Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Eight worshippers killed, 12 injured in attack on Afghan mosque in Ramadan Press TV 19 May 2020 -- Unidentified gunmen have launched an attack on a mosque in Afghanistan's eastern province of Parwan, killing at least eight worshipers and wounding several others.
• UN Alarmed at Rise in Afghan Civilian Casualties VOA 19 May 2020 -- The United Nations has accused Afghan warring sides of killing and injuring more than 430 noncombatants over the past six weeks, with a disregard for international law aimed at protecting civilians from harm.
• UN alarmed by rising civilian casualties in Afghanistan Press TV 19 May 2020 -- The United Nations (UN) says it is alarmed by the steep increase in the number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan and a "striking deterioration" in respect for international humanitarian law there.
• UN Calls For Reduction In Violence As U.S. Envoy Meets Taliban RFE/RL 19 May 2020 -- The United Nations has called for an immediate reduction of violence in Afghanistan, warning that civilian deaths by both the Taliban and Afghan security forces are on the rise, as the U.S. special peace envoy opened another round of talks with the Taliban to press the militants to start talking with the Kabul government.
• NY Guard distributes 11 million meals, helps test 250,000 Army News 19 May 2020 -- Seventy-two days into the COVID-19 pandemic response, New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have distributed more than 11 million meals, assembled almost 1 million COVID-19 test kits and helped administer a quarter of a million tests.
• Wyoming National Guard helps increase state COVID-19 testing Army News 19 May 2020 -- The Wyoming National Guard's 84th Civil Support Team (CST) is working with the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory (WPHL) to deploy the CST's mobile laboratory to increase COVID-19 testing.
• RING sends humanitarian aid to the Bahamas and Timor-Leste Army News 19 May 2020 -- The Rhode Island National Guard partnered with the University of Rhode Island to send critical medical equipment to the South-Pacific island nation of Timor-Leste and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
• Vermont National Guard helps hospital with emergency care Army News 19 May 2020 -- Twenty-nine members of the National Guard served on a task force with the Emergency Department (ED) at the University of Vermont Medical Center.
• National Guard expanding COVID-19 testing across Wisconsin Army News 19 May 2020 -- Twenty-five specimen collection teams from the Wisconsin National Guard continue to help increase the state's COVID-19 testing capacity. Four teams collected specimens Sunday and 19 were collecting them May 18.
• NY National Guard testing for virus in western New York Army News 19 May 2020 -- With the help of the New York National Guard, more than 10,000 residents of Western New York have been tested for the COVID-19 virus and its antibodies since April 29.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 19 May 2020
• Pentagon Preparing for 'Real Possibility' of Pandemic Worsening This Winter - Leaked Memo Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- A leaked, internal Pentagon memo has revealed the US military is preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic to worsen this coming winter and for a vaccine not to be available until the summer of 2021. Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is publicly promising a vaccine by the end of the year.
• PM Infantry Weapons undergoing largest modernization effort in decades USMC News 19 May 2020 -- Marine Corps Systems Command's Program Manager for Infantry Weapons has begun a large-scale modernization project to increase the lethality of the infantry squad.
• USS Kidd Conducts Crew Swap, Transitions to Next Phase of COVID-19 Response NNS 19 May 2020 -- The Navy has transitioned into the next phase of its aggressive response to the COVID-19 outbreak on board the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100).
• In Microelectronics, DOD Moves From 'Trusted Foundry' Model to 'Zero Trust' DoD News 19 May 2020 -- Microelectronics are in nearly everything, including the complex weapons systems the Defense Department buys, such as the F-35 joint strike fighter, the Pentagon's director of defense research and engineering for modernization said.
• New US Destroyer Arrives at Spanish Rota Base as Navy Pushes for Aegis Ashore System Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- The US Navy destroyer USS Roosevelt arrived at the Naval Station Rota in southwestern Spain on Saturday, part of a plan to rotate out four warships that have worked the missile defense beat since 2013. However, as European Command has pushed for an even larger deployment to Rota, the Navy is being stretched increasingly thin.
• Pentagon Plans to Test-Fire 60 kW Laser Aboard Ghostrider Gunships in Two Years Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- Once seen as the stuff of science fiction, or of a distant dystopian future, laser-based weapons have become a reality in recent years as major powers including the United States, Russia and China rush to field the technology in a variety of air, ground and naval applications.
