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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Letter to the Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148) The White House 26 Feb 2024
• Feb. 26 Red Sea Update CENTCOM 26 Feb 2024 -- On Feb. 26, between the hours of 4:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces destroyed three unmanned surface vessels (USV), two mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), and a one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in self-defense. The USV and ASCM weapons were prepared to launch towards, and the UAV was over, the Red Sea.
• CENTCOM confirms US oil tanker targeted by YAF ISNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Monday morning that on February 24, the Yemeni Armed Forces launched one anti-ship ballistic missile at the M/V Torm Thor, a US-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil product tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
• Era of US, allies' control of international waters 'over': Yemeni defense minister Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Yemen's defense minister has hailed the ongoing naval operations by the country's military against Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea in protest against the war on Gaza, stressing that the era of "hegemonic influence" of the United States and its allies on international waters is over.
• Iraqi resistance group warns of 'looming storm' IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- A senior official of an Iraqi resistance group says the recent decision to halt attacks on American bases and facilities was tactical one, warning of "a looming storm" against invaders and occupiers.
• Iraqi Shiite militia says current calm with U.S. forces "temporary tactic" People's Daily 26 Feb 2024 -- The leader of an Iraqi armed Shiite militia said Sunday that the current period of calm among Iraqi armed groups in their conflict with U.S. forces is a "temporary tactic," stressing that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq did not abandon its support for the Palestinians.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds a Press Briefing DoD 26 Feb 2024
• Review of Notification Process for Assumption of Functions and Duties of the Secretary of Defense DoD 26 Feb 2024 -- Today, the Department of Defense released the "Review of Notification Process for Assumption of Functions and Duties of the Secretary of Defense".
• Unclassified Summary of the 30-Day Review Regarding Sec. Austin's Hospitalization DoD 26 Feb 2024 -- Today, the Department of Defense released the "Unclassified Summary of the 30-day Review Regarding Sec. Austin's Hospitalization" covering the period of January 1-5, 2024.
• Department Releases Unclassified Review Summary Following Austin's Hospitalization DoD News 26 Feb 2024 -- The unclassified summary of a 30-day review into circumstances surrounding the hospitalization last month of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III were released to the public today.
• US, African partners prepare for start of exercise Justified Accord 2024 Army News 26 Feb 2024 -- Justified Accord 2024 is U.S. Africa Command's largest exercise in East Africa, running from February 26 - March 7. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), and hosted in Kenya, this year's exercise will bring together 1,000 personnel and units from 23 nations.
• First event of Large Scale Global Exercise 24, Allied Spirit, is underway EUCOM 26 Feb 2024 -- Allied Spirit 24 is designed to build interoperability and cooperation between NATO Allies and partners to ensure they can operate as one team across multiple systems.
• 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and 32nd Marine Brigade forge bonds on Mount Olympus USMC News 26 Feb 2024 -- Operating in the shadow of Mount Olympus, Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and the 32nd Hellenic Marine Brigade tackled bone-shaking cold temperatures as they conducted cold weather bilateral training, Volos, Greece, Feb. 11-19, 2024.
• PACAF, allies prepare for the future; complete large-scale exercise in the Pacific US Air Force 26 Feb 2024 -- While the Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium was taking place in Colorado, Pacific Air Forces Airmen were already implementing the vision - more large-scale exercises with allies and partners in the region.
• USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference US Air Force 26 Feb 2024 -- U.S. Air Force Gen. James B. Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa and NATO Allied Air Command, discussed one of his focus areas, Integrated Air and Missile Defense, during a panel at the Munich Security Conference, Feb. 17.
• MQ-9 Reaper lands at Shaw AFB in historic first US Air Force 26 Feb 2024 -- Airmen from the 50th Attack Squadron and Air National Guardsmen from the 163rd Attack Wing conducted a historic first, Feb. 14, by successfully landing an MQ-9 Reaper at Shaw Air Force Base under satellite control.
• Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Returns from Western Pacific Deployment US Navy 26 Feb 2024 -- Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1, returned to its homeport of Naval Air Station North Island, Feb. 23, following a four-month deployment to the Western Pacific.
• Exercise Cutlass Express 2024 kicks off in East Africa US Navy 26 Feb 2024 -- In opening ceremonies in Djibouti, Kenya, and the Seychelles, 13 nations and multiple international organizations marked the start of the East African maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2024, Feb. 25-26, 2024.
• USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) Completes Patrol US Navy 26 Feb 2024 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, following the completion of its Forward-Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, July 24.
• USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) Leaves Naval Station Rota for Steadfast Defender with NATO Allies US Navy 26 Feb 2024 -- USS Paul Ignatius, an Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer, is making its way to the North Sea to participate with NATO allies in the highly anticipated sea component exercise Joint Warrior. This collaborative exercise, conducted with NATO allies, aims to hone the skills necessary to operate seamlessly in a joint maritime environment.
• NATO Assumes Command of U.S. and British Forces in Eastern Mediterranean US Navy Press Release 26 Feb 2024 -- Naval Striking Forces NATO will execute a Transfer of Authority (TOA), assuming command of more than 5,000 U.S. Sailors and Marines assigned to USS Bataan Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG).
• Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the Hungarian Parliament's Ratification of Sweden's NATO Accession Process The White House 26 Feb 2024
• Sweden Set to Join NATO After Hungary Finally Approves Bid VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- Sweden is set to officially join NATO after Hungary finally gave its approval Monday, the last member of the Western alliance to ratify the bid.
• Hungary Approves Sweden Membership in NATO VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Hungarian parliament Monday ratified Sweden's bid to join NATO, ending 18 months of delays in expanding the West's main military alliance in response to Russia's two-year war on Ukraine.
• Hungary Becomes Last Member To Approve Sweden's NATO Accession RFE/RL 26 Feb 2024 -- Hungary's parliament on February 26 approved a bill to allow Sweden to join NATO, clearing the way for the Nordic country to join the Western defense alliance as war rages in Ukraine.
• NATO Troops to Cross Poland's Vistula River as Part of Dragon-24 Drills Sputnik 26 Feb 2024 -- NATO troops will cross the Vistula River as part of the Dragon-24 exercises, the Polish armed forces' operational command said on Monday.
• Tsahkna: Sweden's accession into the Alliance marks the start of a new era Estonia MFA 26 Feb 2024 -- Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna: Sweden's accession into the Alliance marks the start of a new era.
• Task Force Marne, NATO Allies build interoperability during combined arms live-fire exercise in Poland Army News 26 Feb 2024 -- U.S. Army Soldiers from Task Force Marne and fellow Allied troops from NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Poland (eFP Poland) trained shoulder-to-shoulder to build interoperability in a combined arms live-fire exercise at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, that runs Feb. 20 to March 1.
• Data on interceptions of aircraft completed near the Baltic States' borders on February 19-25, 2024 Lithuania MND 26 Feb 2024 -- On February 19-25 NATO Air Policing Mission fighter aircraft were scrambled once to intercept aircraft of the Russian Federation violating flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
• US-UK Spy Agencies Trained Spooks, Saboteurs in Ukraine Way Before 2022 - Russian MFA Sputnik 26 Feb 2024 -- On Sunday, The New York Times reported, citing Ukrainian and US officials, that Washington had created a network of spy bases in Ukraine over the past eight years, including 12 forward operating bases along Russia's border engaged in operations against Russia.
• The arms and military equipment Germany is sending to Ukraine Germany - Federal Government 26 Feb 2024 -- Germany provides support for Ukraine by supplying equipment and weapons, these come from supplies of the Federal Arms Forces and from deliveries from industry financed from the Federal Government's funds for security capacity building. An overview.
• NATO Countries Did Not Make Decision to Send Their Military to Ukraine - Polish President Sputnik 26 Feb 2024 -- NATO countries disagree on sending their military to Ukraine and have not made a decision to do so, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Tuesday.
