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Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy T-45C Goshawk Crashes in Lake Worth, Texas, No fatalities US Navy Press Release 19 Sep 2021 -- Today at approximately 11:15 a.m. CDT, a Navy T-45C Goshawk jet trainer aircraft assigned to Training Air Wing 2 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, crashed in Lake Worth, Texas, approximately two miles northeast of Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.
• France: Biden, Macron to Confer on End of Australian Submarine Pact VOA 19 Sep 2021 -- France says U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are planning to talk in the next few days about the diplomatic standoff that was triggered between the two old allies when Australia cancelled a submarine contract with Paris in favor of a new security alliance with the United States and Britain.
• Australia Says New Defense Accord with US and Britain Will Boost Regional Security VOA 19 Sep 2021 -- Australia is defending its decision to join a tripartite alliance with the United States and Britain despite an angry reaction from France.
• Australia-U.S.-UK deal meets backlash from Europe amid nuclear proliferation worries People's Daily 19 Sep 2021 -- Australia's decision to break off a multi-billion U.S. dollar submarine contract with France inked in 2016 and turn to the United States and Britain for nuclear-powered alternatives has sparked an outcry from the European continent.
• US, UK discussed nuclear sub pact with Australia behind Macron's back: Report Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- French President Emmanuel Macron was reportedly kept in the dark as the United States and Britain discussed a major security partnership pact with Australia, known as AUKUS, during the G7 summit earlier this year, torpedoing Canberra's multi-billion-dollar submarine contract with Paris.
• France-UK Defense Minister Meeting Canceled Over AUKUS Fracas - Report Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- Earlier this week, France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, bringing modern-day relations between the two countries to an unprecedented low. While the French ambassador to the UK was not recalled, the French foreign minister noted it was only because Paris was aware of the "UK's constant opportunism".
• France Decries UK's 'Opportunism' And Participation in AUKUS, Calling London 'Fifth Wheel' Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- The news of the new defense alliance between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States has caused a stir in France, as the new pact forces Canberra to drop a $66 billion contract with Paris for submarines. On Friday, France recalled its ambassadors from the US and Australia for consultations.
• France Says Crisis in Relations With US Over AUKUS to Affect New NATO Concept Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- France will discuss the new NATO strategic concept bearing in mind the crisis in its relations with the United States, which formed a new strategic partnership with London and Canberra behind its ally's back, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday.
• India's All-Weather Border Outpost Project Fails to Take off as Ministries Spar With Each Other Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- From Ladakh in the north to Assam state in the far east, India has been repairing roads, bridges and tunnels along its border with China to facilitate the movement of troops, in addition to building extreme weather habitats for soldiers in the region. But one project has become entangled in a war of words between two ministries.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Taliban condemn deadly US drone strike, stress international support Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- The Taliban have denounced the recent drone strike by the US military that killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children in Kabul, saying the attack constituted a "violation of human rights."
• Afghan Women Stage Protest In Kabul To Demand Right To Work, Study RFE/RL Gandhara 19 Sep 2021 -- A group of Afghan women staged a protest in the capital, Kabul, on September 19, to demand the right to work and study.
• Blast Hits Taliban Vehicle In Eastern Afghanistan RFE/RL Gandhara 19 Sep 2021 -- A blast targeted a Taliban vehicle in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on September 19, local media reported, a day after at least three people were killed in a series of explosions in the area.
• Daesh Claims Responsibility For Attacks in Eastern Afghanistan Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- On Saturday, at least three people were reported to have died and another 18 were injured after a car bomb exploded in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province.
• Daesh claims responsibility for attack on Syrian gas pipeline Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- The Daesh terrorist group has claimed responsibility for a recent attack on a major natural gas pipeline southeast of the Syrian capital that led to power outages in the city and surrounding areas.
• Hundreds of armed militants lay down weapons in Syria's Tafas Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- Hundreds of armed militants have handed over their weapons to the Syrian army in the town of Tafas in southwestern Dara'a province under a reconciliation agreement with the government.
• Yemeni army soldiers, allied fighters seize control over strategic region in Ma'rib Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Committees have asserted control over a strategic area in the country's central province of Ma'rib as they continue to gain on-ground military progress in their battles against Saudi-led coalition forces and their mercenaries.
• Yemen warns invaders it will face them with more defeats Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- Yemen's defense minister warns the country's invaders that the country would face them with more defeats if they kept up their aggression against it.
