Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• DOD Sends Annual Civilian Casualty Report to Congress DoD News 06 May 2020 -- The Defense Department has sent Congress the annual report on Civilian Casualties in Connection With U.S. Military Operations.
• Afghan forces bust joint 'Daesh-Haqqani' terror cell Press TV 06 May 2020 -- Afghanistan's security forces in two separate raids have busted a sleeper cell that was jointly run by the Afghan branch of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group and Haqqani network, the most ruthless branch of Taliban.
• Afghan Spy Agency Says 'IS-Haqqani' Cell Busted In Kabul RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- Afghanistan's intelligence agency says it has busted a joint "terrorist" cell of the Islamic State (IS) group and the Haqqani network, a powerful Taliban faction.
• U.S. Says Taliban Not Living Up To Commitments RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said the Taliban is not living up to its commitments as militant violence is increasingly threatening a fragile deal signed with Washington this year.
• U.S. Envoy To Meet Taliban, Visit Pakistan And India To Revive Afghan Peace Talks RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will try to advance a sluggish Afghan peace process on a trip to Qatar, India, and Pakistan, the State Department said on May 6.
• New Jersey Guard, active-duty troops set up COVID-19 ops center Army News 06 May 2020 -- New Jersey Guard soldiers and airmen teamed up with active-duty service members from the Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as civilians from U.S. Northern Command, to establish a joint operations center to coordinate nearly 700 members of the New Jersey National Guard responding to the COVID-19 pandemic across the state.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Presidential Veto Message to the Senate for S.J. Res. 68 The White House 06 May 2020
• Statement from the President Regarding Veto of S.J. Res. 68 The White House 06 May 2020
• Trump vetoes Congress effort to limit his war powers amid tensions with Iran Press TV 06 May 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has vetoed a measure by US Congress aimed at limiting his war powers amid his administration's hostility with Iran.
• DOD News Briefing with David Altwegg on Fiscal Year 2020 Budget for Missile Defense Agency DoD 06 May 2020 -- DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy and Deputy CIO for Command, Control and Communications Fred Moorefield
• CNO Message to the Fleet NNS 06 May 2020 -- The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic brought an invisible enemy to our shores and changed the way we operate as a Navy. The fight against this virus is a tough one. But our Sailors are tougher, and each of you plays a critical role in defeating this virus.
• Former Captain of US Carrier Roosevelt Given Desk Job Instead of Old Command After COVID-19 Recovery Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- Though many were looking to see Capt. Brett Crozier reinstated as commander of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, he is currently serving as special assistant to Capt. Max McCoy, chief of staff for the commander of Naval Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet.
• DOD Awards $126 Million Contract to 3M, Increasing Production of N95 Masks DoD 06 May 2020 -- "The Department of Defense, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, has signed a $126 million contract award with 3M for the increased production of 26 million N95 medical-grade masks per month, starting in October 2020."
• US Defense Chief: USS Kidd COVID-19 Outbreak May Have Started During Counternarcotics Operation Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Tuesday told reporters that the novel coronavirus outbreak aboard the Navy destroyer USS Kidd may have begun during a counterdrug mission the ship was carrying out while deployed in the Pacific.
• Leaders Chart the Course as U.S. Space Force Launches DoD News 06 May 2020 -- Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett and Space Force Gen. John W. Raymond cast some light on the previously classified missions of America's reusable space plane, the X-37B.
• Naval Special Warfare Center Resumes Training, With COVID-19 Precautions DoD News 06 May 2020 -- One of the toughest training courses in the military has reopened with Navy special warfare recruits adapting to operating in the time of coronavirus.
• Defense Security Cooperation Agency Sees Growing Interest in Partnerships DoD News 06 May 2020 -- Strengthening alliances and attracting new partners is one of the National Defense Strategy's lines of effort, and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency is a large part of that effort.
• 31st MEU maintains presence in South China Sea USMC News 06 May 2020 -- The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted Marine Air-Ground Task Force full mission profile rehearsals, aerial reconnaissance, and simulated close-air support while maintaining a presence in the South China Sea aboard amphibious assault ship USS America, April 17-24, 2020.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams is Commissioned in Norfolk NNS 06 May 2020 -- With the ship's namesake front and center, The Honorable James F. Geurts, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, commissioned the Expeditionary Sea Base ship USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4), during a ceremony today in downtown Norfolk.
