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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 12 Apr 2010 [PDF]
• Airpower Summary: April 11 AFNS 12 Apr 2010
• Airpower Summary: April 10 AFNS 12 Apr 2010
• Airpower Summary: April 9 AFNS 12 Apr 2010
• Airpower Summary: April 8 AFNS 12 Apr 2010
• Wrangler Brigade Soldiers Return from and Depart to Iraq Army News 12 Apr 2010 -- In the span of 24 hours, the 4th Sustainment Brigade welcomed home three units and said goodbye to another.
• Aircraft mechanics get taste of Iraqi culture prior to redeploying Army News 12 Apr 2010 -- With the security agreement and responsible drawdown of U.S. troops from Iraq, it is common for service members from 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division like Spc. Christopher Howard and Spc. Michael Cooley to spend a year in Iraq without meeting Iraqi security forces or experiencing their culture.
• Iraqi Forces Arrest 12 Terrorism Suspects AFPS 12 Apr 2010 -- Iraqi forces, working with U.S. advisors, captured a dozen suspected terrorists and killed three others in operations in Iraq in recent days, military officials reported.
• Gates Calls Air Strike Video ‘Painful to Watch’ AFPS 12 Apr 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said recently published footage of a U.S. Apache helicopter killing 12 people in Iraq, including two Reuters news agency personnel, was “painful to watch,” and that the attack has been thoroughly investigated.
• 2 MEB Transfers Authority of Southern Afghanistan to I MEF (FWD) USMC News 12 Apr 2010 -- I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD) assumed command of all Marine operations throughout southern Afghanistan during a transfer of authority ceremony here April 12, making it the largest Marine command in Afghanistan since the war began nearly a decade ago.
• General Praises Afghan Commandos’ Capabilities AFPS 12 Apr 2010 -- The NATO training mission in Afghanistan is working with Afghan commandos on the road to self-sufficiency.
• Afghan Civilians Killed in Bus Incident AFPS 12 Apr 2010 -- NATO’s International Assistance Security Force in Afghanistan is expressing regret over civilian casualties that occurred today after a bus was driven toward a patrol of international troops, military officials said.
• AFGHANISTAN: Helmand arrests shock aid workers IRIN 12 Apr 2010 -- The detention of nine members of an Italian medical NGO in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, on charges of “terrorism and assassination” has embarrassed aid workers across the country.
• UN-backed body deplores deadly attack on de-miners in Afghanistan UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- A United Nations-backed umbrella body seeking to free Afghanistan from the dangers of unexploded mines today called on all sides to support “this important humanitarian work” after four de-miners were killed and 17 others injured in an attack yesterday.
• NATO Troops Kill 4 Civilians On Bus in Southern Afghanistan VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- NATO says its troops opened fire on a bus in southern Afghanistan Monday, killing at least four people and wounding 18 others.
• Italian Aid Group Protests Detentions in Afghanistan VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- The Italian aid group Emergency has denounced the detention of three of its hospital workers in Afghanistan. The organization says it was targeted because the hospital it runs in Lashkar Gah treats Taliban fighters along with civilians. Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has said an investigation will be held on why the three workers were detained by Afghan authorities.
• Two UN agencies team up to keep Afghan villagers away from heroin production UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- United Nations agencies have distributed 60 metric tons of food to 700 villagers in western Afghanistan in a programme designed to rehabilitate an irrigation canal that is the lifeline of Khosan district and stop locals from working in the heroin industry.
• Army: Pakistani militants flee to mountainous region IRNA 12 Apr 2010 -- Pakistan army says that Taliban and other militants from tribal regions have fled and established bases in a mountainous valley, bordering Afghanistan.
• New Kyrgyz government to re-examine U.S. military base deal RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyzstan's interim government will take a close look at the agreement under which the Central Asian country hosts a U.S. transit center serving Afghanistan, a first deputy prime minister said on Monday.
• National Guard Supports Nuclear Summit AFPS 12 Apr 2010 -- The National Guard is helping civilian authorities to protect 46 heads of government and international organizations at the largest domestic summit since the founding of the United Nations.