• New Multi-beam Satellite Antenna to Fortify US Navy Ships' Attack Clout Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- The US Navy has been pursuing a new Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) concept, seeking to "redefine" its future force development and operations, increasingly integrating diverse autonomous unmanned vehicles and enhancing the real-time networking of surface, air and undersea assets.
• Redeployment of US Nukes to Poland Would Be Direct Violation of Russia-NATO Agreement, Lavrov Warns Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- Russian officials have already repeatedly warned in the past that its Eastern European neighbours' decision to host US-made strategic systems, including components of America's Aegis Ashore missile defence system, make them targets for Russia's strategic nuclear response in the event of a war.
• US redeployment of nukes to Poland would violate NATO accord: Russia Press TV 19 May 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the redeployment of US nuclear weapons from Germany to Poland would be a direct violation of a Russia-NATO agreement.
• Russian Mi-8 Military Helicopter Crash Kills Three in Moscow Region Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- According to Russia's Defence Ministry, the accident happened at around 8 p.m., local time.
• Tu-22M3 Bombers Make Planned Flight Over Black Sea's Neutral Waters - Russian Military Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- Russian bombers Tu-22M3 flew over the neutral waters of the Black Sea on Tuesday and at some stages were escorted by fighters of Russia's Southern Military District, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
• Major Chinese shipyard launches first large floating work dock Global Times 19 May 2020 -- Shanghai-based Jiangnan Shipyard, responsible for the construction of warships that reportedly include China's third aircraft carrier, launched its first large floating work dock on Monday. This new platform can help with the launch and transport of large or ultra large ship modules.
• Experts predict 3 pct growth in China's military budget amid rising defense needs Global Times 19 May 2020 -- China's defense budget draft for 2020 is expected to be released on Friday, the first day of the annual National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, with most Chinese military observers reached by the Global Times believing the figure will continue to rise amid the "black swan" COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted China's economy but also raised additional national defense demands.
• Swedish Saab Receives Undisclosed $158 Mln Order for Early Warning System Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- The Saab 2000 Erieye is a complete Airborne Early Warning and Control system with multi-role and multi-mission capabilities for both military and civilian needs, and can be used for tasks including border surveillance and search-and-rescue operations.
• Remarks by President Trump After Senate GOP Policy Lunch | U.S. Capitol The White House 19 May 2020
• Remarks by Vice President Pence at the 7th Meeting of the National Space Council The White House 19 May 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For May 19, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 19 May 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 19 May 2020
• Saudi-led blockade strands 15 vessels carrying oil derivatives outside Yemen's ports: Company Press TV 19 May 2020 -- The Yemeni Petroleum Company (YPC) says more than a dozen tankers carrying over 410,000 tons of oil derivatives are stuck outside ports in Yemen as the ongoing blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition against the impoverished country hampers its efforts to import vital commodities.
• Accusations of Russian war crimes in Syria 'part of media war' Press TV 19 May 2020 -- Russia says allegations that the Russian military has committed war crimes in Syria are part of a "media war" on Moscow and are based on information from unidentified, unreliable sources.
• Syria vows fight against 'American, Turkish, Israeli occupiers' Press TV 19 May 2020 -- Syria's UN envoy says any presence of foreign forces on Syrian soil without authorization from the Damascus government amounts to "aggression and occupation," emphasizing the Arab nation's right to defend its sovereignty and resources.
• Syria: UN relief chief appeals for renewal of lifesaving cross-border aid operation UN News 19 May 2020 -- The UN's top aid official has urged the Security Council to renew a mechanism that provides lifesaving assistance to millions of desperate people in northwest Syria, through cross-border deliveries from Turkey.
• Rocket hits area near US embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone Press TV 19 May 2020 -- A rocket has hit an area near the US embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone, security sources say.
• UN official says militants from Syria being sent to fight in Libya Press TV 19 May 2020 -- United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen says militants from the Arab country are being sent to Libya to fight on both sides of the conflict there.
• 'Alarming' military build-up underway in Libya, as COVID-19 heightens insecurity UN News 19 May 2020 -- The civil war in Libya is in danger of intensifying as foreign intervention grows and the spectre of the COVID-19 pandemic adds to a deepening sense of insecurity, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) told the Security Council on Tuesday.