• Minister Blair attends Conference in Support of Ukraine in Paris, France and concludes visit to Europe Canada 26 Feb 2024 -- Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, participated in the Conference in Support of Ukraine hosted by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France.
• Media reports regarding Indian nationals seeking discharge from the Russian Army India MEA 26 Feb 2024 -- "We have seen some inaccurate reports in the media regarding Indians with the Russian army seeking help for discharge."
• Taiwan to conduct final harbor acceptance tests on first domestic sub CNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Shipbuilder CSBC Corp., Taiwan will conduct a series of final tests on Taiwan's first domestically built submarine prototype "Narwhal," starting Tuesday as part of its ongoing harbor acceptance test (HAT) before it moves onto the sea acceptance test (SAT), a source told CNA Sunday.
• Navy Week 2024 Prime Minister of Australia 26 Feb 2024 -- "Last week, the Deputy Prime Minister released our blueprint for the future of the Royal Australian Navy. (...) Our plan will see the number of warships more than double, from 11 to 26."
• Pistorius at the MSCMunich Security Conference 24: "Stand up for what we believe in" Germany - Federal Government 26 Feb 2024 -- Speech given by Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius at the Munich Security Conference panel "Connecting Hemispheres: Aligning Strategic Priorities in a Multi-Crisis Era"on 17February 2024.
• Deadlock over disarmament 'not acceptable': Guterres UN News 26 Feb 2024 -- Amid geopolitical divides, arms competition, increasingly dangerous new technologies and an elevated nuclear risk, the Secretary-General on Monday highlighted his concern that the UN Conference on Disarmament is consistently failing to deliver.
• Secretary-General's remarks to the Conference on Disarmament UN Secretary-General 26 Feb 2024
• Minister Jana Černochová met with FBI Director Christopher Wray Czech Republic Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces 26 Feb 2024 -- On February 22, 2024, the Ministry of Defence was the venue to a working meeting between the Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Christopher A. Wray.
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski US Dept. of State 26 Feb 2024
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 26 Feb 2024
• Secretary Blinken's Call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Safadi US Dept. of State 26 Feb 2024
• Readout of Vice President Harris's Call with President Boakai of Liberia The White House 26 Feb 2024
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Queens, NY The White House 26 Feb 2024
• Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 26 Feb 2024

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Feb. 26, 2024

Other Conflicts

Ukraine Conflict News


• 26 February 2024 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Feb 2024

Operation Iron Swords / Operation Al-Aqsa Flood

• Israeli regime admits one officer, 4 soldiers injured in Gaza IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Zionist media have reported the injury of a Zionist officer and four soldiers in Gaza.
• Prime Minister's Office Statement Israel - Prime Minister 26 Feb 2024
• IDF Shows Rafah Evacuation Plan; UN Agonizes Over Gaza Aid Operations VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Monday the Israeli military has given his war Cabinet a plan to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from southern Gaza ahead of a planned ground attack on Hamas militants in Rafah but gave no indication where they would be sent.
• Feb. 25: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Press TV 26 Feb 202
• Israel Prohibits Civilians From Returning to Northern Gaza Until All Hostages Freed Sputnik 26 Feb 2024 -- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that residents of the Gaza Strip would not be able to return to the northern part of the enclave until all hostages still held by Hamas were released.
• Palestinian fighters demolish Merkava tank, inflicting losses on Israelis IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, succeeded in inflicting heavy blows on the Israeli regime's military forces and demolishing a Merkava tank.
• Death toll of Gaza war mounts to 29,782 IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The death toll in the Gaza Strip has reached 29,782 since the beginning of the conflict, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
• Resistance confronts IOF in West Bank ISNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Israeli occupation forces continue to escalate their incursions into the cities of the West Bank, while the Palestinian Resistance confronts the daily aggression.