• Deputy Secretary-General visits Haiti three months after quake UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, visiting Haiti three months to the day after the devastating 12 January earthquake, has discussed with President René Préval the challenges facing the impoverished country, including education reform, law enforcement and social and political stability.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: Remarks by Secretary Gates and Brazilian Minister of Defense Jobim at the signing of the U.S.-Brazilian Defense Cooperation Agreement from the Pentagon DoD 12 Apr 2010 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Brazilian Minister of Defense Nelson Jobim
• RIA-JMTC signs agreement with Sivyer Steel Army News 12 Apr 2010 -- Sivyer Steel Corporation has signed an agreement effective today with Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center that will attract additional work to both facilities. The partnership is expected to strengthen and advance the foundry industry in the Quad City community.
• Voluntary Enlisted Early Release Program announced for FY10 Marines USMC News 12 Apr 2010 -- Many Marines reaching the end of their tours let out a sigh of relief on March 26 as the Marine Corps released Marine Administrative Message 177/10.
• 'First Team' Marines continue training for MEU mission USMC News 12 Apr 2010 -- Pilots and their crews undergo rigorous training to prepare themselves in the event of a crash in a combat zone, but they are not the only personnel who train to be ready. Marines and sailors on the ground and at sea also train to answer the call.
• First responders come to rescue against hazardous material incidents USMC News 12 Apr 2010 -- The Bob Hope Theater aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was the site of a simulated terrorist hazardous material attack, April 7.
• Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group Returns from Deployment Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), amphibious transport dock USS Cleveland (LPD 7), and dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) return to San Diego April 14, after a six-month deployment to Middle East and Southeast Asia.
• Carl Vinson Arrives at New Home Port Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- SAN DIEGO - USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and its 3,500 crew members arrived at their new homeport at Naval Air Station North Island April 12, completing a coast-to-coast transit following operations in the U.S. Navy's 4th Fleet area of operations.
• Enterprise Crew Aboard, Preparing for Upcoming Deployment Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- For the first time in two years, the crew of USS Enterprise (CVN 65) was aboard the aircraft carrier as the ship began a six-day fast cruise in the Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard April 11, marking the completion of an extended maintenance availability.
• USS Klakring Begins Southern Seas 2010 Deployment Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- USS Klakring (FFG 42) and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 42 Detachment (Det) 10 departed Naval Station Mayport, Fla., April 5 to conduct Southern Seas 2010.
• MCPON Highlights Contributions, Sacrifices of the Submarine Force Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) visited Naval Submarine Base New London and the World War II National Submarine Memorial in Groton, Conn., from April 8 to 10 to mark the Submarine Force's 110th birthday and commemorate the 47th anniversary of the loss of USS Thresher (SSN 593).
• USS Independence Trains Crew to Handle Aircraft Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- Sailors aboard USS Independence (LCS 2), the Navy's newest littoral combat ship, prepared to embark aircraft aboard the ship by conducting simulated training April 6 and 7 in a variety of situations involving aircraft operations, while in port at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
• APS Fisheries Management Workshop Helps African Nations Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- Members of an Italian Navy Mobile Training Team (INMTT) conducted a fisheries management workshop for 15 sailors from Cape Verde, The Gambia, Liberia, Senegal, and Sierra Leone here April 10 aboard USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) as part Africa Partnership Station (APS) West.
• Navy T-39 Crashes Near Blue Ridge, Georgia Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- A T-39N Sabreliner crashed near Ellijay, Ga., at approximately 4 p.m. April 12. There were four personnel aboard the aircraft assigned to Training Air Wing Six based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
• DESRON 24, U.S. Ships Arrive off the Coast of Scotland for Joint Warrior Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- U.S. Navy ships led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron 24 (DESRON 24) arrived in Faslane, Scotland, April 9 to participate in Joint Warrior 10-1, a multinational semi-annual exercise held off the coast of Scotland.
• US Navy Drill Team Participates in Joint Service Drill Competition Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- In front of a crowd stretching from the historic Lincoln Memorial to the reflecting pool, the U.S. Navy Drill Team, based at the Anacostia Annex, participated in the 5th annual Joint Service Drill Competition April 11 in the nation's capitol.