• Hamas: Israelis held in Gaza won't be released without real swap deal Press TV 19 May 2020 -- The Hamas resistance movement says the Israeli captives held in Gaza since Tel Aviv's 2014 war on the blockaded Palestinian enclave will not be released until a "real" agreement is reached on exchanging prisoners.
• EU won't recognize unilateral Israeli annexation of occupied land: Borrell Press TV 19 May 2020 -- The European Union (EU)'s foreign policy chief has warned Israel against acting on its "unilateral" decision to annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territory, saying the 27-nation bloc will not recognize any such changes to the 1967 borders.
• Palestinians Withdraw From All Agreements With Israel, US - Mahmoud Abbas Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- Head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly warned Israel that he will tear up any bilateral agreements if the Jewish state will try to extend its sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, which is a possibility left open by the Israeli new unity government.
• Palestinian PM: 'Moment of Truth' as Israeli Annexation Looms VOA 19 May 2020 -- It is the "moment of truth" for the international community to stand behind Palestians in the face of the intended annexation of a large portion of the West Bank by Israel, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Monday.
• Terrorists kill 7 soldiers in Pakistan's Balochistan IRNA 19 May 2020 -- Seven Pakistani security personnel were killed in two separate terrorist incidents in south western Balochistan province, a military statement said on Tuesday.
• Eight Paramilitary Troops Killed In Pakistan Bombings, Shooting RFE/RL 19 May 2020 -- Seven paramilitary troops have been killed in separate attacks in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, the military said on May 18. An eighth soldier was killed in a roadside bombing in the country's northwest.
• Pakistani Troops Come Under Deadly Militant Attacks VOA 19 May 2020 -- Pakistani officials said Tuesday a roadside bombing of a military convoy and a separate clash with militants in southwestern Baluchistan province had killed at least seven troops and a civilian.
• Ukraine To Use Separatist Interviews As Evidence Of Role In MH17 Downing RFE/RL 19 May 2020 -- The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) says it will use a journalist's interview with former separatist figures as evidence of crimes committed during the war in the east of the country, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17).
• India, China deploy more troops to disputed border after recent scuffle Press TV 19 May 2020 -- India and China have been reinforcing their military presence in the disputed Galwan Valley since their troops engaged in clashes in the Ladakh region during patrolling earlier this month.
• Tibet's Detained Panchen Lama Must 'Speak For Himself': Rights Group Radio Free Asia 19 May 2020 -- Tibet's Panchen Lama, who vanished into Chinese custody as a young boy 25 years ago this week, must be allowed to speak for himself, ending international uncertainty over his whereabouts and condition, a Washington-based Tibet support group said on Tuesday.
• 6 Month Extension of UNIFSA Mandate Welcomed VOA 19 May 2020 -- Alor Koul, chief administrator for Abyei, reacted positively Monday to word that the United Nations Security Council extended the mandate for Abyei for six months, but cautioned that renewing the U.N. mandate will not alone solve the dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over who controls the area.
• More Than 200 Killed in South Sudan Inter-Communal Violence VOA 19 May 2020 -- More than 200 people were killed and at least 300 others wounded in inter-communal clashes last weekend in South Sudan's Jonglei state, according to local leaders.
• HRW: DRC Police Kill 55 in Crackdown on Separatist Group VOA 19 May 2020 -- Police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo killed at least 55 people in April as part of a coordinated crackdown against a separatist religious group, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Tuesday.
• Rwanda Genocide Suspect's Arrest After 26 Years Draws Praise VOA 19 May 2020 -- The weekend arrest of Felicien Kabuga, sought for decades for his alleged role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, surprised a neighbor in their affluent Paris suburb and gratified those working on human rights and justice.
• Rwandan Genocide Suspect Appears Before Paris Court VOA 19 May 2020 -- The United Nations has hailed the arrest of a wanted Rwandan genocide suspect, Felicien Kabuga, who appeared before a Paris court under heavy police protection on Tuesday.

News Reports

• Senate Intelligence Panel Approves Ratcliffe for National Intelligence Director VOA 19 May 2020 -- The Senate Intelligence Committee approved the nomination Tuesday of Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe for the position of National Intelligence director.
• Republican Marco Rubio Named Acting Chair of Senate Intelligence Committee VOA 19 May 2020 -- Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has been tapped to serve as the acting chairman of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee.
