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News Reports

Current Operations

• UN Special Rapporteur Gives More Cause to Distrust UN Human Rights Mechanisms US Dept. of State 09 Jul 2020 -- "We reject the report and opinions released today by UN Special Rapporteur Callamard related to the U.S. strike that killed Islamic Republic Guard Corps Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani."
• Pompeo Calls UN Expert's Conclusions On Soleimani Killing 'Spurious' RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has defended a U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq early this year, after a UN expert deemed it as "unlawful."
• 28 Georgian Soldiers in Afghanistan Infected with Coronavirus VOA 10 Jul 2020 -- The novel coronavirus has reportedly infected 28 Georgian soldiers in the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.
• U.S. Military Leaders Vow Response If Proof Of Russian Bounties Paid To Taliban Uncovered RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- Top Pentagon officials have said that the United States will respond if the U.S. military is able to corroborate reports that Russia paid militants linked to the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Beans, Bullets, Bandages and Care Packages - Fleet Logistics in the Indo-Pacific NNS 10 Jul 2020 -- The 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, with hundreds of ships, submarines and aircraft in the theater on any given day. That steady presence would not be possible without the responsive, resilient sustainment provided by the replenishment team at Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) / Task Force 73 (CTF 73) and the Military Sealift Command's Combat Logistics Force.
• DOD Announces $84.4 Million in Defense Production Act Title III COVID-19 Actions DoD 10 Jul 2020 -- Today, the Department announces seven Defense Production Act Title III actions to help sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and defense-critical workforce in the small unmanned aerial systems, space technology, and shipbuilding industries.
• U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Leaders Brief Reporters on Initial Entry Training in COVID-19 Environment DoD 10 Jul 2020 -- Major General Andrea D. Tullos, Commander, 2nd Air Force, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi; Major General Lonnie G. Hibbard, Commander, Army Center For Initial Military Training, Fort Eustis, Virginia; Major General John J. DeGoes, Commander, 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
• Trump Visits Southern Command for Briefing on Campaign Against Drugs DoD News 10 Jul 2020 -- President Donald J. Trump traveled to Florida this morning for a briefing on what he said has been a successful operation to cut the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
• Remarks by President Trump in Briefing on SOUTHCOM Enhanced Counternarcotics Operations The White House 10 Jul 2020
• Remarks by President Trump on SOUTHCOM Enhanced Counternarcotics Operations The White House 10 Jul 2020
• US Is Committed To Defending Arab States In The Persian Gulf, Pompeo Says Radio Farda 10 Jul 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated that Washington is committed to providing security help for the Persian Gulf Arab countries in the face of the Islamic Republic of Iran's increasing missile capability.
• AFRICOM logistics lead discusses international partners with U.S. logistics experts AFRICOM 10 Jul 2020 -- U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Leonard Kosinski, U.S. Africa Command director of logistics, spoke to international logistics experts during a webinar hosted by the Lexington Institute July 8.
• Pale Rider: US Armored Cavalry to Rapidly Deploy to Europe Despite Record COVID-19 Cases Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The US Army is testing an armored cavalry unit's ability to rapidly deploy to Europe, despite more than a week of record-breaking daily new COVID-19 cases in the United States.
• Lavrov 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S. RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he is "not particularly optimistic" about a possible extension of the New START nuclear arms-control treaty with the United States.
• Chinese military training in South China Sea for capability elevation and regional stability protection PLA Daily 10 Jul 2020 -- China is firmly opposed to United States' groundless accusation about China's military training in South China Sea, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday.
• China's two first-generation ocean-going landing ships decommissioned PLA Daily 10 Jul 2020 -- Two first-generation homemade ocean-going tank landing ships, namely the Yuntaishan and Zijinshan, were officially decommissioned from the PLA Navy on July 7.
• US 'trilateral negotiations' a 'political trick' Global Times 10 Jul 2020 -- China is opposed to the US idea of "China-US-Russia trilateral arms control negotiations," which is neither serious nor sincere, and is no more than a political trick, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
• China rejects US offer to join trilateral arms control talks Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- China has rejected any prospect of participating in trilateral negotiations on arms control that involve both the United States and Russia, saying Washington's offer to join the talks is "neither serious nor sincere."