• USS Mason Earns the Bloodhound Award NNS 06 May 2020 -- For meritorious anti-submarine warfare (ASW) preparation and prowess, the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87), was awarded the Atlantic Fleet's Bloodhound Award today during an onboard ceremony.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 06 May 2020
• China's Marine Corps to operate in all terrains around globe to serve nation Global Times 06 May 2020 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Marine Corps is striving to become a multidimensional force that operates beyond oceans and fights in all terrains around the world to serve as a fast-reacting force to protect China's growing overseas interests, in addition to the conventional task of conducting amphibious landing missions, like securing islands and reefs close to the mainland, potentially including those in the South China Sea and the island of Taiwan, experts said on Wednesday.
• Chinese peacekeepers in Lebanon pass UN exams PLA Daily 06 May 2020 -- The 18th Chinese Construction Engineering Unit (CHINCEU) to Lebanon passed the 2020 defense capacity evaluation conducted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on April 30, local time. Moreover, all members of the unit passed the accreditation for the qualification of humanitarian landmine clearance.
• Experts: Near-Complete North Korean Missile Facility Proves Pyongyang Continues ICBM Development Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- A Washington think tank report that North Korea is "nearing completion" of a ballistic missile facility capable of accommodating Pyongyang's entire ballistic missile arsenal highlights the modernization and expansion of the country's ICBM program despite global efforts to stop it, experts said Wednesday.
• Facility near Pyongyang Airport linked to N Korea's missile program: Report Press TV 06 May 2020 -- A Washington-based think tank says a new facility near Pyongyang International Airport is probably linked to North Korea's ballistic missile program.
• Iran Navy industries heart of country's marine military: Cmdr IRNA 06 May 2020 -- Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said on Wednesday that the Defense Ministry's Marine Industries Organization is actually the heart of the country's marine military industry and has an important role in the strategic goals of the country.
• Israeli Defence Ministry Says It Signed Contract to Lease Greece Drones for Border Defence Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- Israel will be leasing reconnaissance drones to Greece for the protection of borders under a three-year agreement signed on Wednesday by the two countries' respective ministries of defence, the Israeli Defence Ministry said in a press release.
• Army helicopter makes 'hard landing' during drill; pilots safe CNA 06 May 2020 -- An Army helicopter sustained minor damage during a "hard landing" at a military base in Taiwan on Wednesday, but the two pilots were uninjured, according to Taiwan's Army Aviation and Special Forces Command (AASFC).
• US Senators 'Seek to Block Deployment of F-35A Jets to UK' Over Huawei's Role in 5G Rollout Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- After Prime Minister Boris Johnson allowed Huawei to build "non-core" parts of the UK's 5G networks, the US has ramped up pressure on the country to reconsider, claiming the Chinese firm posed a security hazard, with Donald Trump previously suggesting that future intelligence-sharing with America's "Five Eyes" allies could be at risk.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany The White House 06 May 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For May 6, 2020
• US Defence Giants Finish 1st Production Run of New Javelin Anti-Tank Missile Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- US defence contractor Lockheed Martin in a statement announced that a joint venture team completed the first production run of a new Javelin anti-tank missile.

Other Conflicts

• 6 May 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 06 May 2020
• Yemen's Southern Separatists Backing Off From Self-Rule Declaration VOA 06 May 2020 -- Long-time Yemen watcher, analyst Helen Lackner, says southern separatists likely will walk back their threat to reopen another dangerous front in the impoverished country's five-year civil war. The threat, condemned by their financial backer, the United Arab Emirates, is expected to flounder given a lack of support. Meanwhile, the country already is ravaged by hunger and cholera, and now is fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
• Israel Not To Stop Operations Until Iran Driven Out Of Syria, Defense Minister Says Radio Farda 06 May 2020 -- Speaking to the state-owned Kan 11 news channel on Tuesday following airstrikes in the north of Syria that killed at least 14 fighters, Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said Israel will keep up its operations in Syria until Iran is driven out.
• Israel approves thousands of new units in West Bank settlement Press TV 06 May 2020 -- The Israeli minister for military affairs, Naftali Bennett, has approved a plan for the construction of thousands of new settler units in the occupied West Bank, ignoring the international outcry against the Tel Aviv regime's illegal settlement expansion activities and land grab policies in Palestinian territories.