• Health conditions 'extremely catastrophic' in northern Gaza: Ministry Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- The Gaza Health Ministry has warned that the situation in the northern part of the Palestinian territory has become "extremely catastrophic" as hospitals run out of fuel due to Israel's genocidal war and siege.
• Gaza Conflict Looms Large at UN Human Rights Council VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- Amid deteriorating conditions in Gaza, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has renewed his call for a humanitarian cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave. He is also calling for the unconditional release of all hostages abducted by Hamas militants during their attack on southern Israel on October 7.
• Aid delivery to Gaza falls by half since January: UNRWA UN News 26 Feb 2024 -- Very little humanitarian aid has entered besieged Gaza this month, with a 50 per cent reduction compared to January, the head of the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday.
• Gaza facing man-made disasters: UNRWA chief IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has reiterated his call for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza where people are grappling with severe shortages of food, water and medicine.
• UNRWA Claims Versus Facts (February 2024) UNRWA 26 Feb 2024
• Gaza facing man-made disasters: UNRWA chief IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has reiterated his call for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza where people are grappling with severe shortages of food, water and medicine.
• Biden Expresses Hope for Gaza Cease-fire Next Week VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday he hopes to see a new Gaza cease-fire by early next week, as delegations from several countries work to negotiate the first halt in fighting since late November.
• US signals progress on Gaza cease-fire deal, but influence on Mideast conflict doubted Global Times 26 Feb 2024 -- Although the US signals that progress has been made on a cease-fire deal in the Gaza Strip, Israeli strikes continue and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel's goal of "total victory" against Hamas, hinting at a ground offensive on Rafah with or without a deal.
• Israel, mediators agree to temporary Gaza truce: US IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The White House says the Israeli regime and mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt have reach an agreement to establish a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.
• Israel, mediators agree to temporary Gaza truce: US IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The White House says the Israeli regime and mediators from the US, Qatar and Egypt have reach an agreement to establish a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.
• UNSC inaction against genocide in Gaza is century's diplomacy disaster: Iran IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that the inaction of the UN Security Council in the wake of the genocide in Gaza is the century's diplomacy disaster.
• Iran FM urges Islamic states' immediate action to prevent Israeli military operation in Rafah IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has called for immediate actions by Islamic countries to prevent Israeli military operation in Gaza's Rafah.
• Iran calls for practical measures to end Gaza crisis IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- In an extraordinary meeting of OIC ministers of information in Turkiye, Iran has sought to encourage OIC members to take practical measures in the wake of the crisis underway in Gaza.
• World facing most shameful moral, humanitarian crisis in Gaza: Iran FM IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has described atrocities committed by the Zionist regime as the most shameful moral and humanitarian crisis in history.
• Iran FM: OHCHR must hold Israel, supporters accountable for atrocity in Gaza ISNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)'s recent claim that the China Coast Guard (CCG) blocked the automatic identification system (AIS) signal of a Philippines vessel in waters near China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island), was fake and fabricated, sources familiar with the matter confirmed with the Global Times on Monday.
• 'Diplomatic catastrophe of century': Iran slams UNSC inaction vs. Gaza genocide Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Iran strongly denounces the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)'s inaction vis-à-vis the Israeli regime's ongoing US-backed war of genocide against the Gaza Strip.
• Iran FM calls on United Nations Human Rights Council to hold Israel, supporters to account for crimes in Gaza Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Iran's foreign minister has called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to hold to account the Israeli regime and its supporters, including the United States, for the occupying entity's crimes and atrocities against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Iran supports UN chief's efforts to end genocidal war in Gaza: FM Amir-Abdollahian Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Tehran supports efforts by the UN chief to put an end to Israel's genocidal war against the people of Palestine in the Gaza Strip.
• Gaza human disaster concerning; Israel 'underdog' as resistance remains resolute: Iran Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the resistance front in Palestine enjoys high military power, warning that Israel will not achieve its objectives by continuing its war in Gaza.
