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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Update to Feb. 18 Houthi attack on commercial shipping CENTCOM 23 Feb 2024 -- On Feb. 18 between 9:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., Iran-backed Houthi terrorists attacked the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. The ship is anchored but slowly taking on water. The unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant damage to the ship, which caused an 18-mile oil slick. The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster. The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies.
• Red Sea Update CENTCOM 23 Feb 2024 -- On Feb. 22, at approximately 5 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted self-defense strikes against four Iranian-backed Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and two mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) that were prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen towards the Red Sea.
• Yemen to use 'submarine weapons' in Red Sea strikes: Houthi IRNA 23 Feb 2024 -- Leader of Yemen's Ansarullah movement has threatened more strikes on Israeli, American and British ships in the Red Sea as he announced the introduction of submarine weapons into the armed forces.
• US Officials Admit Use of Force Against Houthis Not Working - Reports Sputnik 23 Feb 2024 -- Biden administration officials are increasingly questioning the effectiveness of military methods in combating the Houthis, who continue their attempt to block the operations of Western commercial and navy ships in the Red Sea in response to the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict, CNN reported, citing US officials in the know.
• US Observes Significant Increase in Houthi Attacks on Ships in Past 48-72hrs Sputnik 23 Feb 2024 -- The United States have observed an increase in the number of attacks conducted by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden over the last three days, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Thursday.
• U.S-led coalition launches 4 strikes in Yemen's Hodeidah: Houthi TV People's Daily 23 Feb 2024 -- Warplanes of the U.S.-led coalition launched four strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Thursday, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.
• US-occupied military base in east Syria comes under rocket attack Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- An illegal military facility housing US occupation forces in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr has reportedly come under a rocket attack from nearby areas amid growing anti-US sentiments over Washington's support for the Israeli onslaught on Gaza.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Military Tracking 'Small Balloon' Over Western States VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- U.S. fighter jets are tracking a balloon traveling at high altitudes over the western United States, but officials said there is no danger to anyone either on the ground or in the air.
• US Army's 2nd SFAB's SETAF-AF mission fortifies security, stability in Senegal Army News 23 Feb 2024 -- The 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade (2SFAB) Logistics Advisory Team (LCAT) 2610 is integral to the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa mission on the African continent. LCAT 2610 is nearing completion of a six -month deployment in Senegal, marked by significant accomplishments in advancing the United States' goal of building partner capacity on the continent.
• Stoney Run 2024: strengthening US, UK interoperability, partnerships Army News 23 Feb 2024 -- The 44th ESB-E's Bravo Company and the Queens Gurkha's Signals have participated in exercise Stoney Run for more than decade. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the exercise into a short hiatus; however, the exercise was restarted in 2023.
• Readout of U.S.-Kosovo Bilateral Defense Consultations DoD 23 Feb 2024
• Department of Defense and Mongolian Ministry of Defense Conduct Bilateral Defense Framework DoD 23 Feb 2024
• U.S. bombers arrive in Sweden for Bomber Task Force 24-2 EUCOM 23 Feb 2024 -- Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, arrived in Luleå-Kallax Air Base, Sweden, for Bomber Task Force 24-2, Feb. 23, 2024.
• 3d MLR| At the Forefront of Marine Corps Innovation USMC News 23 Feb 2024 -- With modernization and pacing threats challenging the Marine Corps to improve in new ways, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment remains at the forefront of innovation. One such advancement in the regiment's training methodologies and warfighting tactics is the Littoral Reconnaissance Team concept. From January 18-25, 2024, Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team spent a week at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, experimenting with the LRT concept.
• Marine Corps Passes FY23 Audit USMC News Release 23 Feb 2024 -- Following a rigorous two-year audit pilot, and for the first time in DoD history, the Marine Corps received an unmodified audit opinion, which is the highest audit opinion that can be achieved.
• U.S. and Japan Self-Defense Forces Conclude Exercise Resilient Shield 2024 US Navy 23 Feb 2024 -- U.S. and Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) conducted exercise Resilient Shield 2024 onboard Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, and various command centers throughout the region, Feb. 16-22.
