Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the Results of Central Command Investigation Into the 29 August Airstrike DoD 17 Sep 2021 -- General McKenzie briefed me this morning about the findings of his investigation into the 29 August Kabul airstrike.
• U.S. Says Deadly Kabul Drone Strike Was 'Mistake' RFE/RL Gandhara 17 Sep 2021 -- U.S. General Kenneth McKenzie says a deadly drone attack by the U.S. military outside Kabul airport on August 29 during the last days of the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan "was a mistake" and apologized for the loss of innocent lives.
• US Gen. McKenzie Admits Kabul Airstrike 'Was a Mistake', Killed Only Afghan Civilians Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- US Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of US Central Command (USCENTCOM), admitted Friday that no Daesh-Khorasan* fighters were killed in the August 29 airstrike in Kabul. The attack killed 10 civilians.
• US Admits Last Drone Strike in Kabul a 'Tragic Mistake' VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- A drone strike carried out during the waning hours of the U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan did not kill a terrorist bent on attacking the international airport in Kabul, and instead killed as many as 10 civilians, including an aid worker and seven children.

Defense Policy / Programs

• General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. Commander of U.S. Central Command and Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Hold a Press Briefing DoD 17 Sep 2021
• Readout of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl's Meeting With Minister of Defense Radmila Shekerinska of North Macedonia DoD 17 Sep 2021
• DOD Policy Chief Kahl Discusses Strategic Competition With Baltic Allies DoD News 17 Sep 2021 -- The United States and its allies are involved in strategic competition with China and Russia, and Colin Kahl, the Defense Department's undersecretary for policy, explained how this competition should be approached.
• Milley Assured Pelosi That US Military, Not Trump, Controlled the Nukes, Vice Chairman Says Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley assured US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in January that outgoing President Donald Trump could not launch a nuclear attack on China as the chiefs retained full control of US strategic weapons, Milley's deputy, Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten said on Friday.
• DOD Awards $647 Million in Contracts for Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Test Kits DoD 17 Sep 2021 -- This week, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded four contracts totaling $647 million to purchase over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits.
• Airmen hone expeditionary skills at Rally in Rockies exercise US Air Force 17 Sep 2021 -- Active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve Airmen gathered in Colorado and Wyoming for 22nd Air Force's flagship exercise Rally in the Rockies Sept. 12-17. The exercise is designed to develop Airmen for combat operations by challenging them with realistic scenarios that support a full spectrum of operations during military actions, operations or in hostile environments.
• USS John S. McCain Departs U.S. 7th Fleet After 24-years Forward Deployed US Navy 17 Sep 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) departed Yokosuka, Japan, Sept. 17 as part of a scheduled homeport shift to Naval Station Everett, Washington.
• 7th Fleet Destroyer Transits Taiwan Strait US Navy Press Release 17 Sep 2021 -- TAIWAN STRAIT -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit Sept. 17 (local time Taiwan) through international waters in accordance with international law. The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.
• US Army's 12th Combat Aviation Brigade performs live-fire aerial gunnery training Army News 17 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Soldiers with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade participated in live-fire aerial gunnery training on Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Sep. 14, as part of their semi-annual gunnery training that began Sept. 9 and continues until Sept. 20.
• Military leaders brush up on their wargaming tactics Army News 17 Sep 2021 -- Approximately 20 Department of Defense leaders, allies and partners, came together for a Basic Analytic Wargaming Course taught by the Naval Postgraduate School Wargaming Mobile Education Team in Wiesbaden, Germany, Aug. 30 - Sept. 10. The class provided access to the unique capabilities of the Naval Postgraduate School students and faculty.
• Multi-Domain Task Force activates in Wiesbaden Army News 17 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Army Europe and Africa activated the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force Sept. 16 on Allen Field at Clay Kaserne.
• US Coast Guard Joins Australia Navy for 3-Day Exercise in South China Sea Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- The United States cutter Munro completed a three-day exercise with the Royal Australian Navy in the South China Sea, the US Coast Guard said in a press release.