• Boeing Delivers Five Apache Combat Helicopters to India Amid Heightened Tensions with China Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- India has urged its military equipment suppliers to expedite the delivery of weapons systems, as tensions along the 4,057 km Line of Actual Control have escalated since April. The US, France and Russia have agreed to supply military systems within three months once an order is placed, say government sources.
• Japan's GSDF starts US Osprey aircraft deployment amid local concerns Global Times 10 Jul 2020 -- The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force started its deployment of the US military's Osprey transport aircraft at Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture on Friday amid local concerns about the aircraft's safety.
• U.S. approves possible sale of F-35B fighter to Japan People's Daily 10 Jul 2020 -- The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Thursday submitted the notification to the Congress of the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Japan, which includes 42 F-35B jets able to be deployed on amphibious assault ships.
• Over 100 F-35 Fighter Jets to Be Sold to Japan for More Than $23.1 Billion, Pentagon Says Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The US State Department has approved a possible $23.11 billion sale of 105 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Japan, the Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release.
• Korea - Peace Krypton Follow-On Support and Equipment Upgrades DSCA 10 Jul 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea of items and services to extend follow-on support to its Peace Krypton reconnaissance aircraft for an estimated cost of $250 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• South Korea to Purchase Spy Aircraft Equipment for $250 Million From US Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The US State Department approved a tentative sale of services and equipment needed to upgrade the South Korean Peace Krypton reconnaissance aircraft for $250 million, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release.
• U.S. approves Taiwan's PAC-3 air defense recertification request CNA 10 Jul 2020 -- The United States Department of State has approved a request by Taiwan for the recertification of its Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) air defense missiles, at an estimated cost of US$620 million.
• US arms sales to Taiwan more 'symbolic' than of military value: expert Global Times 10 Jul 2020 -- After stirring up tensions in the Taiwan Straits by frequently sending military aircraft and warships near the island, and meeting countermeasures by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the US on Thursday announced the approval of yet another arms deal to Taiwan involving the recertification of air defense missiles for $620 million.
• US sells Patriot upgrade package to Taiwan to deter 'regional threats' Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- The United States has approved a request from Taiwan to modernize the self-ruled island's Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to counter what it claims as "regional threats", amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington.
• Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure The White House 10 Jul 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For July 10, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 10 July 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 Jul 2020
• Risk of Great Power Conflict in South China Sea is Rising, Experts Say Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- The risk of the United States and China stumbling into conflict in the South China Sea is rising as their military exercises intensify and various nations adopt a more muscular presence in this key regional hotspot, experts say.
• UN warns nearly 10 million people facing acute food shortages in Yemen Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- The United Nations has warned that almost 10 million Yemenis are facing acute food shortages in the impoverished Arab country, stressing that urgent action is needed to avert a famine there.
• Yemen vows retaliation after Saudi Arabia destroys civilian vessels Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- The spokesman for Yemen's Armed Forces has censured Saudi Arabia for waging a war against the impoverished Arab country over destruction of two civilian vessels in the strategic Red Sea, vowing that Yemeni troops and allied fighters will respond to the act of aggression.
• Waiting to declare famine 'will be too late for Yemenis on brink of starvation' UN News 10 Jul 2020 -- In Yemen, fears of famine have resurfaced as UN humanitarians also warned on Friday that 360,000 severely malnourished children could die unless they continue to get treatment and aid is stepped up. In an urgent appeal for funding, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that it needs $200 million per month to maintain assistance in the war-torn country.
• UN Security Council Deadlocked Over Aid Deliveries to NW Syria VOA 10 Jul 2020 -- The U.N. Security Council was unable to break a deadlock Friday night that would decide the fate of a cross-border aid operation from Turkey into northwest Syria that assists 3 million people.
• Syria: Authorization to continue lifesaving cross-border aid remains in limbo UN News 10 Jul 2020 -- -With the deadline just hours away, the Security Council has failed on its third attempt this week to extend its authorization for lifesaving food, medicine and shelter to cross into northwest Syria from Turkey.
• UNSC Fails to Adopt Russian Draft Resolution to Deliver Syria Aid via 1 Crossing for One Year Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The previous resolution submitted by Russia was also blocked in the UNSC, with the United States, UK, Germany, France, Estonia, Belgium, and the Dominican Republican voting against the measure.
• Russia, China Again Veto Aid to Millions of Syrians VOA 10 Jul 2020 -- With only hours to go before a mandate to deliver aid across the border from Turkey into northwest Syria was due to expire Friday, Russia and China vetoed a U.N. resolution extending that assistance for six more months, threatening to totally shut down the operation.