• US ready to recognize Israel 'sovereignty' in West Bank, Friedman says Press TV 06 May 2020 -- US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman says Washington is ready to recognize the Tel Aviv regime's sovereignty in parts of the occupied West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, as US authorities look to implement President Donald Trump's so-called deal of the century.
• German Intelligence is Reportedly Among Mediators in Secret Israel-Hamas Swap Talks Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), a high-ranking Swiss diplomat and a retired Egyptian army general have been mediating between Israel and Hamas on a possible prisoner swap for nearly two years, German newspaper Die Zeit reported Wednesday.
• Let Other Countries Take Rohingya, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Says Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- Bangladesh will not accept any more Rohingya refugees, the foreign minister said Wednesday, despite pleadings from international agencies who expressed concerns about the lives of hundreds of refugees stranded on at least two trawlers reportedly adrift in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.
• Myanmar Ruling Party Officials in Rakhine in Hiding After Attempted Arrests Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- Several officials of Myanmar's ruling party in Rakhine state have gone into hiding after a group of unidentified men wearing police uniforms tried to arrest them at their homes, a lawmaker from the volatile region said Wednesday.
• Iran Intelligence Ministry busts two terrorist groups, confiscates their arms cache Press TV 06 May 2020 -- The Iranian Intelligence Ministry says it has dismantled two terrorist groups in the west and northwest of the country and confiscated a cache of arms from them.
• Three Revolutionary Guardsmen Reportedly Killed in Clashes in Western Iran Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- Tehran has waged a low-intensity counterterrorism campaign against militants in the country's northwest for several decades, accusing the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia of providing support to local separatists, and accusing officials in Iraqi Kurdistan of helping to arm and train the guerillas.
• China Says Marriages Between Tibetans, Chinese Will Strengthen 'Ethnic Unity' Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- Chinese officials in public meetings held in Tibet's Shigatse prefecture are promoting marriages between Tibetans and Han Chinese, as a new "ethnic unity" law goes into effect in what Tibetans say is another assault on their cultural identity, already weakened by decades of Chinese migration into the region.
• Kashmir Rebel Commander Killed in Shootout With Indian Forces VOA 06 May 2020 -- Indian officials say government forces killed a top rebel commander, his aide and two other militants in gun battles in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Wednesday.
• Chief of Kashmir's Top Terror Group Shot Dead as India Launches Massive Operations Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- India's restive Jammu and Kashmir union territory has seen a spike in terrorist activity since April: at least 19 security personnel have been killed over the past one month in 20 counter-terror operations across the valley.

News Reports

• U.S. Senate Grills Trump's Director Of Intelligence Nominee Over Russia, China, And Partisanship RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence (DNI) at his Senate confirmation hearing said he believed Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and was prepared to meddle again.
• Detained US mercenary says he plotted Maduro's capture Press TV 06 May 2020 -- One of the US hirelings arrested in Venezuela in the middle of a marine incursion attempt says he had been instructed to capture President Nicolas Maduro and take him to the US.
• Trump denies US role in mercenary incursion attempt into Venezuela Press TV 06 May 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has denied any US government involvement in a recent marine incursion attempt into Venezuela.
• Captured Mercenary Admits Plans to Kidnap Venezuela's Maduro, Take Him to US on Plane Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- The Venezuelan military thwarted an attempted naval invasion by heavily-armed mercenaries coming from Colombia on Sunday morning, neutralizing multiple fighters and capturing at least two US nationals among them. More mercenaries have surrendered in the days since.
• Washington to Look Into 'Melodrama' as Maduro Slams US for Supporting Invasion Into Venezuela Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- After the failed attempt of a maritime incursion in Venezuela, the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, stated that two of the captured 'terrorists' are US citizens and security guards to US President Donald Trump, an assertion which has been denied by the US government and the nation's military.
• Russian Coal Baron Bosov Dead In Possible Suicide RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- Russian billionaire Dmitry Bosov has been found dead at his home in a Moscow suburb, in what officials say was a suicide.
• Polls Show Support For Putin Slipping As Backing For Constitutional Reform Rises RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- An opinion poll by Russia's independent Levada Center polling agency has found that President Vladimir Putin's approval rating has declined to its lowest level since he was prime minister in 1999.