• The Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations Joint Statement: An Unbreakable Alliance for Peace and Prosperity Australia - Minister for Foreign Affairs 17 Sep 2021 -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Peter Dutton on September 16 in Washington D.C. for the 31st Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN 2021).
• Navy enters new era Australia DOD 17 Sep 2021 -- Navy – and the Australian Defence Force – is about to undergo a major shift in military technology, in which it will enter a new era of sub-surface capabilities.
• GT Voice: Naïve Australia foots the bill for US gambit Global Times 17 Sep 2021 -- Australian taxpayers have every reason to demand an answer from the Morrison administration as to why ordinary Australians always end up paying for America's cold war gambit.
• US Will Boost Military Presence in Australia as China Slams 'Irresponsible' AUKUS Pact Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and his UK counterpart Boris Johnson unveiled the AUKUS security alliance "to protect and defend" the three countries' "shared interests in the Indo-Pacific".
• US-UK-Australia pact angers France, EU more than China Press TV 17 Sep 2021 -- China and France have denounced the new Indio-Pacific security alliance between the US, Britain and Australia, with Beijing accusing the three powers of intensifying an arms race in the region and Paris calling it "a knife in the back".
• Southeast Asian Nations Cautious Over New AUKUS Defense Pact Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- Countries bordering the South China Sea who are wary of great power rivalries are reacting slowly and cautiously to the announcement of a trilateral defense pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
• Canada Caught Off Guard By New AUKUS Security Pact, Report Says Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- Canada was caught off guard by the forming of the new security partnership between the United States, United Kingdom and Australia (AUKUS), the Globe and Mail reported on Friday citing defence, foreign affairs and intelligence officials.
• Indonesia Wary of Australia's Plans to Acquire Nuclear Submarines Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- Indonesia has adopted a cautious approach to Australia's plans to acquire nuclear submarines but voiced its concern over alleged power projection in the region, the country's foreign ministry said on Friday.
• France Recalls US, Australian Ambassadors Over Submarine Deal VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- France has recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia after Australia ended a deal to buy French submarines in favor of one to pursue nuclear-powered vessels using U.S. technology.
• France Recalls Ambassadors From US, Australia for Consultations over AUKUS Alliance Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- This week, Australia, the UK and the US concluded a defense alliance (AUKUS) that involves assistance from Washington and London in Australia's efforts to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines. The pact entailed Canberra's withdrawal from a $66 billion contract with France to construct 12 submarines.
• France Says It Cannot Trust Australia in Trade Talks After Canberra Ditched Joint Sub Deal Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- Australia previously dropped a $90-billion agreement with the French firm Naval Group under which the latter was supposed to build several attack-class submarines for the country. Paris has already slammed the move, prompted by the US promise to Canberra for nuclear-powered submarines, calling it a "stab in the back".
• Coronavirus Response: NATO and Hungary donate ventilators to the Republic of Moldova NATO 17 Sep 2021 -- The Republic of Moldova has received twenty ventilators from NATO's Pandemic Response Stockpile to help the country respond to coronavirus infections. NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre and Hungary coordinated the donation in response to a request by Moldova for COVID-19 assistance.
• Remarks by NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of NATO in Italy NATO 17 Sep 2021
• New navigation equipment for civilian airlines set up at Pristina airport, with NATO support NATO 17 Sep 2021 -- On 14 September 20121, the Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Franco Federici, attended a ceremony to mark the installation of new navigation equipment at Pristina airport. These are important steps, which will make the circulation of people and goods easier and faster within the region. They will also contribute to the use of new south-west air routes in the lower airspace over Kosovo, which have been created through the NATO-led Balkans Aviation Normalisation Meetings process.
• Deputy Secretary General, NATO ambassadors visit Alliance Ground Surveillance aircraft in Italy NATO 17 Sep 2021 -- SIGONELLA, Italy – Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană and a group of NATO ambassadors visited the Alliance's fleet of unmanned surveillance aircraft stationed in Sicily, on Thursday (16 September 2021).
