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News Reports

Current Operations

• Interview: Ex-Afghan Warlord Says 'No Doubt' Pakistan 'Supports' Taliban RFE/RL 15 Apr 2019 -- Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of Afghanistan's most notorious former warlords, said there is "no doubt" neighboring Pakistan supports the Afghan Taliban.
• US, Taliban Signal Afghan Peace Talks Intact Despite Offensive' VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- American and Taliban officials have indicated their months-long peace dialogue remains on track, despite the intensification of hostilities in Afghanistan that came with the start of the insurgent group's spring offensive.
• US Confirms Airstrike Kills Deputy Leader of IS Militants in Somalia VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- The U.S. military confirmed Monday that it carried out an airstrike that killed the deputy leader of Islamic State militants in Somalia.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force's F-35A Lightning II arrives for first Middle East deployment US Air Force 15 Apr 2019 -- The Air Force's fifth generation multi-role aircraft arrived for its first deployment to the Middle East on April 15. The F-35A Lightning IIs are from active duty 388th and reserve 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
• Department Of Defense Off-Camera Press Briefing by Acting Assistant to The Secretary Of Defense Summers and Deputy Undersecretary Of Defense Kurta DoD 15 Apr 2019 -- Charles E. Summers Jr., Acting Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs; Anthony Kurta, performing the duties of Deputy Undersecretary Of Defense, Personnel And Readiness
• USS Ross en Route to Black Sea NNS 15 Apr 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) began its north-bound transit of the Dardanelles Strait, en route to the Black Sea April 14 to conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability with NATO allies and partners in the region.
• Pacific Partnership Celebrates Arrival in Micronesia NNS 15 Apr 2019 -- Multinational service members, embarked aboard the Military Sealift Command expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EFP 6), kicked off the fourth mission stop for Pacific Partnership 2019 (PP19) with an opening ceremony followed by a community health and sports fair at Saramen School, April 13.
• U.S. Coast Guard Leads PP19 SAR Training NNS 15 Apr 2019 -- Pacific Partnership 2019 and Republic of the Marshall Islands government officials began a search and rescue exercise (SAREX), March 20.
• Abraham Lincoln Visits Palma de Mallorca NNS 15 Apr 2019 -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) arrived in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, as part of a scheduled port visit, April 15.
• Bluetails Take to The Skies of 6th Fleet NNS 15 Apr 2019 -- The "Bluetails" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121 conducts the first aircraft launch from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
• NDW Participates in HURREX/Citadel Gale 2019 NNS 15 Apr 2019 -- Naval District Washington (NDW) is participating in the natural disaster preparedness event, Hurricane Exercise/Citadel Gale 2019 (HURREX/CG 19), starting April 15.
• 81st LRS provides support for exercise Neptune Guardian US Air Force 15 Apr 2019 -- The 81st Logistics Readiness Squadron supported a joint exercise, Neptune Guardian, with the Navy and Coast Guard, April 6-11.
• Russian Navy Tracking US Destroyer Ross in Black Sea - MoD Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Earlier, US Naval Forces Europe announced in a press release that the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying battle group had begun deployment to the US 6th Fleet, which is responsible for Europe and the west coast of Africa.
• As Russia Touts Expanded Arctic Sea Routes, US Observers See Veiled Threat VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- At this year's International Arctic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russian leaders made the most peaceable statements to date about Moscow's long-term plans for the a rapidly melting Arctic.
• Turkey says purchasing Russian S-400 should not trigger US sanctions Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Turkey says the purchase of advanced S-400 air defense missile systems from Russia should not unleash US sanctions since Ankara is not an adversary of Washington and remains committed to NATO.
• Ankara Warns F-35 Programme Will be 'Damaged' If US Excludes Turkey Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Turkey has invested over $1.25 billion into the fifth generation fighter project, with Washington threatening to withhold deliveries of the planes if Ankara goes ahead with the deployment of its recently purchased S-400 air defence systems from Russia.
• Turkey Agrees Not to Integrate S-400 With NATO Systems - Defence Minister Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Russian S-400 air defence systems will not be integrated into any active NATO military systems, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in Washington on Monday.
• China's military actions challenge regional status quo CNA 15 Apr 2019 -- China's repeated military maneuvers around Taiwan will only heighten tensions in the region and are challenging the regional status quo, the Presidential Office said Monday.
