Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• MSF Ends Afghan Hospital Operation Following Deadly May Attack VOA 15 Jun 2020 -- A global medical humanitarian organization has withdrawn from a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, a month after unknown gunmen raided the facility's maternity ward and "systematically" killed 16 women.
• At Least 6 Killed, 16 Injured in Clashes Between Taliban, Army in Afghanistan - Police Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- At least six people were killed and 16 others injured in clashes between the Afghan government forces and the Taliban radical movement in the Qaisar district of the northern Afghan province of Faryab, the spokesman for the local police department, Karim Yorsh, said on Monday.
• Qatari capital to host first peace talks between Afghan government, Taliban Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Afghanistan's government and Taliban have agreed to hold their first high-level meeting in a long-awaited peace process in Qatar.
• MSF Withdraws From Kabul Hospital After 'Horrific' Attack On Maternity Ward RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that it has decided to cease activities at the Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Kabul, following a deadly attack at the facility's maternity wing last month, saying that similar "horrific" attacks may occur there in the future.

Defense Policy / Programs

• North Carolina National Guard prepares for hurricanes Army News 15 Jun 2020 -- The holiday celebrations of "Tis' the season" are months away, but for the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG), "Tis the season" to prepare for hurricanes.
• With airlines lagging, Army looking to bring former aviators back Army News 15 Jun 2020 -- With airlines running a reduced flight schedule and generally not hiring, the Army is open to accepting former aviators and crew members back into the service, according to the Army's command chief warrant officer for the aviation branch.
• Naval Forces Europe, Africa Commander Discusses European Picture, Arctic Challenges NNS 15 Jun 2020 -- Adm. James G. Foggo III, commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples and U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, spoke to the U.S. Naval War College audience June 9 via a video conference link.
• Fleet Readiness Center East Declares Capabilities on First F-35 Components NNS 15 Jun 2020 -- A new public-private partnership with Lockheed Martin gives Fleet Readiness Center East another means of supporting naval aviation. The depot recently declared capability on 14 F-35 components, meaning FRCE is now a verified source of repair and testing for these items.
• NSA Souda Bay Welcomes U.S. Ambassador, Greek Defense Leaders NNS 15 Jun 2020 -- Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece welcomed U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Greek Minister of Defense Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, and Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff Gen. Konstantinos Floros, to the installation June 12, 2020. During the leaders' visit, they toured the installation's facilities and met with command leaders.
• 48th Fighter Wing downed aircraft, pilot found deceased US Air Force 15 Jun 2020 -- One pilot was killed when their U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle crashed at approximately 9:40 a.m (BST) June 15, in the North Sea.
• Latest US fighter jet crash highlights safety issues surrounding US forces in UK Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- A US Air Force F-15C Eagle has crashed into the North Sea off the coast of Yorkshire, exacerbating concerns about the presence of US forces on British soil.
• F-35's Small Diameter Bomb Delayed a Year Thanks to Faulty Fin Design Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has warned the US Air Force's GBU-53 StormBreaker, better known as the Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB), has suffered almost a year's delay thanks to a problem discovered with the gliding bomb's folding wings.
• Trump: US Will Continue to Reduce Troop Presence in Germany Until Berlin Covers NATO Bill Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- Citing Berlin's alleged delinquency "in their payments to NATO," US President Donald Trump declared on Monday that Washington will reduce its military presence in Germany by more than half.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 15 Jun 2020
• NATO Secretary General consults with Defence Ministers from the Baltic region NATO 15 Jun 2020 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in a teleconference with the defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Monday (15 June 2020), as part of his ongoing political consultations in the run-up to the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers on June 17-18. The Secretary General updated ministers on plans for the ministerial.
• Upgraded S-400s May Get Anti-Hypersonic Capabilities, Air Defence Specialists Say Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- Entering into service with the Russian military in 2007, the S-400 remains the most advanced road-mobile anti-aircraft weapons system in Russia's arsenal, capable of shooting down everything from enemy aircraft and drones to ballistic and cruise missiles at ranges between 40 and 400 km.
• Russian Fighters Scrambled to Intercept US Bombers Over Baltic Sea Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- The Russia military detected the activities of the US B-52H bombers and surveillance planes over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea and scrambled fighter jets to follow them, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
• Chinese military to conduct exams for civilian positions PLA Daily 15 Jun 2020 -- The Chinese military will conduct examinations on August 23 to recruit candidates for its civilian positions, the military authority said Monday.