• CNO Visits Philadelphia for Submarine and Shipbuilding Updates US Navy Press Release 23 Feb 2024 -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti visited Naval Foundry and Propeller Center (NFPC), the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Compatibility Test Facility (CTF), and the Philly Shipyard, Feb. 22.
• Report: US using Ukraine war as 'research opportunity' for future plans Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- US military planners are using the Ukraine war as "an active and bountiful research opportunity" to prepare for a conflict with more sophisticated adversaries such as Russia or China, The Washington Post says, citing officials.
• Multilateral Maritime Engagement 24.1: Strengthening Regional Partnerships for Enhanced Stability CENTCOM 23 Feb 2024 -- Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5) is proud to announce Multilateral Maritime Engagement (MME) 24.1, a symposium aimed at fostering multilateral opportunities, partnerships, and capabilities within the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR).
• Joint Statement of the P3 The White House 23 Feb 2024 -- The United States, France and the United Kingdom released the following joint statement today following a trilateral meeting yesterday on nuclear threat reduction.
• Greetings on Defender of the Fatherland Day President of Russia 23 Feb 2024
• Why Russia's Tu-160M Strategic Bomber is Second to None For Nuclear Deterrence Sputnik 23 Feb 2024 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin took a flight on an upgraded Tu-160M strategic bomber-missile carrier on Thursday. What do military experts say about the warplane?
• We are working for F-16s to protect Ukrainian skies as soon as possible - President following the meeting with Mette Frederiksen in Lviv President of Ukraine 23 Feb 2024
• Agreement on security cooperation and long-term support between Ukraine and Denmark President of Ukraine 23 Feb 2024
• In Lviv, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mette Frederiksen signed an Agreement on security cooperation and long-term support President of Ukraine 23 Feb 2024
• The Netherlands to conclude a 10-year security agreement with Ukraine Netherlands Ministry of Defence 23 Feb 2024 -- The Netherlands will in the near future conclude a security agreement with Ukraine for the next 10 years. This agreement is a signal from the Dutch government that the Netherlands intends to support Ukraine also in the longer term.
• The Netherlands concludes ten-year security agreement with Ukraine Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Feb 2024 -- The Netherlands and Ukraine are to sign a security agreement covering the next ten years. The agreement signals the Dutch government's commitment to provide enduring support to Ukraine in the areas of security, reconstruction and justice. The agreement means that the Netherlands will help Ukraine defend itself against Russia and achieve further integration into the EU and NATO.
• Ceremony at NATO Headquarters marks two years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine NATO 23 Feb 2024 -- Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană stressed the importance of continued support to Ukraine during a ceremony marking two years since Russia's full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in a ceremony at NATO Headquarters on Friday (23 February 2024).
• Stoltenberg Says NATO Allies Committed To Ensuring Ukraine 'Prevails' RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says NATO allies are committed to doing more to ensure that Ukraine "prevails" in its battle to repel invading Russian forces, with the alliance having "significantly changed" its stance on providing more advanced weapons to Kyiv.
• Shoulder to shoulder until triumph: people of Lithuania stand firmly behind military assistance to Ukraine Lithuania MND 23 Feb 2024 -- As the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine is approaching, Lithuania has hit the milestone of EUR 570 million worth of military assistance extended to Ukraine.
• Ukraine Urges US Lawmakers to Pass Military Aid on Anniversary of Invasion VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- Ukraine marks the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on Saturday as Kyiv urges its Western allies to continue to provide the military aid it relies on to defend itself.
• US Army in Europe Dips Into Own Funds to Cover Ukraine Training VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- The U.S. military has been forced to dip into its own funding to cover American training of Ukrainian forces, a strategy that could leave the Army short on finances in Europe as the Russian war on Ukraine enters its third year.
• Schumer Says Zelensky Told Him Ukraine Will Lose to Russia Without US Aid Sputnik 23 Feb 2024 -- US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday that Volodymyr Zelensky told him Ukraine would lose the conflict with Russia without US military assistance.
• Defence Forces seek upgrades to 155 K9 armoured howitzers Finnish MoD 23 Feb 2024 -- The Defence Forces will procure upgrades to forty-eight 155 K9 armoured howitzers from Millog Oy for EUR 8.1 million.