• Ukraine's Security Service Says It Detained Russian Agent RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) says it has detained an alleged spy accused of collecting data on a "modern missile system" on behalf of Russia.
• Newspapers on Historic Significance of Seventh Congress of WPK KCNA 06 May 2020 -- Leading newspapers of the DPRK on Wednesday stress the historic significance of the Seventh Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) held in May, Juche 105 (2016).
• Facebook Dismantles IRIB-Linked Disinformation Campaign Radio Farda 06 May 2020 -- The social network Facebook has announced that it has taken down over five hundred Facebook assets that were linked to an IRIB disinformation campaign.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on May 6, 2020 PRC MofA 06 May 2020
• US politician's May Fourth Movement speech mocked Global Times 06 May 2020 -- Despite great efforts US President Donald Trump's advisor Matt Pottinger made in his speech on the May Fourth Movement - delivering it in Putonghua and trying to link the movement to US values - Pottinger was faced with overwhelming mockery and criticism from Chinese analysts and netizens for his unrealistic illusions and incomprehension of Chinese society and his obvious purpose of provoking clashes within China.
• Pottinger's wrong on May 4th Movement, should mind own business: FM Global Times 06 May 2020 -- US Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger, who thinks he knows China well, does not know China that well and does not know anything about the May Fourth spirit, as he has a strong prejudice against China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in response to Pottinger's speech on the May Fourth movement.
• China Lambastes Trump's Threat of Using Tariffs as 'Weapon' Amid Mutual Recriminations Over COVID-19 Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- US President Donald Trump said on 30 April his trade deal with China was now of secondary importance to the coronavirus pandemic as he threatened Beijing with new tariffs amid allegations over the country's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• China's full payment of its dues demonstrates support for UN: mission PLA Daily 06 May 2020 -- China on Monday paid the remaining balance of its membership dues, completing its full payment to the United Nations (UN) regular budget for the year 2020, said China's Permanent Mission to the UN on Tuesday.
• China's 'Wolf Warrior' Diplomacy Prompts International Backlash VOA 06 May 2020 -- Late last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gathered together his country's envoys for a pep talk, telling them they needed to be more assertive in representing Beijing's interests overseas and vocal in defending the Chinese Communist government from criticism.
• In China, Even Simple Online Campaign for COVID-19 Dead Is Target for Censorship VOA 06 May 2020 -- Wuhan resident Zhang Hai posted an announcement on a Chinese social media platform this week asking for donations to build a monument that would have the names and photos of all the coronavirus victims in China.
• Sentencing, Arrest of Activists Are Signs of China's Unrelenting Crackdown VOA 06 May 2020 -- China's recent sentencing of a blogger and its arrest of a veteran rights activist indicate that Beijing is determined to continue silencing any critics of the ruling party and government.
• Chinese Undermining Democratic Institutions in Central Europe, Eurasia: Report Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- China's foreign policy has increasingly weakened democratic institutions in at least 20 countries throughout Central Europe and Central Asia, weakening oversight and bolstering the power of authoritarian leaders, a new U.S. think tank report said Wednesday.
• China Steps Up Security in Beijing, Detains Activist Ahead of Congress Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- Authorities in the Chinese capital have stepped up security measures ahead of annual parliamentary sessions that were postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic, detaining at least one rights activist.
• Black-clad rioters must be eliminated for Hong Kong to enjoy peace: spokesperson Global Times 06 May 2020 -- Hong Kong will not enjoy a peaceful day unless black-clad rioters are eliminated, and the central government will not sit and watch this destructive force wantonly do whatever they crazily wish, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said on Wednesday.
• Central gov't spokesperson denounces violence in HKSAR People's Daily 06 May 2020 -- A spokesperson for the State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office on Wednesday denounced violence and the "burn with us" mentality in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), calling them the political viruses of Hong Kong society and the enemy of the "one country, two systems" policy.
• China says 'political virus' of violent protests must be removed in Hong Kong Press TV 06 May 2020 -- China says violent protests in Hong Kong are a "political virus" that must be removed in order to restore calm to the territory.
• China Slams Hong Kong Democracy Movement as 'Political Virus' Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- China on Wednesday stepped up its use of anti-terrorism rhetoric regarding the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, calling it a "political virus" and a "dark, destructive force."
