22 July 2019 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

Trump: US, Pakistan Cooperating to Try to End War in Afghanistan VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- The United States and Pakistan are jointly seeking a way to end the war in Afghanistan, U.S. President Donald Trump said alongside Pakistani Prime Imran Khan in the Oval Office on Monday.
Killing '10 million people' would win Trump Afghan war 'in a week' Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- US President Donald Trump claims he could "win" the war in Afghanistan "in a week," suggesting it involves claiming the lives of "10 million people."
Trump: Afghanistan Could Be Wiped Off Face of Earth in Days But "I Don't Want to Kill 10mln People" Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- The Trump administration has been trying to achieve a deal with the Taliban on the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Ahead of Trump Meeting, Khan Says Afghan War 'Has No Military Solution' VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that in his meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday he will stress the need for political resolution to the protracted war in Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

Army to break ground on Digital Air-Ground Integration Range this fall Army News 22 Jul 2019 -- Construction is about to begin on a new high tech live-fire range at Fort Knox that, when finished in 2023, will be only the second of its kind anywhere.
Future USS Tripoli Completes Builder's Trials NNS 22 Jul 2019 -- The Navy's newest America-class amphibious assault ship, the future USS Tripoli (LHA 7), successfully completed Builder's Trials June 19. The ship returned to the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)-Ingalls Shipbuilding Division's shipyard following four days underway in the Gulf of Mexico.
Future USS Oakland Launched NNS 22 Jul 2019 -- The future USS Oakland (LCS 24) launched July 21 at Austal USA's ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. This event marked the first time the ship floated in the water as it is prepared for delivery next year.
US Army Accidentally Reveals Secret Chopper Ops Over Washington, DC - Report Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- The US Department of Defense recently revealed in a budget adjustment request that US Army service members are conducting secret helicopter-flying missions over the nation's capital.
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services The White House 22 Jul 2019

Cambodia Denies 'Secret' Naval Base Agreement With China VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday denied a report that his country had signed a secret agreement with China to allow the Chinese navy to use a naval base in the Gulf of Thailand.
Cambodia agrees to give access to armed Chinese forces at its naval base: Report Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- US media have reported a secret agreement between Cambodia and China giving the latter's armed forces access to a Cambodian naval base.
Cambodia Denies Report on 'Secret Deal' Allowing China to Use Its Naval Base - Report Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Earlier in the day, The Wall Street Journal reported that Cambodia had signed a deal with China to provide Beijing with a naval base. Both Phnom Penh and Beijing have repeatedly denied the existence of an agreement to build a joint cooperative military base.

China to release white paper on national defense in new era Global Times 22 Jul 2019 -- China is set to release on Wednesday its first white paper on national defense since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which is expected to be an important way for the outside world to get to know if China's national defense policy has changed and what the Chinese military's responsibility and duty are after the military reform.

North Korea's Latest Escalation: A Deadly New Submarine VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- It's not a missile launch or a nuclear test. But Kim Jong Un's unveiling of a new submarine is the latest way North Korea appears to be pressuring the United States, as working-level nuclear talks struggle to get off the ground.

Shinzo Abe calls for pacifist charter to be debated despite no 'supermajority' in parliament Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has called for a debate on revising the US-imposed pacifist constitution in a bid to further legitimize the country's military; in a move already called for by the US to boost Japan's capabilities against regional powers Russia and China – with the purchase of American weaponry.

UK Defence Minister: Royal Navy Not Strong Enough to 'Play Role on International Stage' Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- He spoke following the embarrassing seizure of the British-operated oil tanker, the Stena Impero, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Persian Gulf for "violating international maritime rules". Whitehall is yet to offer a response to the incident, beyond public condemnation.
UK to Send Nuclear Sub, Commandos to the Gulf After Tanker Seizure by Iran – Report Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- The nuclear submarine is expected to conduct surveillance, while the marines could be deployed onto commercial vessels. The move comes after the detention of a UK-registered tanker by Iran marked another escalation of tensions in the volatile region.