• Iran's FM lauds military potential of resistance front IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that the resistance front is powerful in the military field and the Israeli regime will not gain anything by continuing the war on Gaza, but what causes concern is the dire humanitarian situation.
• Arab League: Israel's occupation of Palestine 'affront to international justice' Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- The Arab League says failure to end Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories has led to the current trend of savagery followed by Israel against the Palestinian people.
• Jordan premier rules out reports on assisting Israeli regime IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh dismissed all accusations regarding Jordan's role in providing the Israeli regime with a land or maritime path to circumvent the Yemeni armed forces' blockade in the Red Sea.
• Jordanian king warns of Gaza conflict expansion during Ramadan People's Daily 26 Feb 2024 -- King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday warned that a continued war in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan could risk expanding the conflict.
• Palestinian PM resigns IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Prime Minister of the Palestinian Autonomous Authority Mohammed Shtayyeh has declared he stepped down.
• Israel is using famine as weapon of war in Gaza: Palestinian FM Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Foreign Minister Riad Maliki of the Palestinian Authority says Israel has been using famine as a weapon of war against the people in the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Palestinian PM Shtayyeh resigns over Gaza genocide, West Bank violence Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has announced the resignation of his government due to the Israeli regime's relentless ground and air strikes against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
• Palestinian Authority gov't is set to resign IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Palestinian Authority (PA) government, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, will resign on Monday, several news sources have reported.
• Hezbollah responds to Israeli attacks on Lebanon with heavy fire IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has launched large-scale attacks on positions controlled by the Israeli regime in north of the occupied Palestine hours after the regime carried out rare attacks on the city of Baalbek in northeast Lebanon.
• Zionist attacks on Baalbek will not go unanswered: Hezbollah IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Hassan Fadlallah, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc in Lebanon's parliament, has said that the Zionist regime's raids on Baalbek in northeastern Lebanon will definitely not go unanswered.
• 'All key centers of Israel within reach of Hezbollah missiles and drones' IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Senior Hezbollah Official Sheikh Ali Damoush has warned the Israeli regime against waging a large-scale war on Lebanon, saying that key Israeli centers are within the reach of missiles and drones of the Lebanese resistance movement.
• Hezbollah hits Israeli military base in fresh missile attack IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, said on Monday that it had carried out a missile attack on an Israeli regime military base earlier in the day.
• Hezbollah launches new strikes on Zionist positions IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement have reportedly launched a fresh missile attack on Zionist military positions in the occupied Palestinians territories.
• Hezbollah attacks Israeli sites ISNA 26 Feb 2024 -- The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah conducted a number of operations in support of the Palestinian people and their Resistance in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
• Hezbollah's rockets pound Israeli base after regime's airstrikes Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has fired rockets at an Israeli military base following airstrikes by the regime in eastern Lebanon.
• All strategic Israeli sites 'within range' of our missiles, drones: Top Hezbollah official Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- A top-ranking Hezbollah official says all military outposts and strategic installations across the Israeli-occupied territories are within the range of missiles and drones of the Lebanese resistance movement.
• Hezbollah launches new strikes on Zionist positions IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement have reportedly launched a fresh missile attack on Zionist military positions in the occupied Palestinians territories.
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemns meeting between trade ministers of Saudi Arabia, Zionist regime IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- In a statement on Monday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad condemned the meeting of trade ministers of the Zionist regime and Saudi Arabia.
• US must be blamed for continuation of tension in region: Islamic Jihad IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Spokesman for the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine Muhammad Al-Hajj Mousa has underlined that the United States is responsible for the continuation of escalations in the region.
• Israeli daily claims Yemeni attacks harmed telecom lines in Red Sea IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- An Israeli newspaper claimed that telecom lines in the Red Sea have been harmed after the Yemeni Army's operation there in support of Palestine.
