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News Reports

Current Operations

• Trump vows 'very strong intelligence' presence in Afghanistan Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has vowed to maintain a "very strong intelligence" presence in Afghanistan, while repeating his claim that he wants to withdraw American troops from the war-torn country.
• All-Afghan Peace Summit Announced Following Deadly Kabul Attack RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- An all-Afghan peace summit has been set for July 7-8, although the talks in Qatar will apparently be held without the official participation of the Afghan government.
• Trump Describes Afghanistan As 'Lab For Terrorists' RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has described Afghanistan as a "lab for terrorists," saying in a television interview that if the United States withdrew its military forces from the country, he would still leave a "very strong intelligence" presence behind.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Army rebuilding short-range air defense Army News 02 Jul 2019 -- The Army is now standing up short-range air defense units, known as SHORAD battalions, and offering a five-week pilot Stinger course for Soldiers in maneuver units.
• US troops hone artillery skills with Hungarian exercise Army News 02 Jul 2019 -- Ohio National Guard Soldiers of A and B Batteries, 1st Battalion, 134th Field Artillery Regiment participated in BREAKTHROUGH 2019, a training exercise hosted June 4-15 by the Hungarian Defence Forces' Land Forces. The exercise was an opportunity for Ohio's artillery battalion to deploy its weapons systems in a more complex bilateral operational environment.
• Contracting teams support Pacific exercises Army News 02 Jul 2019 -- Contracting Soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, recently supported a series of exercises in the Philippines and Palau aimed at improving tactical interoperability and strengthening relations between the nations.
• New Jersey Soldiers take part in Exercise Diamond Saber Army News 02 Jul 2019 -- U.S. Army Soldiers from New Jersey's 350th Finance Detachment participated in Exercise Diamond Saber 2019, the U.S. Army's largest finance exercise, basing operations out of the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, N.J. June 18-30. For the first time, Soldiers are remotely taking part in Diamond Saber, which is held annually at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.
• EOD Technicians Assigned to EODMU 5, JMSDF Conducted NNS 02 Jul 2019 -- Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians assigned to EOD Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted IWOTO 2019, a mine counter measure exercise (MINEX) June 10-22 on the island of Iwo To, Japan.
• Gunfighters use 1950s tech on F-35 for a huge win US Air Force 02 Jul 2019 -- 'Things aren't made the way they used to be' is a sentiment often tossed around when a new car or appliance breaks down. Even with all the new inventions and integrated technology there's something to be said about the simplicity of an original design. Mountain Home Air Force Base members are learning this lesson firsthand.
• Russia Conducts Another Successful Test of New Interceptor Missile Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Russia's Aerospace Forces have carried out the successful launch of a new interceptor missile at a testing range in Kazakhstan, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
• Russia's Putin orders inquiry into submarine fire that killed 14 sailors Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an inquiry into a fire on a deep-water research submarine carrying out a survey of the sea floor near the Arctic, killing fourteen Russian sailors on board.
• Did A Deadly Fire Break Out On A Secret Russian Spy Sub? Here's What We Know About 'Losharik' RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- It's one of the more unique, more capable, and more distinctive vessels in Russia's naval fleet. And it now appears to hold the distinction of being the latest Russian naval ship to suffer a catastrophic -- and, so far, unexplained -- incident.
• Putin Orders Defense Chief To Region After 14 Sailors Killed In Fire On Russian Submersible RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's defense chief to travel to a northern naval base to conduct a probe after a fire on a deep-sea research submersible killed 14 crew members.
• Major Russian Submarine Accidents Since 2000 RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- A fire aboard a Russian submersible on July 1 killed 14 crew members, the Defense Ministry reported. It is the nation's deadliest submarine-related incident since 2008.
• Russian Military Denies Telling Norwegian Nuke Watchdog of Alleged Submarine Gas Explosion Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Norwegian authorities said earlier on Tuesday that Russian officials had notified the country's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Agency about an alleged gas explosion on board of the nuclear-powered submarine.
• 'Great Loss': Putin Says Highly Decorated Naval Officers Died in Submersible Fire Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- The Russian Defence Ministry announced earlier in the day that 14 people had died as a result of a fire that erupted inside a deep-sea military submersible while it was coducting research of the sea bottom in Russian territorial waters for the Russian military.