• Russia Possesses 'Unbelievable Military Power' After Transforming Forces, US General Says Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- Russia now has "unbelievable military power" after transforming its armed forces over the past 20 years, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.John Hyten said on Friday.
• 15TH EDITION OF INDO - NEPAL JOINT EXERCISE SURYA KIRAN TO COMMENCE FROM 20 SEPTEMBER AT PITHORAGARH (UK) India PIB 17 Sep 2021 -- 15th Edition of Indo - Nepal Joint Military Training, Exercise Surya Kiran between Indian Army and Nepali Army is commencing from 20 September 2021 at Pithoragarh (UK).
• US State Department approves $500mn helicopter maintenance deal with Saudi Arabia Press TV 17 Sep 2021 -- The US State Department has approved a potential military agreement with Saudi Arabia, a week after President Joe Biden ordered a declassification review of files about 9/11 attacks on the United States.
• Taiwan-made fighter jet drill marks the end of five-day wargames CNA 17 Sep 2021 -- A drill to test the counterstrike capabilities of the domestically-built Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) was held in Taichung Friday, marking the end of the five-day live-fire component of the Han Kuang exercises.
• £170m investment for the next generation of Royal Navy submarines UK MOD 17 Sep 2021 -- BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce will undertake concept and design work for the Royal Navy submarines.
• Somalia Blasts Djibouti Over 'Unlawful Detention' of National Security Adviser VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- Somalia's government has condemned what it calls the unlawful detention of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's national security adviser.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meeting with Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Campbell US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with UK Foreign Secretary Truss US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Meetings with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Önal US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021
• Department Press Briefing – September 17, 2021 US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Sept. 17, 2021
• Introducing the LMXT: America's Next Strategic Tanker Lockheed Martin 17 Sep 2021 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] introduces the LMXT as America's next strategic tanker ― built in America by Americans for Americans. Offered in response to the U.S. Air Force's KC-Y Program, the LMXT represents the newest chapter in Lockheed Martin's 60+ year history of producing and delivering tanker and cargo aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy and multiple operators around the world.

Other Conflicts

• 17 September 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Sep 2021
• UN Human Rights Council 48: UK statement for the interactive dialogue on the human rights of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations UK FCDO 17 Sep 2021 -- UK International Ambassador for Human Rights Rita French gave a statement outlining the UK's continued efforts to champion and protect women and girls' rights.
• COVID-19 Underfunding for Refugees Prolongs, Worsens Pandemic VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- The U.N. refugee agency warns of dire global consequences if millions of refugees and other forcibly displaced people fail to receive the support needed to protect them from COVID-19 and prevent the virus from spreading in host communities.
• Refugees face dire consequences from COVID-19 underfunding, UNHCR warns UN News 17 Sep 2021 -- Underfunding has left a "yawning gap" in the UN Refugee Agency's ability to protect forcibly displaced people worldwide from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UNHCR said on Friday.
• Afghanistan: Security Council resolution calls for 'equal and meaningful participation of women' UN News 17 Sep 2021 -- The Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Friday, specifying the importance of "equal and meaningful participation" of women in public life.
• UNICEF stresses Afghan girls must not be excluded from school UN News 17 Sep 2021 -- The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Friday welcomed the news that secondary schools are due to reopen in Afghanistan on Saturday, after months of closure due to COVID-19, but stressed that girls must not be kept from the classroom.
• UN Security Council Extends Afghan Mission by Six Months VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- The U.N. Security Council extended its political mission in Afghanistan for six months in a unanimous vote Friday.
• Regional Summit Vows to Work With Taliban, Urging That Pledges Be Upheld VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- Leaders at a meeting of the China- and Russia-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organization emphasized Friday the need for engaging with Taliban-led Afghanistan to prevent a looming humanitarian crisis and an economic collapse in the war-torn country.
• SCO Leaders Call For Increased Afghan Aid, Unfreezing Of Assets RFE/RL Gandhara 17 Sep 2021 -- Leaders of the Russia- and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have urged the world to unfreeze Afghanistan's assets and boost assistance to the war-torn nation as it teeters on the brink of crisis following the Taliban's return to power last month.