• NASA Message Regarding the Lead of Human Spaceflight NASA 19 May 2020 -- Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Doug Loverro has resigned from his position effective Monday, May 18.
• Venezuela Plans to Appeal to The Hague Over US Effort to Halt Oil Trade With Other Countries Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- The Latin American country already filed an appeal against Washington in the International Criminal Code (ICC) in February, arguing that US sanctions against Caracas constitute a crime against humanity.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on May 19, 2020 PRC MofA 19 May 2020
• China paves way for countermeasures against US crackdown Global Times 19 May 2020 -- China published sweeping guidelines to improve the country's "socialist market economy," which include instructions for accelerating market reform and opening-up as well as refining national security reviews and setting up an "unreliable entity list", to better supervise foreign companies' investment in the country.
• China imposes punitive duties on Aussie barley, more products could be probed Global Times 19 May 2020 -- More Australian products, including seafood and dairy goods, could run into trouble in China after Beijing slapped an 80-percent tariff on Australian barley after a two-year antidumping and countervailing probe, Chinese experts said Tuesday.
• China Slaps Australia with Huge Barley Tariff Amid Canberra's Push for COVID-19 Origins Probe Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- Beijing's recent decisions come against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic tension between China and Australia, following a push by Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an independent COVID-19 investigation amid allegations the Asian country had downplayed the seriousness of the virus.
• China Imposes Massive Tariffs on Australia Barley Imports, Sparking Fears of Trade War VOA 19 May 2020 -- Australia is considering taking China to the World Trade Organization over Beijing's decision to impose massive tariffs on Australian barley imports.
• Central govt should set up special agencies in HK to enhance Chinese history education: NPC deputy Global Times 19 May 2020 -- The central government should establish special agencies in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to improve Chinese history education and enhance a sense of national identity among local students. These could be either government agencies or non-profit organizations through which the mainland could dispatch teachers or experts to the SAR, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) told the Global Times.
• HK residents should see opposition tricks amid legit election: LegCo Finance Committee Chairman Global Times 19 May 2020 -- The election was completely legitimate, but the opposition remains infatuated with last year's results, Chan Kin-por, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) LegCo Finance Committee Chairman, told the Global Times on Monday after the LegCo House Committee chairwoman was elected.
• Hong Kong Extends Ban on Public Gatherings Past Tiananmen Anniversary Radio Free Asia 19 May 2020 -- Authorities in Hong Kong on Tuesday extended a ban on public gatherings up to and including the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre on June 4, amid an ongoing political row over the replacement of a pro-democracy lawmaker on a key committee in the city's legislature.
• China achieves all 2019 quantitative targets, but tough tasks lie ahead Global Times 19 May 2020 -- As China's annual "two sessions" will kick off on Thursday, the State Council, the country's cabinet, revealed on Tuesday that all the 38 quantitative targets listed in the 2019 government work report have been achieved.
• Taiwan's Inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen US Dept. of State 19 May 2020
• Taiwan's Tsai to Tread Cautiously on Cross-Strait Relations at Inauguration: Experts VOA 19 May 2020 -- Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen is set to be sworn in on Wednesday for her second term. Analysts say she is expected to "put down the markers" on Taiwanese sovereignty but not cross China's red lines in her inaugural speech.
• Minor Cabinet reshuffle announced ahead of Tsai's new term CNA 19 May 2020 -- The Executive Yuan on Tuesday announced a new Cabinet with only minor changes to the original ministerial lineup, one day before President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) starts her second four-year term in office.
• President to focus on cross-strait issues, institutional reforms: aide CNA 19 May 2020 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is expected to stress peace, parity, democracy and dialogue as the keys to cross-Taiwan Strait relations in her second-term inaugural address Wednesday, while firmly rejecting the "one country, two systems" model espoused by China.
• President Tsai protests Taiwan's exclusion from WHA CNA 19 May 2020 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Tuesday expressed a "solemn protest" against the World Health Organization's refusal to invite Taiwan this year to join the annual meeting of its decision-making body.
• U.S. health secretary supports Taiwan at WHA CNA 19 May 2020 -- A top American official on Monday pushed for Taiwan's inclusion in the World Health Assembly (WHA) after it was not invited to the annual meeting of the World Health Organization's decision-making body for a fourth straight year.