• Fire on Russian Submersible Kills 14 VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- Fourteen sailors have died in a fire on a deep-sea submersible, the Russian military says.
• China's new ship-borne chopper to raise PLA's ability to new level: military specialists Global Times 02 Jul 2019 -- China's latest vessel-borne helicopter will take the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's combat capability to a new level, Chinese military experts said on Tuesday after a full-sized model of the navy variant of the Z-20 utility helicopter was allegedly spotted testing on a warship for the first time.
• PLA Hong Kong Garrison conducts emergency response exercises Global Times 02 Jul 2019 -- The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region conducted joint patrol exercises featuring both ground, naval and aerial forces on June 26, the PLA Daily reported on Tuesday.
• Second Domestically-Produced Tejas Fighter Jet Experiences Technical Issues in India Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Last week, a major tragedy was averted by a quick-thinking IAF pilot when an a deep penetration Jaguar strike fighter was hit by a bird. As part of a special operating procedure, the small bombs and fuel tank were dropped by the pilot in a safe area.
• 50 IAF AN-32 Military Transport Aircraft Await Ukraine Kits for Upgrade - Indian Defence Ministry Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- The Indian Air Force has said it will replace the AN-32 transport aircraft in the future. However, "all transport aircraft in IAF cleared for flying are fully airworthy," Defence ministry said. In addition to the crash on 3 June this year, only one AN-32 has been lost within the past four years, in July 2016 while flying over the Bay of Bengal.
• President Donald J. Trump and President Moon Jae-in Reaffirm the United States' and Republic of Korea's Ironclad Alliance US Dept. of State 02 Jul 2019 -- President Donald J. Trump visited the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) June 29–30. During this visit, President Trump and R.O.K. President Moon Jae-in affirmed the unbreakable bond between our two countries and committed to further strengthen our bilateral relationship. Both sides reaffirmed that the strong U.S.-R.O.K. alliance is the linchpin of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. The two leaders also took steps to deepen security, economic, scientific, health, and cultural cooperation in the region.

Defense Industry

• Contracts for July 2, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 2 July 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Jul 2019
• Houthi Attack on Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia US Dept. of State 02 Jul 2019
• Casualties reported as Yemeni forces launch retaliatory drone attack on Abha airport Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Yemen's popular Houthi Ansarullah movement has launched new retaliatory strikes against neighboring Saudi Arabia, avenging an ongoing invasion of the impoverished country by the kingdom and its allies.
• Nine Civilians Wounded in Overnight Houthi Drone Attack on Saudi Arabia's Abha Airport VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- Col. Turki al Maliki, spokesman for Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen, said that a Houthi drone struck the Abha Airport for the third time in less than a month, wounding nine people in an attack during the early hours of the morning Tuesday.
• US-Backed Syrian Forces Pledge to End Child Recruitment VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- A major armed group in Syria has committed to identifying and releasing young boys and girls currently within its ranks, and put in place preventative, protection and disciplinary measures related to child recruitment and use, according to the United Nations.
• Russia: Israel's Syria strikes menace regional stability Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Russia takes serious issue with Israeli military aggression against Syria, a day after Israeli strikes claim four lives in the Arab country.
• Syria writes to UN over repeated Israeli attacks, calls for 'decisive' action Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Syria's Foreign Ministry has urged the United Nations to take the necessary measures to stop Israel's repeated acts of military aggression on the Arab country after four people lost their lives in the latest such airstrikes.
• Turkey slams UN over signing deal with US-backed SDF militants in Syria Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Turkey has strongly condemned the United Nations for signing an agreement over the weekend with the US-sponsored and Kurdish-led militants of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara views as terrorists.
• Civilians Remain Primary Victims of Syria's Conflict VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- The Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in Syria reports Syria's civilian population remains the primary victim of more than seven years of conflict. In a report submitted to the U.N. human rights council Tuesday, the Commission accuses everyone involved in Syria's conflict of failure to uphold international humanitarian law and human rights standards.
• US Congress Delegation Calls for Talks with Rebels in Cameroon VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- A United States Congressional delegation visiting Cameroon has called for unconditional talks between the government and rebels on the country's separatist conflict. The two-year struggle, in which Cameroon's English-speaking western regions have fought to separate from the French-speaking government, has killed close to 2,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. But the government says it will not engage in any talks with the rebels that includes the issue of separation from Cameroon.
