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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Iraq's resistance groups say will not accept US military presence under any role, call for full withdrawal Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Iraqi resistance groups say they are adamantly opposed to a continued US military presence in their country in any shape or form, after President Joe Biden declared that the American combat mission in Iraq will shift to an advisory role by the end of the year.
• China Urges Afghan Taliban to Cut Ties with All Terrorists VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly pressed the leaders of Afghanistan's insurgent Taliban group Wednesday to "make a clean break" from all terrorists, including the anti-China East Turkistan Islamic Movement, or ETIM, during a meeting he hosted.
• China Vows to Support 'Pivotal' Taliban Forces in Afghanistan, Demands it Cut Ties With ETIM Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- As the United States and coalition forces are set to fully withdraw troops by September, the Taliban* has been taking districts and border crossings around the country in a flurry of offensives against the Kabul government's troops, triggering security concerns in China, which shares a border with the war-ravaged nation.
• Taliban Says Delegation In China For Talks With Beijing Officials RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jul 2021 -- The Taliban says a nine-member delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the co-founder of the militant group, has held talks with Chinese officials in Beijing.
• Top-level Taliban delegation visits China, 'offers assurances' Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- A top-level Taliban delegation visiting China has assured Beijing that Afghanistan will never be used as a base against the security of any other nation, the militant group says.
• UNAMA Chief: Without Meaningful Negotiations, Taliban Lose Legitimacy VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- The Taliban will lose the international legitimacy they gained through their negotiations in Doha if the group does not fulfill its obligation to negotiate with the Afghan government for a political settlement to the conflict, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said Wednesday in Kabul.
• Russia says Daesh terrorists moving into Afghanistan, pledges to boost Tajik army Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Russia says members of the Takfiri Daesh militant group are moving into Afghanistan from Syria, Libya, and several other countries, stressing that Moscow would provide its Central Asian ally Tajikistan with military assistance if any security threats emanate from Afghanistan.
• Taliban Reportedly Capture District in Capital of Afghanistan's Helmand Province Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- The Taliban (a terrorist group, banned in Russia) have taken control of Police District 5 in the Afghan city of Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand Province, TOLOnews reported on Wednesday, citing the provincial council head.
• Afghan Women Journalists Give Up Work For Survival Amid Taliban Advances RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jul 2021 -- Sadaf Siddiqi, a pseudonym for a young Afghan journalist, began her career with great hopes five years ago. She freelanced for local and national media outlets in the northeastern Afghan city of Kunduz, where she soon became a known face after becoming a presenter at a local television station.
• Pakistan PM: 'US Really Messed It Up in Afghanistan' VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- Pakistan's prime minister says that America's accelerated troop exit from Afghanistan has left Washington with no "bargaining power" for arranging a peace deal between warring Afghans.
• Pakistan's Imran Khan says US 'really messed it up' in Afghanistan Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has questioned the United States' rationale behind the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 by stressing that the Americans "really messed it up in Afghanistan."
• Pakistan's PM Imran Khan Says US 'Really Messed It Up' in Afghanistan, Prepared for Taliban Win Now Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- On Wednesday, Pakistan opened the Spin Boldak crossing with Afghanistan, despite the border outpost still being controlled by the Taliban*. According to Reuters, over 100 trucks carrying supplies have already crossed over from Pakistan into Afghanistan. Islamabad has often been accused of backing the Taliban against the Afghan government.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Defense Secretary Arrives in Vietnam for Talks on Regional Security Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Vietnam on Wednesday for talks scheduled on regional security issues, including the South China Sea, where China has encroached on waters and maritime resources claimed both by Vietnam, the Philippines and others.
• EAATS receives new Black Hawk variant Army News 28 Jul 2021 -- The Pennsylvania National Guard's Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) received the first fielding of UH-60V Black Hawks from the Utility Helicopter Program Office (UHPO) on July 27.
• NORTHCOM Commander Gen. Glen D. VanHerck Conducts Press Briefing on North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command Global Information Dominance Experiments DoD 28 Jul 2021
• 16th Pacific Partnership Begins in the Manila US Navy 28 Jul 2021 -- Pacific Partnership 21, the annual U.S-led multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific, kicked off with a medical subject matter expert exchange at Manila Naval Hospital, July 28.
• 7th Fleet Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait US Navy 28 Jul 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit July 28 (local time) through international waters in accordance with international law.