To Track China's Warships Moves, Indian Navy Opens Dedicated Spy Jet Base Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- The Indian Navy has strengthened its eavesdropping capability with the commissioning of the fifth Dornier Aircraft Squadron Sea Eagles. India says the squadron will allow it to monitor trade routes in the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean.
Indian Air Force Set to Fortify Pakistani Border With American Apache Attack Choppers Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- The Indian Air Force will deploy American Apache multi-role helicopters near Pakistan's border, as the first four of 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters are set to arrive on 27 July, defence sources told Sputnik.

Long-Lost French Submarine Finally Found in Mediterranean Sea Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- On 27 January 1968, during the exercises of the French fleet, the French submarine "La Minerve" disappeared in the Mediterranean with 52 people on board.
French Submarine Found 50 Years After Disappearance VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- The wreckage of a French submarine that disappeared more than 50 years ago has been found almost 45 kilometers from the vessel's home port of Toulon.

'Too Bold a Statement': US Air Force Chief Won't Say F-35s Will Never Fly From Turkish Base Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- In an interview with Defense News Saturday, US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein refused to say for certain that the Pentagon's F-35s will never operate from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. Ankara was recently barred from buying the jet out of fears it would be compromised by the Russian S-400 system the country operates.
Turkey Vows Response to US Sanctions, Including Steps Toward Incirlik Air Base Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- The move comes after US State Department said last week that President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "are examining all of the options in the CAATSA [Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act] legislation over Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems."
Turkey to retaliate if US imposes sanctions over S-400 missile systems: FM Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says his country will take retaliatory measures in case the United States imposes sanctions on Ankara over its acquisition of advanced Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.

Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Khan of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 22 Jul 2019

Defense Industry

Contracts for July 22, 2019

Other Conflicts

22 July 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Jul 2019

Militant rocket attack kills seven civilians in Syria's Hama Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- At least seven civilians, including two children, have lost their lives in a rocket attack by foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants against a residential district in Syria's west-central province of Hama.
Moscow Denies Russian Warplanes Killed 23 Civilians In Syria Air Strikes RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Russia's Defense Ministry is denying reports that Russian warplanes carried out air strikes that hit a market in the rebel-held Syrian city of Maarat al-Numan, killing at least 23 civilians and wounded dozens more.
Russia dismisses claims of striking Syrian city in Idlib province Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Russia has strongly denied reports that its warplanes conducted deadly airstrikes that killed around two dozen people in a militant-held city in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
Syrian air defenses thwart 'hostile' fire near Hama Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Syrian air defenses have thwarted what the state TV called "hostile" fires in the northwestern city of Masyaf in the Arab country's Hama governorate.

Turkey Threatens to Start Operation in Syria's North-East If Safety Zone Not Created Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Turkey may start a military operation against Kurdish forces in the north-east of Syria if no safety zone is created there, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said as quoted by TGRT broadcaster.
Turkey Threatens Attack on Syrian Kurds as US Envoy Holds Talks With Ankara VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Tensions between the United States and Turkey are increasing as Washington's special representative for Syria engagement, Ambassador James Jeffrey, visits Ankara in a bid to iron out differences with its NATO ally. Ankara has threatened military action against Syrian Kurdish militia the YPG, unless the two countries agree on steps to distance the YPG from the Turkish border.
Turkey threatens to launch offensive in Syria if no safe zone established Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Turkey has threatened to launch an offensive in Syria if a US-planned safe zone is not established in the northern parts of the Arab country.

Fully-Armed Libyan Warplane Lands on Highway in Neighbouring Country Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Libya, which descended into civil war after a NATO-backed insurrection toppled long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, has faced intense fighting around the city of Tripoli between the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army in recent months.