• Media Watchdog Denounces Escalating Attacks On Journalists In Taliban-Led Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 17 Sep 2021 -- The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the Taliban's "mounting attacks" on press freedoms with at least 153 media organizations being forced to cease operations as the hard-line Islamist group solidifies its rule over the country.
• UN Security Council Renews Mandate Of Afghan Mission For Six Months RFE/RL Gandhara 17 Sep 2021 -- The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on September 17 to renew the mandate of its political mission in Afghanistan for another six months following the Taliban's takeover of the country in August.
• Afghan Schools To Reopen For Boys Amid Apparent Reinstitution Of Moral Police RFE/RL Gandhara 17 Sep 2021 -- The Education Ministry of the Taliban-led Afghan government says middle schools, high schools, and madrasahs for males will reopen on September 18, with no mention of when girls in those classes will return amid indications that the department of women's affairs is undergoing a radical change.
• Xi urges eradication of terrorism forces in Afghanistan Global Times 17 Sep 2021 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for efforts to promote the steady transition of the Afghan situation as soon as possible, engage Afghanistan in dialogue, and help the Afghan people tide over their difficulties.
• Taliban Reportedly Ditches Women's Ministry in Favour of 'Ministry of Virtue and Vice' Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- Earlier, it was revealed that the Taliban* was prohibiting the entry of women into the area of the Ministry of Women's Affairs in the Afghan capital city of Kabul, only allowing male employees into the building.
• China Survey Ship Lingers in Indonesian EEZ, Data Show Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- Ship-tracking data obtained by BenarNews on Friday show the Chinese survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 10 continues operating in Tuna Block in the Indonesian exclusive economic zone (EEZ), almost a week after a flagship U.S. aircraft carrier sailed within 50 nautical miles of it.
• On the Death of ISIS-GS leader Adnan Abu Walid Al-Sahrawi US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021 -- The United States welcomes the announcement from our partner and ally France that its troops killed Adnan Abu Walid Al-Sahrawi. We commend France's continued commitment to countering terrorism and protecting civilians in West Africa in coordination with our African partners.
• Iran rejects GCC statement on three Iranian islands Press TV 17 Sep 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has reacted to the final statement of the latest meeting of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stressing that the islands of Greater Tunb, lesser Tunb and Abu Musa definitely belong to Iran.
• At the One Year Anniversary of the Abraham Accords: Normalization Agreements in Action US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021 -- Remarks by Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
• Blinken Vows to Urge Arab Countries to Normalize Ties With Israel VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday he would urge Arab countries to normalize ties with Israel.
• Myanmar Troops Massacre 24 in Village Attacks in Magway Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- Myanmar military forces killed at least 24 civilians in attacks this month on three villages in the country's central Magway region, murdering eight after taking them alive as prisoners, sources in the region said, with rights groups calling the killings war crimes.
• Planned Closure of the OSCE Border Observer Mission US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021 -- The United States deeply regrets the decision by the Russian Federation to block consensus to extend the OSCE Border Observer Mission at the Russian Checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk, which was announced by the OSCE Chair in Office, in Vienna yesterday.
• Armenia Challenges Azerbaijan At International Court Of Justice RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- Armenia has challenged Azerbaijan at the United Nations' top court, accusing it of decades of rights abuses against Armenian citizens and ethnic Armenians -- including events that unfolded during the 2020 war over Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
• Issuance of New Executive Order Establishing Sanctions Related to the Crisis in Ethiopia US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021 -- In the midst of ongoing violence, abuses against civilians, and growing humanitarian plight in Ethiopia, President Biden today signed an Executive Order (E.O.) establishing a new sanctions regime in response to the crisis.
• United States Issues New Executive Order with Respect to the Humanitarian and Human Rights Crisis in Ethiopia US Treasury 17 Sep 2021 -- In response to the growing conflict and humanitarian and human rights crisis in northern Ethiopia, which has threatened the peace, security, and stability of Ethiopia and the greater Horn of Africa region, President Biden signed an Executive Order (E.O.), "Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons with Respect to the Humanitarian and Human Rights Crisis in Ethiopia."
