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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK FCDO 15 Mar 2021 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• US-occupied Iraqi air base hit by several rockets Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- At least seven rockets have targeted another Iraqi air base occupied by American troops north of Baghdad, the latest in a string of attacks against US positions and interests in the Arab country.
• Iran categorically rules out involvement in Iraq attacks IRNA 15 Mar 2021 -- Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi categorically ruled out any involvement in attacks on US bases in Iraq.
• Iran categorically rejects any involvement in Iraq's attacks ISNA 15 Mar 2021 -- Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi categorically rejected any involvement in attacks on US bases in Iraq, calling the military strike of the US against Iraqi forces gross violations of international law and practice.
• Iraqi Military Base North of Baghdad Comes Under Rocket Attack Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- The base was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force in 2011 after the US withdrawal from the country. It previously came under a similar rocket attack in late February which reportedly left two employees injured.
• US military presence in Afghanistan much larger than disclosed: US media Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- US officials have said the real number of American forces in Afghanistan is much higher than the public has been led to believe as the Biden administration claims to follow through with a troop withdrawal as part of a US deal with the Taliban, according to US media.
• Taliban To Attend Afghan Summit In Russia As Violence Continues RFE/RL Gandhara 15 Mar 2021 -- The Taliban says it will attend a high-level Afghan peace conference to be hosted by Russia on March 18.
• 3 civilians killed in bomb blasts in Afghanistan's Kabul People's Daily 15 Mar 2021 -- At least three civilians were killed and 12 others wounded in two separate explosions in the Afghan capital Kabul, local police said.
• Wisconsin Guard marks first anniversary of COVID response Army News 15 Mar 2021 -- Gov. Tony Evers declared a public health emergency in Wisconsin one year ago, a day after the World Health Organization said COVID-19 had become a pandemic.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Top US Officials to Arrive in Asia on First Overseas Visit VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin landed in Tokyo Monday for talks with regional allies to reaffirm the trans-Pacific partnerships in the face of an increasingly assertive China and silent North Korea.
• New Officials Sworn-in at the Department of Defense DoD 15 Mar 2021 -- The following individuals have been sworn-in virtually or in-person from March 9, 2021, through March 15, 2021.
• DOD Receives Approval for Grants to Develop Interstate Compacts for Licensure Portability DoD 15 Mar 2021 -- The Department of Defense announced Friday the approval of a series of grants that will help military spouses with the issue of professional license portability.
• Japan Visit Aims to Cement Cornerstone Alliance DoD News 15 Mar 2021 -- The visit of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to Japan is all about consulting on shared concerns and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific, a senior defense official said today.
• DOD Officials Describe Conditions in Indo-Pacific DoD News 15 Mar 2021 -- The Indo-Pacific has always been a region of superlatives, but the terms have changed over the past decades.
• 31st OG Conducts Operation Porcupine 2021 US Air Force 15 Mar 2021 -- The 31st Operations Group conducted exercise Operation Porcupine in Cincu, Romania, March 4.
• Hanscom AFB team to rollout major IT upgrades for 700K users US Air Force 15 Mar 2021 -- A Hanscom Air Force Base information technology team expects to roll out improved end user services to numerous Air and Space Force locations beginning in the summer of 2021.
• U.S., Israeli Navies Conduct Combined Maritime Security Patrols in the Mediterranean US Navy 15 Mar 2021 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG-61) joined forces with the Israeli Sa'ar 4.5 ships in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to conduct joint maritime security patrols March 15, 2021.
• CTF 73, JMSDF Work Together to Strengthen Logistics Interchangeability in Indo-Pacific US Navy 15 Mar 2021 -- The U.S. Navy routinely conducts cooperative underway replenishments with partner nations throughout the 7th Fleet area of operations and one of the closest of those partners is the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
• First At-Sea Aircraft Carrier F135 Engine Power Module Proof-of-Concept Vertical Replenishment US Navy 15 Mar 2021 -- The Navy took another critical step forward in the future of the F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighter on March 6.
• VP-46 Coordinated Operations in the Black Sea US Navy 15 Mar 2021 -- Operating alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) and USS Porter (DDG-78), two Turkish frigates, the TCG Orucreis (F-245) and TCG Turgutreis (F-241), and two Turkish F-16 fighters, the Patrol Squadron (VP) 46 "Grey Knights," participated in their first joint air and maritime training mission in the Black Sea, Feb. 10.
• USS Porter Completes Ninth FDND-E Patrol US Navy 15 Mar 2021 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) returned to Rota, Spain, March 14 after completing its ninth Forward-Deployed Naval Forces Europe patrol in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations. During the patrol, Porter completed operations in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Atlantic Ocean with several allies and partnered nations.