• Numerous Chinese military aircraft operate near Taiwan: MND CNA 15 Apr 2019 -- Numerous Chinese military fighter jets and surveillance and transport planes operated near Taiwan on Monday and were closely monitored, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a statement.
• Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) - CONUS Based F-16 Training DSCA 15 Apr 2019 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to TECRO for the continuation of a pilot training program and maintenance/logistics support for F-16 aircraft currently at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona for an estimated cost of $500 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• PLA drills around Taiwan help cross-Straits stability: spokesman Global Times 15 Apr 2019 -- The recent encirclement drills of vessels, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command recently undertook around the island of Taiwan helps with cross-Straits peace and stability, according to a military spokesperson.
• China issues revised regulation on crime prevention in army Global Times 15 Apr 2019 -- China has issued a newly-revised regulation on crime prevention work in the People's Liberation Army.
• S-400, Rafale to Shift Technological Balance in India's Favour - IAF Chief Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Attributing the success of the air strike in Pakistani territory on 26 February to technological prowess, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief BS Dhanoa has said that the induction of S-400 air missile defence systems and Rafale fighter jets will further tilt the technological balance in India's favour.
• Indian Defence Chief Hopes to Avoid US Sanctions Over S-400 Deal Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Russia and India signed an agreement on the supply of S-400 missile systems to New Delhi in October 2018. The US warned at the time that sanctions over the S-400 deal could not be ruled out, in line with the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
• Iran's Army to unveil new military hardware: Commander Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- A senior Iranian military commander says the Army's Ground Forces are to unveil new military hardware, including armored vehicles, armor piercing weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare equipment.
• Apaches take off for Estonia UK MOD 15 Apr 2019 -- Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson bid farewell to Army aviators as they took off for Estonia, where they will be training alongside NATO forces working to reassure our allies and deter our adversaries.
• UK deploys choppers, troops to deal with Russia's "credible threat" Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Britain has reinforced its controversial military presence near Russia's border as part of a NATO military alliance mission as government authorities claim the threat from Moscow has become more credible.
• UK Special Forces Spying on Russian Border to 'Monitor Potential Enemy' - Report Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- The UK and its NATO allies began deploying thousands of troops in the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on a rotational basis in 2017, with London recently promising to beef up its Estonian presence.
• Norway Cannot Be Defended, Top Brass Admits Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Citing an "increasingly complex" security picture, the Norwegian operational headquarters has admitted a drastic lack of resources and called for at least two additional battalions and more submarines.
• Remarks to the Press US Dept. of State 15 Apr 2019 -- Remarks by Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State

Defense Industry

• Contracts for April 15, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 15 April 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Apr 2019
• UN: Yemen's Children Suffer 'Devastating Toll' in 5-Year Conflict VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- The United Nations said Monday that the five-year-old conflict in Yemen has taken a "devastating toll" on the country's children, with thousands killed, maimed and recruited to fight since the war began.
• Leaked French Intel Report Contradicts Paris' Claims its Weapons Aren't in Yemen Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- A secret French government report detailing the Saudi-led coalition's extensive use of French-made weapons in the war in Yemen has been leaked to the press. It's only the latest expose of how Western nations have provided the coalition with the tools to further the conflict, which has snowballed into a humanitarian catastrophe.
• French-Made Weapons Reportedly Used in Yemen War, More Arms to Be Delivered Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Reporters accuse the French government of concealing information about the deployment of these weapons - including battle tanks, artillery, helicopters, and fighter jets - against the civilian population.
• Saudi, UAE massively using French weaponry in Yemen war: Classified note Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- A classified document of the French government has revealed that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) are massively using French-made weaponry in the Saudi-led war on impoverished Yemen, a disturbing fact that contradicts public statements from Paris.
• Study: Saudis look for way out of Yemen, Houthis invincible Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- The International Crisis Group has urged the United States to help its ally, Saudi Arabia, to find a way out of its deadly war on Yemen that has left the kingdom sapped of resources and reputation.
• UN: Parties to Yemen war agree on Hudaydah pullout Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah fighters and Saudi Arabia's mercenaries loyal to the former government in Sana's have agreed to a detailed plan for the initial withdrawal of forces from the strategic Red Sea port city of Hudaydah, the UN special envoy for Yemen says.
