Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• DOD Extends 'Firefly,' Related 'FireGuard' Support to Extinguish Wildfires DoD News 08 Sep 2021 -- Since the launch of a 2019 pilot program, the National Guard's "FireGuard" program, in conjunction with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's "Firefly" capability, has provided actionable information to help fight wildfires on the United States west coast.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pakistan, German, U.S. Naval Forces Conduct Passing Exercise in Arabian Sea CENTCOM 08 Sep 2021 -- The Pakistan Navy frigate PNS Alamgir (F 260) and German Navy frigate FGS Bayern (F 217) participated in a passing exercise (PASSEX) with guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) in the Arabian Sea, Sept. 6.
• SD Austin Meets With Service Members and Interagency Personnel at Naval Support Activity Bahrain DoD 08 Sep 2021
• Secretary Lloyd J. Austin Meets With Bahrain Foreign Minister at Bahrain International Airport, Near Manama, Bahrain DoD 08 Sep 2021
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Visit to Kuwait DoD 08 Sep 2021 -- Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on September 8 in Kuwait City. The Secretary thanked Kuwait's leaders for their critical role in supporting the evacuation of U.S. citizens and at-risk Afghans from Afghanistan and reaffirmed his commitment to the enduring U.S.-Kuwait strategic relationship.
• Small Businesses Critical to DOD Mission, Official Says DoD News 08 Sep 2021 -- Small businesses are agile and innovative, and every day they provide value in their contributions as prime and sub-tier suppliers to the defense mission, the director of the Defense Department's Office of Small Business Programs said.
• Hicks Says DOD to Link Strategy, Capabilities To Meet China Challenge DoD News 08 Sep 2021 -- The Defense Department prioritizes China as its long-term, pacing challenge because of its increased military confidence, willingness to take risks and China's adoption of a coercive and aggressive approach to the Indo-Pacific region, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks said today.
• Navy Breaks Ground on New Multi-Mission Dry Dock US Navy 08 Sep 2021 -- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, September 8, for the multi-mission dry dock project.
• USS Arlington Returns from Humanitarian Mission in Haiti US Navy 08 Sep 2021 -- The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) returns to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia after deploying to U.S. 4th Fleet area of operation to support a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operation in Haiti, Sept. 8.
• Joint Support and Enabling Command declares Full Operational Capability NATO 08 Sep 2021 -- On 8th September 2021, Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) declared Full Operational Capability (FOC) and marked the occasion with a ceremony presided over by its Commander, Lieutenant General Jürgen Knappe. Distinguished guests included, Supreme Allied Commander Operations, General Tod Wolters, German State Secretary, Thomas Silberhorn, and Director General of the NATO International Military Staff, Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Wiermann.
• Russia begins military drills on Kuril Islands Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Russia has begun military maneuvers on its eastern territory of Kuril Islands that will include live firing drills and involve more than 500 military personnel, the defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
• Chinese peacekeeping engineers to South Sudan (Wau) complete construction tasks PLA Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- The 11th Chinese peacekeeping engineering contingent to South Sudan (Wau) completed the road construction for the main supply line from Wau to Aweil and repair of the defense facilities of Aweil Super Camp on September 6, local time.
• 56 counterfeiting dens wiped out in military-police joint actions PLA Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- Since January 2021, a one-year-long nationwide special operation aiming to crack down military-related counterfeiting crimes has been jointly conducted by the Politics and Law Commission of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), in a bid to effectively crack down on military-related counterfeiting crimes.
• UK sends 'less-capable' warships to Asia-Pacific, 'no threat to PLA' Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- With two offshore patrol vessels setting out from a UK naval base on Tuesday, the country reportedly started to permanently station its warships in the Asia-Pacific region, at a time when the US is rallying its allies to the region in an attempt to confront and contain China.
• Cabinet approves procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft for Indian Air Force India PIB 08 Sep 2021 -- Today, Cabinet Committee on Security approved the procurement of fifty six C-295MW transport aircraft from M/s Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain for the Indian Air Force. C-295MW aircraft is a transport aircraft of 5-10 Tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of IAF. The aircraft has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo.
• Indian Air Force to Receive More Than 350 Fighter Aircraft Over Next Two Decades Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently has 30 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons to counter a perceived threat from China and Pakistan. Since the force has already announced the retirement of its MiG-21 fighters over the next few years, it will require hundreds of fighter jets to maintain its strength.