• CNO Extends Condolences to Poland Navy NewsStand 12 Apr 2010 -- On behalf of the men and women of the U.S. Navy, I extend our deepest condolences to our fellow Sailors in the Polish Navy for the loss of their Navy Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Andrzej Karweta as well as their president and other national leaders in the tragic plane crash April 10.
• KC-135 testing aims at fueling efficiency, cost savings AFNS 12 Apr 2010 -- Engineers at the Air Force Flight Test Center here are testing a system known as the Automatic Receiver Aircraft Identification, or ARAI. Currently installed on a test aerial refueler, if the tests are successful, they say, the system will significantly improve air-to-air refueling.
• Air Forces Africa officials take part in cultural training AFNS 12 Apr 2010 -- Air Forces Africa's personnel directorate staff has been working with Air Force Culture and Language Center members at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in recent months to tailor a training program for people charged with building and maintaining relationships in Africa.
• Gates, Brazilian Defense Minister Sign Security Pact AFPS 12 Apr 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim signed a new defense cooperation agreement today that Gates said provides an example of partnership and “offers a transparent, positive model for engagement throughout the Americas.”
• Global Hawk flies first operational mission over Canada AFNS 12 Apr 2010 -- For the first time, an RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted vehicle flew its first operational mission over Canadian airspace. The aircraft was flown April 8 by pilots and sensor operators from the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron here.
• Field exercise readies II MHG for expeditionary environment USMC News 12 Apr 2010 -- The Marines of II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group know that unit readiness can only be analyzed by action, and they recently put themselves to the test to ensure they are ready to take to the field when the time comes.
• Medvedev hopes no 'premature end' to new START treaty RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia could raise the issue of the scrapping of a new arms reduction treaty should the United States create an "imbalance," but hopes this will not happen.
• Russia, U.S. seek 'general nuclear disarmament' RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russia and the United States have agreed that all nuclear powers should subsequently join the process of strategic arms reduction, a top Russian military official said on Monday.
• Russia's Pyotr Veliky missile cruiser to make port call in Syria RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russia's nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky will make a port call in Syria's Mediterranean port of Tartus ahead of Russian Navy drills in the Indian Ocean, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Monday.
• Russian destroyer escorts 12 civilian ships in Gulf of Aden RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- The Russian Pacific Fleet's Udaloy-class missile destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov began on Monday escorting 12 civilian vessels off the coast of Somalia, a Russian Navy spokesman said.
• Ground forces commander warns enemies over possible mistake IRNA 12 Apr 2010 -- Commander of the Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pour-Dastan said on Monday that if the enemies dare to commit any mistake and launch military assault on Iran, they will be given a crushing and humiliating response.
• Iran boosts air defenses with new missile system RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Iran has developed and successfully tested its first domestically-built air defense system capable of destroying aircraft at low and medium altitudes, Press TV cited the country's defense minister as saying.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 12 Apr 2010
• Press Briefing by Jeff Bader, NSC Senior Director for Asian Affairs The White House 12 Apr 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 12, 2010
• Russian firm joins world's Top 20 arms producers RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russia's Almaz-Antei company has moved to 18th place on the global list of Top 100 defense firms compiled by a respected Swedish think tank.
• Boeing to Provide Next-Generation GPS Ground Systems Support to US Air Force Boeing 12 Apr 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that, as part of the Raytheon team awarded the space-based Global Positioning System (GPS) advanced control segment program (OCX), it will develop portions of the U.S. Air Force's new ground control segment. GPS OCX will provide more secure, accurate, and precise navigation around the world for military, humanitarian and commercial applications.
• ATK Acquires Blackhawk - Diversifying Further into the Growing Security Market ATK 12 Apr 2010 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has acquired Blackhawk Industries Products Group Unlimited, LLC, one of the most recognizable brands in the rapidly expanding security market. The acquisition of Blackhawk, combined with the recent acquisition of Eagle Industries, strengthens ATK's position in tactical accessories and equipment for domestic and international military, law enforcement, security, and sport enthusiast markets. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
• H-450 tops 30,000 flight hours in theatre Thales 12 Apr 2010 -- The UK Hermes 450 (H-450) fleet of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) have now flown more than 30,000 operational hours - over 2,000 sorties – and is providing the lions’ share of airborne ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) supporting UK forces in current operations.