• USS Hershel "Woody" Williams conducts Interoperability training with Italian Navy US Navy 15 Mar 2021 -- The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4) was joined by the Italian Navy's Carlo Bergamini-class frigate Luigi Rizzo (F 595) off the western coast of Africa March 11, 2021.
• US Launches Annual Defender-Europe Exercises With NATO Allies Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- The US Army has launched its annual three and a half month long "Defender Europe" series of exercises with NATO allies across the European content, an official military press release announced on Monday.
• We can achieve more together than alone, NATO Secretary General tells European Parliament members NATO 15 Mar 2021 -- The strong transatlantic bond in NATO remains the cornerstone of Europe's security, and closer cooperation with the European Union is an important part of our work for the future, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in his address to the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and Sub-Committee on Security and Defence on Monday (15 March 2021).
• New UK Defense Strategy A Troubling Step Back on Nuclear Policy Arms Control Association 15 Mar 2021 -- The United Kingdom announced today that it will move to increase its total nuclear warhead stockpile ceiling by over 40 percent and reduce transparency about its nuclear arsenal. This is a needless and alarming reversal of the longstanding British policy to reduce the number and role of nuclear weapons.
• China holds naval drills in three maritime areas amid US military threats Global Times 15 Mar 2021 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently held combat-oriented naval exercises featuring different types of warships in three major sea areas, at a time when the US secretary of defense is rallying allies in the region and attempting to foster "credible deterrence" against China.
• MISSION SAGAR IV INS JALASHWA AT ANJOUAN (COMOROS) India PIB 15 Mar 2021 -- As part of Mission Sagar-IV, Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa arrived at Port Anjouan, Comoros on 14 March 2021 to deliver 1,000 Metric Tonnes of rice.
• Equipment Manufactured Under 'Make-In-India' Programme India PIB 15 Mar 2021 -- 'Make in India' initiative in defence sector is implemented through various policy initiatives which promotes indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence items.
• Steps Taken To Enhance Capacity of Security Forces India PIB 15 Mar 2021 -- The Government has taken several policy initiatives and reforms to promote indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country and enable development or transfer of technologies in the country.
• Privatisation of Defence PSUs India PIB 15 Mar 2021 -- The Government is planning to decrease shareholding in Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) namely, BEML Ltd., Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI). The completion of a transaction depends on market conditions. Therefore, it is not possible to predict a timeline.
• Iran State TV Reports Opening Of New Underground Missile Facility RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on March 15 inaugurated a new underground facility designated for missile storage, state television reported.
• IRGC's naval force unveils new missile site, hosting ballistic, cruise missiles Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- The naval force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has unveiled a new strategic missile site at an undisclosed location, which hosts various types of advanced ballistic and cruise missiles.
• IRGC unveils new missile city IRNA 15 Mar 2021 -- Navy of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) unveiled a new missile city on Monday in a ceremony in presence of IRGC Commander Major-General Hossein Salami.
• Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Shows Off New 'Missile City' in Released Video Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- The country's military did not disclose the location of the latest addition to the numerous sites, where Iran keeps its impressive arsenal of missiles and launchers.
• Long-held ties strengthened in exercise Australia DOD 15 Mar 2021 -- HMA ships Anzac and Sirius have completed two separate passage exercises with vessels from the Philippine Navy as part of a two-month deployment throughout the north-east Indian Ocean and South-East Asia.
• Simulation tests combat operations Australia DOD 15 Mar 2021 -- Heavy use of simulation allowed new members posted to the 7th Combat Brigade to successfully plan and execute combat operations against a notional enemy during Exercise Diamond Dawn.
• Sydney sails for trials in United States Australia DOD 15 Mar 2021 -- HMAS Sydney departed her home port at Fleet Base East last week to conduct trials on her AEGIS weapons system with the United States Navy.
• Department Press Briefing – March 15, 2021 US Dept. of State 15 Mar 2021
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, March 15, 2021 The White House 15 Mar 2021

Defense Industry

• Contracts For March 15, 2021
• Global Arms Trade Plateauing Amid COVID-19 as Sales Gap Between US, Russia Widens – SIPRI Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- Substantial increases in arms sales by three of the top five exporters (the US, France, and Germany) were largely offset by declining Russian and Chinese exports, as the COVID pandemic is yet to take its economic toll on nations and affect their arms procurements.
• US tops world's weapons supplier, Saudi Arabia biggest importer: Sweden-based think tank Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- A recent report has revealed that more than a third of the global arms sold worldwide during the past five years originated in the United States, while Saudi Arabia was the world's largest weapons importer during the period.