• DR Congo: UN food agency triples aid in strife-hit Ituri province UN News 02 Jul 2019 -- Food aid is being tripled for troubled Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to respond to what the World Food Programme (WFP) has described as the world's second largest hunger crisis in the world, after Yemen.
• US Sanctions Pakistan's Balochistan Liberation Army as Terrorist Group Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- The United States has imposed economic sanctions on the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, for its terror bombings in a bid to break away from Islamabad, the US Department of State said in a press release.
• Terrorist Designations of Balochistan Liberation Army and Husain Ali Hazzima and Amendments to the Terrorist Designations of Jundallah US Dept. of State 02 Jul 2019 -- The Department of State has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Hizballah operative Husain Ali Hazzima as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.
• U.S. Envoy Demands Russia, 'Forces It Backs' Immediately End Fighting In Ukraine RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- The U.S. charge d'affaires in Kyiv has condemned Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine after reports of deadly attacks on medical personnel and called on Moscow and the "forces it backs" to end the fighting "immediately."
• Two Ukrainian Soldiers Killed In Clashes With Russia-Backed Separatists RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- Ukraine says two of its soldiers have been killed and two others wounded in a battle with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

News Reports

• Venezuelan Lawmaker Juan Requesens Charged Over Drone Assassination Attempt Against President Maduro Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Mr Requesens, 30, is a Venezuelan National Assembly deputy and faces 30 years if courts find him guilty of attempting to assassinate Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro at a military parade in central Caracas on 4 August of last year.
• Kaspersky Complies With Kremlin Blacklist As Other VPN Services Remain Defiant RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- A Russian cybersecurity company has become the latest to comply with controversial government legislation on Internet freedoms, according to a watchdog group and VPN users who say they have been denied access to websites blacklisted by the state communications regulator.
• U.S. Relative Of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch Sues Treasury Department RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- The U.S. cousin of Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg is suing the U.S. Treasury Department for seizing his assets worth millions of dollars.
• Electrical Engineer Convicted of Conspiring to Illegally Export to China Semiconductor Chips with Missile Guidance Applications US Dept. of Justice 02 Jul 2019 -- An electrical engineer has been found guilty of multiple federal criminal charges, including engaging in a scheme to illegally obtain integrated circuits with military applications that later were exported to China without the required export license. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna for the Central District of California and Assistant Director in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.
• Russian Man Detained On Treason Charge RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- A court in Moscow has sent a man to pretrial detention on the charge of high treason.
• Iran to stand committed to JCPOA as long as Europeans do: Zarif Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will comply with the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as long as European signatories to the deal honor their commitments.
• Signatories to Iran Nuclear Deal Voice Concern Over Tehran's Breach of Uranium Stockpile VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- The remaining signatories to the 2015 international pact to restrain Iran's nuclear weapons development all voiced concern Tuesday that Tehran had exceeded the limit of how much low-enriched uranium it could stockpile.
• Bid to Bypass American Sanctions on Iran Met With Wariness in Europe VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- The effort by European countries to craft a workaround for businesses to bypass reimposed U.S. sanctions on Iran is unlikely to be successful, say diplomats and analysts, and has been made more difficult by Tehran's breaching of an internationally-agreed cap on its Uranium stockpile.
• US sanctions aimed at damaging the most Iran economy: Minister IRNA 02 Jul 2019 -- US sanctions on Iran are aimed at toppling the Islamic Republic to pave the way to come back to Iran for plundering Iran's wealth, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami said on Tuesday.
• Zarif mocks US allegation that Iran violated JCPOA even before signing IRNA 02 Jul 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message expressed surprise over White House statement saying there is little doubt that even before the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Iran was violating its terms.
• Iran says won't talk with the US under sanctions IRNA 02 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Zangeneh rejected on Monday talks with the US under the sanctions as the OPEC is meeting to discuss oil production cut extension.
• IRGC disbands terror outfit in northwestern Iran, kills two terrorists Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has disbanded a team of terrorists in the country's northwestern province of West Azarbaijan, killing two of its members.
• Syria will support Iran against all threats, acts of aggression: President Assad Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- President Bashar al-Assad says Syria fully supports the Iranian nation and the Islamic establishment against all threats and acts, which contravene international law and regulations.