• Boeing Completes Site Acceptance Testing of Australia's Network Centric Command and Control System Boeing 12 Apr 2010 -- Boeing Defence Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], today announced that Project Vigilare, a Network Centric Command and Control System (NC3S) solution for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), has passed Site Acceptance Testing at the Northern Regional Operational Centre (NROC) located at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory.
• Boeing, Air Force, Air National Guard Roll Out 1st Operational F-15C with Enhanced Radar Boeing 12 Apr 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] representatives joined the U.S. Air Force and Florida Air National Guard (ANG) in Jacksonville today to roll out the first operational ANG F-15C equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Boeing is under contract to upgrade 14 ANG and 10 Air Force F-15C/D aircraft with AESA.
• Thales signs contract to equip additional FREMM frigates Thales 12 Apr 2010 -- Thales has signed a contract to equip France’s additional three FREMM frigates with radar, infrared search and track, sonar and communications systems - bringing to 11 the number of French multi-mission frigates the company will supply.
• Lockheed Martin Delivers the 1,000TH Joint Air-To-Surface Standoff Missile to the U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin 12 Apr 2010 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) program team has delivered its 1,000th missile to the U.S. Air Force. The missile was completed as part of the seventh production lot at the Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control facility in Troy, AL.
• Lockheed Martin Completes First Live Tracking Exercise with New Multi-Mission, Open Architecture Aegis Signal Processor Lockheed Martin 12 Apr 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully identified and tracked numerous live targets for the first time using its new Multi-Mission Signal Processor (MMSP). The MMSP is intended to help combine next-generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and Anti-Air Warfare capabilities in an open combat system architecture for the U.S. Navy.
• Lockheed Martin Submits Littoral Combat Ship Proposal to U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin 12 Apr 2010 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]-led industry team submitted its proposal for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fiscal year 2010-2014 contract to the U.S. Navy today.
• Northrop Grumman Launches Next Generation of Wheelbarrow Bomb Disposal Vehicle Northrop Grumman 12 Apr 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has launched the latest enhanced version of its industry-leading Wheelbarrow unmanned ground vehicle for the remote handling and surveillance of hazardous threats. The Wheelbarrow Mk9 vehicle, designed, developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman in the UK, includes significant advances in technology and performance and a range of new features that will improve its capabilities for both civil security and defence applications.
• Northrop Grumman Navigation Capabilities Successfully Tested in Support of Automated Aerial Refueling Program Northrop Grumman 12 Apr 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) navigation products exceeded data collection and characterization test objectives and provided excellent robust performance during recent flight tests for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory's Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR) program in conjunction with the Air Force Flight Test Center's Test Operations Combined Test Force, the 190th Air Refueling Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard, and the Calspan Corporation.
• SAIC Awarded Contract to Support Naval Air Systems Command SAIC 12 Apr 2010 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) today announced it has been awarded a contract by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) to support the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Corporate Operations and Comptroller Offices with a full range of organizational and business services. The multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options and a ceiling value of $84 million for all awardees. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. and at NAVAIR sites as required.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Offices of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General and the Spokesperson for the General Assembly President United Nations 12 Apr 2010
• Fears raised as four AU-UN peacekeepers go missing in Sudan's Darfur region UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- Four peacekeepers serving with the joint African Union-United Nations force in the western Sudanese region of Darfur have not been seen or heard from in more than 24 hours, sparking serious concerns over the welfare of the group.
• Ban recommends extension of mandate of UN mission in Western Sahara UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today recommends that the Security Council extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April next year, saying it is indispensable for the maintenance of the ceasefire in the dispute.
• Cyprus Future Hangs on Northern Presidential Poll VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- People in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are expected to turn out in large numbers to vote in an election this week pitting the ruling pro-solution president against a candidate who wants closer ties with Turkey.