• India Paves Way for Women to Take Top Jobs in Defence Services Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- At present, women are not permitted to take the entrance examination for the National Defence Academy (NDA) to gain a commission as officers in the defence services in India. The examination, consisting of written and physical tests, only permits men to compete.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, September 8, 2021 The White House 08 Sep 2021
• Under Secretary Fernandez's Call with Republic of Korea (ROK) Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken at Top of Meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas at a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 8, 2021

Other Conflicts

• 8 September 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Sep 2021
• Successful peacekeeping transitions rely on sustainable political solutions UK FCDO 08 Sep 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the Security Council briefing on peacekeeping
• National ownership critical, once guns fall silent, Security Council hears UN News 08 Sep 2021 -- Although UN peacekeeping missions can help put a country on the right track following conflict, only a commitment from national governments can keep it there over the long term, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told a Security Council meeting on Wednesday to examine support for the transition towards lasting peace.
• Taliban's 'Mullahcratic' Government: Militants Fail To Form Inclusive Administration RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban had stressed that it would form an "inclusive Islamic government" and would not "monopolize power" following its rapid takeover of Afghanistan last month.
• Public Executions, Floggings 'Inevitable' Under Taliban Court Rulings, Says Scholar RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- A return to lurid public executions and floggings is inevitable in Afghanistan as the Taliban transforms the country's court system under its strict interpretation of Islamic law, an Afghan legal scholar says.
• US Assessing Announcement of Taliban's Caretaker Government VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- The United States says it is assessing the Taliban's announcement of a caretaker government in Afghanistan and has "made clear our expectation that the Afghan people deserve an inclusive government."
• Taliban announces formation of caretaker gov't in Afghanistan, Hassan Akhund named acting PM People's Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban announced on Tuesday night the formation of Afghanistan's caretaker government, with Mullah Hassan Akhund appointed as the acting prime minister.
• Afghan Protest Ban Stokes Fears Of Taliban Government Quickly Shedding Pledges RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- The new Taliban-led government in Afghanistan outlawed protests "for the time being" on its first working day, in a stark blow to Afghan and international hopes that the hard-line Islamist group's second reign will prove less restrictive than two decades ago.
• NRF vows resistance against Taliban's 'illegitimate' interim government Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Afghanistan's National Resistance Front (NRF) says the Taliban's new interim government is "illegitimate," fated to become a "pariah" amid the front's call for a nationwide uprising.
• Internally Displaced Afghans Pose Major Crisis For New Taliban Government RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- As the Taliban launches its caretaker government in Afghanistan, one immediate challenge it faces is providing food and other supplies for some 3.5 million internally displaced people.
• Western Countries Out, Taliban In: Can Achievements In Afghanistan Of Last 20 Years Be Preserved? RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- The U.S.-led war that began in Afghanistan in 2001 ousted the brutal Taliban regime that had harbored the terrorist Al-Qaeda network, which was largely dismantled and pushed underground.
• UN: Afghan Women Refuse to Be 'Erased' VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- The United Nations agency U.N. Women expressed its "profound" disappointment Wednesday at the lack of female participants in Afghanistan's new Taliban transitional government.
• Taliban Reportedly Claims Afghan Protests Receive Foreign Funding Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban movement* claims that the protests taking place in Afghanistan were financed from abroad, Al Jazeera broadcaster reported.
• Deposed Afghan Leader Ghani Says He Fled Taliban To 'Save Kabul' RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- Recently deposed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has sought publicly to explain his sudden escape from Kabul as Taliban fighters entered the capital on August 15, a move that cemented the hard-line fundamentalist group's hold on most of the country.
• 'Most Difficult Decision': Ghani Apologises to Afghan People Over Leaving Kabul Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled Kabul after the capital was taken over by the Taliban*, said in a statement that he left the city at the advice of his security guards to prevent mass casualties due to possible street clashes.
• Ghani Says He Fled Afghanistan to Avoid Kabul Bloodshed VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- Former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said Wednesday he fled his country last month for the United Arab Emirates to avoid bloodshed in the streets of the capital of Kabul as Taliban insurgents took control. He denied plundering government funds as he left.
