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Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the President's Fiscal Year 2024 Budget DoD 09 Mar 2023 -- The Biden-Harris Administration today released the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The Budget enables the Department of Defense to continue building a Joint Force that is the most lethal, resilient, survivable, agile, and responsive in the world and is guided by our three priorities of defending the nation, taking care of our people, and succeeding through teamwork.
• Biden Unveils $6.8 Trillion 2024 Budget Plan VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled a $6.8 trillion government spending plan for 2024 calling for dozens of new policy initiatives and higher taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals. But opposition Republicans immediately said it had no chance of winning congressional approval.
• Biden proposes largest military budget in US history Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- President Joe Biden has proposed the largest military budget in America's history, claiming it does so to keep up with China, which spends one-fourth on its military as the Pentagon.
• Deputy Secretary of Defense Signs 2023-2027 DoD Cyber Workforce Strategy DoD 09 Mar 2023 -- On February 27, 2023, Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks signed the 2023-2027 DoD Cyber Workforce (CWF) Strategy, which sets the foundation for how the DoD will foster a cyber workforce capable of executing the Department's complex and varied cyber missions.
• US transfers Saudi Guantanamo detainee to Riyadh Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- The United States has repatriated a Saudi national to Saudi Arabia after keeping him behind bars in Guantanamo prison for 21 years over suspected involvement in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
• Navy Accepts Delivery of Ship to Shore Connector, Landing Craft, Air Cushion 105 US Navy 09 Mar 2023 -- The Navy accepted delivery of the next-generation landing craft, Ship to Shore Connector (SSC), Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 105, March 8.
• USS Arleigh Burke Begins Exercise Joint Warrior 23-1 US Navy 09 Mar 2023 -- The first-in-class guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces Europe (FDNFE) ship, joins NATO allies for exercise Joint Warrior 23-1, March 7, 2023.
• U.S. DOT and NIWC-PAC Host SeaVision Training for Exercise Cutlass Express 2023 Participants US Navy 09 Mar 2023 -- In concert with the Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific (NIWC-PAC), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) hosted SeaVision training for exercise Cutlass Express 2023 (CE23) participants, in Mombasa, Kenya, March 8, 2023.
• The 3rd U.S.-ROK Working Group Meeting on the DPRK Cyber Threat US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023 -- The 3rd U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Working Group Meeting on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Cyber Threat was held in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2023.
• NATO Secretary General hosts meeting of senior officials from Türkiye, Finland and Sweden NATO 09 Mar 2023 -- On Thursday (9 March 2023), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg convened representatives from the governments of Türkiye, Finland and Sweden - the parties to the Permanent Joint Mechanism established by the Trilateral Memorandum signed in Madrid on the margins of the 2022 NATO Summit.
• Turkiye, Sweden, Finland Agree to Meet Before NATO Summit in July Sputnik 09 Mar 2023 -- The representatives of Sweden and Finland held consultations with Turkiye on ratification of their applications for NATO membership and agreed to meet in the same format again before the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, the statement of the alliance said on Thursday.
• J-20 fighter pilot calls for improved military communications network development Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- Deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) said at the ongoing two sessions that China should continue its military's digitalization, informatization and intelligentization, with one J-20 stealth fighter jet pilot suggesting the military communications network development be improved, and a JH-7 fighter bomber pilot calling for implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in missions.
• Xi stresses enhancing integrated national strategies, strategic capabilities People's Daily 09 Mar 2023 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday stressed opening new ground for enhancing integrated national strategies and strategic capabilities.
• Build up strategic capabilities, Xi says People's Daily 09 Mar 2023 -- President Xi Jinping called for opening new ground for enhancing integrated national strategies and strengthening strategic capabilities as he met with lawmakers from the Chinese military and armed police force on Wednesday.
• Frigate back in the fight Australia DOD 09 Mar 2023 -- Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba achieved a key milestone in explosive fashion while undergoing training off the coast of Western Australia.
• Canberra urged not to risk national interests to serve Washington over possible submarine deal Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- With the latest updates of Australia's possible purchases of five US Virgina class nuclear powered submarines being revealed by Western media in advance of the AUKUS meeting in the US, Chinese observers urged Canberra not to blindly follow Washington's strategy in containing Beijing, and risk its own national interests on economy and security only to serve Washington's interests.