• Plan for troop pullback 'now accepted' by rival forces around key Yemen port, but fighting intensifying elsewhere, Security Council warned UN News 15 Apr 2019 -- A plan to withdraw forces from front lines in and around the key Yemeni port of Hudaydah has been accepted by pro-Government forces and Houthi rebels, the UN Special Envoy to the country told the Security Council on Monday, warning however that war shows "no sign of abating" elsewhere.
• Israeli Firm Dumps Satellite Snaps of Alleged 'Iranian' Facility Struck in Syria Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Israel reportedly carried out an airstrike against a military facility near the city of Hama in western Syria on Saturday, with Syrian air defences intercepting some of the missiles, said to have been launched from Lebanese airspace to hinder an effective defence.
• New Zealand Sends Special Forces to Syria to Rescue Daesh Hostage Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Details of the kidnapping of Louisa Akavi had been kept under wraps until the International Committee of the Red Cross appealed on Sunday for news about the 62-year-old nurse and two Syrian drivers kidnapped with her in October 2013.
• Militants Shell Settlements in 3 Syrian Provinces in Past 24 Hours – Russian MoD Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Militants have breached truce regime in Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia over the past 24 hours, head of the Russian Defence Ministry's Centre for Syrian Reconciliation Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin said.
• Role of foreign states in focus as Iraq begins trying 900 Daesh suspects Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Iraq has begun trying nearly 900 members of the Daesh terrorist group captured in neighboring Syria, a judiciary official says.
• Libya conflict casualties going up, WHO warns Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says the number of casualties of conflict in Libya has risen to 147 dead and 614 wounded.
• Libya's Deputy PM Warns EU not to Trust Haftar, Avoid Repeat of Syrian Scenario Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- On Sunday, the World Health Organisation reported that the death toll from the renewed clashes between Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's forces and those loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord has climbed to 147.
• Death Toll From Libya Violence Escalation Rises to 147 – WHO Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Death toll from the renewal of clashes in Libya between the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and the forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) has increased to 147, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday.
• Libyan Haftar's Army Confirms Loss of Jet, Suspects GNA in Downing - Statement Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- The Libyan National Army (LNA) headed by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar has confirmed the loss of its warplane, noting that the aircraft could have been downed by the rival Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA).
• Trump 'deal of century' to forgo Palestine statehood: US paper Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Sources familiar with US President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" have warned that it will be void of any guarantees for a separate, fully sovereign state of Palestine, the Washington Post reports.
• India, Pakistan Exchange Heavy Fire Along Border After Brief Respite Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- The last one and a half months has seen some 513 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), a de-facto border between India and Pakistan. There was a lull in the firing for a brief period in the past few days but clashes have reportedly resumed.
• Cameroon Authorities Detain 30 Nigerians Allegedly Linked to Boko Haram VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- Cameroon authorities have detained 30 Nigerians who crossed the border Saturday on suspicion of links to Boko Haram Islamist militants. Police say the group of mainly women and children did not have permission to cross the border or identification cards, and failed to answer their questions, as

News Reports

• Redacted Version Of Mueller's Russia Report To Be Released April 18 RFE/RL 15 Apr 2019 -- The U.S. Justice Department says Attorney General William Barr plans to release a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election on April 18.
• Mueller Report Set to Be Released on Thursday VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- The U.S. Justice Department says that it will release on Thursday a redacted version of the nearly 400-page report of special counsel Robert Mueller on Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election aimed at helping Donald Trump win the presidency.
• Sudan's Protesters Defiantly Continue Sit-In Amid Military, Leadership Shuffles VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- Demonstrators in Sudan's capital are defying attempts by the military to break up their ongoing protest, and are demanding civilian leadership instead of an army-led transitional government.
• African Union to suspend Sudan if military fails to hand power to civilians Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- The African Union has threatened to suspend Sudan's membership unless the military council that has swept power in the country hands it over to civilians.
• Sudanese protest group reports army attempt to break up sit-in in Khartoum Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Sudan's main protest group says an attempt has been underway by army forces to break up a sit-in outside the Defense Ministry compound in Khartoum, calling on people to join the demonstrators there and help them block that attempt.
• Top members of former Sudanese government arrested, sacked Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- The transitional military council of Sudan has arrested or sacked senior members of the government of the ousted leader Omar al-Bashir, a spokesman said.