• Global Arms Transfers Leveled Off From 2016 To 2020, Swedish Institute Says RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- International deliveries of arms were flat from 2016 through 2020 compared with the previous five-year period, but they were still close to the highest level since the end of the Cold War, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report released on March 15.

Other Conflicts

• 15 March 2021 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Mar 2021
• Maritime Law Expected to Give Beijing an Edge in South China Sea Legal Disputes VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Chinese officials will pass a basic maritime law to formalize their sovereignty claims over the contested, resource-rich South China Sea and defend those claims more effectively in the international legal space, media reports and analysts say.
• American proposal offers nothing new, serves Washington's interests: Top Yemeni official Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- A high-ranking Yemeni official says the American proposal for a nationwide ceasefire in the conflict-plagued Arab country offers nothing new, and only serves the interests of the US administration.
• Yemeni army targets Saudi airport, airbase in 'accurate' drone strike Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- The Yemeni army has launched armed drones to attack Saudi Arabia's Abha Airport as well as King Khalid Airbase in the southern town of Khamis Mushait in retaliation for Riyadh's continuation of a six-year-long war on Yemen, said a spokesman.
• Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Bomb-Laden UAV Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward Khamis Mushait City SPA 15 Mar 2021 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki
• Turkey captures top Syrian Kurdish commander: Report Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- Turkish intelligence agents have captured a senior figure from a US-backed Kurdish militant group operating in Syria.
• Russia Alarmed by Transfer of Turkish Army's Equipment in Syria's Raqqa, Military Says Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- Russia is alarmed by the transfer of equipment of the Turkish Armed Forces and the ongoing fortification works in the Syrian province of Raqqa, Rear Adm. Alexander Karpov, the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria, said at a briefing.
• Joint Statement by the Secretary of State of the United States of America, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, and the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and Italy US Dept. of State 15 Mar 2021 -- The following statement was released by United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, and UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the Syrian uprising:
• Syria: Grim 10-year anniversary of 'unimaginable violence and indignities' UN News 15 Mar 2021 -- As the Syrian war reaches its grim decade-long milestone, the UN envoy for the country told the Security Council on Monday that it will "go down as one of the darkest chapters in recent history" referring to the Syrian people as among "the greatest victims of this century".
• Syrian War 10 Years On: Idlib Battle 'Frozen' But Unfinished VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- On most Fridays, hundreds of protesters gather in "Seven Lakes," the main roundabout in Idlib, Syria. They dance, sing and chant "Revolution!"
• Marking the tenth anniversary of the Syrian conflict UK FCDO 15 Mar 2021 -- Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on Syria
• New UK sanctions targeting Assad regime for repressing the Syrian people UK FCDO 15 Mar 2021 -- The UK has announced a fresh round of targeted sanctions on the Assad regime, including close allies of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
• UK sanctions Syrian leaders on 10th anniversary of failed proxy war Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- The British government has chosen the 10th anniversary of the failed campaign to oust the Syrian government by means of foreign-sponsored armed uprisings and Takfiri terrorism, to impose sanctions on six leading Syrians.
• UK Targets Bashar Al-Assad's Close Allies With Sanctions on 10th Anniversary of Syrian Conflict Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- The new restrictive measures against top Syrian officials come as a decade has passed since Syria descended into a bloody civil war that grew to involve multiple regional and foreign actors.
• EU liable for Syrian people's sufferings, shedding their blood: Foreign ministry Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has denounced the European Union's recent declaration on the decade-long conflict in the war-torn Arab country, saying the bloc is responsible for the sufferings of Syrian people as it backs sanctions which amount to economic terrorism.
• Security Services Prevent Terrorist Attack in Damascus, Syria, Source Reveals Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- The attempted attack comes as Monday marks 10 years since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. It also comes as the war-torn nation is expected to hold a presidential election.
• Syria foils 'large-scale' terrorist attack on Damascus: SANA Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- Syrian government forces have foiled a 'large-scale terrorist operation' by killing at least three terrorists and arresting three others who intended to launch attacks across the capital Damascus.
• Complaint Filed In Moscow Against Vagner Mercenary Group Over Torture Of Syrian Detainee RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Three nongovernmental organizations based in France, Syria, and Russia have announced a legal case in Moscow against the Vagner Group, a Russian military contractor with indirect ties to the country's political elite, over the 2017 torture of a detainee in Syria.
• Libya's new interim prime minister sworn in, promises to represent all Libyans Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has been sworn as Libya's Prime Minister until elections later this year, following years-long violence and division in the North African country.