• PLA Xizang Military Command holds coordinated exercise in plateau region PLA Daily 15 Jun 2020 -- An infantry battalion of a brigade under the PLA Xizang Military Command organized infantry and tank coordinated exercise at the elevation of more than 4,700 meters, to comprehensively test the troops' coordination and rapid response capacity.
• China Adds Six Times More Nuclear Warheads Than India in a Year, Report Reveals Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- New Delhi (Sputnik): India is the third-biggest military spender in the world after the US and China; it spent at $71.1 billion (up 6.8 percent) in 2019. But the country lags behind its arch-rivals, China and Pakistan, in terms of its nuclear arsenal as per the report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
• Germany's Heiko Maas Not Surprised by Uncoordinated US Move to Pull Troops, Sees Relations as Tough Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed the belief on Monday that it was not surprising that the United States had not coordinated with Berlin the decision to withdraw troops, qualifying the bilateral relations as "difficult".
• Japanese Defence Minister Says Aegis Ashore Deployment to Be Halted Due to High Cost Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- Japan intends to stop deployment of Aegis Ashore, a US missile defence system, because of its cost and the deployment schedule, Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said Monday.
• Japan Drops Plan to Deploy US Missile System VOA 15 Jun 2020 -- Japan's Defense Minister announced Monday the country will cancel plans to deploy a costly, land-based U.S. missile defense system designed to counter escalating threats from North Korea.
• South Korea Increases Combat Readiness Amid Soaring Tensions With North, Reports Claim Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- South Korea has increased monitoring and combat readiness along its border with North Korea amid escalating tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang, the Yonhap state news agency reported on Monday.
• Poroshenko Blames Yanukovych For Ukrainian Army's Weak State When Russia Seized Crimea RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says that only 20 percent of the country's armed forces were combat-efficient when Russia annexed Crimea following the toppling of Russia-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in early 2014.
• Indonesian Military Jet Crashes on Sumatra Island, Pilot Survives - Reports Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- An Indonesian Air Force fighter jet crashed on Monday in the province of Riau on the eastern coast of Sumatra island, with the pilot surviving the accident after ejecting himself, the Jakarta Post newspaper reported, citing the spokesman for the country's air force.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For June 15, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 15 June 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Jun 2020
• Children caught in conflict facing 'brutality and fear while the world watches' UN News 15 Jun 2020 -- Boys and girls used and abused in armed conflict have had their childhoods replaced by "pain, brutality and fear while the world watches", the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, said on Monday.
• Taiwan vows to protect fishermen's rights in disputed waters CNA 15 Jun 2020 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) assured Taiwanese fishermen on Monday that their rights to fish in waters surrounding the disputed Diaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea will be protected.
• Saudi-led coalition kills 11 in northern Yemen, launches 43 raids in 4 provinces Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Eleven civilians have been killed in airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in northern Yemen, local media reports say.
• The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Joint Coalition Forces Intercept and Destroy a bomb-laden Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Launched by the Terrorist Iran-backed Houthi Militia in an Attempt to Target Civilians and Civilian Objects in (Khamis Mushait) SPA 15 Jun 2020 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki
• Iran to host virtual meeting on peace process in Syria: FM Zarif Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will soon host a virtual conference on the situation in Syria and the Arab country's peace process as agreed by the three guarantor countries in the Kazakh capital.
• Syria to launch new offensive in Idlib as Turkey deadline passes Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Syrian government forces have been preparing to launch an offensive against militants in Idlib after Turkey failed to live up to its commitments under a deal with Russia.
• Over 45 Drones Used by Militants in Syria Downed by Tor Air Defence Systems, Russian Military Says Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- Russian Tor air defence missile systems have downed more than 45 drones used by militants in Syria, the chief of the Russian air defence forces, Lieutenant General Alexander Leonov, said.
• Iraq condemns Turkish violation of its airspace to hit PKK positions in Kurdistan region Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Iraq has denounced recent Turkish violation of its airspace to target a refugee camp in the Arab country's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty.
• UAE finances anti-Turkey PKK terrorists in northern Iraq: Report Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- A report says the United Arab Emirates has allegedly provided financial support to the anti-Turkey PKK militant group in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
• Turkey launches airstrikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Turkish jet fighters have launched an operation against Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq, according to Turkey's Defense Ministry.
• Iraq: UN probe into ISIL atrocities making 'real progress', Security Council hears UN News 15 Jun 2020 -- The special UN Investigative Team probing ISIL atrocities in Iraq is making "real progress," its chief said on Monday, as it begins to pinpoint the perpetrators of some of the worst crimes committed by the terrorist group during its years-long occupation of large swathes of the country.