• Raksha Mantri & Netherlands Defence Minister discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation during talks in New Delhi India PIB 23 Feb 2024 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with the Netherlands Defence Minister Ms Kajsa Ollongren in New Delhi on February 23, 2024
• Pashinian Says Armenia Freezes Membership In Russian-Led Security Alliance RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said his country has frozen its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as Yerevan continues to distance itself from Moscow amid a souring of bilateral relations.
• Deputy Secretary Campbell's Meeting with UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Rutley US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2024
• Readout of President Biden's Call with President Macron of France The White House 23 Feb 2024
• Deputy Secretary Verma's Meetings with the Government of Sri Lanka and Civil Society in Colombo US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2024
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino At a Joint Press Availability US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2024
• Deputy Secretary Verma's Meetings with the Government of Maldives in Malé US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2024
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, February 23, 2024 The White House 23 Feb 2024
• On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby The White House 23 Feb 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Feb. 23, 2024

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 23 February 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Feb 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• 24h Operational Update: IDF Soldiers Locate Dozens of Rockets and Explosive Devices Israel Defense Forces 23 Feb 2024
• Outlining Postwar Gaza Principles, Netanyahu Continues to Defy Biden VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- Postwar principles for Gaza outlined in a document Friday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stand in stark contrast to Washington's vision for the war-torn territory, a sign of the deepening divide between his government and the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
• Peace Mediators in Paris Try to Avert Looming Israeli Offensive in Rafah VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- Peace mediators in Paris are working to secure a cease-fire in Gaza in hopes of averting an Israeli offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced people are sheltering.
• Israeli Airstrikes Target Southern Gaza; Cease-Fire Talks Ongoing VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported Friday more than 100 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip over the last 24 hours.
• Feb. 22: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 23 Feb 2024
• Israel destroys Yasser Arafat's residence in Gaza Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- The Palestinian Culture Ministry says Israel has demolished the residence of former head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Afarat in the besieged Gaza Strip in another "evidence of its brutality."
• 40 dead, 100 injured in Zionist regime strikes on central Gaza IRNA 23 Feb 2024 -- At least 40 people were killed as a result of shelling by the Israeli army in the central areas of the Gaza Strip, a report said.
• Dozens address UN world court hearings on Israeli practices UN News 23 Feb 2024 -- "Here are the choices: ethnic cleansing, apartheid or genocide," said Palestine's foreign minister at the opening of public hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) this week, with a record 52 States and three international organizations providing comments and presentations on a case based on the UN General Assembly's request for an advisory opinion on legal consequences arising from Israel's policies and practices in Occupied Palestinian Territory.
• UN rights chief deplores 'entrenched impunity' by all parties in Israel, OPT UN News 23 Feb 2024 -- The UN's top human rights official on Friday made a strong call for accountability for serious violations committed by all parties in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
• UNRWA Situation report #81 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 20-21 February 2024, is valid as of 21 February 2024 at 22:30 Days 137-138 of Hostilities UNRWA 23 Feb 2024
• Letter from the Commissioner-General to the President of the UN General Assembly (22 February 2024) UNRWA 23 Feb 2024
• UN reports gross human rights violations during Israel's genocidal war on Gaza Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- The United Nations reports gross human rights violations, including possible war crimes, during the Israeli regime's ongoing genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.
• UN Mideast envoy calls for collective efforts toward political horizon People's Daily 23 Feb 2024 -- UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland on Thursday called for collective efforts to restore a political horizon for Palestinians and Israelis.
• US intelligence casts doubt on Israel's accusations against UNRWA Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- A US intelligence assessment has cast doubt on Israel's accusations against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), citing the regime's bias against the UN agency.
• Iran: Israel's rejection of Palestinian state 'exposes ugly face of occupying regime' Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- Iran has denounced Israel's rejection of a Palestinian state, saying it disproves the occupying regime's previous claims about peace with Palestinians and the resolution of the decades-long conflict.
• KCNA Commentary Dubs U.S. "Peaceful Effort" "Crocodile's Tears" KCNA 23 Feb 2024 -- The UN Security Council on Feb. 20 put a resolution reflecting the world public opinion to resolutely check Israel's massacre of Palestinians to a vote, but only the U.S. exercised the veto to make the vote finally end in a failure.