• Yemen's pro-Palestine operations strike heavy blow to UK retailers: Report Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- UK retailers and exporters have been dealt a heavy blow by Yemen's strikes in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who are enduring a genocidal US- and UK-backed war by the Israeli regime, a report says.
• US accountable for deepening tensions in region: Palestinian Islamic Jihad Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) resistance movement says the US is responsible for the continuation of tensions in West Asia fueled by Israel's genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Other Conflicts

• Taliban Execute Convicted Killer in Afghan Sports Stadium VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- Afghanistan's Taliban Monday carried out another public execution of a man charged with murder, defying international calls to stop the "inhuman" punishments. It was the third public execution within a week.
• Philippines smears China's professional law enforcement with fabricated claims: sources Global Times 26 Feb 2024 -- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)'s recent claim that the China Coast Guard (CCG) blocked the automatic identification system (AIS) signal of a Philippines vessel in waters near China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island), was fake and fabricated, sources familiar with the matter confirmed with the Global Times on Monday.
• UK condemns confirmed Daesh use of chemical weapons in Syria UK FCDO 26 Feb 2024 -- Statement from Minister of State for the Middle East, following publication of a report from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which finds Daesh responsible for 2015 sulphur mustard attack in Marea
• Statement on release of Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons report on chemical attacks in Syria Canada 26 Feb 2024 -- Global Affairs Canada today issued the following statement on the release of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) report on the chemical weapons attack on Marea, Syria, in September 2015:
• Kachin rebels, Myanmar junta troops fight for control of jade mining area Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- Fighting between the rebel Kachin Independence Army and the junta's military over control of Myanmar's largest jade mine - an important source of wealth - has intensified since the beginning of the year, according to local residents and political observers.
• More than 100 youths held incommunicado after arrest en route to Rakhine state Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- More than 100 ethnic Rakhine youths detained by Myanmar's junta as they returned by bus to Rakhine state from the commercial capital Yangon last week remained incommunicado on Monday, with relatives expressing concern that they were forcibly recruited to join the military amid a rollout of the country's conscription law.
• Six-day battle in central Myanmar kills 7 civilians Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- Ongoing junta shelling across central Myanmar has killed seven civilians as of Monday, locals told Radio Free Asia.

News Reports

• Shan state leader denies nuclear trafficking links Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- A leader of Myanmar's ethnic Shan rebel group has denied any connections to the Japanese yakuza leader who was charged in New York with attempting to traffick weapons-grade nuclear materials.
• Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks during a meeting of the MGIMO Supervisory Board, Moscow, February 26, 2024 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 26 Feb 2024
• Denmark Ends Probe Into Nord Stream Blasts, Blames 'Deliberate Sabotage' RFE/RL 26 Feb 2024 -- Denmark on February 26 announced that it had ended an investigation into the explosions that partially destroyed the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in 2022 and that Western countries initially blamed on Moscow.
• Wider Europe Briefing: Will The EU Ban Russian Aluminum? RFE/RL 26 Feb 2024
• Navalny Associates Say Looking For Place In Russia To Bid Farewell To Kremlin Foe RFE/RL 26 Feb 2024 -- Kira Yarmysh, the former spokeswoman for Aleksei Navalny, said on February 26 that his associates are looking for premises to hold a farewell ceremony for the opposition leader, who died in a remote Russian prison on February 16.
• Navalny Was Set to Be Freed Before Sudden Death, Says Ally VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- Shortly before his death in an Arctic penal colony on February 16, Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny was set to be exchanged for a Russian prisoner in Germany, spokeswoman Maria Pevchikh said in a video statement Monday, an allegation shared by Navalny's family and supporters.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil Maria da Rocha Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 26 Feb 2024
• Russian Prosecutors Seek to Imprison Human Rights Leader Over Op-Ed VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- Russian prosecutors are seeking to imprison the co-chair of the Nobel Prize-winning human rights group Memorial for nearly three years over an article he wrote criticizing Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• Telephone conversation with President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan President of Russia 26 Feb 2024
• China's top legislature starts sessions this week Global Times 26 Feb 2024 -- The 14th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee started its 8th session in Beijing Monday and the session lasts till Tuesday. One of the important tasks of the session is to prepare for the upcoming meetings of the NPC. The ongoing session will review the NPC Standing Committee work report, draft amendments to the Law on Guarding State Secrets, and report on reviewing the qualifications of individual deputies.