• US convoy forced to move back by Syrian army in Hasakah Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- A US military convoy has been forced to retreat from an area in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah when it was blocked at a checkpoint of the Syrian Arab Army.
• Militants Shell Towns in Syria's Idlib, Aleppo, Latakia Provinces, Russian Military Says Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- Militants from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group have attacked settlements in three Syrian provinces, Rear Adm. Alexander Shcherbitsky, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's centre for Syrian reconciliation, said on Friday.
• Russia, Some OPCW Member States Criticize Report on Chemical Attacks in Syria Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- Russia and some members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) believe that the conclusions made by an OPCW investigative team regarding chemical attacks in Syria could result in a further split of the international organisation.
• Reports: Lebanese Hezbollah Opening Unofficial Border Crossing With Syria VOA 10 Jul 2020 -- The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is intensifying efforts to open a new border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, local sources and Arab media reported this week.
• China's envoy urges India to properly handle differences and bring ties back on track PLA Daily 10 Jul 2020 -- Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong Friday called on China and India to implement the consensus and handle differences properly to bring bilateral ties on the right track.
• India, China Decide to Address Border Issues Promptly to Assure Enduring Peace and Tranquillity Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- India and China held several rounds of talks between military commanders and diplomats to de-escalate tensions, which led to a deadly conflict on 15 June, claiming the lives of 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers. The armies of both countries have pulled back from friction points along the border.
• Satellite Images Appear to Show De-escalation of Indian, Chinese Troops at Pangong Tso Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- As military and diplomatic level talks last week have resulted in the withdrawal of troops along the Line of Actual Control in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh, another round of talks between Indian national security adviser Shri Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are underway on Friday.
• One Indian Soldier Killed as Heavy Cross-Border Firing Underway Between India and Pakistan Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The two south Asian foes, India and Pakistan, at odds over Jammu and Kashmir since independence, have been accusing each other of constant ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC). In the latest developments, India lodged a protest with Pakistan for 14 deaths in cross-border firing between the two countries.
• Libya's NOC Says Lifting Force Majeure on Oil Exports But Production Low for Now Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Friday it had lifted the force majeure regime off oil exports, adding that the production was still low because of technical issues.
• 10,000 Rally Over Shooting of Civilians in Myanmar's Shan State Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- Thousands of residents of northeastern Myanmar's Shan state protested on Friday over an incident last month when government troops allegedly killed one civilian and injured another in a clash with a local ethnic army, local residents said.
• Netherlands Takes Russia To European Rights Court Over MH17 Downing RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- The Dutch government is taking Russia to the European Court of Human Rights for its alleged role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
• Moscow Slams Hague's Decision to Bring Russia Before European Court of Human Rights Over MH17 Crash Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The news comes after the Dutch Public Prosecution Service agreed to delay the hearings from this autumn to February-March 2021, after a request by attorneys and representatives of the victims.
• France's Macron asks Israel's Netanyahu to abandon annexation plan Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from pushing forward with his plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
• Israel's plan to annex occupied West Bank risks outburst of regional rage, Russia warns Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- Russia has warned that the Israeli regime's contentious plans to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank and strategic Jordan Valley risk the outburst of violence across the Middle East region.
• Tibetan Monasteries Closed to Outside Visitors on Dalai Lama's Birthday Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- Chinese authorities fanned out across Tibetan areas of China over the weekend, warning Tibetan monasteries not to host "outside visitors" during the 85th birthday on July 6 of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, a source in exile said.
• 1 Dead in Mali Protests Demanding President Resign VOA 10 Jul 2020 -- At least one person is dead as protesters in Mali's capital attempted to occupy key government buildings and blocked main roads Friday demanding the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

News Reports

• Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grant of Clemency for Roger Stone, Jr. The White House 10 Jul 2020
• US Judge Asks Appeals Court to Reconsider Order Dismissing Flynn Case Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- US Judge Emmet Sullivan, who is overseeing the criminal prosecution against former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, has asked a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision to dismiss the case, court documents revealed on Thursday.
• Russia rejects 'unscrupulous speculation' alleging offer of bounties to Taliban Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed "unscrupulous speculation" about alleged Russian ties with the Taliban militants in Afghanistan.