• Biden Opens Door to Sanctions Over Tigray Conflict VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- An executive order signed Friday by U.S. President Joe Biden seeks to slap harsh sanctions on all sides involved in the war in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region — including the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
• Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate related to the Executive Order on Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons With Respect to the Humanitarian and Human Rights Crisis in Ethiopia The White House 17 Sep 2021
• Background Press Call By Senior Administration Officials on Ethiopia The White House 17 Sep 2021
• Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the Executive Order Regarding the Crisis in Ethiopia The White House 17 Sep 2021
• Executive Order on Imposing Sanctions on Certain Persons With Respect to the Humanitarian and Human Rights Crisis in Ethiopia The White House 17 Sep 2021

News Reports

• Wary Officials Brace for US Capitol Rally VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- Law enforcement officials in Washington are on high alert ahead of Saturday's planned rally at the U.S. Capitol, the site of a deadly insurrection earlier this year.
• Treasury Sanctions International Financial Networks Supporting Terrorism US Treasury 17 Sep 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating members of a network of Lebanon- and Kuwait-based financial conduits that fund Hizballah.
• The United States Imposes Sanctions on International Networks Supporting Terrorism US Dept. of State 17 Sep 2021 -- The United States has designated Lebanon- and Kuwait-based members of a financial network that funds Hizballah, as well as members of an international network of financial facilitators and front companies that operate in support of Hizballah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).
• COVID-19 not slowing climate change, world off track to meet Paris targets: UN report People's Daily 17 Sep 2021 -- The COVID-19 pandemic did not slow the relentless advance of climate change, and as the planet is committed to dangerous future global warming, the world is still significantly off-schedule to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the United Nations (UN) said in a report released on Thursday.
• Paris climate deal could go up in smoke without action: Guterres UN News 17 Sep 2021 -- Unless wealthy nations commit to tackling emissions now, the world is on a "catastrophic pathway" to 2.7-degrees of heating by the end of the century, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned on Friday.
• Biden Urges International Leaders to Pursue Strong Climate Change Policy VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden convened six heads of state and three leaders of multilateral organizations on Friday to make his plea: that stronger climate action is not just urgent — it is good for the global economy.
• Leaders to Gather at UN Against COVID-19 Backdrop VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- Afghanistan, climate action and the COVID-19 pandemic will be front and center next week when large numbers of world leaders return to New York for their first in-person meetings at the United Nations in more than a year.
• Russian Oligarch Vows To Appeal Swiss Prosecutor's Decision To Drop Case Against Art Dealer RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- Lawyers for Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev say he will appeal a decision by Swiss prosecutors to close his case against a top art dealer he accused of swindling him out of more than $1 billion.
• The Week In Russia: The Vote And The Virus RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- Russians go to the polls - and Putin goes into self-isolation. Amid a clampdown that has further narrowed the field and limited the right to representation, voters cast ballots in parliamentary and local elections, while the president retreats after an extensive outbreak of COVID-19 in his administration.
• State-Sector Workers Vote En Masse On The First Of Three Voting Days RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- Budget-sector workers in Russia were pictured flocking to polling stations across the country as voting in nationwide legislative elections began.
• Russians Voting In Parliamentary Elections, With Coronavirus, Corruption, (And Putin) On Their Minds RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- Russians began heading to polling stations across the country in the first of three days of voting expected to be dominated by the Kremlin-backed ruling United Russia party after a clampdown by authorities on dissent that almost completely ruled out opposition candidates.
• Donbas Vote Seen As Key Element In The Kremlin's Election Effort RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- There are few indications on the streets of Russian cities that the country is holding parliamentary elections.
• Key Supporter Breaks Ties With Navalny Associates RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- One of the most outspoken supporters of jailed Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny says she is "disappointed" with the Kremlin-critic's exiled associates and has broken ties with them as the country heads to polling stations for elections.
