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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Car Bomb Kills At Least 7, Injures 53 In Afghanistan's Herat Province RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Mar 2021 -- Russia says the Taliban should be included in any interim Afghan government as Moscow prepares to host a conference next week that is meant to move forward the peace process in the conflict-wracked country.
• Russia Says Taliban Should Be Part Of Interim Afghan Government RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Mar 2021 -- Russia says the Taliban should be included in any interim Afghan government as Moscow prepares to host a conference next week that is meant to move forward the peace process in the conflict-wracked country.
• Russia supports Afghanistan interim government with Taliban participation: Foreign Ministry Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- Russia says it supports the formation of an interim government in Afghanistan that will include the Taliban.
• W.Va. Guard marks one year of COVID-19 response Army News 12 Mar 2021 -- March 13 marks the one-year anniversary of Gov. Jim Justice mobilizing the West Virginia National Guard to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the longest continuous activation of Guard personnel in state history.
• National Guard committed to COVID response Army News 12 Mar 2021 -- Risks are part of the job description for pararescue jumpers. But, as Chief Master Sgt. Seth Zweben recalled, the leap into the unknown to deliver COVID-19 virus test kits to 3,500 mostly positive passengers stranded on a cruise ship in March 2020 gave some PJs pause.
• Guam National Guard fights for normalcy after a year of COVID-19 Army News 12 Mar 2021 -- On July 21, 1944, American military forces stormed the beaches of Guam and reclaimed the island after a brutal three-year Japanese occupation. The day, which would eventually return the freedoms and normalcy to the people, would go on to be celebrated as Guam's Liberation Day.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Quad Leaders' Joint Statement: "The Spirit of the Quad" The White House 12 Mar 2021
• Fact Sheet: Quad Summit The White House 12 Mar 2021
• Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Modi of India, Prime Minister Morrison of Australia, and Prime Minister Suga of Japan in the Virtual Quad Leaders Summit The White House 12 Mar 2021
• The 'Quad' Aims to Increase Vaccine Production to 1 Billion Doses for Southeast Asia VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of Japan, India, and Australia met virtually Friday for a summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, where they discussed strategies to counter China's rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region, including an offer to match Beijing's ambitious vaccine diplomacy.
• US holds first summit with Australia, India, Japan to discuss China Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- The US government is holding a quadripartite summit with Australia, India and Japan, in an effort to cement alliances and counter China's "aggression".
• Armored vehicles could see larger role in Indo-Pacific to compete with China Army News 12 Mar 2021 -- When Chinese military leaders visited a U.S. military post in 2012, Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman recalled that they were shocked to see what the Army could do.
• Defense Department Launches $7.5 Million Center of Excellence in Networked Configurable Command, Control and Communications for Rapid Situational Awareness DoD 12 Mar 2021 -- The Department of Defense (DoD), through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), launched a $7.5 million Center of Excellence in Networked Configurable Command, Control and Communications for Rapid Situational Awareness (COE-NC4) at the University of California, Riverside, a Hispanic-serving minority institution.
• Losing Weight: The 31st MEU demonstrates non-traditional use of expeditionary platforms during joint patrol USMC News 12 Mar 2021 -- The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, currently embarked aboard ships of Amphibious Squadron 11, conducted joint patrols with assets from the Palau Bureau of Maritime Security, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Navy, in the Philippine Sea, Feb. 22-28, 2021.
• AF's first F-15EX arrives at Eglin AFB US Air Force 12 Mar 2021 -- The F-15EX, the Air Force's newest fighter, touched down at Eglin Air Force Base March 11.
• US, Japan conduct historic airborne operation US Air Force 12 Mar 2021 -- In the bright Japanese morning sun, stretched across the flightline, more than 500 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members talk, rehearse jump procedures and shimmy parachute packs onto their backs. All the while, U.S. Air Force Airmen prepare 12 C-130J Super Hercules for a surge unlike any other on record.
• Exercise Austere Challenge Demonstrates Crisis Readiness US Navy 12 Mar 2021 -- In response to a fictional scenario, more than 900 military and civilian personnel came together to conduct exercise Austere Challenge 2021 (AC21) this week.
• NATO-led Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise Dynamic Manta Concludes US Navy 12 Mar 2021 -- The Los Angeles-class Submarine USS San Juan (SSN 751), a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 46 "Grey Knights", and Arleigh Burke-class Guided Missile Destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), joined French Charles De Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CDGCSG) for the NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM)-led exercise Dynamic Manta 2021 from Feb. 22 - March 5, 2021
• Secretary General sets out vision on NATO's future with the Council on Foreign Relations NATO 12 Mar 2021 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg set out the NATO 2030 initiative to future proof the Alliance as part of the Council on Foreign Relations' "Morse Lecture" series on Thursday (11 March 2021).
• NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană discusses transatlantic ties at Ottawa Conference NATO 12 Mar 2021 -- Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană underscored the importance of the transatlantic bond in remarks to the CDA Institute's Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence on Friday (12 March 2021).
• Russia will retaliate if US deploys intermediate-range missiles to Asia-Pacific: Diplomat Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- Russia has warned the United States against its controversial plan to deploy intermediate- and shorter-range missiles to the Asia-Pacific region, saying the move would be met with reaction and retaliation from Moscow.
• PLA reveals new vehicle-mounted anti-tank missile Global Times 12 Mar 2021 -- A new type of vehicle-mounted anti-tank missile is now being deployed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), reports show. The new missile is more powerful than its predecessors due to the larger caliber, and is highly mobile when mounted on an off-road assault vehicle that can run in complicated terrain, analysts said on Thursday.
• Germany - P-8A Aircraft and Associated Support DSCA 12 Mar 2021 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Germany of P-8A Aircraft and Associated Support, and related equipment, for an estimated cost of $1.77 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• MOBILE INTEGRATED NETWORK TERMINAL (MINT) FOR INDIAN ARMY UNDER AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ABHIYAAN India PIB 12 Mar 2021 -- Robust communication support has always been a key enabler of combat potential of the field army. Advancements in communication technologies have facilitated solutions which can be adapted and customised as per operational requirements to give a distinctive winning edge.
• Ukraine Plans To Nationalize Jet Engine Producer Motor Sich From Chinese Investors RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- Ukraine plans to nationalize Motor Sich, an aerospace manufacturer that is majority-owned by Chinese companies, due to its strategic importance to national defense.
• Turkey won't bow to US pressure, will advance S-400 purchase: Russian official Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- A Russian military official says Turkey would not cave in to pressure from the United States over advancing the purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
• Armenia Announces Military Drills To Coincide With Exercises By Rival Azerbaijan RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- Armenia has announced it will hold military drills next week that will coincide with similar maneuvers by rival and neighbor Azerbaijan.
• Department Press Briefing – March 12, 2021 US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2021
• Briefing with Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sung Kim and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David F. Helvey on the Secretaries' Upcoming Trip to Japan and Republic of Korea US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Call with United Nations Secretary-General Guterres US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, March 12, 2021 The White House 12 Mar 2021
• Statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Virtual Bilateral Meeting between President Joe Biden and Micheál Martin, Taoiseach of Ireland The White House 12 Mar 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 12, 2021
• UAE weapons maker partners with Israel Aerospace for anti-drone missile system Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer has announced plans to jointly develop an advanced anti-drone missile system with the United Arab Emirates' state-owned weapons maker EDGE.

Other Conflicts

• 12 March 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Mar 2021
• US military activities in S. China Sea in 2020 unprecedented Global Times 12 Mar 2021 -- In unprecedented moves that aimed to deter China, the US military repeatedly deployed strategic weapon platforms, including aircraft carrier strike groups, to the South China Sea in 2020. It is likely that it will continue to rally regional allies and partners to interfere in regional affairs and enhance its frontier military presence, as well as the intensity of its activity in the region in an effort to achieve maritime containment of China, a recent report by a think tank focusing on the South China Sea shows.
• French Warship Docks in Vietnam as Foreign Powers Step Up in South China Sea Radio Free Asia 12 Mar 2021 -- A French frigate docked at Cam Ranh Port in Vietnam this week, the latest sign that foreign powers are pushing back against China's assertive behavior and expansive claims in the South China Sea.
• US Accuses Houthis of Prioritizing Yemen Offensive Over Cease-fire VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- The leadership of Yemen's Houthi rebels is apparently prioritizing a military offensive over its plan for a nationwide cease-fire, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle Eastern country said Friday.
• Yemen heading toward biggest famine in modern history, warns WFP chief People's Daily 12 Mar 2021 -- The UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley on Thursday warned the Security Council that Yemen is heading toward the biggest famine in modern history.
• Yemeni forces continue struggle against Saudi-led forces, establish security in areas of Ma'rib province Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- Yemen's Army and its allied fighters from Popular Committees have successfully established security in areas in Jabal Murad District, located in the southwest of Ma'rib province, after ridding the areas of the Saudi-led coalition's forces.