• US Urges Taliban to Allow Charter Flights to Depart from Afghanistan VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the Taliban on Wednesday to allow charter flights to depart Afghanistan, as planes carrying Americans and vulnerable Afghans reportedly have been stranded at Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport.
• Blinken Discusses Afghanistan With Partners Amid Concern Over Provisional Taliban Government RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- A group of more than 20 nations, including the United States, will meet to discuss the situation in Afghanistan amid disapproval abroad and protests by Afghans over the new government named by the Taliban in Kabul that is flush with veterans of their fundamentalist rule from the 1990s and two-decade war against American forces and its allies.
• Blinken Says US Assessing Taliban Announcement of New Government Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Washington was assessing the announcement of the new Afghan government by the Taliban*.
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken Opening Remarks at Ministerial on Afghanistan US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2021
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken at Meet and Greet with Evacuation Operations Staff US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Ministerial with Allies and Partners on Afghanistan US Dept. of State 08 Sep 2021
• NATO Secretary General: Taliban must make good on their commitments NATO 08 Sep 2021 -- Taking part in a virtual foreign ministerial meeting co-hosted by the US Secretary of State and the German Foreign Minister on Wednesday (8 September 2021), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Taliban must make good on their commitments on terrorism, human rights and safe passage for those who wish to leave Afghanistan.
• Czech, Austrian, And Slovak Leaders Reject More Afghan Migrants In EU RFE/RL Gandhara 08 Sep 2021 -- The prime ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are taking a common stand against more Afghan refugees in the European Union amid growing concern in the bloc over an influx of migrants from Afghanistan.
• Turkey's Erdogan Voices Caution Over New Afghan Government VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- Turkey is voicing caution over Afghanistan's interim government as it continues talks with the Taliban on restarting air traffic at the Kabul airport.
• Online meeting of Afghanistan neighbors' FMs: Iranian FM urges commitment to dialogue as genuine policy IRNA 08 Sep 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Wednesday urged commitment to dialogue as a genuine policy.
• FMs of Afghanistan neighbors hold virtual summit as Taliban announce government Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Foreign ministers of countries neighboring Afghanistan have held a virtual meeting to discuss the latest developments following the Taliban's takeover of the country and the withdrawal of US-led forces.
• Iran urges inclusive Afghan govt., warns against foreign intervention Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Iran's top security official has underlined the need for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, expressing concern about foreign intervention and the use of military force in the South Asian country.
• China's pledge of $31m worth of food, supplies, vaccines to Afghanistan 'essential for anti-terrorism, poverty fight' Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- China will provide Afghanistan 200 million yuan ($31 million) worth of grains, winter supplies, vaccines and medicines in line with the needs of the Afghan people, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with his counterparts from Afghanistan neighboring countries on Wednesday, one day after the Afghan Taliban announced a new interim government.
• China to provide emergency aid of 200m yuan, including food, 3 million vaccines to Afghanistan Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- China and all other five Afghanistan's neighboring countries will work together in handling new challenges caused by the US' hasty pullout from Afghanistan and the latest situation in the country, with China announcing an emergency humanitarian aids including foods, medicines and COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday after the Afghan Taliban on Tuesday announced key members of its new interim government.
• Chinese firms plan Afghan platform to examine opportunities and pitfalls of investment Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- Chinese business representatives in Afghanistan are to establish an industry platform for investment promotion after the Taliban announced the formation of an interim government on Tuesday.
• China to maintain communication with new Afghan government Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- China has expressed readiness to maintain communication with the leaders of the new interim government in Afghanistan, calling its establishment a "necessary step" in restoring order to the war-ravaged country.
• China Ready to Communicate With New Afghan Gov't and Its Leader, Foreign Ministry Says Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- President Joe Biden earlier stated that China will have issues dealing with the Taliban* following the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
• UN Seeks $600 Million to Tackle Looming Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- A U.N.-sponsored high-level ministerial meeting on Afghanistan next week will seek to raise $606 million to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance for nearly 11 million people until the end of the year.
• Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group enters South China Sea, upholds Freedom of Seas, commitments to Allies and Partners US Navy 08 Sep 2021 -- The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (VINCSG) is operating in the South China Sea for the first time during the group's 2021 deployment.