• Unknown malfunction during cargo return capsule re-entry: CMSA Global Times 06 May 2020 -- A test version of China's first flexible and inflatable cargo return capsule, which was launched into orbit on Tuesday by the Long March-5B's maiden flight, experienced a failure during its re-entry to Earth due to an unknown malfunction, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.
• China's new spaceship in steady flight form, good working condition: CMSA Global Times 06 May 2020 -- The trial version of China's new-generation manned spaceship has completed duties including solar sail deployment, relay antenna deployment and autonomous orbit control four times after being launched by the Long March-5B carrier rocket, China's Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.
• Long March-5B rocket enables China to construct space station PLA Daily 06 May 2020 -- Construction of China's space station moves a step closer with the successful maiden flight of its new large carrier rocket, the Long March-5B, on Tuesday.
• Congratulatory message hails Long March 5B maiden flight PLA Daily 06 May 2020 -- The success of the first flight mission of China's new large carrier rocket Long March 5B marks a good beginning for the country's space station program, said a congratulatory message sent by the central authorities on Tuesday.
• US Rallies Support to Back Taiwan's WHO Bid VOA 06 May 2020 -- The United States is rallying support to back Taiwan's observer status in the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), leading into its annual meeting May 17-21.
• Five diplomatic allies prod WHO to review Taiwan's status CNA 06 May 2020 -- Five of Taiwan's diplomatic allies have put forth a proposal for the issue of Taiwan's exclusion from the World Health Organization (WHO) to be put on the agenda for discussion by its decision-making body later this month.
• Taiwan security officials link cyberattacks to Tsai inauguration CNA 06 May 2020 -- Security officials suspect that recent cyberattacks on petrochemical companies in Taiwan could be linked to President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) second-term inauguration on May 20, but did not offer specifics Wednesday to support their claim.
• S Korean National Intelligence Service Says 'No Signs' Kim Jong-un Received Heart Surgery Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- After weeks of Kim Jong Un's absence that caused speculations on his health, the North Korean leader reappeared in public on 1 May alive and well.
• Supreme Leader: If production thrives, Iran can resist virus of sanctions IRNA 06 May 2020 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei underlined that favorable production will prevent invasive sanctions and oil prices from harming the country's economy.
• Robust production can fight off sanctions, other economic viruses: Leader Press TV 06 May 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says an economy made robust through enhanced production can fend for itself and counter various intrusive elements such as sanctions that can harm an economy like a virus can hurt the human body.
• Envoy: Iran tops list in accepting IAEA 2019 inspections IRNA 06 May 2020 -- Iranian Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna said by accepting 21 percent of total inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2019 and also accepting over 90 percent of inspections in its own group, Iran is now on top of the list.
• No more JCPOA for US unless they ask again and we accept: President Rouhani ISNA 06 May 2020 -- Iranian President warned the United States and its allies that Iran would never accept violation of Resolution 2231 of the United Nations Security Council, and it is Iran's undisputed right to exit the arms embargo soon within the framework of the resolution.
• Pompeo Pledges To Use 'Every Tool' To Maintain Arms Embargo On Iran Radio Farda 06 May 2020 -- A day after a large majority of the members of the U.S. House of Representatives called on President Donald Trump's administration to do its best to push for an extension of a United Nations arms embargo on Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that every tool will be used to prevent the Islamic Republic from procuring more arms.
• Rouhani Threatens JCPOA Partners With 'Historic Defeat' If Arms Embargo Extended Radio Farda 06 May 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani responding to the United States has said extending the UN Security Council's arms embargo against Iran will have "serious consequences."
• Iran won't accept violation of UNSC resolution on arms ban, Rouhani warns US Press TV 06 May 2020 -- President Hassan Rouhani has warned the United States that Iran will not accept any violation of the UN Security Council resolution that mandates the lifting of an arms embargo against the Islamic Republic, saying the country is absolutely entitled to the ban's cancellation.
• Iran's Rohani Vows 'Crushing Response' If Arms Embargo Extended RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- Iranian President Hassan Rohani has threatened a "crushing response" if the United States continues efforts to prolong a UN Security Council arms embargo on Tehran that is set to expire later this year.
• Rouhani Warns of 'Crushing Response' if Arms Embargo Against Iran Extended Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that Tehran would oppose any efforts by the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on the country.