• Syria, Russia say US not letting stability return to Syria Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- Syrian and Russian officials say the United States continues to impede the restoration of stability in the country through the imposition of economic sanctions, arguing Washington is using various methods of economic and political pressure on international bodies and organizations to turn a blind eye on the repercussions of such bans.
• Syria war: Average of one child injured or killed every eight hours over past 10 years - UNICEF UN News 12 Mar 2021 -- The grim ten-year anniversary of the war in Syria has left 90 percent of the country's children in need of help, as a triple crisis of violence, economic misery and the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed families to the brink of despair, UNICEF reported on Friday.
• Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Supporting Elections in Libya The White House 12 Mar 2021
• Rohingya Refugees Seeking Protection from UNHCR Detained VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- Police in New Delhi detained dozens of Rohingya refugees when they came to the office of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) seeking protection from what they described as harassment by police.
• China, India agree to hold new round of military talks ASAP Global Times 12 Mar 2021 -- China and India agreed to hold another round of commander-level talks as soon as possible to further ease the situation on the ground and jointly safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the border areas, according to the 21st Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs on Friday.
• UN chief calls for 'unconditional release' of abducted students in Nigeria UN News 12 Mar 2021 -- The UN chief on Friday, has strongly condemned the latest mass kidnapping of students in Nigeria, in the country's northwestern region.
• No Suspects Arrested in Deadly Inter-communal Attack in South Sudan VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- Seventeen people were killed in inter-communal clashes in Ngap village in South Sudan's Lakes State on Wednesday. The killings are the latest in a series of ethnic-based attacks and counterattacks that have left hundreds of people dead and displaced thousands of others, according to the Human Rights Council, a U.N. body documenting human rights violations.
• Violence, Abuse in South Sudan Continue to Escalate Despite Peace Process VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- South Sudanese civilians are caught in a perfect storm of ongoing suffering and misery. The U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan reports the country's humanitarian crisis is being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and floods, as well as the highest levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in a decade. This, on top of escalating violence and rampant human rights violations.
• Resolution enables AMISOM continue vital security support to Somalia UK FCDO 12 Mar 2021 -- Explanation of vote at the UN Security Council to renew the mandate of AMISOM until the end of 2021
• Uzbek, Kyrgyz Leaders 'Agree' To Solve Border Issues In Three Months RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev says he has agreed with visiting Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on how to proceed to solve border issues between the two Central Asian nations within three months.

News Reports

• Prosecutors Expect at Least 100 More Arrests in US Capitol Attack VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- U.S. prosecutors say they expect at least 100 more people to be charged in connection with the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, bringing to more than 400 the number of people potentially facing prosecution in the attack.
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the Administration's Response to the Microsoft and SolarWinds Intrusions The White House 12 Mar 2021
• Daughter of Prolific Mexican Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Criminal Violation of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act US Dept. of Justice 12 Mar 2021 -- A dual U.S.-Mexican citizen pleaded guilty today to willfully engaging in financial dealings with Mexican companies that had been identified as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
• Secretary Mayorkas Designates Burma for Temporary Protected Status DHS 12 Mar 2021 -- Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas is designating Burma for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months. This new designation of Burma for TPS enables Burmese nationals (and individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Burma) currently residing in the United States to file initial applications for TPS, so long as they meet eligibility requirements.
• UN Official Calls for Coordinated International Action to Oust Myanmar Coup Leaders VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- A United Nations investigator is accusing Myanmar's military junta of likely crimes against humanity and is urging international coordinated action to isolate and get rid of the regime. The report is under review by the U.N. Human Rights Council.
• UN agency raises alarm over 'targeted' violence against women in Myanmar protests UN News 12 Mar 2021 -- The United Nations entity dedicated to protection of women's rights has voiced deep concerns over "targeted and disproportionate" violence against women being recorded during the crackdown against peaceful protesters in Myanmar.
• Russia voices concern about civilian deaths in Myanmar Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- Russia has expressed concern about the increasing number of civilian deaths in Myanmar, stressing that it is following the developments in the Southeast Asian country "very closely."
• Myanmar Begins Trials for Journalists as Protesters Defy, Evade Crackdown by Troops Radio Free Asia 12 Mar 2021 -- The first group of six out of the nearly 40 media workers detained covering protests against Myanmar's ruling junta appeared in video conference trials Friday, while protesters in major cities defied a tightening crackdown that has seen 73 people killed so far, lawyers and witnesses said.