• Senior CPC officials report work to CPC Central Committee, Xi People's Daily 26 Feb 2024 -- Senior officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have recently submitted reports on their work to the CPC Central Committee and Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on February 26, 2024 PRC MofA 26 Feb 2024
• MOFCOM blasts US' trade report, urging Washington to stop bullying and smearing China Global Times 26 Feb 2024 -- China's Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM) on Monday blasted the US government's distortion of facts by claiming that China's justified trade measures are "economic coercion," saying that China is firmly opposed to the US unilateralism and its bullying practice.
• Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of China Sun Weidong Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 26 Feb 2024
• Hong Kong's bad debt on the rise in bleak economy Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- In a further sign of Hong Kong's economic woes, the city's biggest banks are recording a surge in overdue loans amid the broader contraction of tens of billions of dollars in corporate lending.
• China's top anti-graft watchdog releases work report for 2023; including three minister-level 'tigers' among 87 mid-level officials investigated Global Times 26 Feb 2024 -- Eighty-seven Chinese mid-level officials, including three minister-level "tigers," were placed under inspection in 2023, as China pledges to continuously deepen the fight against corruption in the long run, a latest work report released by China's top anti-graft authority shows, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.
• China's top anti-graft body releases work report People's Daily 26 Feb 2024 -- The 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) released its work report Sunday.
• Newly elected Tuvaluan prime minister affirms ties with Taiwan: MOFA CNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Taiwan has received reassurances from Tuvalu's newly elected prime minister, Feleti Teo, that his country will continue to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release Monday.
• KMT Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia departs for China on 7-day visit CNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Kuomintang (KMT) Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia (夏立言) on Monday departed Taiwan on a seven-day multi-city tour of China, where he plans to exchange Lunar New Year greetings with Taiwanese people living and working there.
• Two indicted for allegedly financing candidate using Beijing money CNA 26 Feb 2024 -- A Taiwanese man and a Chinese woman have been indicted for providing funds from China to a pro-unification New Taipei City Council candidate in Taiwan's local elections in 2022, according to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office.
• Mainland's regular patrols send stern warning to DPP Global Times 26 Feb 2024 -- As the Chinese mainland's maritime law enforcement authorities on Sunday conducted more patrols in waters near Kinmen in response to Taiwan authorities' brutal and deadly act against fishermen from the mainland, analysts from the island of Taiwan on Monday said the mainland is sending a strong signal that its law enforcement forces are eligible to and capable of taking further measures in not only waters around Kimen, but also Matsu and Penghu islands.
• PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Feb. 26, 2024 ROC MND 26 Feb 2024
• N Korea reduces Cuba coverage as its ally enhances ties with South Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- North Korean state-run media outlets have minimized their coverage of Cuba after the longtime ally since the Cold War established diplomatic ties with South Korea on Feb. 14.
• Zionist regime is the most immediate and tangible danger for entire world: Iran FM IRNA 26 Feb 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that the Israeli regime is the most immediate and tangible danger, not only for the defenseless Palestinians and the West Asian region, but also for the whole world.
• Disbarment Conference: Iran FM calls Israel 'real source of WMDs proliferation' in region Press TV 26 Feb 2024 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has called the Israeli regime "the real source of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)" in the region, reiterating that the regime in Tel Aviv is the most serious and immediate threat to humanity.
• Scores Of Prominent Iranians Call For Boycott Of 'Staged' Elections RFE/RL 26 Feb 2024 -- Almost 300 political, social, and cultural figures in Iran have publicly denounced the forthcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, calling for people to follow suit and not participate in the "engineered" and "staged" balloting.