• Bangladesh Agrees to Take UN Delegation to Rohingya Island Radio Free Asia 15 Mar 2021 -- Bangladesh has agreed to take United Nations officials to a Bay of Bengal island housing thousands of Rohingya refugees, and the visit may take place this week, a foreign ministry official said Monday, more than two years after the world body asked to assess the suitability of the controversial site.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on Ukrainian authorities' planned action against Russian Crimea Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 Mar 2021
• Allies of South Sudan militias must be held accountable: UN human rights report UN News 15 Mar 2021 -- Military and political officials in South Sudan supporting community-based militias in the Greater Jonglei region, must be held accountable for violence that killed more than 700 people over a six-month period last year, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Monday.
• UN Court Opens Maritime Dispute Hearing Without Kenya VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Kenya has refused to attend a weeklong hearing by the United Nations' highest court over a long-running maritime dispute with Somalia.

News Reports

• Two Men Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers with Dangerous Weapon on January 6 US Dept. of Justice 15 Mar 2021 -- Defendants Sprayed U.S. Capitol Police Officers B. Sicknick and C. Edwards, and Metropolitan Police Department Officer D. Chapman with a Chemical Substance
• Surge in Migrants at US-Mexico Border Reignites Washington Debate VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Thousands of unaccompanied children crossing the Mexican border into the United States have quickly reignited the contentious immigration debate in Washington, with Republicans and Democrats at odds over who is to blame for what both parties describe as a crisis.
• Myanmar Crackdown on Protesters Kills 25 as Junta Imposes 24-Hour Mobile Internet Shutdown Radio Free Asia 15 Mar 2021 -- At least 25 people were shot dead Monday as anti-coup protesters in multiple cities braved increasing violence by security forces following a bloody weekend that killed scores of protesters in Myanmar's largest city, witnesses said.
• Myanmar crisis: UN chief 'appalled' by escalating violence with dozens reported killed over weekend UN News 15 Mar 2021 -- The UN chief on Monday issued a statement saying he was "appalled" by the reported killing over the weekend of dozens of protesters calling for the restoration of democracy, at the hands of the country's military.
• Myanmar Junta Extends Martial Law in Yangon VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Authorities in Myanmar extended martial law in more areas of the main city of Yangon on Monday amid reports of more protesters killed by security forces.
• Myanmar unrest: Dozens killed in bloodiest day since start of anti-coup protests Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- Unrest continues in Myanmar. Street protests have now reached new heights, with public anger building up and the military crackdown growing more frequent and brutal.
• Myanmar locals urged not to be incited by West as 32 Chinese factories in Yangon suffer from attacks Global Times 15 Mar 2021 -- A total of 32 Chinese-invested factories have been vandalized in attacks in Yangon, Myanmar, with property losses reaching 240 million yuan ($36.89 million), the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar told the Global Times on Monday, after perpetrators in Yangon smashed, looted and burnt Chinese factories on Sunday.
• Exclusive: 32 Chinese factories in Yangon have been attacked with two employees injured: Embassy Global Times 15 Mar 2021 -- A total of 32 Chinese-invested factories have been vandalized in the attacks in Yangon, Myanmar, with property losses reaching 240 million yuan ($36.89 million), the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar told the Global Times on Monday.
• BRI projects untouched amid attacks in Myanmar Global Times 15 Mar 2021 -- Chinese invested-projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) were untouched during the weekend riots in Myanmar, but representatives said they have upped the level of vigilance and are considering organizing for self-protection, the Global Times learned.
• Navalny Moved To Penitentiary In Pokrov, Calls It 'Friendly Concentration Camp' RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Opposition politician Aleksei Navalny has confirmed his relocation to a notorious penitentiary in the city of Pokrov, likening the institution to "a friendly concentration camp."
• With Elections Still Months Off, The Kremlin Sends A Chilling Signal RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Mikhail Kovyazin, a 48-year-old independent municipal deputy from the city of Kirov, had modest plans when he decided to attend the Municipal Russia conference of independent lawmakers in Moscow on March 13-14.
• Russian Journalists Start 'Silent Broadcasts' To Avoid Prosecution RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Journalists in Russia's Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, where demonstrations in support of the region's jailed former governor have been held since July last year, have started so-called "silent broadcasts" to avoid prosecution.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian's Regular Press Conference on March 15, 2021 PRC MofA 15 Mar 2021
• Critics Raise Alarm Over EU-China Deal VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- An investment deal between China and the European Union restricts Europeans from investing in Chinese media and entertainment companies but does not block Chinese firms from investing in European ones, according to newly released details.