• Leaked Documents Suggest Fraying of China-Myanmar Ties VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- Leaked documents obtained by VOA reveal China asked Myanmar's military government late last month to tighten pipeline security during ongoing anti-coup protests, suggesting growing tension in what seemed to be a cozy relationship between the neighboring nations.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Moscow, March 12, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 12 Mar 2021
• The Week In Russia: Prisons, Prices, And Putin's 'Brutal Third Act' RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin may have his fieriest foe where he wants him -- in prison. The same cannot be said of several problems dogging the Kremlin months before parliamentary elections, including consumer prices, ruling-party poll numbers, and trust in the Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine.
• Russia's Bungling, Late-Game Effort To Control The Web RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- When Russia announced it was slowing down Twitter access this week, citing the social network's alleged failure to delete objectionable material, it was seen as a sign that the Kremlin was acting on repeated threats to bring the Internet under control.
• Navalny Moved To New, Unknown Location, His Lawyers Say RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- Lawyers for Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny say he has been moved from a detention center in the Vladimir region, northeast of the Russian capital, to an undisclosed location amid a call from Western countries for his immediate release.
• Former RT Reporter Says He Was Asked To 'Spy' On Navalny In German Hospital RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- A German journalist who used to work for Russia's state-controlled television channel RT says he was asked by his employer to spy on Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny while he was undergoing treatment in Germany after being poisoned in Siberia.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on the Xinjiang-related Joint Statement by Cuba on Behalf of 64 Countries to Support China at the UN Human Rights Council PRC MofA 12 Mar 2021
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on March 12, 2021 PRC MofA 12 Mar 2021
• China's Pension Funds Face Rising Risk Radio Free Asia 12 Mar 2021 -- China is facing major strains in its pension system after tapping social security funds to stimulate the economy for the past two years.
• Stability Beijing's focus as Xi seeks re-election: analysts CNA 12 Mar 2021 -- China's government is likely to focus its efforts in 2021 on pursuing stability internally and externally, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) seeks a third term as chief of the Chinese Communist Party next year, analysts in Taiwan said Friday.
• G7 Statement on Hong Kong Electoral Changes US Dept. of State 12 Mar 2021 -- The text of the following statement was released by the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union.
• Hong Kong Lawmakers: Beijing's Electoral Reforms 'Huge Step Backwards' VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- China's national legislature has approved a resolution to overhaul Hong Kong's current electoral system, in a move seen as part of a broader campaign to quell opposition voices.
• China's Hong Kong Move an Assault on Democracy, Autonomy: Foreign Ministers Radio Free Asia 12 Mar 2021 -- The international community has condemned recent changes by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to Hong Kong's political system, saying the insistence that political candidates be pre-approved by Beijing is an "assault" on the limited democracy the city once enjoyed.
• Senior Chinese officials vow countermeasures against West's interference in HK electoral reform Global Times 12 Mar 2021 -- After a small number of countries, mainly the anti-China axis Five Eyes countries, expressed their so-called severe concerns over the electoral system reform of Hong Kong, which was approved by China's top legislature in a landslide vote, senior Chinese officials, once again, clearly stated their unshaken determination to fix the loopholes in the Chinese city which have been exploited by anti-China forces, and resolutely fight back with countermeasures if those Western countries continue meddling in China's internal affairs.
• Senior Chinese officials refute US condemnation on HK electoral reform Global Times 12 Mar 2021 -- In response to the US reaction on the Hong Kong electoral system reform adopted by China's top legislature on Thursday, a senior Chinese official on Hong Kong affairs slammed such groundless and illegitimate interference in China's internal affairs, saying no foreign country is allowed to meddle in it.
• Electoral reform 'a mid-term surgery' for Hong Kong: Basic Law Committee member Global Times 12 Mar 2021 -- The electoral reform for Hong Kong set the tone for the city's future development for the next 25 years and more on which the central government won't take any comprises when dealing with Hong Kong affairs, Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, a member of the Basic Law Committee, told the Global Times in an exclusive interview, by referring the reform as "a mid-term surgery" for the city's political path in the past two decades.
• Anti-China forces exploiting institutional loopholes made HK universal suffrage impossible: senior official Global Times 12 Mar 2021 -- It was the anti-China forces who exploited the Basic Law of Hong Kong to veto the universal suffrage plan for the regional chief executive and the Legislative Council (LegCo), making the goal of universal suffrage unable to achieve, a senior Chinese official said on Friday.