• Turkey planning to set up 2 permanent military bases in Libya: Turkish daily Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Turkey is reportedly planning to set up two permanent military bases in Libya following the Tripoli government's operation to retake areas seized by rebel forces under the command of renegade general Khalifa Haftar.
• Turkey Says Moscow, Ankara Have 'No Significant Disagreements' on Need for Libya Ceasefire Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- Turkey deployed combat troops to Libya earlier this year, and has provided large amounts of military equipment to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) for its war against General Haftar's Libyan National Army (GNA). Moscow is seeking to facilitate a political settlement to end the long-running Libyan civil war.
• Captured Rakhine Villagers Forced to Work For Myanmar Army, Relatives Say Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2020 -- Families of villagers from Rakhine state held by the Myanmar military since March for suspected ties to the rebel Arakan Army on Monday demanded the release of the men, telling reporters that some detained civilians are being forced to perform hard labor for the army.
• Rohingya refugees bound for Malaysia being 'held hostage' by traffickers at sea Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya Muslim refugees attempting to reach Malaysia by boat from Bangladesh are being held hostage by human traffickers at sea, families and aid groups say.
• Chinese Ministry of National Defense slams U.S. military plane flying over Taiwan PLA Daily 15 Jun 2020 -- On Monday afternoon, a Chinese defense spokesperson slammed the flight by a U.S. C-40 military transport aircraft over Chinese territory without Chinese side's permission on June 9, calling it an extremely wrong and dangerous action.
• Disabled Tibetans Must Denounce Dalai Lama to Get Jobs Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2020 -- Disabled Tibetans seeking low-paying jobs in Chinese government departments must now pass political tests to qualify for employment, with applicants required to reject "ethnic separatism" and denounce Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, a state directive says.
• Calls Mount in Europe For Reciprocal Access to Tibet Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2020 -- Calls are mounting in Europe for member states of the EU to enact legislation demanding that European diplomats, journalists, and researchers be granted access to travel in Tibet, a region largely restricted to outsiders while Chinese nationals can freely travel throughout European countries, a Tibet advocacy group said in a new report on Monday.
• Israel advances new Golan settlement named after Trump People's Daily 15 Jun 2020 -- Israel started on Sunday preparations for building a new settlement in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights named after U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
• Hamas calls for united 'resistance' against Israel's plans to annex parts of West Bank Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has called for unity among all Palestinian political factions and "resistance" against the Israeli regime's contentious plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank and apply its own rule to them.
• Israel building road linking settlements ahead of West Bank annexation, report says Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- A new report shows that days ahead of Israel's annexation of the occupied West Bank, the regime is busy constructing a major new ring road for Jerusalem al-Quds that creates yet another obstacle to Palestinians' hopes for making the eastern sector of the city the capital of their future state.
• Israel to build new settlement named after 'Trump' Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Israel is to construct a new illegal settlement and name it after US President Donald Trump in order to "express gratitude" for his services to the Zionist regime.
• IDF Launches Retaliatory Strikes on Multiple Hamas Posts After Rocket Launch From Gaza Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday their response to a rocket fired from Gaza that landed in an open field, launching airstrikes at militant positions and infrastructure in the northern Gaza Strip.
• Jordan Hopes to Avert Israeli Annexation of West Bank Lands VOA 15 Jun 2020 -- Jordan's King Abdullah II could be facing the most serious decisions of his 21 years on the throne, should Israel follow through with plans to annex parts of the West Bank on July 1, analysts say. As only one of two Arab peace partners with the Jewish state, they say such an Israeli move would spark a volatile reaction from the Jordan's own population and mark the end of a two-state solution which the monarch has championed to resolve the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Somali, Somaliland Leaders Resume Talks in Djibouti VOA 15 Jun 2020 -- The leaders of the federal government of Somalia and the self-declared republic of Somaliland held a landmark meeting in the neighboring Djibouti on Sunday.

News Reports

• Criminal Case Opened Against Russian Opposition Figure Navalny For Suspected Libel RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- Russian investigators have opened a criminal investigation against opposition politician Aleksei Navalny for suspected libel over comments he made on social media.
• U.S. Citizen Whelan Sentenced To 16 Years For Spying By Russian Court RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- A Russian court has found former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan guilty on an espionage charge, a verdict that the top U.S. diplomat in Russia called a "mockery of justice."