• 7th Fleet Conducts Freedom of Navigation Operation US Navy 08 Sep 2021 -- On Sept. 8, USS Benfold (DDG 65) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law. This freedom of navigation operation ("FONOP") upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea. USS Benfold demonstrated that Mischief Reef, a low-tide elevation in its natural state, is not entitled to a territorial sea under international law.
• PLA on alert amid US' provocative destroyer, carrier activities in South China Sea Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command on Wednesday vowed to stay on high alert and safeguard China's sovereignty and security, and protect peace and stability in the South China Sea, after it warned off a US destroyer that trespassed into Chinese sovereign waters in the region on the day, a few days after a US aircraft carrier entered the region for a provocative deployment.
• US destroyer warned off after trespassing into areas adjacent to China's Meiji reef in South China Sea: military spokesperson Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- On Wednesday, the US guided missile destroyer USS Benfold trespassed into areas adjacent to the Meiji reef in the South China Sea without China's permission, and the naval and aerial forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command conducted whole-process tracking and monitoring of the US destroyer and warned it off, said a PLA Southern Theater Command spokesperson in a written statement.
• Chinese military warns off US warship trespassing into China's territorial waters PLA Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- The US guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold trespassed into waters off the Meiji Reef, China's Nansha Islands in the South China Sea on September 8 without Chinese government's permission. The naval and air forces of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted whole-process tracking and monitoring and warned off the US destroyer, a military spokesperson said in a written statement Thursday.
• China warns off US warship sailing close to Spratly islands Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- China's army forces have "warned off" a US destroyer from the South China Sea, describing Washington as the "biggest destroyer of peace" in the region.
• Yemen: 'Climate of fear' grows, all sides to blame, say rights experts UN News 08 Sep 2021 -- There has been no let-up in more than six years of conflict in Yemen, as a growing "climate of fear" among civilians continues, a panel of UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Wednesday.
• UN: Yemeni Civilians Abandoned, Abused, Denied Justice After Six Years of War VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- U.N. human rights experts say the international community is abandoning millions of Yemeni civilians to a life of intolerable suffering and desperation as Yemen enters its seventh year of civil war with no end in sight. The statement comes as the three-member UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen presents its findings ahead of a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council next week.
• Syrian Army units enter Dara'a al-Balad in bid to push terrorists out Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Units of the Syrian Army have entered Dara'a al-Balad, the last stronghold of militants in the war-torn country's south, and raised Syria's national flags there, as a push to get rid of terrorist remnants proceeds successfully.
• Syrian Army Enters Last Militant Stronghold in Daraa Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- Syrian Army units, accompanied by Russian military police, have entered Daraa al-Balad, the last stronghold of armed criminal groups in the country's south, a Sputnik correspondent reported on 8 September.
• Israeli forces storm Palestinian communities as manhunt continues after prison break Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Israeli forces have stormed dozens of areas across the occupied West Bank district of Jenin, where they conducted extensive searches and raids to find the six Palestinian inmates who escaped from a maximum-security Israeli jail.
• Tigray Forces Deny Reports of Mass Killings in Amhara VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- Rebel forces from Ethiopia's Tigray region denied reports Wednesday that they had killed dozens of civilians over a two-day period in the Amhara area.
• Another Crimean Tatar Detained In Russian-Occupied Crimea RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Moscow-imposed authorities in Ukraine's Crimea region have detained another Crimean Tatar after his home was searched.
• Clashes Between South Sudan Forces Unsettle Western Equatoria State VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) called on military commanders and political leaders Tuesday to end clashes in Western Equatoria state following the deaths of at least five people on Monday.

News Reports

• Paris Begins Trial of 2015 Terror Attackers VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- Twenty people linked to the November 2015 terrorist attacks in France went on trial in Paris Wednesday in proceedings expected to last nine months.
• France begins biggest trial over 2015 terror attacks in Paris Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- The biggest trial in France for those allegedly involved in the 2015 terror attacks in Paris is set to begin amid heightened security.
• International Money Launderer Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Cyber Crime Schemes US Dept. of Justice 08 Sep 2021 -- Defendant Ordered to Pay Victims in U.S. and Elsewhere More Than $30 Million in Restitution
• New Zealand to Overhaul Terror Laws After Auckland Supermarket Stabbings VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- New Zealand is reviewing its terror laws after a knife-wielding Sri Lankan man attacked shoppers at an Auckland supermarket before being shot dead by the police. Authorities said he was inspired by the Islamic State group.