• US Guided Missile Destroyer Benfold Transits Taiwan Strait Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- A US guided missile destroyer transited the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the US 7th Fleet announced on Wednesday.
• Statement by Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Jamal Brown on the Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum for Updated Mask Guidelines for All DOD Installations and Other Facilities DoD 28 Jul 2021 -- Statement by Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Jamal Brown on the Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum for Updated Mask Guidelines for All DOD Installations and Other Facilities:
• DOD Directs Employees to Start Wearing Face Masks Again DoD News 28 Jul 2021 -- Following guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Defense Department has directed employees working in areas at high risk for transmission to begin using face masks again as a measure to prevent the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus, especially the fast-moving, highly-transmittable Delta variant.
• Cutlass Express 21 begins, aims to strengthen coalition to secure maritime domains AFRICOM 28 Jul 2021 -- Maritime forces from East Africa, West Indian Ocean nations, Europe, North America, and several international organizations began the multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2021 with an opening ceremony held at the Bandari Maritime Academy in Mombasa, Kenya, July 26, 2021.
• Task Force Phoenix in the fight against RCIEDs CENTCOM 28 Jul 2021 -- Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were a deadly threat during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, causing the majority of casualties in both conflicts. IEDs remain a threat today for coalition forces in Iraq and Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve.
• Exercise Tests DOD's Integrated Deterrence DoD News 28 Jul 2021 -- Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, today briefed the news media on Global Information Dominance Experiment 3, which took place July 8-15.
• CSAF signs charter for China Aerospace Studies Institute US Air Force 28 Jul 2021 -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. recently signed the charter for the Air Force's China Aerospace Studies Institute, signaling the service's intent to focus education, awareness and understanding more heavily on China's growing military threat.
• U.S. 7th Fleet Task Forces 71, 75, 76 form SAG in the South China Sea US Navy 28 Jul 2021 -- Comprised of ships and personnel from three U.S. 7th Fleet task forces, Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100), and a detachment from Commander, Task Group (CTG) 75.1/Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 joined together to form a Surface Action Group (SAG) while underway in the South China Sea.
• CNO Visits Singapore, Speaks at IMSC and Highlights Cooperation US Navy 28 Jul 2021 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday travelled to Singapore July 27-28, to meet with the country's senior defense leaders and take part in the International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC).
• Nuclear Talks Between U.S., Russia, Kick Off In Geneva RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- U.S. and Russian diplomats have started talks on strategic nuclear stability in the Swiss city of Geneva as the two sides look to agree on reductions to their nuclear arsenals.
• Russian-US Strategic Stability Talks Open in Geneva Month After Putin-Biden Summit Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- Roughly a month after Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden agreed on strategic dialogue during the landmark summit in Geneva, the US and Russian delegations are set to meet in the Swiss city to discuss strategic stability on 28 July.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Participation in Strategic Stability Dialogue with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021
• China, Russia vow to cement cooperation as defense ministers meet in Dushanbe PLA Daily 28 Jul 2021 -- On July 28, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Both of them are attending the Defense Ministers' Meeting of the SCO Member States.
• New group of Chinese peacekeepers leaves for Lebanon PLA Daily 28 Jul 2021 -- A new group of 205 Chinese peacekeepers headed for Lebanon on Wednesday for a yearlong peacekeeping mission.
• Chinese media rebuff new US concerns over nuclear weapons Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Chinese media have rebuffed concerns by US officials over a recent report which calls into question Beijing's commitment to its "minimum deterrence" strategy and accused the Asian-Pacific country of expanding its nuclear capabilities.
• Macron fails to apologize to French Polynesia over nuclear tests Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- France's President Emmanuel Macron has failed to apologize to French Polynesia over nuclear tests carried out in the South Pacific territory between 1966 and 1996 which had devastating impacts.
• Israel Reaches Agreement on Almost $18 Bln Defence Budget for 2022 Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz agreed on a 58 billion Israeli shekel ($17.8 billion) defenсe establishment budget for 2022, the prime minister's office said on 28 July.
• Taiwan seals deal with U.S. to buy MS-110 reconnaissance pods CNA 28 Jul 2021 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Wednesday that Taiwan has signed a contract with the United States to purchase six sets of MS-110 airborne reconnaissance systems, which experts said would significantly boost long-range air reconnaissance capability.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh addresses SCO Defence Ministers' meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan; India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on July 28, 2021Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh said, Terrorism is the mostserious threat to international peace and security.