• Sunak Reportedly Confident Australia Will Choose British-Made Submarines Over American Ones Sputnik 09 Mar 2023 -- UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reportedly told a cabinet meeting to expect a positive outcome regarding his next week's journey to San Diego to unveil a deal on the sale of British-made nuclear-powered submarines to Australia within the AUKUS security pact with the United States.
• THEATRE LEVEL OPERATIONAL READINESS EXERCISE (TROPEX-23) INDIAN NAVY'S LARGEST WAR GAME India PIB 09 Mar 2023 -- Indian Navy's major Operational level exercise TROPEX for the year 2023, conducted across the expanse of IOR over a duration of four months from Nov 22 - Mar 23, culminated this week in the Arabian Sea. The overall exercise construct included Coastal Defence exercise Sea Vigil and the Amphibious Exercise AMPHEX. Together, these exercises also witnessed significant participation from the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh holds telephonic conversation with his Australian counterpart Mr Richard Marles India PIB 09 Mar 2023 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence of Australia Mr Richard Marles on March 09, 2023. Both the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment towards further strengthening the bilateral defence relationship. The telecon was reflective of the trust and friendship the two countries share especially in matters related to defence and security.
• Minister Anand updates National Defence stakeholders on progress to modernize the Canadian Armed Forces for tomorrow's security challenges Canada 09 Mar 2023 -- As the international security environment changes, the Government of Canada is continually working to equip our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel with the tools that they need to protect Canada. To that end, as outlined in Canada's defence policy, we are increasing our defence investments by over 70 percent between 2017 and 2026, and we are making additional targeted investments in continental defence and other priority areas.
• North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile ahead of US-South drills Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- North Korea has fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the Yellow Sea, the South Korean military says, after warning the United States on its joint military drills with the South scheduled to be conducted next week.
• DPRK Test-Fires Short-Range Ballistic Missile Into Sea Near China Ahead of Big US-South Korea Drills Sputnik 09 Mar 2023 -- North Korea has long claimed its missile and nuclear weapons programs are meant purely for defense, saying it would give up both if the South and the United States agreed to peace and to the removal of US troops from the Korean Peninsula. Peace talks in 2019 failed after the US refused to incrementally lower economic sanctions.
• Oceangoing warship joins IRGC navy fleet IRNA 09 Mar 2023 -- An oceangoing warship joined the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces along with 99 new vessels in different classes after being unveiled in the south of the country on Thursday.
• IRGC adds new warship, 100 missile-launching boats to Navy fleet Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has taken delivery of a new ocean-going warship and nearly 100 missile-launching speed boats.
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Holds a Joint Press Conference With Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant DoD 09 Mar 2023
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting in Israel With Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant DoD 09 Mar 2023
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting in Israel With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu DoD 09 Mar 2023
• U.S., Israeli Leaders Discuss Partnerships, Threats in Middle East DoD News 09 Mar 2023 -- During the final stop of a multiday tour of the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
• Deputy Secretary Sherman's Call with European External Action Service Secretary-General Sannino US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023
• Joint Statement on the C5+1 Ministerial in Astana US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023 -- The text of the following statement was released by the U.S. Secretary of State and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan on the occasion of the C5+1 Ministerial in Astana, Kazakhstan on February 28.
• Secretary Blinken's Call with French Foreign Minister Colonna US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023
• Remarks by President Biden After Marine One Arrival The White House 09 Mar 2023
• Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with President Sauli Niinistö of Finland The White House 09 Mar 2023
• Remarks by President Biden on his Budget for Fiscal Year 2024 The White House 09 Mar 2023
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton and OMB Director Shalanda Young The White House 09 Mar 2023
• On-the-Record Press Call by OMB Director Shalanda Young and CEA Chair Cecilia Rouse on the President's FY24 Budget The White House 09 Mar 2023
• Special Briefing Via Telephone with Gina M. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023
• Department Press Briefing - March 9, 2023 US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 9, 2023

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 9 March 2023 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 09 Mar 2023
• Taliban governor of Afghan province killed in bomb attack Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- The Taliban governor of Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, known for fighting against the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, has been killed in a bomb attack.
