February 23, 2021 Eurasia, South East Asia
A French Navy vessel will conduct surveillance activities in the East China Sea until early March as part of international efforts to block North Korea from engaging in ship-to-ship transfers of goods at sea in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry. It will be …
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February 23, 2021 Eurasia, Romania
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) — The 25th Attack Group began flying the first active-duty operated U.S. Air Forces in Europe MQ-9 Reaper sorties in Romania via remote-split operations as of Feb. 1. The 25th ATKG is a unit under the command of the 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing. Both …
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February 23, 2021 South East Asia
The North Korean authorities have reportedly ordered the expansion of political prison camps in the country. A source told Daily NK that North Korea, having declared war on the so-called “anti-socialist and non-socialist phenomenon” during the recent Eighth Party Congress, intends to overhaul its incarceration facilities ahead of a major …
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February 22, 2021 Middle Orient
Iraq’s diverse groups have long been pitted against each other. A USIP partner is looking to change that through curriculum reform. Vida Hanna, a director for public relations at Catholic University in Erbil, recalled the first week of her first-grade year when a classmate called her a kafir, or an …
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February 22, 2021 Middle Orient
Lacking better options, Russia appears to be pursuing a ‘spheres of influence’ model. Five years into Russia’s military intervention in Syria, understanding Moscow’s endgame could provide critical insights into the decade-long conflict’s trajectory, as well as Russia’s posture in the Middle East and beyond. Although still evolving and subject to …
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February 22, 2021 Afghanistan, South East Asia
Mediators alone do not guarantee success, but there are few examples of significant peace agreements in their absence. At present, the Afghan peace negotiations (APN) between the Afghan government and the Taliban do not involve any third-party presence beyond hosting and supporting roles. The parties to the conflict and members …
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February 22, 2021 Africa, Eurasia
Although the international community can help, Libyans will ultimately have to decide for themselves how to reach a sustainable peace. This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the uprising that overthrew the four-decade dictatorship of Muammar Qaddafi. In the intervening decade, Libya has been mired in conflict and political gridlock, …
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February 22, 2021 Eurasia, South East Asia
Can Washington work with its allies and partners to shape Beijing’s behavior and find realistic ways to cooperate on shared interests? Last week, President Biden held a call with General Secretary Xi Jinping, China’s paramount leader. They reportedly talked for more than two hours, a length that, combined with the …
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February 22, 2021 Middle Orient
There were far more deaths than usual in the camp for Islamic State families in January amid calls from the United Nations and Kurdish forces for countries to take back their citizens. There was a deadly uptick in violence in the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria last month. A …
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February 22, 2021 Middle Orient
Images from The Associated Press show vehicles and structures being removed from the Emirates’ military base. The United Arab Emirates is dismantling its military base on the Horn of Africa. The move follows the UAE’s lessening involvement in the Yemeni civil war. Satellite images obtained by The Associated Press show …
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