• Sudanese Military Asks Protesters to Clear Camp Outside Army HQ - Reports Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Sudanese military has asked protesters to leave the area outside of the armed forces' headquarters in Khartoum, where the activists have been staging a sit-in for over a week, Sky News Arabia reported.
• Norway, UK, US Call on Sudan Leadership to Ensure Dialogue Involving All Parties Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States urged the Sudanese authorities in a joint statement to ensure that the dialogue on a transition of power to civilian rule involves all stakeholders.
• Sudan Military Council: Ousted Leader Bashir Planned to Quell Protests By Force Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- The former Sudanese leadership planned to quell mass anti-government protests in Khartoum using military force, that is why the country's military ousted President Omar Bashir from power, a spokesman for Sudan's transitional military council, Shams al-Din Kabashi Ibrahim, said on Sunday.
• US to use all economic, political tools to oust Maduro: Pompeo Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned that Washington will continue to use all economic and political tools at its disposal to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
• Canada Sanctions 43 Venezuelan Officials, People Close to Maduro - Ottawa Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Earlier, Canada became one of the first countries to join the United States in recognising self-proclaimed 'interim president' Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate leader, with Caracas and its allies slamming Guaido's actions as an attempted foreign-backed coup d'etat.
• Nicolas Maduro: Corruption and Chaos in Venezuela US Dept. of State 15 Apr 2019 -- Fact Sheet
• HRW Warns Against New Russian Move To Crack Down On Freedom Of Expression, Assembly RFE/RL 15 Apr 2019 -- The Russian government is developing a draft law that will "further jeopardize" freedom of expression and assembly in the country, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned.
• President Moreno: Assange used Ecuador's London Embassy for spying Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno claims WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange tried to use Ecuador's Embassy in London as a "center for spying," and that the decision to strip the whistleblower of his political asylum followed "violations" of that status.
• S.Korean president says to push for summit with DPRK leader People's Daily 15 Apr 2019 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that he will actively push for another summit meeting with Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to help resume dialogue between the DPRK and the United States.
• S Korea's Moon pushes for 4th summit with N Korea's Kim Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in has called for a fourth summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with the aim of helping salvage faltering denuclearization negotiations between Pyongyang and Seoul's ally the US.
• Pyongyang opens new department store Global Times 15 Apr 2019 -- A modern department store providing commercial and catering services opened on Monday in Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, in the country's latest move to showcase its economic facilities to the world.
• North Korea despaired of continuing talks with US IRNA 15 Apr 2019 -- Two rounds of talks between the US and North Korean leaders have so far failed to achieve tangible results and continuation of this trend has made Pyongyang's officials despaired of continuing negotiations with the American side to achieve a win-win deal.
• DPRK Leader Kim Could Visit Russia Next Week - Reports Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- In late March, South Korean media reported that Kim Chang Son, the de facto chief of staff for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, visited Moscow to discuss a visit to Russia by the latter.
• UniCredit Bank AG Agrees to Plead Guilty for Illegally Processing Transactions in Violation of Iranian Sanctions US Dept. of Justice 15 Apr 2019 -- UniCredit Bank AG (UCB AG), a financial institution headquartered in Munich, operating under the name HypoVereinsbank, and part of the UniCredit Group has agreed to enter a guilty plea to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to defraud the United States by processing hundreds of millions of dollars of transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of an entity designated as a weapons of mass destruction proliferator and other Iranian entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions.
• U.S. Treasury Department Announces Settlement with UniCredit Group Banks US Treasury 15 Apr 2019 -- As part of a combined $1.3 billion settlement with federal and state government partners, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced three separate agreements totaling $611 million with the following UniCredit Group banks: UniCredit Bank AG in Germany, UniCredit Bank Austria AG in Austria, and UniCredit S.p.A. in Italy.
• FM Zarif urges Europe to read JCPOA context IRNA 15 Apr 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday urged the European states to read context of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action they signed with Iran.
• Iranian parliament committee passes motion to counter US's IRGC blacklisting Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- The Iranian parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy has passed a double-urgency motion to take a reciprocal measure against the United States' move to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
• Zarif's reminder to E3: No prohibition on enrichment under JCPOA Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reminded the Europeans that a 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, does not prohibit the country from enriching uranium.
• US Officially Designates Iran's Revolutionary Guards as Terrorist Group Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- The United States has formally designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organisation, a notice in the US Federal Register confirmed on Monday.