• Taliban Governor Of Afghan Province Killed In Blast RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- The Taliban governor of Afghanistan's Balkh Province was killed in a blast at his office on March 9, officials said.
• UN Launches $4.6B Appeal for Afghanistan, Warns of Drop in Funding VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- After weeks of dispiriting debates over whether to suspend or downgrade humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, the United Nations on Thursday launched a $4.6 billion appeal to assist more than 23 million of the most vulnerable Afghans this year.
• Suicide Bombing Kills Taliban Provincial Governor in Afghanistan VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- Taliban authorities in Afghanistan said Thursday a bomb blast had ripped through the office of a provincial governor, killing him and two others.
• UN Buys Oil Tanker to Begin Salvage Operation Off Yemeni Coast VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- The United Nations said Thursday it has purchased a vessel to transfer more than a million barrels of oil from a neglected tanker that threatens Yemen's Red Sea coast, and the salvage operation is planned for early May.
• Vessel to remove oil from stricken Yemen tanker could arrive by May UN News 09 Mar 2023 -- UN-led efforts to prevent a catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea took a major step forward on Thursday with the announcement of a deal to purchase a vessel that will remove more than a million barrels of oil from a decaying supertanker that has threatened the region for years.
• Yemen will launch 'decisive battle' if talks with Saudis fail, warns Ansarullah official Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- A senior member of Yemen's Ansarullah says the resistance movement will launch a "decisive battle" to end the devastating Saudi war if the negotiations with Riyadh fail to reach a breakthrough.
• Support for the UN Announcement to Avert an Environmental Crisis off the Yemeni Coast US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023 -- The United States welcomes the United Nations' announcement today that it has signed an agreement to procure a vessel to receive the 1.1 million barrels of oil from the decaying Safer oil tanker.
• Syrian gov't vows to hold U.S. officials accountable for destabilizing Syria People's Daily 09 Mar 2023 -- Syria said on Wednesday that the U.S. officials seeking to destabilize Syria must be held accountable, in response to the vow by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to hold the Syrian government accountable for "human rights violations and abuses."
• Townships in Myanmar's Chin state hit by one airstrike per day over last two months Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- Myanmar's military averaged nearly one airstrike per day on townships under martial law in Chin state, in the western part of the country, in the first two months of 2023 alone, an ethnic Chin minority rights group said Thursday, as NGOs urged governments to sanction companies selling jet fuel to the junta.
• Outrage, grief grip Palestinians after 6 killed by Israel forces in Jenin People's Daily 09 Mar 2023 -- Outrage and grief prevailed in the Palestinian territories on Wednesday, a day after six Palestinians were killed and 26 others injured during an Israeli raid near the West Bank city of Jenin.
• Police in Tibet clamp down on eve of 1959 uprising anniversary Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- Police in Tibet's capital Lhasa have ramped up security measures ahead of Friday's anniversary of a 1959 uprising against the Chinese, people in the region told Radio Free Asia.
• Yerevan Accuses Baku of Shelling Armenia's Border Positions Sputnik 09 Mar 2023 -- The Armenian Defense Ministry has accused the Azerbaijani armed forces of shelling Armenia's combat positions located on the border between the two countries.
• Moldova Says No Confirmation Of Alleged Plot To Kill Separatist Leaders; Kyiv Calls Claim A Kremlin Provocation RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- Moldova has cast doubt on an allegation by the de facto authorities of Transdniester that they had foiled a Ukraine-orchestrated "terrorist" plot to kill the separatist region's leaders, while Kyiv called it "a Kremlin provocation."

News Reports

• US Lawmakers Warn 'Clean Reauthorization' of Surveillance Authorities a 'Nonstarter' VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- Key U.S. lawmakers are warning the country's top intelligence officials that they could soon find themselves without a much-talked-about surveillance authority unless their agencies are able to prove they can be trusted.