• Statement following elections in Belarus Canada 26 Feb 2024
• Belarusian Parliamentary Elections Seen As Dress Rehearsal For Presidential Poll RFE/RL 26 Feb 2024 -- Parliamentary elections in Belarus are being viewed as a dress rehearsal for the presidential election that is scheduled to take place next year in which the country's authoritarian leader, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, is expected to be the only viable candidate.
• Congress President denounces so-called local elections in Belarus Council of Europe 26 Feb 2024
• PACE President: "The 'elections' in Belarus are a travesty of democracy" Council of Europe 26 Feb 2024
• Belarus: EU prolongs restrictive measures for another year EC/CEU 26 Feb 2024 -- Today the Council has decided to prolong the restrictive measures linked to internal repression in Belarus and regime's support for Russia's war against Ukraine for another year, until 28 February 2025.
• Belarus: Statement by the High Representative on parliamentary and local elections European External Action Service (EEAS) 26 Feb 2024 -- Yesterday, parliamentary and local elections were held in Belarus. The continuously increasing and unprecedented level of repression, human rights violations, restrictions to political participation and access to independent media by the Lukashenka regime have severely undermined the legitimacy of the electoral process. In this context, it is clear that conditions for free and fair elections were not met and new parliamentary and local officials lack democratic legitimacy.
• Congratulations to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko President of Russia 26 Feb 2024 -- Vladimir Putin sent a message of congratulations to President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on the successful outcome of the parliamentary and local elections.
• Pakistan Arrests Two Journalists as X Remains Restricted for 10 Days VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- Authorities in Pakistan detained a journalist Monday, the second within a week, while domestic access to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, remained disrupted for a 10th consecutive day.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk Prime Minister of Canada 26 Feb 2024
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with President of Poland Andrzej Duda Prime Minister of Canada 26 Feb 2024
• Experts Doubt ECOWAS Easing Sanctions on Juntas Will Have Impact VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- The decision by West African regional bloc ECOWAS to suspend sanctions against Niger and to ease sanctions on Mali and Guinea has been mostly welcomed by regional political analysts. ECOWAS said its decision, announced Saturday, was based on humanitarian grounds and will pave the way for talks with the three countries' military juntas. But some analysts are skeptical the decision will have much effect.
• Speech by Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski at the Atlantic Council Poland - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 26 Feb 2024 -- On Monday, February 26, Minister Sikorski took part as the keynote speaker in a discussion combined with a lecture at the Atlantic Council, Washington DC.
• Tuvalu, a Taiwan ally, elects new prime minister Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- Tuvalu has chosen a seasoned Pacific leader as prime minister as it navigates challenges such as its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, a contentious security treaty with Australia and funding for an ambitious land reclamation project.
• Cambodia's ruling party wins 55 of 58 seats in rubber-stamp Senate Radio Free Asia 26 Feb 2024 -- The ruling Cambodian People's Party won 55 of 58 seats in Sunday's Senate election in an unsurprising result that will allow former Prime Minister Hun Sen to become president of the body.
• Secretary-General's remarks to the Human Rights Council UN Secretary-General 26 Feb 2024
• With eyes on Gaza, Ukraine, UN chief launches rights protection pledge UN News 26 Feb 2024 -- An all-out Israeli offensive on Rafah would spell the end for UN-led humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday, in a wide-ranging call to the international community to fulfil its "primary responsibility" of promoting and protecting human rights everywhere and for everyone.
• World News in Brief: Fighting continues in DR Congo, Russian anti-war campaigner harassment, LGBTQ rights UN News 26 Feb 2024 -- Fighting between Government forces and the M23 rebel group has flared up again in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after a brief lull, the UN Spokesperson said on Monday.
• Ethiopia Arrests French Journalist VOA 26 Feb 2024 -- A French journalist on assignment in Ethiopia is in custody after being arrested in the capital, Addis Ababa.