• Russian Foreign Ministry Slams Accusations of Moscow Drawing Out Whelan's Process Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- The accusations of the Western media of Moscow drawing out the process of US citizen Paul Whelan, sentenced to 16 years in prison over espionage earlier in the day, are groundless and absurd, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.
• The Conviction of U.S. Citizen Paul Whelan in Russia US Dept. of State 15 Jun 2020 -- "The United States is outraged by the decision of a Russian court today to convict U.S. citizen Paul Whelan after a secret trial, with secret evidence, and without appropriate allowances for defense witnesses."
• Russian Court Sentences former US Marine to 16 Years for Espionage VOA 15 Jun 2020 -- A Moscow court convicted former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan on charges of espionage on Monday, sentencing him to 16 years of hard labor in a ruling all but certain to further roil the current low ebb in US-Russian relations.
• Another Russian Researcher Charged With High Treason RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- The Russian authorities have charged the president of the St. Petersburg-based Arctic Academy, Valery Mitko, with high treason in an ongoing spate of similar investigations targeting Russian academics.
• In Diplomatic Tit-For-Tat, Moscow Expels Two Czech Diplomats RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry has declared two Czech diplomats personae non gratae in retaliation to a similar move by Prague several days ago.
• Russian Foreign Ministry Summons Czech Ambassador Over Diplomatic Row Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- The Czech ambassador has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with a diplomatic scandal, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on June 15, 2020 PRC MofA 15 Jun 2020
• Hong Kong, Arms Control on Agenda of Planned US-China Meeting VOA 15 Jun 2020 -- Top diplomats from the United States and China are planning for a closed-door meeting Wednesday in Honolulu, as anti-U.S. propaganda from China's state-controlled media outlets intensifies, exacerbating rising tensions between the two countries.
• Central govt has jurisdiction over serious cases in HK on natl security: official Global Times 15 Jun 2020 -- A senior official of the central government in charge of Hong Kong and Macao affairs said the central government should retain its jurisdiction over "specific serious cases" in Hong Kong that grossly compromise national security, but that the city government will shoulder the "major" responsibility in enforcing the national security law after it is enacted.
• HKSAR gov't finance chief appeals for putting aside conflicts, focusing on economy Global Times 15 Jun 2020 -- Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Paul Chan on Sunday appealed to relevant people to put aside conflicts and focus on the region's economic development.
• Hong Kong is the bridge between the world, Chinese mainland: HKEX chief Global Times 15 Jun 2020 -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), one of the world's most important financial hubs, will continue to play its role as a bridge between the Chinese mainland and the world, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEX) Chief Executive Charles Li Xiaojia said on Monday.
• China: Hong Kong security law will apply to extremely rare cases Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- A senior Chinese official has assured Hong Kong's residents that the national security legislation, which has sparked fresh protests in the semi-autonomous territory, will grant the mainland special jurisdiction over "some extremely rare" security cases there.
• Crowds Gather in Hong Kong to Mourn Anniversary of Protester's Death Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2020 -- More than 1,000 people turned out on Monday in defiance of a ban on public gatherings to mark the first anniversary of the death of Hong Kong protester Marco Leung Ling-kit.
• Final Beidou satellite ready for launch People's Daily 15 Jun 2020 -- A Long March 3B carrier rocket sits on the launchpad at Xichang Satellite Center in Sichuan province, ready to send the last satellite of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System into space.
• DPRK Will Take Ceaseless Retaliatory Actions: Rodong Sinmun KCNA 15 Jun 2020 -- Rodong Sinmun Monday in an article says that the feeble and incompetent south Korean authorities' veiled hostile policy resulted in the catastrophe of the north-south relations and the worst state of tension on the Korean Peninsula.
• South Korea Urges North to Keep Up Joint Peace Efforts Following Communication Cut-Off Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in called on Pyongyang on Monday to persevere in their joint peace efforts in his first official remarks after North Korea cut all communication channels with Seoul.
• IAEA chief says it continues verification of Iran's nuclear program IRNA 15 Jun 2020 -- Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi said that the agency continues to verify non-diversion of Iran's declared nuclear material and evaluate the absence of undeclared materials and activities in accordance with the safeguards agreement.
• Any IAEA's counterproductive decision to be met with Iran's proper response: Mousavi ISNA 15 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Seyyed Abbas Mousavi criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency's recent report on Iran and said, "They are trying to reopen a closed case based on the US and Zionist regime's allegations about Iran's legal nuclear activities".
• UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Again Demands Iran Allow Inspectors Into Sites RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has again pressed Iran to provide inspectors with access to sites where the country is thought to have stored or used undeclared nuclear material.