• Navalny's 'Smart Voting' App Disappears From Apple, Google Stores In Russia RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- An election-guide app created by opposition activist Aleksei Navalny to erode the dominance of the ruling United Russia party disappeared from Apple and Google stores on the same day that Russians began voting in national parliamentary elections.
• Angry Khabarovsk Votes On Replacement For Arrested Popular Governor RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- The Kremlin set off a revolt of sorts in July 2020 when law enforcement arrested the popular governor of the Khabarovsk region, Sergei Furgal, and replaced him with a temporary appointee from Moscow, Mikhail Degtyaryov.
• Siberian Election Official Says At-Home Voting Being Misused To Falsify Elections RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- Andrei Biryukov, a member of the regional election commission of Siberia's Kemerovo region, says he has discovered procedural violations in all 12 polling stations around the town of Guryevsk (population 24,000). Moreover, he believes the irregularities were intentional, aimed at facilitating falsification of the ongoing elections in Russia.
• Will Russia's Young People Vote in Parliamentary Elections? VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- Russia's President Vladimir Putin provoked chuckles earlier this month from school kids in the Russian city of Vladivostok when a 10-year-old asked him to subscribe to his YouTube channel. "Sign up please. I'd be very glad," the kid said.
• UN's China Human Rights Assessment Is Platform for Governments to Step Up, Experts Say VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- China's human rights record is the focus of a major upcoming United Nations human rights assessment.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on September 17, 2021 PRC MofA 17 Sep 2021
• Pro-Beijing Media Target Hong Kong Trade Union, Labor Groups in Latest Denunciations Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- Hong Kong newspapers backed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stepped up their denunciations of independent trade unions in the city on Friday, amid an ever-widening crackdown on civil society under the national security law.
• HK to collect ballots for Election Committee, marking break with secessionism, violence Global Times 17 Sep 2021 -- The Hong Kong Election Committee subsector election, which kicks off on Sunday and is the first to be held since electoral reform was implemented, will see how the city's political air is purified and political life turns to focus on development discussions orderly rather than political warfare and even terror, which manifests the principle of "patriots governing Hong Kong."
• New Study Finds High-Level Government Role in China's Uyghur Internment Camps Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- China's top policy, legislative and advisory bodies were closely involved in the creation of the "Re-Education Internment Campaign" in Xinjiang that has sent some 1.8 million Uyghurs to detention camps and drawn genocide accusations against Beijing, according to a new report by a leading expert on the camp system.
• China urges World Bank to conduct full probe in issues related to business report Global Times 17 Sep 2021 -- China's Foreign Ministry on Friday called on the World Bank to conduct a full investigation into relevant issues to protect both the credibility of its business environment report and reputation of its members, after the World Bank ended its "Doing Business" report citing "data irregularities."
• SCO members should reject 'condescending lecturing,' keep future in our own hands: Xi Global Times 17 Sep 2021 -- Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should have confidence in our system and refuse sanctimonious preaching from those who feel they have the right to lecture us, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the 21st meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO on Friday.
• SCO opposes external meddling, builds shield against outside forces Global Times 17 Sep 2021 -- Upholding the Shanghai Spirit, member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) vowed in a declaration released on Friday to build a community of shared future and oppose interference from outside forces under the excuse of counter-terrorism and human rights, which experts said that after 20 years of development, the SCO has built a shield against outside forces' destructive interference and played a more important role in defending regional peace.
• 10 Chinese planes enter Taiwan's ADIZ as Han Kuang drills conclude CNA 17 Sep 2021 -- Ten Chinese military planes flew into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday as Taiwan concluded its annual Han Kuang wargames held this week, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
• Taiwan Welcomes AUKUS Pact, Calls For Stronger Ties With Democracies Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- Officials and lawmakers in the democratic island of Taiwan have welcomed a trilateral security pact between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia that will help Canberra develop nuclear submarines, saying it hopes to continue to deepen its diplomatic ties with the U.S. and E.U.
• Australia, U.S. express intention to enhance ties with Taiwan CNA 17 Sep 2021 -- The American and Australian governments on Thursday expressed support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations and said their countries intended to strengthen ties with Taiwan.