• Pakistan Makes a Strong Case at the International Court of Justice for Ending Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Feb 2024 -- Pakistan presented its oral statement before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague today in context of the ongoing hearing on the "Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem."
• Top Egyptian, U.S. diplomats discuss Gaza development People's Daily 23 Feb 2024 -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministerial meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to discuss the latest development in the Gaza Strip, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Thursday.
• Palestinian Authority rejects Netanyahu's post-war Gaza plan IRNA 23 Feb 2024 -- The Palestinian Authority Foreign Ministry, based in the occupied West Bank, has categorically rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reported plan for the post-War Gaza Strip.
• Palestine rejects Netanyahu's post-Gaza war plan, says Gaza part of future state Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- The Palestinian Authority has roundly dismissed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's so-called "day after" plan for Gaza, noting that such plans are doomed to fail.
• Hezbollah targets Israeli regional council in drone strike Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- Fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement have targeted an Israeli regional council headquarters in the north of 1948 Israeli-occupied territories, amid exchanges of near-daily fire between the two sides since the occupying regime launched its assault on Gaza.

Other Conflicts

• The Azadi Briefing: Public Executions On The Rise Under Taliban Rule RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024
• Federal Foreign Office on the publication of the OPCW IIT report on the use of chemical weapons in Marea, Syria, in September 2015 Germany Federal Foreign Office 23 Feb 2024 -- A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (23 February) on the publication of the fourth report by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' (OPCW) Investigation and Identification Team:
• The Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Marea Report Release US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2024 -- On February 22, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' (OPCW) Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) released a report concluding that there are reasonable grounds to believe that on September 1, 2015, during sustained attacks aimed at capturing the town of Marea, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) deployed sulfur mustard.
• UN Report Accuses Sudan's Warring Parties of Crimes Against Civilians VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- A report by the U.N. human rights office accuses both of Sudan's warring parties of committing horrific violations and abuses against the country's civilian population, "some of which may amount to war crimes and possibly other serious crimes under international law."
• Rights violations ripple across war-torn Sudan UN News 23 Feb 2024 -- The armed conflict in Sudan has resulted in thousands of civilians killed, millions displaced, property looted and children conscripted, as fighting has spread to more regions of the country since the conflict began last April, according to a wide-ranging report from the UN Human Rights Office released on Friday.
• Sexual violence in Sudan may amount to war crimes: UN report Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- The United Nations has warned that sexual assault reports coming from Sudan may amount to war crimes as at least 118 people have been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence in more than 10 months of conflict.
• Condemning the Obstruction of Humanitarian Assistance and Closing of Civic Space in Sudan US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2024 -- The United States is deeply concerned by the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) recent decision to prohibit cross border humanitarian assistance from Chad and reports that the SAF is obstructing assistance from reaching communities in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
• Sudan: UN struggles to cope with thousands of daily arrivals in South Sudan transit camps UN News 23 Feb 2024 -- South Sudan, one of the world's poorest countries, is dealing with the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees from its northern neighbour, Sudan, which has been in the grip of a major conflict between the government and the Rapid Support Forces since April of last year.
• UN Refugee Agency expresses alarm over escalating humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo UNHCR 23 Feb 2024 -- UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is gravely concerned by the worsening humanitarian situation civilians face in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Intensifying violence and conflict are exacting a heavy toll on innocent civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom are attempting to seek safety on the peripheries of conflict zones.

News Reports

• FATF Advances Work to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing US Treasury 23 Feb 2024 -- Today, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setting body for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), concluded its fifth Plenary under the Singaporean presidency. The FATF made several key advances, including kicking off a public consultation on potential changes to the FATF Recommendation on wire transfer information and the adoption of new guidance on trusts. The FATF also noted its concern on Russian Federation's growing financial connectivity with North Korea and Iran.
• How Two Years Of War In Ukraine Have Changed Central Asia RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its third year, its effects have been global as the grinding conflict upended political assumptions, battered economies, and opened the door to geopolitical realignment.
• Russia to Seek From Lithuania, EU Compliance With Kaliningrad Transit Obligations - Moscow Sputnik 23 Feb 2024 -- Russia will seek from Lithuania and the European Union the fulfillment of political and legal obligations for uninterrupted passenger and cargo transit to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.