• INDUCTION CEREMONY OF RAFALE AIRCRAFT INTO 101 SQN ON28 JUL 21 India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- The Indian Air Force formally inducted Rafale aircraft into No. 101 Squadron at Air Force Station Hasimara in Eastern Air Command (EAC) on 28 Jul 21.
• Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence has approved a central sector scheme viz. Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)with budgetary support of Rs. 498.80 crore for the next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Anti-Drone System India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- DRDO has developed anti-drone system to neutralize enemy drone attack.
• Atmanirbhar Bharat in Defence Sector India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- Total 41 AoNs worth Rs.86623.55 crore have been accorded to domestic vendors for capital acquisition since May, 2020.
• Russian, Armenian Nationals Jailed For Selling Missile Complex Parts To Ukraine RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- A court in Russia's southwestern city of Rostov-on-Don has sentenced to lengthy prison terms two men for the illegal sale of parts of a S-300 missile complex to Ukraine.
• New ground for survey ship Australia DOD 28 Jul 2021 -- In a first, personnel from Navy hydrographic survey ship HMAS Melville laid two inert minefields as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 21 (TS21).
• Turkey, Azerbaijan Planning Joint Military Cooperation, Turkish Parliament Speaker Says Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- Turkey and Azerbaijan are planning to hold joint events in the field of military cooperation, Turkish parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop announced on 28 July.
• Kenya and UK sign Defence Cooperation Agreement to tackle shared threats across East Africa UK FCDO 28 Jul 2021 -- The two nations have a long and proud history of military cooperation, working together on land, sea and air to find shared solutions to their shared challenges.
• UK and Kenya sign new Defence Cooperation Agreement to tackle shared threat from Al-Shabaab UK MOD 28 Jul 2021 -- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defence Dr Monica Juma signed the deal after agreeing to step up UK support for the key security partner
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021
• Blinken Visit to New Delhi Expands Indo-US Partnership VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- The United States and India reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their security partnership during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to New Delhi.
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Aboard Air Force One En Route Allentown, PA The White House 28 Jul 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 28, 2021

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Jul 2021
• Cornerstone treaty of refugee protection turns 70 UN News 28 Jul 2021 -- It has never been more urgent to recommit to the spirit and fundamental principles of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the UN refugee agency said on Wednesday as it marked the 70th anniversary of the key international treaty.
• Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Refugee Convention US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021 -- "Today we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. At this time of historic global forced displacement, the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have exacerbated the challenges refugees face, making the international commitments in the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol more vital than ever."
• Conflict and Economic Collapse in War-torn Yemen Worsening Hunger Crisis VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- The World Food Program warns Yemen's already alarming hunger crisis is worsening due to ongoing conflict and a rapidly declining economy that are sending food prices soaring.
• Yemen retakes last base held by Saudi-led forces in southern Ma'rib Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Yemen's defense forces score several military gains against Saudi-led militants across the country, including by recapturing the last base held by them in the south of the west-central Ma'rib Province.
• Houthi Forces Reportedly Take Last Stronghold of Pro-Saudi Forces in Southern Marib Province Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- The Shi'ite militia launched an offensive in the Marib province in February.
• Escalation of Violence along International Border between Armenia and Azerbaijan US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021The United States condemns the recent escalation of violence along the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to uphold their ceasefire commitments by taking immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.
• New flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh dispute kills 3 Armenian soldiers Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Three Armenian soldiers have been killed in a cross-border exchange of fire with Azeri forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, where a truce has been in place between Armenia and Azerbaijan since November last year.
• Azerbaijan, Armenia Trade Blame Over Latest Deadly Border Clashes RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- Azerbaijan and Armenia have blamed each other for the latest border shoot-out that Yerevan says claimed the lives of three of its soldiers amid renewed tensions between the two South Caucasus neighbors after last year's war over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• Three Armenian Soldiers Killed in Ongoing Clashes With Azerbaijani Troops Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- A long-unresolved conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh escalated in September 2020, leading to serious clashes and the death of thousands of soldiers. A Russia-brokered ceasefire was reached in November of the same year. However, cross-border tensions between the two countries continue to flare up.