• Taiwan pro-separatist groups mocked for counting on 'crippled' US Global Times 19 May 2020 -- The attempt to push for proposals related to Taiwan at the World Health Assembly by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the island has once again failed. After the WHA announced it would not discuss the proposal, netizens from the Chinese mainland and the island of Taiwan mocked pro-separatist forces in Taiwan for "betting on the wrong horse" as the US has been "crippled by its own failure to control the COVID-19 domestically" and most member states of the WHO stuck to the one-China principle.
• Taiwan proposal meets major setback at WHA, 'will never work' Global Times 19 May 2020 -- The US' attempt to get Taiwan a position at the ongoing World Health Assembly was met with a setback as the WHA has announced that it will not discuss the proposal on "inviting Taiwan to join WHA as an observer".
• Coal Transport Capacity Goes up in DPRK KCNA 19 May 2020 -- Big efforts are directed to increasing the capacity of coal transport at collieries in the western area of the DPRK.
• North Korea Cracks Down on 'Grasshopper Markets' After Shuttering Official Marketplaces Over COVID-19 Fears Radio Free Asia 19 May 2020 -- As the North Korean authorities have shut down major marketplaces across Ryanggang province, in the county's north near the Chinese border, as part of intensified efforts to stop COVID-19, making life harder for citizens who make the bulk of their income from side businesses selling daily necessities.
• The United States Designates Company Providing Services for Iranian Airline Mahan Air's Operations in China US Dept. of State 19 May 2020 -- The People's Republic of China is one of the rapidly dwindling number of countries that welcomes Mahan Air, which ferries weapons and terrorists around the world for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Such cooperation has consequences.
• Treasury Designates China-based Mahan Air General Sales Agent US Treasury 19 May 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating China-based Shanghai Saint Logistics Limited for acting as a general sales agent (GSA) for or on behalf of Iranian airline Mahan Air.
• US Sanctions Chinese Logistics Firm for Working With Iranian Airline Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- The United States introduced sanctions against a Chinese logistics company for providing services to Iran's Mahan Air, the Treasury Department announced in a statement on Tuesday.
• US sanctions Chinese logistics firm over business with Iran's Mahan Air Press TV 19 May 2020 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on a China-based company saying it acted on behalf of Iran's Mahan Air, which has been sanctioned by Washington.
• Iranian Extradited From UK Arraigned In Minneapolis For Sanction-Busting Radio Farda 19 May 2020 -- A U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota has charged Payment24, an Iranian online financial services company, its founder and Chief Executive Officer Seyed Sajjad Shahidian and Chief Operating Officer, Vahid Vali, with violating U.S. sanctions on Iran.
• 'Direct war' to follow if US attacks Iran tankers to Venezuela Press TV 19 May 2020 -- A top US political analyst is warning that, "direct war" war could break out if the country attempts to attack Iranian fuel tankers en route to Venezuela.
• US not allowed to disrupt legal international trade: Iran FM Zarif Press TV 19 May 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the US is not permitted to disrupt legal trade among other countries, slamming such interventionist policies as a threat to the entire world community.
• Iran judiciary issues hefty sentences to corruption convicts Press TV 19 May 2020 -- An Iranian court responsible for economic corruption cases has handed down hefty sentences to 34 convicts, including to a couple who have been sentenced to death over money laundering, the country's judiciary has said.
• Israeli Operatives Behind 'Highly Accurate' Cyberattack on Iranian Port Facility, Report Claims Sputnik 19 May 2020 -- On 10 May, the managing director of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, Mohammad Rastad, confirmed in a televised statement that the county's port of Shahid Rajaee, in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas, was the victim of a cyberattack by an unknown foreign hacker on 9 May, bringing to a halt all shipping traffic in the facility.
• Israeli cyber terrorist attack targets Iranian port: Report Press TV 19 May 2020 -- Israel carried out a cyber terrorist attack that caused disruption at an Iranian port this month, the Washington Post reports.
• Iran's Rouhani Says Country Needs 'Two Or Three Main Political Parties' Radio Farda 19 May 2020 -- Islamic Republic's President Hassan Rouhani Monday called for the establishment of a few "main political parties" in the country that could take turns to govern.