• 'Fruitless, illegal': Russia slams EU's 13th package of sanctions Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- Moscow has condemned as "illegal" and "fruitless" a fresh package of sanctions the European Union adopted against the country on Friday.
• Remarks by President Biden in Press Gaggle | San Francisco, CA The White House 23 Feb 2024
• U.S. Treasury Designates Russian State-Owned Sovcomflot, Russia's Largest Shipping Company US Treasury 23 Feb 2024 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking action to responsibly reduce Russia's revenue from oil sales by targeting Joint Stock Company Sovcomflot(Sovcomflot), Russia's state-owned shipping company and fleet operator. In addition to designating Sovcomflot, OFAC is identifying 14 crude oil tankers as property in which Sovcomflot has an interest.
• New U.S. Department of the Treasury Price Cap Analysis Shows That Increased Sanctions Enforcement Is Forcing Russia to Sell Oil at a Steeper Discount and Limiting Russian Revenue US Treasury 23 Feb 2024 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury published a new analysis on the impact of the second phase of the price cap on Russian oil, two years since the beginning of Putin's illegal war. Since December 2022 our coalition has implemented this novel policy to achieve two goals: limit Kremlin profits while promoting stable energy markets.
• Biden Slaps 500 New Sanctions on Russia Over War, Navalny Death VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday announced a significant sanctions escalation against Russia, targeting its financial system and military infrastructure with over 500 new penalties, marking the largest tranche of sanctions since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.
• Biden Announces More Than 500 Fresh Russia Sanctions, Warns House 'History Is Watching' RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a fresh package of more than 500 sanctions against Russia for its war on Ukraine and for the death of Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny, while urging the House of Representatives to pass a desperately needed aid package for Kyiv.
• US announces 500 new sanctions against Russia Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- The administration of US President Joe Biden has announced a fresh wave of economic sanctions against Russia ahead of the second anniversary of the country's "special military operation" in Ukraine.
• European Union ramps up sanctions against Russia Estonia MFA 23 Feb 2024 -- On 23 February, the European Union adopted a new package of sanctions to step up and reinforce restrictive measures against Russia. It is one of the most substantial packages of individual sanctions imposed since the start of the full-scale war, with nearly 200 individuals and entities added to the sanctions list.
• The European Union adopts its 13th package of sanctions against Russia Lithuania MFA 23 Feb 2024 -- On 23 February, the European Union adopted the 13th package of individual and economic sanctions against Russia.
• Thirteenth package of sanctions against Russia adopted Government Offices of Sweden 23 Feb 2024 -- The EU has adopted its 13th package of sanctions against Russia, focusing on companies in the Russian arms industry. With this package, there are now more than 2 000 names on the list of individuals and entities subject to sanctions.
• Navalny's Mother Given Three Hours To Agree To Secretly Bury Him, Associate Says RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- Russia's Investigative Committee gave Aleksei Navalny's mother an ultimatum that she immediately agree to bury his body without a public ceremony or they would inter him on a site at the Arctic prison where he died a week ago, Kira Yarmysh, the former press secretary of the Kremlin critic, said in a statement.
• The Week In Russia: Aleksei Navalny: The Life And Death Of 'Putin's Prisoner' RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- Aleksei Navalny, President Vladimir Putin's most formidable opponent, has died in suspicious circumstances at an Arctic prison at the age of 47. His body has not yet been buried but his legacy is beginning to unfold, with his defiant widow taking up the mantle of his anti-Kremlin activism.
• Putin Fears Navalny Funeral Could Trigger Mass Demonstrations, Khodorkovsky Says RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- The government of Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely refusing to release the body of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, who died suspiciously in prison on February 16, because it fears a massive outpouring of grief and support just ahead of the March presidential election, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a leading Russian opposition figure, said.
• Public Figures Urge Russia To Release Navalny's Body To His Family RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- A group of leading Russian public figures has urged the authorities to immediately release the body of outspoken Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny to his family after he died in prison a week ago.
