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A U.S. soldier, identified as an Army staff sergeant, has been arrested in Vladivostok, Russia, on charges of theft. The soldier's name has not been disclosed, and the Pentagon has stated that the U.S. Department of State is providing consular support. This incident is the latest in a series of detentions of Americans by Russian authorities since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin denies intentionally victimizing U.S. nationals, and the State Department advises against travel to Russia due to various reasons, including the potential for harassment and arbitrary enforcement of local law. [Extracted from the article]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has returned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the second time this year following surgery for prostate cancer. His previous hospitalizations were kept secret, causing controversy over who was running the Pentagon. Austin's current hospitalization is due to an "emergent bladder issue" related to his previous surgery. The status of his upcoming trip to Brussels is unclear. The secrecy surrounding Austin's medical situation has drawn criticism from Congress and frustration from White House and Pentagon officials. Austin has taken responsibility for the secrecy and an internal review has been completed, with a public summary yet to be released. [Extracted from the article]

The State Department has called for the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, following comments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin about a potential prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia. Gershkovich, along with another American, Paul Whelan, is considered to be wrongfully detained in Russia. The U.S. has stated that Gershkovich should never have been detained in the first place and should be freed immediately. Russia has said it is acting in accordance with its own laws, while the Journal has reiterated its position that Gershkovich should not have been held and is a journalist, not a criminal. [Extracted from the article]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has apologized for not initially disclosing his prostate cancer diagnosis, which led to an extended hospital stay in January. Austin stated that he did not inform President Biden because he did not want to burden him further. He acknowledged that the decision was a mistake and emphasized that it was a matter of privacy rather than secrecy. Austin's return to the Pentagon coincides with an expected response to a drone attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan. The incident has prompted investigations and calls for Austin to testify under oath. [Extracted from the article]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been released from the hospital after a two-week stay due to complications from prostate surgery. He is now recuperating at home and will continue to perform his duties remotely before returning to the Pentagon full-time. Austin had kept his medical treatments secret, which caused controversy and led to reviews by the Pentagon's Inspector General and a Senate oversight committee. Doctors have stated that Austin's prognosis is excellent and he does not require further treatment for his cancer. [Extracted from the article]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization in January 2024 revealed a culture of secrecy within the Pentagon. Austin's deputy, Kathleen Hicks, was left in the dark about his condition and had to step in to run the Pentagon from a beach in Puerto Rico. The lack of transparency surrounding Austin's hospitalization led to public backlash and raised questions about the government's plans for continuity of operations. Despite the confusion, the U.S. carried out a drone strike and issued an ultimatum to Yemen's Houthi rebel group during Austin's hospitalization. The Pentagon has promised internal reviews and improvements to the notification system going forward. [Extracted from the article]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declined to inform the White House about his hospitalizations, raising questions about his judgment. Austin underwent a medical procedure on December 22 and was hospitalized again on January 1 due to complications. The White House and Congress were not informed until several days later, causing concern among lawmakers. Austin's hospitalizations did not impact national security, according to Pentagon officials. President Biden continues to support Austin and has no plans to fire him. The Pentagon is reviewing its procedures for notifying the White House in such situations. [Extracted from the article]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's recent hospitalization has raised questions about his absence and the lack of transparency surrounding his medical situation. Austin's deputy, Kathy Hicks, was not informed of his hospitalization until four days after it occurred, and even President Biden was not notified until later. Austin had an elective procedure during scheduled leave, but the details have not been disclosed for privacy reasons. The Pentagon has faced criticism for the lack of transparency, and members of Congress are expressing concern over Austin's judgment during a time of international turmoil. [Extracted from the article]

The United States has conducted airstrikes on three drone facilities in Iraq used by a Shiite militant group and other groups. The strikes were in response to a series of attacks on American positions in Iraq and Syria, including an attack that injured three U.S. troops. The U.S. airstrikes destroyed the facilities and likely killed a number of militants. This is the fifth time the U.S. has taken military action against these groups since they began targeting American positions. President Biden directed the strikes and stated that further measures will be taken to protect American personnel and facilities. [Extracted from the article]

Roger Carstens, the chief hostage diplomat for the United States, defends the country's willingness to negotiate with dictators to secure the release of American hostages. Carstens believes that these deals have successfully freed dozens of Americans and argues that they do not necessarily lead to more hostage-taking. However, critics, including former officials, express concerns that these concessions may encourage future hostage-taking. Carstens' office works to coordinate efforts to secure the release of wrongfully detained Americans and also focuses on prevention and deterrence. [Extracted from the article]

The planned increase would be the largest deployment of forces in decades by the U.S. on Taiwan, as the two draw closer to counter China's growing military power. Taiwan's representative office in Washington said, "For decades, Taiwan and the United States have coordinated closely on matters pertaining to defense and maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait." Beijing regards Taiwan as a part of China and has vowed to take control of the island, by force if necessary, while Washington is committed under U.S. law to assist Taiwan in maintaining its defenses. [Extracted from the article]

Typically, the weapons are seized and destroyed by the U.S. and its allies enforcing a United Nations arms embargo on Yemen. Keywords: kwexclusive; Aerospace/Defense; Industrial Goods; Political/General News; National/Public Security; Crime/Legal Action; Armed Forces; Risk News; Trafficking/Smuggling; Military Action EN kwexclusive Aerospace/Defense Industrial Goods Political/General News National/Public Security Crime/Legal Action Armed Forces Risk News Trafficking/Smuggling Military Action N.PAG N.PAG 1 02/20/23 20230215 NES 230215 U.S. officials are considering sending a cache of arms to help Kyiv in its battle against Russia Graph: Assault rifles seized from a fishing vessel sit on the deck of USS The Sullivans in the Arabian Sea. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: gfx-contrib; Political/General News; National/Public Security; International Relations; Politics/International Relations; Espionage; SYND; WSJ-PRO-WSJ.com; political; general news EN gfx-contrib Political/General News National/Public Security International Relations Politics/International Relations Espionage SYND WSJ-PRO-WSJ.com political general news N.PAG N.PAG 1 02/16/23 20230214 NES 230214 Biden administration also disputes Chinese allegations that U.S. regularly flew balloons over its airspace Graph: U.S. Navy sailors worked to recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon shot down off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., last week. Mich. PACIFIC OCEAN UNITED STATES ATLANTIC OCEAN S.C. Feb. 4: The U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was flying as high as 65,000 feet. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: ukraine; gfx-contrib; kwexclusive; Political/General News; National/Public Security; International Relations; Politics/International Relations; Risk News; Military Action; SYND EN ukraine gfx-contrib kwexclusive Political/General News National/Public Security International Relations Politics/International Relations Risk News Military Action SYND N.PAG N.PAG 1 01/30/23 20230125 NES 230125 Deliveries would be part of deal to enable provision of German-built Leopards WASHINGTON - The Biden administration is poised to send a significant number of Abrams M1 tanks to Ukraine, settling a rift that threatened the unity of the alliance supporting Ukraine at a pivotal moment in the war, U.S. officials said. The shift in the U.S. position follows a Jan. 17 call between President Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in which Mr. Biden agreed to look into providing the Abrams tanks against the judgment of the Pentagon, which thought the tanks would be too difficult for Ukraine to field and maintain. [Extracted from the article]