• Critical Lawmaker In Iran Sentenced To Prison At The End Of His Term Radio Farda 19 May 2020 -- An outspoken member of Iran's parliament, Mahmoud Sadeghi, says a Tehran court of appeals has upheld a decision, sentencing him to 21 months in prison, and a 100 million rial (roughly $2400) fine.
• Parliament Says Intelligence Agencies Brought Losses To Iran's Auto Makers Radio Farda 19 May 2020 -- The Iranian Parliament (Majles) says the existence of several intelligence agencies in Iran has led to corruption and losses in the country's automobile manufacturing industry.
• Moldova Charges Plahotniuc In $1 Billion Fraud, Will Seek U.S. Extradition RFE/RL 19 May 2020 -- CHISINAU -- Moldovan prosecutors have charged Vlad Plahotniuc, a powerful oligarch and political figure, for his role in a massive bank theft, and will seek his extradition from the United States.
• Jailed Saudi royals hire Trump-tied lobbyists to counter MbS: NYT Press TV 19 May 2020 -- A number of prominent jailed Saudi royals and their allies have reportedly hired influential lobbyists in the US to establish links with President Donald Trump's circle and push for an end to "political persecution" by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while he is busy dealing with a coronavirus-related economic crisis in the kingdom.
• Belarusian Opposition Leader Statkevich's Presidential Bid Rejected RFE/RL 19 May 2020 -- MINSK -- The Belarusian Central Election Commission has rejected documents filed by the initiative group for prominent opposition leader Mikalay Statkevich to nominate him as a presidential candidate for balloting scheduled for August 9.
• Nigerian military rescues 18 crewmen following pirates' attack on Chinese vessel Global Times 19 May 2020 -- Eighteen crew members aboard a Chinese vessel, MV HAILUFANG II, were rescued unhurt by the Nigerian military following a recent attack by pirates within the Gulf of Guinea.
• Coordination essential to beat coronavirus, keep development goals on track UN News 19 May 2020 -- As the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis continues to wreak havoc across the world – with the most vulnerable suffering the most – the UN chief said on Tuesday that the task of eradicating poverty and achieving the development goals "has never been more challenging, more urgent and more necessary".
• Guterres encourages Member States to reach agreement over Ethiopian Nile dam project UN News 19 May 2020 -- UN chief António Guterres is encouraging Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to persevere with efforts to overcome their differences and reach agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
• Malawi Politicians Ignore COVID-19 Measures for Elections VOA 19 May 2020 -- Health experts in Malawi are concerned the ongoing presidential campaigns could help to spread the coronavirus. Political parties are holding mass rallies where few people are wearing face masks or observing social distancing, and one candidate told his supporters to hug each other when they pass on the street. Health authorities have warned that cases will balloon if the gatherings continue.
• Lesotho's New PM Has High Hopes – and Higher Stakes VOA 19 May 2020 -- Hopes are high across politically fractious Lesotho as Moeketsi Majoro, the nation's finance minister, prepares to become prime minister.
• Burundian Vote for New President Wednesday Despite Coronavirus Threat VOA 19 May 2020 -- Voters in Burundi will choose the country's new president, members of parliament and local officials in Wednesday's elections, which are tempered by the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak and allegations of voter suppression.
• A Troubled Government And Rare Protests In Turkmenistan RFE/RL 19 May 2020 -- The patience of many in Turkmenistan seems to have reached its limit when it comes to poor government services and officials seemingly apathetic to the plight of the average person.
• A Troubled Government And Rare Protests In Turkmenistan RFE/RL 19 May 2020 -- The patience of many in Turkmenistan seems to have reached its limit when it comes to poor government services and officials seemingly apathetic to the plight of the average person.
• Uzbekistan Reaches Out to Reverse Brain Drain VOA 19 May 2020 -- Uzbek leaders, like others in Central Asia, face an additional challenge as they marshal resources to confront a post-coronavirus future – a human capital deficit following decades in which some of its most talented citizens have left to pursue better opportunities elsewhere.
• Kenya Evicts 7,000 from Slums Despite Coronavirus Pandemic VOA 19 May 2020 -- Kenyan authorities have forcibly evicted more than 7,000 people from land in Nairobi slums over the last month, defying a court order. Authorities say they demolished homes because they were built on public land, but critics say mass evictions during a pandemic are inhumane and could further spread the coronavirus.