Two Ukrainian Soldiers Killed On First Day Of Brokered Cease-Fire RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Ukraine's military on July 22 said that two soldiers were killed and as many wounded on the previous day when an unknown explosive device was set off by an "enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group."

Trump Offers to Mediate Kashmir Dispute Between India, Pakistan VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to mediate the decades-long dispute between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir.
India Rejects Trump's Bid To Mediate on Kashmir Conflict During Pakistani Prime Minister's Washington Visit RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- India rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's offer to help resolve the decades-long Kashmir conflict amid Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Washington on July 22.
Indian Soldier Killed in Ongoing Heavy Exchange of Fire Between India and Pakistan Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- A heavy exchange of fire is underway between Indian and Pakistani forces on the so-called Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region since early Monday. Earlier on Saturday, one Pakistani soldier was killed, and four civilians were injured in the Indian Army's "unprovoked cross-border fire".

UK to deploy 250 troops to Mali on peacekeeping operations UK MOD 22 Jul 2019 -- The Defence Secretary has announced that UK Armed Forces will deploy to Mali in 2020 in support of the UN Peacekeeping Operation
UN peacekeeping in Mali boosted with addition of 250 UK troops UN News 22 Jul 2019 -- The United Kingdom is to send a contingent of 250 troops to Mali next year, to support the UN's peacekeeping operation in the country, MINUSMA.

Israeli destruction of Palestinian homes in West Bank, 'not compatible' with international humanitarian law, UN says UN News 22 Jul 2019 -- Following "with sadness" the Israeli authorities' destruction of homes in the Palestinian community of Sur Bahir, three top United Nations officials issued a statement on Monday underscoring that the move was "not compatible" with Israel's "obligations under international humanitarian law".
Israel Begins Demolition of Palestinian Homes VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Floodlights blinked on and bulldozers moved in early Monday as Israeli forces began leveling 10 Palestinian residential buildings that it says violate a construction ban.

Cameroon: Separatist Fighters Occupy 50 Schools VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Cameroon says armed separatists are occupying more than 50 schools in its western English-speaking regions, using them for training and to hide from the military. The alleged occupation could complicate government plans to restart education in the regions in September.

Somalia Car Bombing Kills at Least 17 VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- At least 17 people were killed in a car bombing in Mogadishu on Monday, medical sources tell VOA's Somali service.

News Reports

Democrats to Press Republicans on Election Security Ahead of Mueller Testimony VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Congressional Democrats will ask Republicans to pass legislation to improve election security, ahead of special counsel Robert Mueller's planned testimony to Congress Wednesday on Russia's interference in the 2016 election.
House Democrats and Republicans Hope to Steer Mueller's Testimony VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- As former special counsel Robert Mueller prepares to testify before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees on Wednesday, one thing appears certain: the veteran prosecutor and former FBI director won't reveal anything that's not in his final report to Attorney General William Barr.
Trump: Mueller's Testimony Will End Badly for Prosecutor VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump predicted Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller's congressional testimony this week about whether the U.S. leader tried to obstruct his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election will end badly for him and that he shouldn't even be testifying.