• IAEA Chief Concerned About Iran's Non-Cooperation With International Inspections Radio Farda 15 Jun 2020 -- The director general of the United nation's nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed concern about the denial of access by Iran to its inspectors.
• Iran Warns Nuclear Watchdog Not to Make Decisions Based on Disinformation Provided by Mossad Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- Last week, a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report found that Iran is continuing to build up its uranium stockpile, and enriching beyond limits outlined in the 2015 nuclear deal. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the world to "reimpose paralyzing sanctions" against Tehran.
• Iran warns IAEA board against falling under US, Israel pressure Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has warned the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors against targeting Tehran under pressure from the United States and Israel.
• Iran Threatens 'Appropriate Response' If IAEA Adopts 'Unconstructive Decision' Radio Farda 15 Jun 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi on Monday said any "unconstructive decision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will receive an "appropriate response" from Iran.
• No change in Iran JCPOA implementation, cooperation with agency: IAEA chief Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says there has been no change in Iran's implementation of its obligations as per the nuclear deal it clinched with major world powers in 2015, nor the country's cooperation with the UN agency.
• Iranian Oil Shipments To China Rebranded In Malaysia To Circumvent Sanctions Radio Farda 15 Jun 2020 -- Like its Latin American ally, Venezuela, Iran appears to be rebranding its crude oil destined for China in Malaysia to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
• Iran's Money Supply Skyrockets Parallel To Inflation Radio Farda 15 Jun 2020 -- Latest liquidity figures released June 15 by the Central Bank of Iran show the volume of money in circulation in the country grew by 31 percent from March 2019 to March 2020.
• Fugitive Iran Judge 'Demanded More' When Offered A 500,000 Euro Bribe Radio Farda 15 Jun 2020 -- In the third court hearing of a major corruption case in Iran, more revelations were made about a fugitive judge who fled the country last year and is now in Romania.
• Governor ِDenies Widely Reported Massacre Of Iran Protesters In November Radio Farda 15 Jun 2020 -- The governor of Khuzestan in Iran has denied that the Islamic Republic security forces killed dozens of protesters during the widespread anti-regime unrest in November in a marshland near the city of Mahshahr.
• Iraq tells Iran it will stick to commitments on OPEC+ supply cuts: IRNA Press TV 15 Jun 2020 -- Iraq's oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismail has said that his country would stick to commitments made to an alliance of international oil producers to reduce its supplies to the international markets.
• Kyrgyz Prime Minister Resigns Over Corruption Probe RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- Kyrgyz Prime Minister Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev has resigned, citing an ongoing criminal investigation into the assignment of national radio frequencies.
• U.S. Envoy Says Kosovo, Serbia Agree To White House Meeting In Late June RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- The U.S. special envoy for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations says he has received commitments from both countries to meet in Washington on June 27 for talks aimed at leading to a normalization of relations.
• Belarus Jails Several Opposition Figures In Widening Clampdown Ahead Of Election RFE/RL 15 Jun 2020 -- Prominent Belarusian opposition leader Mikalay Statkevich and several bloggers have been sentenced to 15 days in jail as part of a widening crackdown on dissent in the country ahead of elections.
• Mexican President Says Ready to Ship Gasoline to Venezuela Despite US Sanctions Sputnik 15 Jun 2020 -- Mexico is ready to ship gasoline to Venezuela if asked, despite US sanctions pressure on the Latin American country, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday.
• The United States Condemns Maduro's Latest Step to Rig the Next Venezuelan Election US Dept. of State 15 Jun 2020 -- Free elections are the path out of Venezuela's deep political crisis. Unfortunately, on June 12, the Maduro regime-controlled Supreme Court continued to manipulate the Venezuelan Constitution by illegally naming a new, regime-aligned National Electoral Council (CNE).
• Chief Minister of Myanmar's Yangon Bows Out of 2020 Elections Radio Free Asia 15 Jun 2020 -- The chief minister of Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon, seen as a possible successor to Aung San Suu Kyi, told RFA on Monday that he will not contest elections in November because of a "health condition," dismissing reports he had filed papers to run.
• Uganda's Main Opposition Leaders Unite, Call for Peaceful Protests VOA 15 Jun 2020 -- Uganda's top opposition leaders – Robert Kyagulanyi of the People Power Movement and Kizza Besigye of the People's Government – announced Monday they are joining forces to demonstrate against President Yoweri Museveni's administration.