• Doppelganger Dirty Trick In Russian Election Spawns Online Mockery RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Now trending on Russian Twitter: the surname of the liberal St. Petersburg city lawmaker seeking reelection to the municipal legislature, Boris Vishnevsky.
• Soldiers Voted Early In Secret, Opposition Candidate Claims RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Russian military personnel in three settlements of the northwestern Murmansk region were gathered on September 7 to cast ballots early in Russia's September 17-19 legislative elections, according to a report in Novaya gazeta the same day.
• Over 6,000 People In Moscow Sentenced For Violating Law On Public Gatherings RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Regional authorities say more than 6,000 people were convicted and sentenced in the first half of the year for violations of the law on public gatherings in the Russian capital, Moscow.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on September 8, 2021 PRC MofA 08 Sep 2021
• HK police vows action as HK Alliance refuses to hand in requested information Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- The radical opposition group, Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (known as Hong Kong Alliance), was criticized for not abiding by laws after declining the Hong Kong police's request for more information on its possible status as a foreign agent. And the Hong Kong police chief said on Tuesday that such moves would lead to swift and effective action from the police.
• Hong Kong district councilors refusing to take oath to be disqualified: Carrie Lam People's Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam Tuesday said district councilors who refuse to attend the oath-taking ceremony will be disqualified.
• Hong Kong police arrest 4 members of anti-China group People's Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- The Hong Kong police on Wednesday arrested four people on suspicion of breaching the national security law in Hong Kong.
• Hong Kong Police Arrest Key Members of Tiananmen Vigil Organizing Group Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2021 -- Police in Hong Kong on Wednesday arrested key members of a group that once organized an annual candlelight vigil for the victims of the June 4, 1989 massacre in Beijing, the group said.
• Hong Kong Police Arrest Organizers of Annual Tiananmen Square Vigils VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- Four members of a Hong Kong group that organizes the annual observances of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were arrested Wednesday after refusing to cooperate with a police investigation into its activities.
• China announces stronger punishment for bribers, may 'blacklist' them in market access Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- China is strengthening punishment on bribers, with measures including establishing a "blacklist" and holding such people legally responsible, said the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in a document published on Wednesday, a move that experts said will add to China's progress in the anti-graft campaign.
• Ai Weiwei: Swiss Banks Said They Would Shut Down My Accounts Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2021 -- Credit Suisse has said it will shut down a Swiss bank account belonging to dissident artist Ai Weiwei's foundation, citing his "criminal record" in China, although he has never been convicted of a crime, according to Ai.
• China's Maoists Mark Death of Great Helmsman With Tributes, Street Events Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2021 -- State-run mainstream media in China appeared to have ignored the 45th anniversary of the death of late supreme leader Mao Zedong this week, although leftist websites ran tributes to the "Great Helmsman."
• One-China principle underlined over Taiwan participation in regional economic cooperation People's Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- The Taiwan region's participation in regional economic cooperation must be handled in accordance with the one-China principle, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.
• DPP authority overestimates its strength: mainland spokesperson People's Daily 08 Sep 2021 -- Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority overestimated its strength and attempted to make provocations internationally, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said Tuesday.
• Amid Food Shortage, North Korea Orders Army to Shoot Crop Thieves on Sight Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2021 -- With food shortages driving hungry North Koreans to steal crops from fields, authorities have deployed military units to guard farmland during harvest season with orders to shoot crop thieves on sight, sources in the country told RFA.
• President Raisi: IAEA's unconstructive approach will disturb negotiations path IRNA 08 Sep 2021 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Wednesday that taking an unconstructive approach towards Iran nuclear deal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will disturb the path of negotiations.
• Iran: 'Unconstructive' IAEA attitude can't have 'constructive' response Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- President Ebrahim Raeisi warns the United Nations nuclear watchdog against the consequences of its "unconstructive" attitude towards Iran.
• Iran envoy calls on IAEA to maintain impartiality, professionalism Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Iran's representative to the international organizations in Vienna has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to maintain its impartiality and professionalism towards Tehran's nuclear activities.