• FBI Director: Warrantless Searches of Americans' Data Down 93% in 2022 VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- Touting reforms designed to protect Americans' privacy, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that the number of times the FBI searched U.S. citizens' information in a database of warrantless surveillance dropped by more than 93% in 2022.
• USAGM CEO Describes Efforts to Counter Russian and Chinese Propaganda VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- The United States Agency for Global Media's Chief Executive Officer Amanda Bennett said Thursday the agency she leads is facing a critical time globally in which access to credible news is threatened by authoritarian regimes.
• Report: White Supremacist Propaganda Activity Soared to Record High in 2022 VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- From antisemitic leaflets to racist banners, American white supremacists sharply ramped up efforts to spread propaganda last year, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League.
• Mexican president rejects US military intervention to fight cartels Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has dismissed calls from certain US lawmakers advocating military action against drug cartels in the Latin American country.
• Mexican Drug Cartel Reportedly Apologizes for Killing Kidnapped Americans Sputnik 09 Mar 2023 -- According to a letter exclusively obtained by the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, the Scorpions faction of the Gulf Cartel apologized to the residents of Matamoros, the Mexican woman who died in the shooting and the four kidnapped Americans and their families.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, March 9, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Mar 2023
• As Ukraine War Rages, Russia's Anti-Putin Forces Fractured By Mudslinging, Mutual Allegations RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- A major new investigative report by the team of imprisoned Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny charges that the Moscow mayor's office has spent billions of rubles since 2018 through a "slush fund" to promote the image of Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
• Meeting with Head of Federal Service for Financial Monitoring Yury Chikhanchin President of Russia 09 Mar 2023 -- Head of the Federal Service for Financial Monitoring Yury Chikhanchin briefed the President on the agency's current activities.
• Telephone conversation with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President of Russia 09 Mar 2023 -- Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Egyptian side's initiative.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's talks with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Mar 2023
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Moscow, March 9, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Mar 2023
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Moscow, March 9, 2023 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Mar 2023
• Joint Statement from the REPO Task Force US Treasury 09 Mar 2023 -- Today, after a virtual meeting, the Deputies of the multilateral Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) Task Force released the following statement on the group's continued work.
• CIA issued advance Nord Stream blast warning to US allies: Report Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- A US media report has revealed that America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warned allies in the EU about a potential attack by a pro-Ukrainian group on the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Russia has rejected such reports, saying it is an attempt to divert attention from the real perpetrators and absolve the United States.
• National legislators, political advisors vow to ensure China's food security Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- The 2023 Government Work Report once again stressed "securing the food supply of more than 1.4 billion people" and said that stabilizing grain production remains one of the top priorities in 2023, as the Chinese leadership has stressed that building up strength in agriculture is the foundation of a great modern socialist country.
• China keeps development as top priority in 2023 Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- By continuing to give top priority to development in 2023, China will ramp up efforts to expand domestic demand, improve the business environment for private companies and prevent financial risks, among others, the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) suggested on Thursday.
• Chinese whole-process people's democracy fully underscored at two sessions Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- Thousands of national lawmakers and policy advisors are already halfway through this year's two sessions - an important opportunity for the world to understand the whole-process people's democracy, which is fundamentally different from Western-style democracy, often characterized by electoral politics. Some deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) have refuted "rubber stamp" claims made by some Western media and observers about the main annual political gathering, saying Chinese democracy is high quality democracy that leads to concrete results, making people's lives better and the country stronger.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on March 9, 2023 PRC MofA 09 Mar 2023
• US in jitters China could advance might on global stage: Report Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- The United States has been increasingly concerned that China will use its power in global supply chains to advance its political and military might, a report says.
• China firmly opposed to Netherlands' new chip restrictions: Foreign Ministry Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- China firmly opposes a move by the Netherlands that interferes with and constrains normal trade between Chinese and Dutch firms through administrative means, and China has lodged representations with the Dutch side, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, in response to the European country's new chip export restrictions on China.
• Rudd: US and China risk war 'by accident' Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- China and America are at risk of increasing tensions until a crisis leads to war "by accident," Australia's incoming ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, said in an interview on Wednesday.
• Tapping vast potential of BRI in next decade a focus of two sessions Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- Deputies and members at the ongoing two sessions have brought their motions and proposals on how to tap into the vast potential of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as the widely supported initiative enters its 10th year.