• China's strongest rocket Long March-5 successfully sends satellite into orbit, embarking on high-frequency launching period in coming years Global Times 23 Feb 2024 -- Long March-5, China's most powerful carrier rocket in commission, thundered into the sky from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in South China's Hainan Province at around 7:30 pm, successfully sending the communication technology experiment-11 satellite into preset orbit. This marks China's first space launch in the Year of the Dragon.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on February 23, 2024 PRC MofA 23 Feb 2024
• Chinese Companies Hit by US, EU Sanctions on Russia VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- U.S. and European Union sanctions announced Friday on hundreds of people and companies for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine included several companies from China.
• Beijing to Take Measures to Protect Chinese Companies From UK Sanctions Sputnik 23 Feb 2024 -- China will take necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies against "unilateral" sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom over the Ukraine conflict, the Chinese Embassy in the UK said on Friday.
• Uyghur forced labor policies seen continuing through 2025: report Radio Free Asia 23 Feb 2024 -- China has expanded its forced labor transfer program in far-western Xinjiang - moving Uyghurs from rural areas to work in factories - and plans to continue doing so through 2025, a new report says, warning that it will have far-reaching consequences for the 12-million strong ethnic minority.
• Critics: 'Singapore Washing' of Chinese Companies Piles Dirty Laundry in City-state VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- With a flood of capital and the arrival of big tech companies, Singapore has become a new top location for China business. And while it has given the tiny nation's economy a boost, not all are pleased.
• No quick recovery for China's falling home prices Radio Free Asia 23 Feb 2024 -- China's home prices have continued to drop, extending the decline in January as newly-built and second-hand property prices slid further, according to data from the country's statistics bureau.
• Beijing sees influenza, COVID-19 coexistence in respiratory infectious diseases Global Times 23 Feb 2024 -- Beijing is currently experiencing a situation in which respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza and COVID-19 are coexisting, with the prevalence of the influenza virus showing a slight downward trend recently, the Beijing center for disease control and prevention said on Thursday.
• China's top anti-espionage authority warns of secret leaks through smart wearable devices Global Times 23 Feb 2024 -- China's top anti-espionage authority warned on Friday that various smart wearable devices may become "cyber spies" used by foreign intelligence agencies to carry out espionage activities, posing a threat to national security.
• FM highlights positive signs in EU relations People's Daily 23 Feb 2024 -- Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who recently concluded his six-day tour of Europe, drew the attention of observers and leading media outlets as he highlighted the positive signs in China-European Union relations and the coordinated efforts needed to resolve the crises in Ukraine and Gaza.
• China's home prices in 70 major cities edge down in Jan, but drop narrows down from Dec Global Times 23 Feb 2024 -- China's new home prices in first-tier cities declined 0.3 percent in January in month-on-month terms, narrowing 0.1 percentage point from that of December, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday. That in secondary markets edged down by 1 percent in January compared with December, also narrowing 0.1 percentage point from the previous month.
• China Accuses US of Containment Strategy Over Taiwan Arms Sales Sputnik 23 Feb 2024 -- Beijing calls on Washington to stop arming Taiwan and put an end to provocations by using the island to contain China, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said on Friday.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Feb. 23, 2024 ROC MND 23 Feb 2024
• Taiwan Faces Tough Balancing Act As China Increases Pressure VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- China's decision to increase regular patrols in waters near Taiwan's outlying islands in recent days is an attempt to erode the long-standing status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and Taiwan must exercise caution in its response, some analysts have told VOA.
• North Korea assumes control of border industrial zone Radio Free Asia 23 Feb 2024 -- North Korea is using factories and equipment in the shuttered inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex to develop a new industrial base in the city, independent of South Korea, government officials in the North told Radio Free Asia.
• U.S. Senior Official for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Pak's Video Conference with People's Republic of China (PRC) Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu US Dept. of State 23 Feb 2024 -- U.S. Senior Official for the DPRK Dr. Jung Pak held a videoconference on February 21 with PRC Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu Xiaoming to discuss the DPRK's increasingly destabilizing and escalatory behavior and its deepening military cooperation with Russia.
• Iran completes first phase of Karun nuclear plant: AEOI chief IRNA 23 Feb 2024 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami has announced that the first phase in construction of the Karun nuclear power plant in the southwestern province of Khuzestan has been successfully completed.
• Iran uses nuclear technology in 150 large industrial complexes: Eslami IRNA 23 Feb 2024 -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami has said that Iran is using nuclear technological products in 150 large industrial complexes.