• Iran's Raisi Counters IAEA Charge As U.S., Russia Focus On Tehran Nuclear Issues RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Iran's new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, has pushed back against the UN nuclear watchdog's criticism in a confidential report accusing Tehran of blocking inspectors' access to atomic sites.
• Myanmar Citizens Voice Support For Uprising Against Junta Despite Risks Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2021 -- Many people in Myanmar support the National Unity Government's (NUG) declaration of war against the military junta despite the threat of added instability and inflation, sources in the country said Wednesday, a day after the shadow government leadership announced the move.
• Myanmar's Shadow Government Announces 'Defensive War' VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- Myanmar's shadow government declared a "defensive war" on Tuesday that is being viewed by analysts as a call to arms against the junta controlling the country.
• Chinese companies in Myanmar face potential disruption amid rising tensions Global Times 08 Sep 2021 -- Some Chinese state-owned companies in Myanmar said that they encountered certain disruptions, and they are following contingency plans such as asking some local employees to stay at home and suspending operations amid rising tensions in Myanmar.
• Latvia Says It Intercepted More Than 1,000 Migrants On Belarus Border Over Past Month RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Latvia says it has prevented more than 1,000 people from illegally entering the Baltic country since a state of emergency was declared at its border with Belarus a month ago, amid accusations that Minsk is intentionally sending migrants into EU member states.
• Ahead Of Putin-Lukashenka Summit, Russian Jets Arrive To Help Patrol Belarusian Borders RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Belarusian officials say Russian fighter jets have arrived to help patrol Belarus's borders, as part of a new joint military effort.
• Ukraine Dismisses CNN Report On 'Elaborate Plot' To Detain Russian Mercenaries In Belarus RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Top Ukrainian officials have dismissed an explosive CNN report that said Ukraine's main intelligence agency orchestrated a sting operation in neighboring Belarus in 2020 to arrest Russian mercenaries wanted for crimes in Ukraine.
• Leader Of Unregistered Kazakh Party Charged Over Public Gathering RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- The leader of Kazakhstan's unregistered El Tiregi (People's Pillar) party has been charged with violating the law on public gatherings following a protest rally in the capital, Nur-Sultan.
• Saudi King Salman fires director of public security, refers him for investigation Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has removed the director of the kingdom's General Directorate of Public Security from his position over corruption charges.
• Guinea Opposition Leader Voices Support for Coup VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- The leader of Guinea's main opposition party, the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), says the country's September 5 coup was justified because President Alpha Conde was illegitimate after he changed the constitution to run for a third term.
• Guinea putschists free 'political detainees,' opposition ready for power transition Press TV 08 Sep 2021 -- Putschists who seized power in Guinea at the weekend have freed a group of political detainees as the main opposition leader signals openness to participating in a power transition in the West African state.
• Coup Leaders in Guinea Reportedly Start Releasing Political Prisoners Sputnik 08 Sep 2021 -- The Guinean Ministry of Justice has agreed to release 79 people arrested on political grounds on the request of the military coup leaders, Guinean media reported.
• Laos Pushes Ahead With Large Dam Projects, Despite Uncertainty of Power Purchases Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2021 -- The Lao government is pushing ahead with more hydroelectric dams despite uncertainty about Thailand's willingness to purchase the electricity they generate, Lao officials and others with knowledge of the situation said.
• Chinese Investments in Laos Soar, but Little Wealth is Spread Radio Free Asia 08 Sep 2021 -- China's investment in Laos has climbed since 1989 to a cumulative $16 billion, but little of this money has benefited ordinary citizens, while the negative impact from Chinese development projects isn't being counted accurately, Lao sources say.
• Bulgaria Bound For Fresh Elections After Socialists Also Fail To Form Government RFE/RL 08 Sep 2021 -- Bulgaria is headed for snap elections after the Socialists became the third party to fail to form a government since July elections, returning their mandate on September 7.
• Analysts: Rift Between Somali President, Prime Minister Could Affect Security, Elections VOA 08 Sep 2021 -- Somalia's president and prime minister appear locked in a power struggle over the country's spy chief and the death of a cybersecurity agent. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble this week suspended the head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, Fahad Fassin, for failing to investigate the agent's death. But the president rebuked the move and on Wednesday appointed Yasin as a national security adviser.