• Police arrest veteran Hong Kong labor activist for 'collusion' Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- Hong Kong police on Thursday arrested a prominent labor activist on suspicion of "collusion with foreign forces" under a draconian national security law that criminalizes public dissent, according to multiple media reports in the city.
• Hong Kong Police Arrest Union Leader Following Visit to Imprisoned Husband VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- Hong Kong's national security police Thursday arrested veteran labor rights activist Elizabeth Tang after she visited her husband, a prominent former opposition lawmaker, in prison.
• China weakens itself by suppressing civil society and silencing independent voices Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- Chinese leaders aspire to global economic, political, and even spiritual leadership. But unless the Chinese Communist Party relaxes its suffocating restrictions on civil society, Chinese citizens won't be able to fulfill their creative and human potential. Without independent assessments of the utility and moral integrity of its policies, no government can understand its errors and make changes, and keep its own power in check.
• Inner Mongolia vows to strengthen rare-earth industrial chain, speed up devt of new materials Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- An official in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region vowed to step up prospecting of rare earths and strengthen the rare-earth industrial chain, including speeding up the development of rare-earth permanent magnets, permanent magnet motors and other aspects of rare earths terminal industries.
• National security law for HK plays pivotal role in stabilizing SAR without compromising protection of human rights: young representative Global Times 09 Mar 2023 -- The National Security Law for Hong Kong has played a pivotal role in enabling the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to move from chaos to stability and prosperity without compromising the protection of human rights and the HKSAR is integrating with national development and roaring back to the forefront of the global stage, Gary Wong Chi-him, a representative from the HKSAR said at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council on Wednesday.
• U.S. spy agencies see more Chinese pressure on Taiwan in Xi's 3rd term CNA 09 Mar 2023 -- Beijing will continue to press Taiwan on unification and try to undercut U.S. influence in the region as Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) begins his third term, according to an annual report by the U.S. intelligence community.
• Beijing has no right to interfere in presidential stopovers in U.S.: Source CNA 09 Mar 2023 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has made transit stopovers in the United States before visiting the nation's diplomatic allies in the past, and the Chinese government has no right to comment on or interfere with these high-level Taiwan-U.S. exchanges, a diplomatic source told CNA Thursday.
• Bilateral investment agreement with Taiwan not necessary: EU official CNA 09 Mar 2023 -- A high-ranking member of the European Union's diplomatic service said Wednesday that a bilateral investment agreement (BIA) with Taiwan was unnecessary for protecting the interests of investors from the 27-nation bloc.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan March 9, 2023 ROC MND 09 Mar 2023
• U.S. transits by high-level Taiwan officials 'nothing new': State Department CNA 09 Mar 2023 -- The U.S. State Department on Wednesday said high-level Taiwanese officials transiting through the country was "nothing new" and consistent with Washington's unofficial relations with Taiwan.
• Group of Iranian Activists Publishes 'Women's Bill Of Rights' RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- A group of Iranian women's rights activists has released a "Women's Bill of Rights" that they say should form the basis of a new constitution to enshrine equality and the diversity of sexuality, gender, ethnicity, and religion in the country once the current Islamic leadership is removed.
• Enemy has no option but diplomacy: Iran nuclear chief IRNA 09 Mar 2023 -- Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami said on Thursday that the enemies of Iran, who have never wanted the country to have a nuclear fuel cycle, have accepted it and now have no choice but diplomacy.
• US sanctions 'China-based network helping Iran procure drones' Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on an alleged China-based network over, claiming it is helping Iran procure unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
• US sanctions 39 entities facilitating Iran's oil-related banking operations Press TV 09 Mar 2023 -- The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on dozens of entities accused of helping Iran evade Washington's bans on Iran's access to the global financial system.
• Sanctioning a Network Supporting Iran's Aircraft Procurement and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Activities US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023 -- The United States is designating five entities and one individual based in the People's Republic of China for sanctions pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
• Treasury Targets Iran's International UAV Procurement Network US Treasury 09 Mar 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a network of five companies and one individual for supporting Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) procurement efforts. This People's Republic of China-based network is responsible for the sale and shipment of thousands of aerospace components, including components that can be used for UAV applications, to the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA).