• India Deploys Rafale Jet Near Tibet as China Hardens Position on Border Issues Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- China's President Xi Jinping visited Nyingchi - which adjoins Arunachal Pradesh - and Lhasa, last week, thereby indicating that his position regarding Tibet and the ongoing border issues with India had hardened. Despite several rounds of high-level talks, both sides continue to amass a military presence along the 2,100-mile Line of Actual Control.
• Proposal to Reinstate the Statehood in J&K India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted at an appropriate time after normalcy is restored in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Law and Order Situation in Jammu and Kashmir India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- The number of terrorist incidents have reduced during 2020 by 59% as compared to 2019 and 32% upto June 2021 in comparison with corresponding period upto June, 2020.
• EU warns Turkey against plan to open Cyprus ghost town Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- The European Union (EU) has warned Turkey against opening up the abandoned Cypriot town of Varosha, criticizing the plan as a breach of United Nations resolutions.
• Blinken Meets Tibet Exile Government Representative in India Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with a representative of Tibet's exile government in New Delhi, India Wednesday, a move that Tibet analysts said showed Washington's commitment to supporting Tibetan rights in the face of harsh Chinese rule.
• India Deploys Rafale Jet Near Tibet as China Hardens Position on Border Issues Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- China's President Xi Jinping visited Nyingchi - which adjoins Arunachal Pradesh - and Lhasa, last week, thereby indicating that his position regarding Tibet and the ongoing border issues with India had hardened. Despite several rounds of high-level talks, both sides continue to amass a military presence along the 2,100-mile Line of Actual Control.
• UNHCR reiterates concerns about refugees in Ethiopia Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency has voiced concern about the situation of refugees in Ethiopia, as an armed conflict worsens in the Horn of Africa country.
• Gaza: Humanitarian response underway, but political solutions still needed UN News 28 Jul 2021 -- Although the international community is providing urgent assistance to Gaza in the wake of the most recent round of hostilities, a political solution is still needed to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, a senior UN official in the region said on Wednesday.
• Cameroon Asks People Who Fled Boko Haram to Return VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- Cameroon's government has sent ministers to its northern border with Nigeria to convince villagers who fled Boko Haram militants to return. Cameroon invested $10 million on reconstruction efforts after damage caused by the Islamist terrorist group in some villages. But, in northern Cameroon, many villagers are reluctant to go home, and authorities acknowledge the militants are still a threat.
• Bosnian Prosecutor Launches Cases Under New Genocide Denial Law RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- The prosecutor's office of Bosnia-Herzegovina says it has initiated several cases under a new law against the denial of genocide after it received complaints from citizens.
• Colombian Military Sends Units to Ituango, Abandoned by Residents Due to Rebel Activity Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- Colombia's Defense Ministry sent an additional 250-man unit to the municipality of Ituango, in the northwest department of Antioquia, where more than 4,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to the activity of illegal armed groups.
• Issues Related to Rohingya Muslims India PIB 28 Jul 2021 -- Illegal migrants (including Rohingyas) pose a threat to national security. There are reports about some Rohingya migrants indulging in illegal activities.
• More Refugees From Ethiopia Stream Into Sudan VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- Authorities in Sudan say at least 3,000 Ethiopian refugees fled into Sudan this week, after the war in Ethiopia's Tigray region spread to the neighboring Amhara region. VOA speaks to a refugee camp director and a political analyst about the significance of the influx in this report from Khartoum.
• WHO: Millions of Tigrayans Without Basic Health Care VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- The World Health Organization warns that millions of people in conflict-ridden Tigray in northern Ethiopia lack access to basic health care and risk falling ill. The agency has been able to reach only a fraction of them.

News Reports

• Designation of Al-Qa'ida-Linked Financial Facilitators US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021 -- The United States is designating one Turkey-based al-Qa'ida financial facilitator for materially assisting al-Qa'ida and one Syria-based terrorist fundraiser and recruiter for providing material support to Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a group linked with al-Qa'ida.
• Treasury Designates Al-Qa'ida-Linked Financial Facilitators in Turkey and Syria US Treasury 28 Jul 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated one Turkey-based al-Qa'ida financial facilitator for materially assisting al-Qa'ida. Additionally, OFAC designated one Syria-based terrorist fundraiser and recruiter for providing material support to Hay'et Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS).