• Iran happy with decisions adopted in OPEC meeting: Oil minister Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Iran's oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh says he is happy with decisions adopted in a recent meeting of the Organization Of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), including an extension to supply cuts to the global market.
• China: US pressure root cause of Iran nuclear reaction Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- China says it considers US President Donald Trump's trademark policy of "maximum pressure" to be the underlying reason for Iran's retaliatory decision to reduce more of its commitments under a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, which Washington abandoned last year.
• Trump should realize Iranians become more united in face of US bullying: Larijani Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the United States needs to realize that bullying tactics will only lead the Iranian people to close their ranks and stand more united in the face of America's hostilities.
• Former Revolutionary Guards Chief Says Iran Should Consider Talking To Trump RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- Amid escalating tensions with the United States and mounting sanctions pressuring Iran's economy, a former senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) says Tehran should not rule out holding talks with Washington.
• World Powers Urge Iran To Stick To Terms Of Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- World powers have called on Tehran to adhere to the 2015 nuclear deal, a day after it was confirmed that Iran breached the limit on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium set under the agreement intended to curb the country's nuclear activities.
• 'Not for Now': JCPOA's European Signatories Won't Sanction Iran, Want 'to Defuse Crisis' - Report Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- The crisis over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal has been brewing since the US unilaterally pulled out of the accord in May 2018; Washington followed up with harsh economic sanctions against Tehran. Exactly a year later, Iran announced the suspension of part of its obligations under the deal, stressing, however, that it is not leaving the agreement.
• Russia Calls on EU Big Three to Recognise Responsibility for Preserving JCPOA - Lavrov Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Russia is calling on the so-called EU big three to recognise their responsibility for preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including through enabling Iran to sell its oil, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.
• Israel Warns Iran 'Will Be Hit Hard in War', Vows Not to Allow Tehran 'to Obtain Nuclear Weapons' Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- On Monday, Tehran confirmed its stockpiling of over 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of enriched uranium, something that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as a "significant step" toward obtaining a nuclear weapon.
• Trump Has to Realise Iranians Become More United if Bullied - Head of Parliament Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- The statement comes after US President Donald Trump sent a warning to Iran on Monday, stating he is now in a position to do "far worse if something should happen".
• E3 and EEAS joint statement on Iran: 2 July UK FCO 02 Jul 2019 -- France, Germany, the UK and the European External Action Service have issued a statement on the Iran nuclear deal.
• Iran Has Not Violated JCPOA – FM Zarif Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- In spite of Washington's 2018 withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the administration of US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of violating the terms of the treaty. The Iranian foreign minister tweeted that the White House is wrong and backed up his assertions.
• Anger Simmers After Hong Kong Protesters Storm Legislative Council VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- A day after dozens of protesters stormed Hong Kong's legislative building, damaging and defacing the chambers, anger over the incident threatened to further divide the city's massive and largely peaceful protest movement that came together in spring to fight legislation that many fear could threaten residents' legal rights.
• China Condemns Seizure of Hong Kong Legislature VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- China is condemning Monday's violent protests in Hong Kong as an outright "challenge" to the "one country, two systems" formula under which the autonomous city is ruled by the mainland.
• Radical protesters trash Hong Kong's rule-based system Global Times 02 Jul 2019 -- Saddened, shocked and regretful. This is how ordinary Hong Kong residents feel the day after radical protesters stormed the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) on Monday, who made a huge mistake by trashing the rule-based legal system and ruining the long-term prosperity and stability of the city.
• Rule of law is Hong Kong's core value Global Times 02 Jul 2019 -- The storming and vandalizing of the Hong Kong Legislative Council building by some extremists has sent a shock wave. It has sounded the alarm for Hong Kong society that such a deplorable scene, in which rule of law was trampled upon, happened in the international financial center.
• Central govt bodies condemn violence in HKSAR Global Times 02 Jul 2019 -- Multiple central government bodies strongly condemned the actions of Hong Kong's radical activists who stormed into the LegCo chamber, and supported the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and its thorough investigation into the illegal behavior.
• China calls for probe of violent actions in Hong Kong Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- China has denounced recent violent actions by protesters in Hong Kong as an "extreme challenge" to the rule of law, calling for a criminal investigation into the violence during which the city's parliament was temporarily occupied.