• Carrie Lam to directly oversee future elections in HK, vows zero foreign intervention Global Times 15 Mar 2021 -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam vowed to directly oversee the SAR's three Legislative Council (LegCo) elections in the coming year to guarantee there is no foreign intervention, after the city officially adopts electoral reform in March.
• Dismaying Uyghurs, Legislatures of Australian and Turkey Reject Motions on China Genocide Label Radio Free Asia 15 Mar 2021 -- Lawmakers in Australia and Turkey rejected motions on Monday to recognize human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as genocide, disappointing hopes by Uyghurs and other XUAR natives that they would follow similar designations by the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands.
• Xinjiang Authorities Detain Head of Township Education Committee Radio Free Asia 15 Mar 2021 -- Authorities in in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have detained the head of a township education committee, according to officials in his home county of Toksun (in Chinese, Tuokexun) in the region's Turpan (Tulufan) prefecture.
• North Korea Gives Control of State-Run Companies to Local Government Officials Radio Free Asia 15 Mar 2021 -- North Korea has ordered local officials to take a more active role in managing state-run companies, but company managers complain that the increased oversight will make production goals harder to reach, sources in the country told RFA.
• White House Confirms Reports on Biden Administration's Failed Attempts to Contact Pyongyang Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- The Biden administration has reached out to North Korea but no response has been received to date, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.
• Increased Electricity Production Witnessed in DPRK KCNA 15 Mar 2021 -- Power stations in the DPRK are boosting the output.
• Zarif: Sanctions, COVID-19 close to end IRNA 15 Mar 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarid said on Monday the cold of the sanctions, oppression, and COVID-19 is close to its end.
• Iran's FM Zarif warns clock ticking for US to return to JCPOA Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the United States that it might run out of time for returning to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the Islamic Republic's presidential election approaches.
• Jailed French Tourist In Iran Faces Spying Charges, Lawyer Says RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- The lawyer for a French tourist who was arrested in Iran some 10 months ago says his client faces charges of espionage and "spreading propaganda against the system."
• 'Move Fast': Zarif Urges US to Return to Nuclear Deal Before Iran's Upcoming Presidential Election Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- Tensions between Iran and the US have been running high since former US President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal on May 8, 2018.
• Tsikhanouskaya Calls On Jailed Belarusians To Stop Their Hunger Strikes RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called on three jailed Belarusians to stop hunger strikes they started to protest their incarceration as part of a crackdown on those speaking out against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
• Detained Former Bolivian President Reject Terrorism, Sedition and Conspiracy Charges VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Anez claimed Sunday that she had the people's support, after a judge in the capital La Paz sentenced her to four months pre-trial detention for inciting a coup d'état against her predecessor.
• Bolivia court orders 4-month pretrial detention for ex-president Anez Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- Bolivia's former president, Jeanine Anez, has confirmed that she will be held for four months in pretrial detention on charges of involvement in a coup that resulted in the ouster of her predecessor Evo Morales.
• Vietnamese Dissident Released After Serving Full Prison Term Radio Free Asia 15 Mar 2021 -- Vietnamese dissident Doan Thi Hong has been released from prison after serving a sentence of two and a half years for "disturbing security" by organizing public protests and has been reunited with her family, Vietnamese sources say.
• Exclusive: Kyrgyz President Defends Controversial Constitutional Changes RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has praised constitutional changes he initiated saying they are needed to create a strong central branch of government to "establish order" in the Central Asian country, despite concerns by some groups they will create an authoritarian ruler if accepted in a referendum next month.
• Armenian Opposition Calls For Lifting Monthslong Martial Law RFE/RL 15 Mar 2021 -- Opposition factions in Armenia's parliament have called for an end to martial law after it was declared following the outbreak of war with Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020.
• Biden Administration Under Pressure to Drop Support for Haiti Elections VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Haitian rights activists, a former ambassador to the country and civil society groups are pressing the U.S. government to drop its support for Haiti's president's plan to hold a referendum and elections at a time of rising violence and kidnappings in the country.
• Tanzanian VP Implies President is Sick, Says Nothing about Coronavirus Rumors VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli has remained out of sight since late February, amid rumors he has COVID-19. Officials have insisted he is well, but the country's vice president said Monday it is normal for people to get sick. She asked Tanzanians to ignore outside information that may cause confusion.
• Uganda's Bobi Wine Briefly Detained After Leading Street Protest VOA 15 Mar 2021 -- Ugandan police Monday briefly detained opposition leader Bobi Wine as he led opposition lawmakers and supporters in a demonstration. Wine's National Unity Platform party was protesting the arrest and disappearance of hundreds of supporters.