• The Week In Russia: A Rough Start To A New Era RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- Raids, arrests, and a terror-related verdict against a journalist examining the root causes of a violent act. Russia's first week under an amended constitution that opens the path for Vladimir Putin to remain president until 2036 was packed with developments that deepened concerns among opponents, rights activists, and critics about the country's direction in a potentially harrowing new era.
• A Sweeping Clampdown In Russia Has Putin Critics Warning Of New Repressions RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- As Russians cast ballots in a tightly managed vote on constitutional changes that would pave the way for President Vladimir Putin to extend his rule until 2036, some of his critics warned the changes would usher in a clampdown on dissent and strengthen the hand of Russia's powerful security services.
• Russian Governor Charged With Ordering Murders Sent To Pretrial Detention RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- Sergei Furgal, the detained governor of Russia's Far Eastern Khabarovsk region, has been sent to pretrial detention on charges of attempted murder and ordering the killing of two local businessmen.
• Russia-China Gas Deal Proves Costly for Both Sides Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- Russia's natural gas prices for China have started to drop amid signs that the contract for supplies from the Power of Siberia pipeline will prove costly for both countries.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on July 10, 2020 PRC MofA 10 Jul 2020
• Hong Kong Police Raid Public Opinion Pollster Linked to Pro-Democracy Primaries Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- Hong Kong police on Friday raided the offices of a polling organization tasked with running primaries that will select pro-democracy candidates in September's Legislative Council (LegCo) elections.
• Positive energy urged between China and US People's Daily 10 Jul 2020 -- China on Thursday proposed a list of interactions with the United States on specifying cooperation, maintaining dialogue and properly handling differences as their relationship faces the most severe challenge since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
• Journalists, Free Speech Activists 'at Risk of Dying' in Chinese Jails Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- At least 10 free-speech activists are at risk of dying behind bars in China, a Paris-based press freedom group said on Friday, as the authorities continued their crackdown on online speech across the country.
• China to Take Countersteps in Response to US Sanctions on Xinjiang Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- China will take measures in response to the US sanctions against the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau, a representative of the Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian, said Friday.
• Taiwan's exclusion from WHO shows agency's deficiencies: Pompeo CNA 10 Jul 2020 -- The exclusion of Taiwan from the World Health Organization (WHO) is the evidence of the WHO's deficiencies, U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo said Thursday.
• North Korea Sends 30 Pyongyang Families of Missing Overseas Workers Into Internal Exile Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- North Korea has banished 30 Pyongyang families to rural mountainous areas because their immediate family members working overseas went missing and are suspected to have fled to South Korea or other countries, sources in the North told RFA.
• Fire Visible From China Destroys Train and Warehouse at North Korean Station Radio Free Asia 10 Jul 2020 -- A fire at a train station in the North Korean city of Sinuiju destroyed a freight train carrying hundreds of tons of cooking oil from China and a warehouse full of cargo, witnesses who watched the blaze from across the Chinese border told RFA Friday.
• Pompeo says "very hopeful" to continue U.S.-DPRK dialogue People's Daily 10 Jul 2020 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the United States is "very hopeful" to continue dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at various levels, though the latter has signaled its unwillingness to do so.
• Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea Biegun Visit to Tokyo US Dept. of State 10 Jul 2020 -- During his July 9-10 visit to Tokyo, Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen E. Biegun met with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Defense Minister Taro Kono, Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba, and other Japanese officials to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance during this 60th anniversary year of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.
• Iran Parliament investigating Natanz site incident IRNA 10 Jul 2020 -- Head of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament Mojtaba Zulnouri said various dimensions of incident in Natanz nuclear site is under investigation and the cause of incident has been identified.
• FM spox says too early to comment on cause of Natanz incident IRNA 10 Jul 2020 -- Spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Abbas Mousavi commented on the claims by certain enemy media bout the incident which recently happened in Iran's Natanz nuclear facility and said it was too early to decide about its main cause.
• Iran warns of consequences if foreign role in Natanz blast proven Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- Iran says it is still early to talk about the main cause of the recent explosion at Natanz nuclear facility, but there will be consequences if it is proven that foreign elements have been involved.
• Tehran Vows Consequences for Anyone Involved in Natanz Nuclear Facility Blast Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- Iran has warned about consequences if Tehran learns information on the involvement of any country in the recent incident that took place on the Natanz advanced centrifuge plant, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Friday.