• US Downplays Trump Concession to Sell Chips to China's Huawei Telecom Firm VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- The White House on Tuesday downplayed President Donald Trump's concession to allow sales of some computer chips to China's Huawei Technologies company, saying the telecommunications giant remains blocked because of national security concerns from buying parts to produce its newest 5G smartphones.
• Decoding success of Communist Party of China People's Daily 02 Jul 2019 -- It was the summer of 1921. A dozen Communist Party of China (CPC) members were forced to leave a small building in the French concession area of Shanghai, and boarded a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, concluding the first National Congress of the CPC.
• UN Urges Both Sides in Hong Kong Protests to Commit to Dialogue, Restraint - Statement Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following the protests in Hong Kong and has called on all sides to exercise restraint and commit to non-violence and dialogue, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a news briefing on Monday.
• Tsai's transit in U.S. consistent with 'one-China policy': U.S. CNA 02 Jul 2019 -- The U.S.'s arrangement for representatives of "Taiwan authorities" in making transit stops on American soil is consistent with Washington's one-China policy, a State Department spokesperson told CNA Monday.
• Taiwan expresses concern over its nationals being sent to China CNA 02 Jul 2019 -- Taiwan has expressed its concern to the European Union (EU) after a Czech Republic high court recently upheld a lower court's decision to send eight Taiwanese fraud suspects to China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
• Turkey orders arrest of 122 over links to abortive coup Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 122 people suspected of having links to an opposition figure Ankara blames for a 2016 coup attempt against the government.
• Turkey Acquits 235 Suspects of Complicity With Terrorist Group - Reports Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- A Turkish court has acquitted 235 defendants suspected of being involved in the so-called Ergenekon nationalist terror group and has handed down four life sentences for violating the constitutional order, local media reported Monday.
• Iraq setting up own SPV to pay off Iran debt: Report Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Iraq is lining up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of its own, mirroring a European trade mechanism, to continue vital gas and electricity imports from Iran, senior Iraqi officials have said.
• Oman rejects claims it's establishing diplomatic relations with Israel Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Oman has dismissed as "baseless" Israel's claims that the Persian Gulf sultanate is establishing diplomatic ties with the Tel Aviv regime.
• Mossad Chief Announces Renewal of Israel-Oman Ties, Calls it 'Tip of Much Broader Secret Effort' Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Despite the fact that Muscat and Tel Aviv have no official diplomatic relations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Oman in October 2018, in what his office touted as "a significant step" towards implement Netanyahu's policy "on deepening relations with the states of the region".
• Ukrainian President Seeks International Support At Conference In Canada RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is due to address a conference in Toronto on July 2 about the progress Ukraine has made combating corruption under a reform program launched in 2014.
• Australia police nab 3 for plotting terror attacks Press TV 02 Jul 2019 -- Counter-terrorism police in Australia have arrested three men in Sydney allegedly tied to the Daesh terrorist group, thwarting a plot to stage attacks on public buildings and embassies, authorities say.
• Australia Police Launch Mass Anti-Terror Raid in Sydney - Report Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Local police have arrested three suspects following multiple anti-terror raids in Sydney launched earlier on Tuesday, according to News Corp Australia.
• IS Group Claims Responsibility For Deadly Attack In Chechnya RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya in which a police officer was killed.
• OPEC, Russia Agree To Extend Oil Output Cuts Into 2020 RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- OPEC members have reached an agreement with other major oil producing nations, including Russia, to extend production cuts into next year amid concerns over weaker global growth.
• Georgian Court Upholds Bail For Opposition Lawmaker As Anti-Government Protests Continue RFE/RL 02 Jul 2019 -- A Georgian appeals court has upheld bail for Nika Melia, an opposition lawmaker who is facing charges of inciting a riot during an anti-government protest in the capital last month.
• Speaker of Algerian Parliament's Lower House Resigns - Reports Sputnik 02 Jul 2019 -- Moad Bouchareb, the president of the Algerian parliament's lower chamber, has officially resigned from his post, Ennahar TV broadcaster reported.
• UN Rapporteur: Eritrea Exodus Will Continue in Absence of Reforms VOA 02 Jul 2019 -- A U.N. special investigator warns that an exodus from Eritrea will continue if the human rights situation in the country does not improve and the government fails to implement reforms guaranteeing basic freedoms. The official submitted her first annual report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva Tuesday.