Trump Rejects Iran's Spy Ring Accusations, Says It's Getting Harder To Make Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has vehemently denied claims from Tehran that Iranian security agencies have arrested 17 suspects and sentenced some of them to death after dismantling a CIA spy ring.
Trump Slams Reports of Iran Capturing CIA Spies as 'Totally False' Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Earlier Monday, Iranian media revealed details on a major cyber-espionage ring run by US intelligence, saying that a total of 17 CIA-trained spies had been identified, and publishing photo and video evidence of alleged US attempts to recruit Iranians to work against their government.
Iran Stokes Mideast Tensions, Announces Death Sentences for Alleged US Spies VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Iran appears to be further stoking tensions with the West, announcing Monday it has captured 17 U.S. spies and sentenced some of them to death, an allegation the U.S. president denied.
Iran intelligence says identified 17 CIA spies IRNA 22 Jul 2019 -- Iranian Intelligence Ministry official said on Monday that 17 spies affiliated with Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have been identified.
Iran arrests 17 CIA spies ISNA 22 Jul 2019 -- 17 CIA-trained spies have been identified and arrested in Iran, Director General of anti-spy department of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence announced on Monday.
Iran dismantles CIA "spying network," sentences some to death People's Daily 22 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry on Monday announced that it has dismantled a spying network inside the country serving the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States.
Mole hunt: Story of busting CIA's 'house of cards' Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- The recent identification and destruction by Iran's Intelligence Ministry of an integrated network of operatives serving the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) inside the country has proven that despite the inflated image that the West, especially the Hollywood, want to project of the CIA, Iran's intelligence operatives have always had the upper hand in covert and overt confrontations with their American counterparts and inflicted humiliating defeats on them.
Iran dismantles CIA spy network: Ministry Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry says it has identified and destroyed an integrated network of operatives serving the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) inside the country.
Iran Arrests 17 Suspects In Alleged CIA Spy Ring RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Iranian authorities say they have arrested 17 suspects and sentenced some of them to death after breaking up a CIA spy ring.
Iranian Media Releases Photos of Alleged CIA Officers as 17 Spies Identified Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Earlier, Iranian authorities announced that a "large US cyber-espionage" network run by the CIA had been busted in the country, with several spies being arrested.

Report: China's Huawei Helped Develop North Korean Wireless Network VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Huawei Technologies, China's giant tech firm enmeshed in Beijing's trade dispute with the United States, secretly helped North Korea develop a commercial wireless network in recent years, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The United States To Impose Sanctions on Chinese Firm Zhuhai Zhenrong Company Limited for Purchasing Oil From Iran US Dept. of State 22 Jul 2019 -- "Today, the United States is taking further action as part of our maximum economic pressure campaign against the Iranian regime by imposing sanctions on the Chinese firm Zhuhai Zhenrong Company Limited and its chief executive for knowingly purchasing or acquiring oil from Iran, contrary to U.S. sanctions."
Situation in the Gulf: Foreign Secretary statement UK MOD 22 Jul 2019 -- Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt makes a statement to Parliament following the seizure of the Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump Says US Bracing for 'Absolute Worst' With Iran VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- The United States and Iran pushed full steam ahead, each country launching a new round of verbal volleys, as military tensions between Tehran and the West rose to new heights Monday.
Britain Refrains from Sanctions on Iran, Eyes Europe to Help Protect Tankers VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Britain's foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, told somber lawmakers Monday in a packed House of Commons that Britain was looking to help shape a European-led naval protection mission in the Strait of Hormuz following Friday's seizing of a British-flagged oil tanker in the gulf.
Double standards in case of tankers IRNA 22 Jul 2019 -- The British forces in an illegal measure and contrary to the international norms and laws seized Panamanian tanker carrying Iranian oil about two weeks ago in the Strait of Gibraltar; the response of the US and its allies, as well as the Western media empire was silence. An international controversy was formed when Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz in Persian Gulf halted a British ship violating the maritime laws.
China: All parties must try to fulfill their commitments in JCPOA IRNA 22 Jul 2019 -- While endorsing the attendance at the meeting of the JCPOA Commission to be held in Vienna on July 28, China expressed hope that all parties to the JCPOA will make efforts to uphold the JCPOA and fulfill their obligations under the international agreement.
Iran may restore Arak's old reactor if JCPOA partners' measures slows down IRNA 22 Jul 2019 -- Spokesman for Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi underscored that Tehran prioritizes re-designing of Arak reactor, saying that if the actions of the JCPOA partners and re-designing of working group are slowed down, Iran may restore Arak's old reactor.
Iran warns against 'starting a conflict' amid UK tensions Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif issues a stern caution against any attempts at starting a conflict with the country, which is not seeking one, reminding that the Islamic Republic's recent seizure of a British-flagged tanker did not come as an act of "retaliation."
Defense minister: Iran powerful enough to counter any threat Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic are strong enough and enjoy the determination to head off any threat posed by enemies as proven by the recent seizure of a British-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf.
Abe says will try to reduce Iran-US tensions as Trump seeks coalition against Tehran Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to "make every effort" to reduce tensions between the United States and Iran as the US urged its allies to join a coalition in a purported mission of protecting maritime shipping lanes in the Middle East.
MT Riah tanker detained by Iran was smuggling oil: Panama maritime authority Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Panama's maritime authority has confirmed that a tanker operating under the country's flag and seized by Iran in the Persian Gulf last week for smuggling fuel, was indeed in violation of international laws.
Russia says Iran's tanker seizure arguments more convincing than UK's Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- Russia says Iran's arguments for its recent seizure of a UK-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz were more convincing than those of London.
A Tanker For A Tanker: What Is Iran's Endgame As It Seizes British Ship? RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- "A Tanker For A Tanker" read the main headline of the ultra-hard-line Iranian daily Kayhan on July 20, a day after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized a British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, and its 23-member crew in the Persian Gulf.
UK: Iran to Pay the Price of 'Larger Western Military Presence Off Its Coast' Over Tanker Seizure Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Earlier, after the detention of a British-flagged tanker by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Friday, UK media announced that the Royal Navy would be beefing up its military presence in the Persian Gulf with the deployment of marines and a nuclear-powered submarine.
China Hoarding Iranian Crude Oil in Vast Storage Tanks in Bid to Bypass US Sanctions – Reports Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Earlier, US media reported that the State Department was seriously considering 'allowing' China to continue importing Iranian oil, with the alternative being to let Beijing 'openly defy US sanctions' as the country continues to take in more and more shipments of Iranian oil.
US Secretary of State Pompeo on Iran's Seizure of Oil Tanker: Up to UK to Take Care of its Ships Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Pompeo was previously tight-lipped on the recent detention of a British tanker by Iran. One of the authors of the US administration's "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, he earlier blamed the Islamic Republic for a string of attacks in the region, despite Iran's denial of any involvement.