• US Condemns China's Policies in Xinjiang as 'Genocide' at UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Radio Free Asia 12 Mar 2021 -- The United States on Friday slammed China's harsh treatment of ethnic Uyghurs and other religious minority groups in an address before the U.N. Human Rights Council, describing Beijing's policies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) as "genocide."
• China to Try Canada's 'Two Michaels' For Spying Soon: State Media Radio Free Asia 12 Mar 2021 -- China has signaled it will move ahead soon with the trials of two Canadian nationals held on "spying" charges, according to a report in a newspaper controlled by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
• China launches medium-lift Long March-7A carrier rocket PLA Daily 12 Mar 2021 -- China launched its Long March-7A Y2 carrier rocket on Friday from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's island province of Hainan.
• U.S.-China meeting expected to touch on Taiwan: State Department CNA 12 Mar 2021 -- The upcoming meeting between senior officials of the United States and China is expected to touch on a range of "difficult" issues, including Taiwan, the U.S. State Department said Thursday.
• China's Coast Guard could start harassing Taiwan soon: analyst CNA 12 Mar 2021 -- China's Coast Guard vessels could soon join People's Liberation Army's warplanes in harassing Taiwan now that China's Coast Guard Law is in effect, an analyst in Taiwan warned Friday at a forum on the possible effects of the controversial law.
• US says won't incentivize Iran to join JCPOA talks Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- The US once again asserts that it will not offer any "incentives" to prompt Iran to rejoin talks with Washington on "mutual compliance" with a 2015 nuclear agreement it unilaterally left later, insisting that it is Tehran that has to take the first step.
• U.S. reaffirms no unilateral incentives for talks with Iran People's Daily 12 Mar 2021 -- The United States on Thursday reaffirmed that it would not offer any unilateral incentives for talks with Iran.
• Iranian FM accuses U.S. of blocking ROK from unfreezing Iranian assets People's Daily 12 Mar 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused on Thursday Washington of following former President Donald Trump's "failed policy" on Iran, after U.S. officials stated unwillingness to authorize the Republic of Korea (ROK) to unfreeze Iranian assets.
• Iran Reports 'Terrorist Attack' On Cargo Ship In Mediterranean Sea RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- An Iranian state-owned company says one of its cargo vessels was targeted this week by what it called a "terrorist" attack in the Mediterranean Sea, state television reported on March 12.
• Iranian container ship slightly damaged in terror attack in Mediterranean: Shipping firm Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRIS) Group says one of its cargo ships has been damaged after it was targeted by a terrorist attack en route to Europe in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this week.
• US says won't incentivize Iran to join JCPOA talks Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- The US once again asserts that it will not offer any "incentives" to prompt Iran to rejoin talks with Washington on "mutual compliance" with a 2015 nuclear agreement it unilaterally left later, insisting that it is Tehran that has to take the first step.
• Poland Expels Belarusian Diplomats As Tensions Continue RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- Poland has expelled two Belarusian diplomats in what a deputy minister called an act of "reciprocity" as the two sides fight over a recent World War II commemoration and Warsaw's support of pro-democracy activists in Belarus.
• Khan's Candidate Declared Senate Speaker After Contested Vote RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Mar 2021 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's candidate has been declared chairman of the upper house of parliament in a vote marred by allegations of manipulation.
• Turkey Announces Talks to Reset Ties with Egypt VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced high-level intelligence and diplomatic talks with Egypt on Friday. The bilateral talks are the first since the 2013 ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
• European Parliament Condemns Hun Sen's Rights Abuses in Cambodia in 'Stunning Rebuke' Radio Free Asia 12 Mar 2021 -- The European Union has slammed Cambodia's government for human rights abuses including violence against peaceful protesters, the harassment and intimidation of rights defenders, and the jailing of political opponents on "politically motivated" charges, urging targeted sanctions against officials.
• Empty Promises: Kazakh, Uzbek Leaders All Talk And No Action On Reforms RFE/RL 12 Mar 2021 -- When new leaders came to power in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in recent years, people hoped it would spark an era of significant change in how the countries were governed.
• Tanzania PM Denies Reports President John Magufuli is Ill VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- Tanzania's prime minister, Kassim Majaliwa, on Friday refuted rumors circulating for almost a week now that President John Magufuli is ill, saying he is "healthy and continuing with his duties as usual."
• South Africa's Beloved Zulu Monarch Dies VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- King Goodwill Zwelithini, monarch of South Africa's large amaZulu ethnic group, has died, ending his five-decade reign through the darkest years of the racist apartheid system, the democratization of the 1990s, and the ups and downs of modern South Africa.