-rover combination successfully soft-landing at the planned site in the southern part of a vast plain known as Utopia Planitia on Mars on early Saturday morning, Global Times learned from the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
• China in world's leading position on interplanetary exploration: Xi Global Times 15 May 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent warm congratulations and sincere greetings to the personnel involved in the Saturday feat.
• China succeeds in first Mars landing People's Daily 15 May 2021 -- The lander carrying China's first Mars rover has touched down on the red planet, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed on Saturday morning.
• Iranian Judiciary Head Among Late Registrants For Presidential Election RFE/RL 15 May 2021 -- A hard-line cleric in charge of Iran's judiciary is among the final potential candidates who have registered to run in the country's upcoming presidential election.
• Registration for Iran presidential election ends IRNA 15 May 2021 -- Registration for the next month presidential election in Iran ended at 18:00 o'clock local time (13:30 GMT).
• Iran's Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri registers presidential run Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Iranian Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri has registered to run in the June 18 presidential election, pitting himself against Ebrahim Raeisi, who is seen as the Principlists' main candidate.
• Ebrahim Raeisi registers to run for president as 'independent' Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, who heads Iran's Judiciary, has registered to officially run in the June 18 presidential election, shortly after announcing his candidacy as an "independent."
• Former Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani throws hat in June 18 presidential race Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Ali Larijani, a veteran politician and seen as a key Principlist figure, has registered to run in Iran's June 18 presidential election.
• Iran's Constitutional Council says recent interpretation of law yardstick for vetting candidates Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Iran's Constitutional Council says the body's recent interpretation of the law governing the necessary qualifications of presidential hopefuls will serve as the yardstick for vetting the candidates.
• Surprise on last day of registration: Sa'eed Jalili joins Iran's presidential race Press TV 15 May 2021 -- Another Principlist figure, Sa'eed Jalili, has joined the 2021 Iranian presidential race, despite widespread belief earlier that he would not run if heavyweight Ebrahim Raeisi did, and potentially contributing to a further division of Principlist votes.
• Iran, Russia discuss revival of JCPOA IRNA 15 May 2021 -- Iran's ambassador to Russia Kazam Jalali and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in a meeting in Moscow on Saturday, discussed negotiations underway to revive a 2015 Iran nuclear deal – known as JCPOA.
• Five Belarusian Opposition Figures: Where They Are, What Fates They Face RFE/RL 15 May 2021 -- Tens of thousands of people in Belarus have been swept up in the crackdown launched by Alyaksandr Lukashenka after he was declared winner of a presidential election last August that much of Belarus rejected as rigged. His main challenger, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, said she was forced to leave Belarus for Lithuania a day after the August 9 poll amid threats to herself and her family. She is not the only leading Belarusian opposition figure to have faced threats, jail time, or other pressure from Lukashenka and the state.
• Two Ukrainian Ministers Reportedly Stepping Down In Latest Zelenskiy Cabinet Turnover RFE/RL 15 May 2021 -- Two Ukrainian ministers have reportedly submitted their resignations to parliament while a third minister is expected to be fired as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's cabinet experiences more turnover.
• Kyiv Would 'Gladly' Swap Medvedchuk For Ukrainian Prisoners In Russia, Says Top Official RFE/RL 15 May 2021 -- A top Ukrainian official did not exclude the possibility of a prisoner swap with Russia if a Kyiv court convicts a Kremlin-leaning politician of treason.
• Malawi President Warns Against Overdepending on Him VOA 15 May 2021 -- Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has warned Malawians against overpraising and overdepending on him, a tendency that he says can turn presidents into dictators.