• Iran security forces bust terrorist network in Isfahan province Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- Iranian security forces have busted a terrorist network in the central province of Isfahan, arresting 21 terrorists and counterrevolutionary people, authorities have said.
• Iran hands down protest note to Kuwaiti ambassador over Arash gas field Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- A senior Iranian diplomat gave a protest note to Kuwait's ambassador to Tehran over the country's "one-sided" statements on the Arash natural gas field, which Iran shares with its southwestern neighbor.
• Iran Tries To Tighten Grip On Internet By Officially Outlawing VPN Use RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- Iran has officially outlawed the use of tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) designed to bypass Internet censorship following a directive from the country's Supreme Council of Cyberspace that was endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• Hacktivist Group Publishes Leaked Documents Showing Iran's Judiciary Targeting Journalists RFE/RL 23 Feb 2024 -- Documents leaked by the hacktivist group Edalat-e Ali (Ali's Justice) appear to show clandestine actions against journalists of Persian-language media operating outside of Iran, including those affiliated with RFE/RL's Radio Farda, by the Iranian judiciary.
• Telephone call between the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Iran Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs 23 Feb 2024 -- Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani received a telephone call from the Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, today.
• Amir-Abdollahian: Iran, Pakistan need to follow up and implement recent security agreements Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran and Pakistan need to follow up and implement the recent agreements reached between the two countries to broaden security and anti-terror cooperation.
• Junta ramps up guest list inspections in Yangon and Mandalay Radio Free Asia 23 Feb 2024 -- Authorities in Myanmar's largest cities Yangon and Mandalay have ramped up housing checks in the two weeks since the junta enacted the country's military conscription law and are arresting any guests who have failed to register, residents said Friday.
• Cuba Cuts Internet, Surveils Calls of Journalists, Report Finds VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- There was a time when activists and journalists who wanted to evade the ever-listening ear of the Cuban government spoke in code or had to meet in European embassies.
• Private US Moon Lander 'Alive and Well' After Rocky Landing VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- Odysseus, the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon in more than 50 years — and the first from the private sector — was reported to be "alive and well" Friday but lying on its side.
• Syria calls for 'immediate' prosecution of Israeli criminals Press TV 23 Feb 2024 -- Syria has urged "immediate" prosecution of the Israeli regime's officials over their perpetration of blatant violations and various crimes.
• EU-US: Consultations between European External Action Service Secretary General Stefano Sannino and United States Under Secretary Victoria Nuland European External Action Service (EEAS) 23 Feb 2024 -- On February 7-8, 2024, Secretary General Sannino and Under Secretary Nuland held the sixth high-level meeting of the EU-US Dialogue on China and the fifth meeting of the EU-US High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific.
• Cambodia gears up for Senate election on Sunday Radio Free Asia 23 Feb 2024 -- Cambodia is set to hold elections for its Senate on Sunday that the ruling Cambodian People's Party will almost certainly win, which would make former Prime Minister Hun Sen president of the body, allowing him to serve as acting head of state when King Norodom Sihamoni is unavailable.
• World News in Brief: Fresh Ukraine attacks condemned, Gaza healthcare, DR Congo needs escalating UN News 23 Feb 2024 -- The top UN aid official in Ukraine deplored new attacks on the cities of Odesa and Dnipro on Friday, as the full-scale Russian invasion of the country enters a third year.
• Hungary Appears to Be Strengthening Ties With Russia, China VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- Hungary continues to buy billions of dollars of Russian oil and gas annually, despite most other Western nations' cutting of economic ties with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. Budapest also has sought to strengthen ties with Beijing, bucking Western efforts to reduce dependence on China.
• Some Question Malawi President's Claim That Cyberattack Caused Passport Problems VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- Malawi's government is not issuing passports, President Lazarus Chakwera said, claiming it is because of a cyberattack. But some observers question whether such an attack occurred.
• Zimbabwe Army Accused of Forcing Investigative Outlet to Self-Censor VOA 23 Feb 2024 -- Press freedom monitor groups in Africa are worried after an online investigative publication in Zimbabwe said it will halt its coverage of corruption in the army after receiving "threats and direct pressure" from state security agents.