• Sudan Voting Extended by 2 Days VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- Sudan's election commission has extended voting for two days after a series of delays and technical problems were reported at polling stations across the country.
• SRI LANKA: Very low voter turn-out among IDPs IRIN 12 Apr 2010 -- Voters in conflict-affected northern Sri Lanka failed to turn out in great numbers for parliamentary elections last week, with many citing dissatisfaction with their own plight since returning to their homes after months of displacement.
• Georgian Parliament Urges Countries To Recognize Russia As Occupier RFE/RL 12 Apr 2010 -- Georgia's parliament has sent an appeal to more than 50 countries urging them to recognize Russia as an occupying force in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, RFE/RL's Georgian Service reports.

News Reports

• Gates: Summit Draws Attention to Nuclear Security AFPS 12 Apr 2010 -- The international summit on nuclear security is an opportunity to draw greater attention to the issues of nuclear nonproliferation and the control of nuclear material, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
• Obama Opens International Nuclear Summit in Washington VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has opened an international nuclear summit in Washington, saying the presence of 47 nations is an indication of how deeply people should be concerned with nuclear security.
• Obama Welcomes World Leaders For Nuclear Security Summit RFE/RL 12 Apr 2010 -- Leaders of 47 countries have gathered in Washington for the start of an unprecedented, two-day nuclear security summit convened by U.S. President Barack Obama and aimed at advancing his nonproliferation agenda.
• U.S. nuclear security summit to focus on terrorist threat RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- A two-day global conference on nuclear security, which opens on Monday in Washington, will focus on the vulnerability of stockpiles of nuclear materials and securing them against the threat of terrorist acquisition.
• Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan The White House 12 Apr 2010
• Obama Hosts Unprecedented International Nuclear Summit VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- U.S. President Barack Obama is hosting a summit of 47 countries for unprecedented nuclear security talks aimed at developing a strategy to keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists.
• Ban urges action as nuclear security summit begins in Washington UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- As world leaders gather today in Washington for the start of a nuclear security summit, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he will urge those leaders to come together to rein in nuclear proliferation and prevent extremists from acquiring atomic weapons.
• National industry capable to produce major parts of nuclear sites IRNA 12 Apr 2010 -- Minister of Industries and Mines Ali Akbar Mehrabian said on Monday that national industry is capable to produce major parts of nuclear power plants so Iran will no longer need others.
• Official: Bushehr nuclear power plant to go on stream next summer IRNA 12 Apr 2010 -- Iran’s first nuclear power plant will go on stream in the southern province of Bushehr next summer, Deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behzad Soltani said Sunday night.
• Iran's Ahmadinejad Says Nuclear Summit 'Humiliating' RFE/RL 12 Apr 2010 -- Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has condemned a nuclear security summit that opens in Washington today as humiliating to humanity.
• Iran starts 'final test' for Bushehr nuclear plant RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Iran has started the final test of equipment at the country's first nuclear power plant, the Bushehr project manager has said.
• Russia to attend nuclear disarmament conference in Iran RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russia will take part in a nuclear disarmament conference to be held in Tehran on April 17-18, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday.
• Israeli attack on Iran might lead to nuclear conflict - Medvedev RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Israel against a military attack on Iran, saying it might lead to nuclear war and global disaster.
• Russia's Medvedev says energy sanctions against Iran unlikely RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev doubts that energy sanctions will be imposed against Iran.
• Poland Strives To Normalize National Life After Death Of President, Elite RFE/RL 12 Apr 2010 -- Poland is still struggling to come to terms with the tragic death of President Lech Kaczynski, and dozens of other Polish political, military and religious leaders in the April 10 air crash in Russia.
• Russians Mourn Poles Lost In Plane Crash RFE/RL 12 Apr 2010 -- Two dozen men in plainclothes stood outside the Polish Embassy, each clutching a red carnation in their hand, waiting for something.
• UN tributes continue after Polish leader and other officials are killed in crash UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added her voice to UN tributes after the Polish President and many senior Government and military figures in his country were killed in a plane crash.