• Iran Refutes Claims of Explosion in Western Tehran Province Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The Iranian authorities have denied reports about an explosion that allegedly took place in the province of Tehran late on Thursday, the broadcaster IRIB reported on Friday, citing the head of one of the local cities.
• Witnesses refute rumors about blast, power outage near Tehran Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- Eyewitnesses have refuted rumors circulating across various news outlets and social media platforms about explosions and power outage in and near Tehran province.
• Lawmaker Denies Online Reports Of Explosion West Of Tehran Radio Farda 10 Jul 2020 -- Following social media reports saying an explosion was heard west of Iran's capital city Tehran, a member of parliament has denied it.
• Blast Reported In Western Tehran, Officials Deny RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- An explosion was heard in western Tehran early on June 10, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB and the semiofficial Mehr news agency reported, citing social media.
• Iran Made 'Procurement Attempts' for Its Nuclear Programme Last Year, Report Says Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- The crisis around Tehran's atomic programme resumed in 2018 after President Donald Trump announced America's unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Russian Exports To Iran Continue To Grow Despite Decline In Tehran's Trade Radio Farda 10 Jul 2020 -- According to the latest figures released by Russia's Federal Customs Service (FTS) it exported $692 million worth of goods to Iran from January to May, which indicates a 31 percent growth in comparison with the same period last year.
• Increasing Electricity Consumption In Iran Can Lead To Blackouts Radio Farda 10 Jul 2020 -- Iran's electricity management company, TAVANIR, says consumers in the country set a new record for electricity consumption in the past few days.
• Government Price Fixing Hugely Benefits Iran Steel Producers Radio Farda 10 Jul 2020 -- A lawmaker in Iran says iron ore prices dictated to mine owners hugely benefits steelmakers as they purchase the ore at half the international price but sell their products at 5 to 10 percent higher.
• Iran Promises To Publish Details Of Pact With China As Negative Reactions Grow Radio Farda 10 Jul 2020 -- Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Gholamreza Ansari has promised to publish the details of a controversial pact with China, amid a strong public outcry against concessions to Beijing.
• Iran's FM spokesman defends draft strategic document with China IRNA 10 Jul 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi defended a draft roadmap document with China, saying despite all the speculations made about it in social networks, the document is a source of pride.
• 'Strengthen multilateralism' to combat global terrorism UN News 10 Jul 2020 -- Although COVID-19 has tested "national resilience, international solidarity and multilateral cooperation", we must not "pause our efforts" in the battle against terrorism, the UN counter-terrorism chief said on Friday.
• UN Rights Expert Describes 'Dire' Situation In Belarus Ahead Of Presidential Vote RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- The UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus says the country's "already dire" human rights situation has deteriorated further over the last year, amid a widening crackdown on civil society ahead of a presidential election.
• Brazil's Draft 'Fake News' Bill Could Stifle Dissent, Critics Warn VOA 10 Jul 2020 -- A proposed law in Brazil to counter misinformation and false news is being criticized by journalists, privacy activists, social media networks and even President Jair Bolsonaro, who's been among the harshest media critics.
• Additional Criminal Cases Launched Against Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office has launched four additional criminal cases against former President Petro Poroshenko, his lawyer Ihor Holovan said on June 10.
• India to buy Venezuela oil under swap deal amid US sanctions Press TV 10 Jul 2020 -- India has decided to receive a cargo of Venezuelan crude under a swap deal in the face of a US sanctions regime which has put the Latin American country in throes of a fuel crisis.
• Kosovo, Serbia To Restart Talks After Video Summit With Merkel, Macron RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- Kosovo and Serbia have agreed to resume EU-backed normalization talks at a video summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
• Bulgaria, Croatia Join Eurozone's 'Waiting Room' RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- Bulgaria and Croatia have been accepted into the eurozone's obligatory two-year "waiting room," the European Exchange Rate Mechanism 2 (ERM-2).
• EU Approves Disbursement Of Nearly $34 Million In Moldova Aid RFE/RL 10 Jul 2020 -- The European Commission has approved the disbursement of a further 30 million euros ($33.8 million) in macro-financial assistance to Moldova aimed at helping the country cover its external financing needs.
• Sudan PM Shuffles Cabinet in Response to Protests VOA 10 Jul 2020 -- Sudan's prime minister has replaced his finance, energy and health ministers and four other cabinet-level officials in response to growing public demands for sweeping reforms.