• Taiwan urges EU to start preparations for possible trade agreement CNA 17 Sep 2021 -- The Taiwan government urged the European Union Friday to begin preparations for the possible signing of a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA), following the EU's pledge the previous day to seek a trade deal with Taiwan as part of a wider Indo-Pacific strategy.
• US double standard approach 'a stumbling block' to easing Korean Peninsula tensions Press TV 17 Sep 2021 -- North Korea has accused the United States of applying double-standards in its approaches to the two Koreas' military activities, saying Washington's hostile policy towards Pyongyang is the exact reason behind the prolonged deadlock in denuclearization talks.
• North Koreans Resentful of Missile Launches Amid Hunger and Poverty Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- Citizens in North Korea are becoming increasingly angry that state media is touting this week's cruise missile tests as a major national defense achievement when many are struggling to find their next meal, sources in the country told RFA.
• US threat, sanction policy has failed: Iran FM IRNA 17 Sep 2021 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that sanctions and threats are among the failed, but permanent, policies of the United States.
• Shanghai alliance SCO gives go-ahead to Iran's full membership Press TV 17 Sep 2021 -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has approved documents for Iran's full membership at the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance at its 21st summit in Dushanbe.
• Gantz: Israel Could Accept Return to JCPOA if US Has 'Plan B' for Iran's Nuclear Program Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- Israel has repeatedly claimed for years that Iran was close to finishing a nuclear weapon, saying that such a weapon would pose a threat to the country and threatening to take military action to stop it from happening. Despite their claims, Iran still has no such weapon and has forsworn their use alongside other weapons of mass destruction.
• China Seen Playing Both Sides in Post-Coup Myanmar VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- Analysts say China's recent invitation of Myanmar's ousted pro-democracy party to a regional summit is an old move from its foreign policy playbook aimed at burnishing its bruised image in Myanmar and helping protect its economic and strategic interests there.
• Kyat Falls to Historic Low, Signaling Lack of Confidence in Myanmar's Stability Radio Free Asia 17 Sep 2021 -- Myanmar's currency reached an all-time low Friday, signaling growing concerns about the stability of a nation beset by civil unrest and teetering on the brink of a full-scale civil war, nearly eight months after the junta orchestrated a coup d'état.
• Belarus Suspends Probe Into Killing Of Anti-Government Protester RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- The Belarusian Prosecutor-General's Office says it has suspended an investigation into the death of Raman Bandarenka, the anti-government protester whose killing in November 2020 intensified unprecedented protests demanding the resignation of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka following a disputed election.
• 'Straight-Talking' Kono Has Slim Lead as Japan PM Race Begins VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- The race to determine Japan's next prime minister formally began Friday, with veteran Japanese politician Taro Kono appearing to hold a slim lead, opinion polls suggest.
• Pelosi, in London, Cautions UK on Ending Northern Ireland Peace Deal VOA 17 Sep 2021 -- U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi cautioned Britain on Friday that nullifying the Northern Ireland peace agreement — known as the Good Friday accords — would likely undermine negotiations for a post-Brexit bilateral trade agreement with the United States.
• UK-US Post-Brexit Trade Deal Unlikely If Northern Ireland Peace Accords Destroyed, Pelosi Says Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- US House of Representative Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, predicted on 17 September that if the Good Friday agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland in 1998 is destroyed, a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the US is very "unlikely."
• Kyrgyzstan Adds Former Leaders Of Canada's Centerra Gold To Wanted List RFE/RL 17 Sep 2021 -- Kyrgyzstan has added several former leaders of Canada's Centerra Gold company and its operator of the Kumtor Gold company to its wanted list as part of a widening investigation into alleged corruption during the development of a major gold-mining project.
• Ex-Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Reportedly Dies Aged 84 Sputnik 17 Sep 2021 -- According to local media reports, former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who led his country out of the civil war of the 1990s, died on Friday at the age of 84. He was one of the last surviving veterans of Algeria's war of independence against France from 1954 to 1962.