China issues white paper on historical matters concerning Xinjiang People's Daily 22 Jul 2019 -- The State Council Information Office on Sunday issued a white paper on historical matters concerning Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China.
Spokesperson denounces radical demonstrators blockading liaison office of China's central government in Hong Kong People's Daily 22 Jul 2019 -- A spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Sunday evening condemned the vicious behaviors of some radical demonstrators blockading the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Tensions Escalate in Hong Kong as Protesters Blame Police VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Residents of Hong Kong, already tense after weeks of protests against the city's leader and police, were deeply shaken after masked assailants wearing white T-shirts savagely beat people dressed in black, the color of this summer's democracy movement.
Billionaire Publisher Draws Attention at Center of Battle for Hong Kong VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- As the world watched another mass protest Sunday in Hong Kong, many – including observers in Beijing – noticed that a billionaire publisher was again at the head of the march. At 70 years old, there is no sign that Jimmy Lai is slowing down.
Hong Kong Anger Grows After Attack on Protesters VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- Anger is growing in Hong Kong over an attack on pro-democracy protesters by suspected gangsters that left dozens of people injured.
Rioters defy national sovereignty Global Times 22 Jul 2019 -- In separate statements on Sunday night, central government bodies and the Hong Kong government condemned the malicious encirclement and impact on the China central government liaison office by radical protestors and their tarnishing of the national emblem of China that amounted to an open challenge to national sovereignty.