• Hardliner Watchdog In Iran Opposes Electoral Reform To Boost Competitiveness Radio Farda 06 May 2020 -- Iran's hardliner election watchdog has opposed a last-ditch effort by the outgoing parliament to boost political competitiveness in the country's closed electoral system.
• US 'Appalled' at Iran's Alleged Drowning of Afghan Migrants VOA 06 May 2020 -- The United States has denounced as "appalling" reports that Iranian border guards tortured and drowned dozens of migrants from Afghanistan last week to prevent their entry into Iran.
• 'They Were Laughing': Iranian Border Guards Accused Of Torturing, Drowning Afghan Migrants RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- To escape war and poverty, Shah Wali left his village in northwestern Afghanistan in search of a better life in neighboring Iran.
• Iran denies any role in Afghan border incident but says ready to cooperate for investigation Press TV 06 May 2020 -- Iran has once again rejected any involvement in a recent incident befalling a number of Afghan citizens at a border region but has expressed readiness to work with the Kabul government to investigate the issue.
• Secretary Pompeo's Call with Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi US Dept. of State 06 May 2020
• Israeli Supreme Court Approves Netanyahu-Gantz Coalition Deal, New Govt to Be Sworn In 13 May Sputnik 06 May 2020 -- On Wednesday, the High Court of Justice has unanimously rejected the petitions against Benjamin Netanyahu forming the new government while being under indictment, as well as those against Netanyahu and Gantz making a coalition deal.
• Israel's Top Court Allows Netanyahu to Form New Government VOA 06 May 2020 -- In an eagerly awaited decision, Israel's supreme court ruled Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can form a new government even while under indictment for alleged corruption.
• Lukashenka Hell-Bent On Holding Victory Day Celebration In Belarus, Coronavirus Be Damned RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 250,000 people worldwide, ravaged the global economy, and even forced the Kremlin to relent on one of the important holidays of the year.
• Brazil's Ex-Justice Minister Reportedly Said President Personally Pushed for New Police Chief in Rio VOA 06 May 2020 -- Former Brazilian Justice Minister Serigo Moro has reportedly told investigators that President Jair Bolsonaro wanted to personally pick the head of the federal police office in Rio de Janeiro to get access to ongoing investigations that involve his sons.
• Thousands in Pakistan Protest Slaying Of Pashtun Rights Leader RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- Tens of thousands of people in Pakistan have protested the assassination of a prominent ethnic Pashtun rights activist and political leader who some say was killed by state-backed militants in the South Waziristan tribal district.
• Experts Split on Impact of Germany's Hezbollah Ban VOA 06 May 2020 -- Germany's recent decision to ban the political activities of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has sparked a debate among experts, with some believing the move was necessary while others arguing it would have little impact on Hezbollah's terrorist activities.
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 06 May 2020 -- Under the chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet held a virtual meeting today.
• Ukrainian Ex-Prosecutor Ryaboshapka Under Investigation RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- Former Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Ruslan Ryaboshapka, who was forced out in a parliamentary vote of no confidence two months ago, is now under investigation.
• Cambodia's Ruling Party Says Reconciliation Unlikely After PM Hun Sen Meets Opposition Chief Radio Free Asia 06 May 2020 -- A meeting held between Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and the former head of the banned opposition party Kem Sokha during a funeral for Hun Sen's mother-in-law was a matter of formality and does not herald a political reconciliation, the country's ruling party said Wednesday.
• Freedom House Drops Hungary, Serbia, Montenegro From List Of Democracies RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- In its latest report, U.S.-based democracy monitor Freedom House warns of a "stunning democratic breakdown" across Central Europe, the Balkans, and Eurasia as many leaders in the region attempt to do away with any remaining checks on their power.
• EU Woos Balkans With More Aid As Russia, China Vie For Influence RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- Leaders of the European Union have reaffirmed their "unequivocal support" for six Western Balkan states to eventually become members of the bloc and offered them fresh financial support as the region struggles to cope with the coronavirus crisis.
• EU Document Shows Members Agree On Eastern Partnership Aspirations, Economic Integration RFE/RL 06 May 2020 -- After two weeks of negotiations among EU diplomats, the bloc's 27 member states have reached agreement on the membership "aspirations" and economic "integration" of their eastern neighbors into the bloc.