• Kyrgyzstan: UN envoy meets with all parties to recent fighting UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- A special United Nations envoy is currently in Kyrgyzstan, meeting with all parties to try to restore constitutional order while respecting the people’s will after deadly clashes that saw the opposition set up a provisional authority in Bishkek, the capital, and the President flee to the south.
• Kyrgyz Interim Government Has Backing of Military, US VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyzstan's interim government is trying to cut a deal with the country's defiant president who had fled south after last week's bloodshed in the capital. The continuing standoff has the Central Asian nation concerned about further violence.
• Defiant Kyrgyz Leader Addresses Supporters In South RFE/RL 12 Apr 2010 -- A defiant Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev has been drumming up support in the south, calling his opponents "bandits" at a rally of his supporters.
• Bakiyev still believes Kyrgyzstani people on his side RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, deposed in large-scale opposition protests that swept across the country last week, said on Monday he believed that the Kyrgyz people were still on his side.
• Kyrgyzstan hopes to get more than $150 million aid from Russia RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Russia should give Kyrgyzstan more than $150 million aid, a first deputy prime minister in the interim government said on Monday following talks in Moscow.
• Bakiyev's brother vows to protect Kyrgyz president 'until the end' RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- Zhanybek Bakiyev, brother of the deposed Kyrgyz president and the former head of state security, has warned the opposition that any attempts to arrest Kurmanbek Bakiyev would be met with a harsh and merciless response.
• Thai Election Commission Recommends Dissolution of Ruling Party VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- Thailand's election commission has said the ruling party of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should be dissolved over allegations of illegal donations. The decision was made amid growing pressure on the government after violent clashes between anti-government protesters and soldiers left 21 people dead.
• Thai Army Chief Calls for Parliament to be Dissolved VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- Thailand's influential army chief has called for parliament to be dissolved and early elections held as the best way to end anti-government protests.
• SOMALIA: Pirates target food, pushing up prices IRIN 12 Apr 2010 -- Pirates operating off Somalia's coast have started targeting vessels operated by Somali businessmen and carrying food - something which is leading to higher food prices in Mogadishu, according to traders.
• EGYPT: Draft law targets local NGOs IRIN 12 Apr 2010 -- A draft law in Egypt curbing the independence of local NGOs has angered aid workers and bodes ill for civil society freedom, experts say.
• Eurozone Aid Package Shores Up Greece, For Now RFE/RL 12 Apr 2010 -- Greece is out of the frying pan, but it may yet find itself in the fire.
• ZIMBABWE: North Korea's soccer team brings bad memories IRIN 12 Apr 2010 -- Zimbabwe's plan to host a North Korean soccer side for the June 2010 FIFA World Cup in neighbouring South Africa is rekindling memories of the Matabeleland massacres in the 1980s, amid a current climate of political intolerance.
• GLOBAL: Does health aid let governments off the hook? IRIN 12 Apr 2010 -- Donor aid to the health sector is in many cases replacing, rather than complementing, government health spending in the world’s poorest regions including sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research.
• Humanitarian crisis brewing in Yemen as aid funding runs out, UN expert says UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen could face “a grave humanitarian crisis” unless aid agencies receive an urgent injection of funds so they can continue their assistance, a United Nations human rights expert warned today.
• Australia Faces Backlash Over Freeze on Accepting Refugees from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan VOA 12 Apr 2010 -- Australia could face legal action over its decision to suspend processing asylum claims from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The government says that security in both countries is improving and asylum seekers are increasingly being sent home.
• Strengthened cooperation, innovation vital in fighting crime – Ban UN News Centre 12 Apr 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for strengthened global cooperation and more innovation in the battle against organized crime, including the emerging danger of cyber-crime, warning that it threatened world peace, security and vital economic development.
• Soviets used 'U.S. lunar photos' to plan own Moon mission RIA Novosti 12 Apr 2010 -- The Soviet Union used U.S. photos of the Moon obtained by the secret service to plan its own lunar mission, a Russian space scientist told RIA Novosti on Monday.