• China refutes 'slanderous' US criticism of Beijing's role in Latin America Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- China has harshly denounced as "slanderous" accusations leveled by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against Beijing's policies in South America, saying it is Washington that has to be blamed for viewing Latin American countries as its own "backyard."
• China Slams Pompeo for Claiming Its Friendship With Latin America is 'Pretended' Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Statements by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about Beijing's allegedly "pretended" friendship with the countries of Latin America are slanders that constitute a deliberate provocation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday, adding that China strongly opposed such claims.
• Chinese Dissidents Remember Liberal Reformer Hu Yaobang VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- It has been three decades since the death in 1989 of former prominent party official and Chinese liberal reformer Hu Yaobang triggered mass student demonstrations.
• TEPCO Begins Removal of Nuclear Fuel Rods From Fukushima Power Plant - Reports Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, started making the first ever attempts to remove fuel from storage pools at three units that suffered severe meltdowns during the accident, NHK broadcaster reported on Monday.
• Japan Begins Removing Fuel at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant began removing fuel rods Monday from one of three reactors that melted down in 2011.
• Pakistani Watchdog Decries Assaults On Religious Freedom, 'Unprecedented' Curbs On Media RFE/RL 15 Apr 2019 -- A Pakistani human rights watchdog has urged the mainly Muslim country to endorse and implement measures to protect its religious minorities, which it says continue to face "harassment, arrest, or even death."
• US Sanctions 7 People, Middle East Firm Over Daesh Pipelines Financing Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- The US government has sanctioned seven individuals and a money services company as "key nodes" of the Daesh* terrorist group's financial network spanning the Middle East, Europe, and East Africa, the Department of the Treasury said in a statement on Monday.
• Treasury Designates Key Nodes of ISIS's Financial Network Stretching Across the Middle East, Europe, and East Africa US Treasury 15 Apr 2019 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated seven individuals and one entity pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. Specifically, OFAC designated key financial facilitators and conduits for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) operating in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Six individuals, located in Iraq, Turkey, and Belgium, and the entity, an Iraq, Turkey, and Syria-based money services business (MSB), are part of the Rawi Network, a key ISIS financial facilitation group based out of Iraq, which was the target of a joint Treasury-Department of Defense (DOD) action in October 2018.
• Ebola Virus Death Toll in DR Congo Hits 803 - Officials Sputnik 15 Apr 2019 -- A total of 803 people have lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to the infection with the Ebola virus since its outbreak in 2018, the DRC Health Ministry said.
• U.S. will work with whoever wins Taiwan's presidential election: AIT CNA 15 Apr 2019 -- The United States would respect the decision of the Taiwanese people in the 2020 presidential election and will work with the leader selected by the electorate, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty said Monday.
• U.S. supports Taiwan's participation in WHA, Interpol, ICAO: envoy CNA 15 Apr 2019 -- The United States will continue to do its part to help Taiwan expand its role on the world stage, the de facto American ambassador to Taiwan said Monday, calling for more countries to join the effort despite pressure from China.
• Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) - CONUS Based F-16 Training DSCA 15 Apr 2019 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to TECRO for the continuation of a pilot training program and maintenance/logistics support for F-16 aircraft currently at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona for an estimated cost of $500 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Germany's Merkel Urged To Tackle Rights Situation In Talks With Kyrgyz President RFE/RL 15 Apr 2019 -- Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov is due to hold talks in Berlin on April 16 with Chancellor Angela Merkel amid calls by activists for the German leader to press for improvement in the Central Asian country's human rights situation.
• EU Commission Urges Romania To 'Put Reform Process Back On Track, Urgently' RFE/RL 15 Apr 2019 -- The European Commission has said that it is following "very closely and with great concern" developments in Romania, as EU lawmakers held a plenary session to discuss the rule-of-law situation in the country.
• Islam Underlines Indonesian Election But that Doesn't Make it a Threat VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- The former general Prabowo Subianto desperately wants to be the next president of Indonesia. His failed bid five years ago hasn't deterred him and he is campaigning with a ruthless gusto, backed-by firebrand Islamic clerics and nationalists.
• Philippines Edges Back into US Alliance as New Friend China Stirs Anger VOA 15 Apr 2019 -- The Philippines is edging further back into a once strained alliance with the United States as China, a friend of three years, keeps challenging Manila's maritime claims and offers less aid than many Filipinos had hoped.