• National Security Memorandum on Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems The White House 28 Jul 2021
• Background Press Call on Improving Cybersecurity of U.S. Critical Infrastructure The White House 28 Jul 2021
• Joint Statement by Secretaries Mayorkas and Raimondo on President Biden's New National Security Memorandum DHS 28 Jul 2021 -- Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo released a joint statement on President Biden's signing of a new National Security Memorandum, "Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems."
• Biden Warns That Cyberattacks Could Lead To 'A Real Shooting War' RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- President Joe Biden warned that a major cyberattack on the United States could lead to an actual "shooting war," in comments that mentioned Russia and China as threats to U.S. national security.
• Kremlin Refutes Biden's Claims About Russia's Plan to Interfere in Elections Sputnik 28 Jul 2021 -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refutes US President Joe Biden's claims about Russia's alleged intention to interfere in the 2022 Congress elections via spreading disinformation.
• U.S., U.K., and Australia Issue Joint Cybersecurity Advisory CISA 28 Jul 2021 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a joint cybersecurity advisory today, highlighting the top Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) routinely exploited by cyber actors in 2020 and those vulnerabilities being widely exploited thus far in 2021.
• US intervenes in ousted Saudi spymaster's case in Canada to protect national interests Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- The United States is intervening in a court case related to an ousted Saudi spymaster, citing protection of its national interests.
• The Russian State Takes Ominous Steps To Bolster 'Foreign Agents' Law RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- Earlier this month, the Federal Security Service (FSB) published a draft instruction listing military and technical topics that Russian citizens could be deemed "foreign agents" for discussing, making them subject to restrictions and possible administrative or criminal punishment.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 28, 2021 PRC MofA 28 Jul 2021
• China Used Vaccines, Trade To Get Ukraine To Drop Support For Xinjiang Scrutiny RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- Ukraine succumbed to Chinese pressure to remove its name from an international statement about human rights abuses in China's western Xinjiang region by threatening to limit trade and withhold access to COVID-19 vaccines, Ukrainian officials and lawmakers with knowledge of the issue told RFE/RL.
• Man found guilty of secession, terrorism in Hong Kong People's Daily 28 Jul 2021 -- A man was convicted of inciting others to commit secession and engaging in terrorist activities on Tuesday in Hong Kong.
• 1st person convicted under HK National Security Law People's Daily 28 Jul 2021 -- In the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's first conviction under the National Security Law for Hong Kong, the city's High Court found on Tuesday that a motorcyclist who rammed police officers was guilty of terrorism and incitement to secession.
• Hong Kong Markets Battered as Foreign Investor Confidence Wavers Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- Shares in major Chinese companies have sustained major losses in Hong Kong recent days following regulatory changes by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) affecting online food delivery and e-commerce platforms, as well as the private education sector.
• China's WeChat Suspends New User Registrations Amid Tech Crackdown Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- Chinese social media platform WeChat has suspended new user registrations pending a security upgrade, its parent company Tencent said.
• Court in China's Hebei Jails Agricultural Magnate Sun Dawu For 18 Years Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- A court in the northern province of Hebei on Wednesday handed down an 18-year jail term to an agricultural billionaire who aided China's embattled human rights lawyers.
• U.S. official opposes unilateral changes in cross-Strait status quo CNA 28 Jul 2021 -- The United States' secretary of defense has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to help Taiwan defend itself against a potential Chinese invasion and its opposition to a "unilateral change" to the cross-Taiwan Strait status quo.
• Separatist forces advocating "Taiwan independence" doomed to fail: spokesperson People's Daily 28 Jul 2021 -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority and separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence" are doomed to fail if they dare to provoke.
• U.S., India Pledge Deeper Security Ties At Talks On China, Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 28 Jul 2021 -- The United States and India pledged after a meeting of their top diplomats in New Delhi on July 28 to expand their security partnership, while Washington described India's contribution to stability in nearby Afghanistan as "vital."
• North Korea Watchers Parse Motives Behind Restored Hotline with Seoul Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- North and South Korea have restored an inter-Korean hotline cut off last year by Pyongyang amid deteriorated relations, in a move that experts called a positive step, but warned against overinterpreting its significance.
• North, South Korea in talks over reopening liaison office, holding summit Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- North and South Korea are set to reopen a joint liaison office and hold a summit as part of efforts to restore inter-Korean relations, three South Korean officials have said.