• Two Libyan Helicopters of Haftar's LNA Collide at Drills Near Benghazi, 2 Killed,Source Says Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- Two people have died as two helicopters of the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar have collided in the air during drills, a military source said on Sunday.
• Mali's Junta Dismisses Warnings Not To Hire Russia's Vagner 'Mercenaries' RFE/RL 19 Sep 2021 -- Mali's ruling junta dismissed warnings by Western governments not to hire "mercenaries" from private Russian security firm Vagner, saying it will do as it sees fit.

News Reports

• A Win For United Russia? A Loss For Navalny's Smart Voting? Five Takeaways From Russia's Elections RFE/RL 19 Sep 2021 -- Here's the first thing you need to know about the now-concluded election campaign for Russia's State Duma: It's been carefully managed from the start, with the opposition largely barred from running and a crackdown on government opponents that shows no sign of abating.
• Kremlin-Backed United Russia Takes Early Lead In Duma Vote Amid Tampering Allegations RFE/RL 19 Sep 2021 -- The Kremlin-backed ruling United Russia party was on track to a comfortable victory in Russia's lower house of parliament, after a three-day voting process that was marred by irregularities and allegations of ballot tampering.
• At-Home Voting In Russia Opens Another Door To Fraud, Evidence Suggests RFE/RL 19 Sep 2021 -- In addition to the mass mobilization of state-sector workers, as well as strong indications of ballot-box stuffing and so-called carousel voting -- when a single person cast ballots at several stations -- Russian monitors say that home voting is also likely being used to skew the results of the voting for the State Duma, Russia's lower parliament house, and local legislatures and posts.
• Voter Turnout in Russian Parliamentary Elections Exceeds 45% Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- The voter turnout in the Russian lower house elections reached 45.15% as of 6 p.m. local time (15:00 GMT) on Sunday, Russian Central Election Commission chairwoman Ella Pamfilova said.
• China Wades into Canadian Election VOA 19 Sep 2021 -- A leading party in Monday's Canadian election has caught the attention of authorities in Beijing with pledges to take a much tougher line on China if elected.
• Vice premier meets with HKSAR chief executive People's Daily 19 Sep 2021 -- Vice Premier Han Zheng on Saturday afternoon met with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.
• Hong Kong's Election Committee elections in 8 keywords People's Daily 19 Sep 2021 -- The 2021 Election Committee's subsector ordinary elections in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will be held on Sunday, which will be the first elections after improvements to Hong Kong's electoral system earlier this year and an important step of implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong."
• HKSAR starts first election after improvements to electoral system People's Daily 19 Sep 2021 -- The 2021 Election Committee's subsector ordinary elections in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) started on Sunday morning, the first election after the improvements to Hong Kong's electoral system earlier this year.
• China's New Stock Exchange Eyes Small, Medium-Sized Companies VOA 19 Sep 2021 -- U.S. experts say Beijing's establishment of a new stock exchange catering to China's small and medium-sized companies (SMS) is unlikely to raise the capital the enterprises had anticipated from listing on New York's Nasdaq.
• China's State Council appoints, removes officials People's Daily 19 Sep 2021 -- China's State Council announced the appointment and removal of officials on Saturday.
• Satellite Snaps Appear to Show Expansion of North Korea's Nuclear Bomb-making Capabilities Sputnik 19 Sep 2021 -- The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has as many as 50 nuclear warheads in its arsenal. The country has a number of medium-, long- and ultra-long-range missiles able to deliver blows to almost any part of the world, including any point in the continental United States.
• Deadly gunfight erupts after Myanmar junta convoy hit by roadside bomb Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- A roadside bomb attack has targeted a convoy of Myanmar's ruling military forces near Yangon, with several people being killed in an ensuing gunfight, the military and media said.
• Foreign Secretary travels to the US on first official visit UK FCDO 19 Sep 2021 -- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss travels to the US ahead of United Nations General Assembly.
• US House Speaker Pelosi cautions UK over N Irish peace deal Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has cautioned the United Kingdom that there could be no post-Brexit trade deal with the United States unless the Northern Ireland peace agreement is saved.
• Thai protesters demand resignation of PM Prayut on 15th coup anniversary Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- Hundreds of Thai protesters have taken to the streets of the capital Bangkok to mark the 15th anniversary of the 2006 military coup that overthrew former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, calling for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to step down.
• Guinea junta defies pressure on return to civilian rule, release of ex-president Press TV 19 Sep 2021 -- Guinea's junta that seized power in a coup early this month has defied international pressure for the release of detained former president Alpha Conde and a return to civilian rule.