• Designating Iran Sanctions Evasion Networks US Dept. of State 09 Mar 2023 -- "We are imposing sanctions on a "shadow banking" network of 39 entities across multiple jurisdictions."
• Treasury Targets Sanctions Evasion Network Moving Billions for Iranian Regime US Treasury 09 Mar 2023 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 39 entities constituting a significant "shadow banking" network, one of several multi-jurisdictional illicit finance systems which grant sanctioned Iranian entities, such as Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industry Commercial Co. (PGPICC) and Triliance Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (Triliance), access to the international financial system and obfuscate their trade with foreign customers.
• The 10 INSTEX shareholder states have decided to liquidate INSTEX due to continued obstruction from Iran UK FCDO 09 Mar 2023 -- The UK, France and Germany (the E3) have issued a joint statement announcing the liquidation of INSTEX.
• Western Nations Mull Iran Censure as UN Demands Answers on Uranium VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- Western nations are mulling whether to censure Iran over its nuclear program, as a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, takes place in Vienna this week. The agency urgently wants Iran to explain the recent discovery of undeclared, highly enriched uranium particles.
• Crackdown, Financial Constraints Limit Myanmar Protests VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- Two years after Myanmar's military coup, a handful of young people are still protesting the coup, but, given the military crackdown on protests, the tightened security situation, and financial constraints only a relatively few flash mob protests now occur, and they do so in urban areas.
• India, Australia Seek to Boost Security, Economic Ties VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in India for a visit expected to consolidate ties as both geopolitics and commercial interests drive a closer partnership between the two countries.
• Transcript of the Press Briefing by the Spokesperson on Thursday 09 March 2023 Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 09 Mar 2023
• Former Kazakh Defense Minister Gets 12 Years In Prison Over 2022 Deadly Unrest RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- Kazakhstan's former defense minister, Murat Bektanov, who was detained after unprecedented anti-government protests that turned into deadly unrest in January 2022, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.
• Why The Georgian Government Climbed Down On The 'Foreign Agents' Law RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- The planned rollout of Georgian legislation to ensure "transparency of foreign influence," which critics say reflected some of the ruling coalition's more dangerous instincts, went up in smoke and tear gas this week.
• Georgians Protest For Third Day In A Row Despite Government's Pledge To Withdraw 'Foreign Agent' Bill RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- Tens of thousands of protesters have returned to the streets of the Georgian capital for a third straight day of demonstrations despite the ruling Georgian Dream party's pledge to withdraw its controversial "foreign agents" legislation from parliament.
• China, Myanmar, North Korea listed as 'worst of worst' in freedom report Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- The Chinese Communist Party plays "a leading role in promoting authoritarian norms" around the world as some leaders show a willingness to collaborate in spreading new forms of repression, according to a report from Washington-based think tank Freedom House.
• Vietnam's white book declares government guarantees religious freedom Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- Vietnam on Thursday published a white book declaring that Hanoi respects and ensures freedom of religion, but unregistered religious groups told Radio Free Asia that they are not free to worship and that in fact the government oppresses them.
• Asian cities at increased exposure to rising sea levels, study says Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- Some of Southeast Asia's largest cities could be hit disproportionately hard by rising sea levels and be underwater by the end of the century, a new study said.
• Frank Bainimarama, former Fiji PM, charged with abuse of power Radio Free Asia 09 Mar 2023 -- Former Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama was charged with abuse of office, the public prosecutor said Thursday, the latest setback for the strongman leader who held sway over the Pacific island country for nearly two decades.
• Sofia's City Council Approves Plan To Move Contentious Soviet Red Army Monument RFE/RL 09 Mar 2023 -- Sofia's city council has approved a proposal to dismantle the massive monument to the Soviet Army and relocate it to another site in the Bulgarian capital.
• Malaysia Under Pressure to Prove Ex-PM's Arrest Not Political VOA 09 Mar 2023 -- The arrest of former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Thursday came as little surprise, analysts say, but puts pressure on the government to prove that the case against its main election rival is not politically motivated.