• Swedish Prosecutors Charge Iranian With War Crimes For 1988 Prison Executions RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- Swedish public prosecutors have charged a 60-year-old Iranian citizen with suspected war crimes committed in Iran in 1988 when around 5,000 political prisoners were executed on government orders.
• Protests in Iran US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021 -- "Protests in Iran that began with a water shortage — owing to drought and governmental mismanagement and neglect — in the Khuzestan province have now spread across various cities including Tehran, Karaj and Tabriz."
• 'No Fewer Than 10' Bodies Discovered in Graves in Myanmar's Kani Township Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- Five unidentified bodies have been discovered in Myanmar's remote Sagaing region, days after junta troops arrested several people in the area, a scene of heavy fighting for months, and two weeks after villagers found more than a dozen corpses left to rot in a nearby forest.
• Myanmar's junta cancels 2020 election results Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Almost six months after taking power in a coup d'état, Myanmar's junta has canceled the results of last year's elections, in which the party of former de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi secured enough seats in parliament to form a government.
• Coup, COVID-19 Deal Dual Blows to Myanmar's Economy Radio Free Asia 28 Jul 2021 -- Violent political conflict since the February military coup and a deadly third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have pummeled Myanmar's economy, with the World Bank predicting a double-digit contraction of GDP this year and many urban residents struggling with shrinking incomes and rising food prices.
• Bangladesh: Deadly flooding, landslides devastate Rohingya refugees UN News 28 Jul 2021 -- Three days of strong winds and heavy monsoon rain on sprawling refugee sites in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar have taken Rohingya refugee lives and wreaked havoc and destruction, the UN refugee agency said on Wednesday.
• Biden Meets with Belarus Opposition Leader Tsikhanouskaya VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with U.S. President Joe Biden Wednesday at the White House to discuss democracy and human rights in the former Soviet republic.
• Biden Backs 'Quest for Democracy, Human Rights' In Talks With Belarusian Opposition Leader RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden met with the exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Washington on July 28, saying after their talks that the United States "stands with the people of Belarus in their quest for democracy and universal human rights."
• Date Set For Trial Of Belarusian Opposition Figures RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- August 4 has been set for as the start date for the trial of two leading Belarusian opposition figures, Maryya Kalesnikava and Maksim Znak, on charges the United States has called "manufactured" amid an ongoing crackdown on pro-democracy activists and groups by authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
• Belarus Bans Independent Belsat Channel As 'Extremist' RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- A court in Belarus has labeled the Polish-funded Belsat television channel "extremist" amid an intensifying crackdown on media and civil society.
• South Africa Riots Reveal Political Failures VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- This month's riots across South Africa have underscored concerns about inequality and stability after nearly three decades of democracy. In Soweto, owners of pillaged shops accuse the government of failing them.
• Imposing Sanctions in Defense of Human Rights in Syria US Dept. of State 28 Jul 2021 -- The United States is taking action to promote accountability for entities and individuals that have perpetuated the suffering of the Syrian people. The United States is sanctioning eight Syrian prisons, five Assad regime officials in the institutions that run those facilities, two militia groups, and two militia leaders.
• Treasury Sanctions Syrian Regime Prisons, Officials, and Syrian Armed Group US Treasury 28 Jul 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning eight Syrian prisons run by the Assad regime's intelligence apparatus, which have been sites of human rights abuses against political prisoners and other detainees.
• US Treasury Sanctions Syrian Prisons, Officials, Armed Group VOA 28 Jul 2021 -- The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday announced sanctions on eight Syrian prisons run by President Bashar al-Assad's intelligence agencies, citing human rights abuses against political prisoners and other detainees.
• Nigeria cleric Zakzaky, wife acquitted of all charges, freed from jail Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- A court in Nigeria's central state of Kaduna has acquitted Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, and his wife of all the charges levelled against the duo.
• Hezbollah, Amal Movement demand quick govt. formation to address Lebanon crisis Press TV 28 Jul 2021 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement and the Amal movement have called on new Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati to swiftly form a cabinet so as to end the political deadlock and address the ongoing socioeconomic crisis in the cash-strapped Arab country.
• Georgia's Ruling Party Tears Up EU-Brokered Deal With Opposition RFE/RL 28 Jul 2021 -- Georgia's ruling party has annulled an EU-brokered deal with the opposition after three months, putting the Caucasus nation on a path to deeper political crisis.