Outcome of upper house election mandates nation building: Japanese PM People's Daily 22 Jul 2019 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that the outcome of the upper house election on Sunday showed a public mandate on their need for political stability and hope to move ahead with "nation building."
Abe's Coalition Fails to Gain Majority Needed to Amend Constitution in Upper House Vote Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party won Sunday's elections to the country's upper house, the House of Councilors, but failed to secure two thirds of the seats needed to change the country's constitution, according to the official results of the elections.
Pro-amendment camp loses 2/3 majority NHK 22 Jul 2019 -- Japan's ruling coalition is set to maintain control of the Upper House following Sunday's election. But it fell short of maintaining a key threshold. The coalition and lawmakers in favor of amending the Constitution will not hold a two-thirds majority of the chamber.
Pro-amendment camp certain to lose 2/3 majority NHK 22 Jul 2019 -- Japan's ruling coalition appears set to maintain control of the Upper House following Sunday's election. But it looks like it fell short of maintaining a key threshold.

India Erupts in Joy as ISRO's Deep Space Mission Chandrayaan2 Injected into Lunar Orbit Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- It was a historic moment for India's space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, which successfully launched one of its most challenging missions ever on Monday.
India Successfully Launches its Ambitious Second Moon Mission, Chandrayaan2 Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- India has launched its second Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-2 into lunar orbit successfully. The spacecraft, initially slated to be launched on 15 July, had to be abandoned 53 minutes before take-off due to a "technical snag" in the engine's cooling system.
India Launches Historic Bid to Put Spacecraft on Moon VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- India successfully launched an ambitious mission to land a rover on an unexplored area of the moon as a rocket hurtled into space from Sriharikota in eastern India.

DRC Health Minister Resigns After Being Dismissed as Head of Ebola Response VOA 22 Jul 2019 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo's health minister resigned Monday after he was dismissed as head of the team tackling a persistent Ebola outbreak.

Text of a Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations The White House 22 Jul 2019
Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate The White House 22 Jul 2019

Ukraine's president's party wins majority in snap parliamentary election Press TV 22 Jul 2019 -- The political party of Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has gained a record score in SNAP parliamentary elections, according to exit polls, but still needs to form a coalition.
Servant Of The People Or Master? Big Parliamentary Win Hands Ukraine's New President A More Dominant Role RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- His party is called Servant Of The People, but a historic parliamentary election win could hand Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a far more domineering role – and raise questions about how the comic actor will choose to play it.
No Experience? No Problem: A Look At Some Of The New Faces In Ukraine's Parliament RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Ukraine's political establishment is on the verge of more groundbreaking change. After electing the comic-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelenskiy as president earlier this year, Ukrainians have voted in hundreds of new lawmakers in the country's snap parliamentary election on July 21.
Best Supporting Actor? After Big Win, Ukrainian Comic-Turned-President Seeks Prime Minister RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Volodymyr Zelenskiy has steered his Servant Of The People party to a decisive parliamentary majority.
Ukrainian President's Party On Course To Win Majority In Parliamentary Poll RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Servant of the People, the party of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, appears on course to win a parliamentary majority after nearly 89 percent of votes have been counted, according to data from the Central Election Commission.

UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Amano Dead At 72 RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- UN nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano has died, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on July 22.
On the Passing of Director General Amano US Dept. of State 22 Jul 2019
'Deep sadness' at passing of UN nuclear watchdog agency chief, Yukiya Amano UN News 22 Jul 2019 -- The head of the UN body that oversees nuclear activities across the world has died aged 72, it was announced on Monday. In a statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the passing of Director General Yukiya Amano, with "deepest sadness".

Kyrgyz Deputy Interior Minister Visits Atambaev's Compound After He Ignores Subpoenas RFE/RL 22 Jul 2019 -- Kyrgyzstan's deputy interior minister has visited the residential compound of former President Almazbek Atambaev after he refused to obey a subpoena three times in an unspecified criminal investigation.

Egyptian President Prolongs State of Emergency for 3 Months – Reports Sputnik 22 Jul 2019 -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi signed a decree to prolong the country's state of emergency for three additional months, local media reported. The presidential decision was reportedly supported by the country's parliament and will enter into force beginning on Thursday.

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